#i'm a tiny bit of a raphael stan even though i hate his smug guts

[lets-go-hurt-someone]

I'm still reflecting on my evil Durge playthrough, which I just enjoyed so much more than I expected (no small thanks to some heavy-lifting from Minthara, who is incredible).

One thing that surprised me most was that if you don't go to the House of Hope or take Raphael's deal to get the hammer, you can still reject the Emperor in the end game. After the Emperor split I genuinely kind of sat there in blank confusion for a minute, staring at Orpheus and convinced I had just nerfed the save and made it unwinnable... and then you hear it.

Tick. Tock.

Tick. Tock.

Fucking Raphael shows up. It's a hair-raising call back to how he ambushes you in the grove and tells you, no matter what you do, after all your options are exhausted, you will come crawling back to him.

He is hugely, deliciously smug. He taunts you and lords over you how you have no negotiating power now. You do what he wants, or you die.

It was such an unexpected little thing. I sort of expected you to just have to side with the Emperor if you didn't have the hammer in your inventory once he yeets you to the astral plane. But no.

Of course, I reloaded immediately, I'm not giving Raphael shit, but it was so well done!