The music that plays after Astarion stabs Cazador and starts sobbing has now been changed to an orchestral version of I want to live. I don't understand why this change was made since no one has complained about this scene or the previous music, but to me it's certainly worse than what was there previously. The music starts out okay but then gets too loud and too complex (too many instruments) and it's just so distracting when you want to pay attention to Astarion's emotions. It cheapens the scene to not let you sit in the moment. It almost feels like it's trying to rush Astarion.
I completely understand the intention: to make the scene feel hopeful. But I don't think it works, and I quite frankly think the audience can work out that this scene is cathartic and not a bad thing without adding a cheerful song in the background. IMO it should be reverted to the previous track. If Larian wants to make it have a hopeful song in the background it needs to be a different one, this one is just too much, and I'd honestly just avoid touching things that don't need fixing.
To me it's more important to feel the scene, which is very powerful, than to get an impression of "victory". This feels very spoonfed and forced.
Anyway, all in all I am just sad that a very important scene to me (that arguably got Neil those awards) got downgraded for no reason. In general I'd advise against random changes that no one complained about because even if some people like the new change it's bound to upset some people, especially with such a powerful and iconic scene being de-fanged.
EDIT: removed the suggestion to make it silent since i edited it on my own and don't think it works for the scene. old version is better.
Damn, I had no idea this got changed. I loved the music in that final scene- it really captured the trauma of the moment, on top of the atmosphere of the location and everything that just happened. It felt like a perfect climatic song that captured all of the complicated emotions of finally killing his tormentor, and being a free person.
I'm disappointed that my friends who just got the game won't be able to hear the same song, which was only ever used in that scene, when they finally reach the Cazador boss fight.
Damn, I had no idea this got changed. I loved the music in that final scene- it really captured the trauma of the moment, on top of the atmosphere of the location and everything that just happened. It felt like a perfect climatic song that captured all of the complicated emotions of finally killing his tormentor, and being a free person.
I'm disappointed that my friends who just got the game won't be able to hear the same song, which was only ever used in that scene, when they finally reach the Cazador boss fight.
Yeah, also my interpretation is that Astarion isn't feeling relief as this new song might imply, but is very overwhelmed and in shock at everything that just happened and that it's finally over but that it hasn't been triumphant like he might have expected, just an unloading of the 200 years of shit he's gone through + knowing he just disavowed the sun. IDK, there are nice parallels with the Aylin situation. Honestly I just think it's a huge cocktail of emotions and it's okay that he's also grieving everything that's happened to him at that moment without needing to reassure us it's all okay. I mean, when you talk to him right after that you can tell he's in shock and disbelief trying to process that it's all over, it doesn't feel real to him. The relief and reflection comes the morning after, where hopeful music is much more fitting.
The only positive thing I will say is that the song change has made me pay more attention to the shot where he's in front of Cazador's corpse, but at the same time that moment also feels goofy with the very strong instrumental playing and it gives me whiplash.
I'm also playing co-op with a friend that's playing for the first time and I'm sad she won't have the same experience I had, we're at the point where we're running out of quests to do in act 3 but I'm trying to postpone Cazador's palace as much as possible in case they hopefully patch this change out.
It's practically his theme so it makes sense that it plays for him. But they sure could work on making it fit the scene better.
The fans kind of ran off with that idea (understandably, since the lyrics can be applied to him, but Borislav has said it isn't the intention behind the song) but even if they want to pay tribute to that song playing when Neil won the award there are more fitting places to put it in without making a very good and important scene worse.
I know what you mean. The music choices are not always the best. If you do Karlach’s first romance scene at the tiefling party, you still hear whooping from the party and inappropriate choice of music (too loud/obtrusive). It IS annoying. You can go into the audio options and turn the music down. That’s what I would do. I’m also tired of the whole “fixing things that don’t need fixing but not fixing things that have been broken for months” deal.
I know what you mean. The music choices are not always the best. If you do Karlach’s first romance scene at the tiefling party, you still hear whooping from the party and inappropriate choice of music (too loud/obtrusive). It IS annoying. You can go into the audio options and turn the music down. That’s what I would do. I’m also tired of the whole “fixing things that don’t need fixing but not fixing things that have been broken for months” deal.
Yeah... although I don't like that I'm missing out on the rest of the good music choices if I turn the music off, haha. I'll have to see how I feel about that scene having no music when I do it with my friend, maybe it's better than having the current music on still. It's not just the volume, which is indeed very loud, but the tone, which used to be fine. I'm just very confused at this choice.
100% agree that this was a really bad change. The original music gave the scene a special melancholic atmosphere that really fit the moment so very well. The new choice of music dumbs down the whole scene IMO. It just doesn't feel as heartwrenching anymore.
They really need to stop "fixing" the cutscenes, they are just getting worse with every patch.
Really hoping this is a glitch or something, because if not I really can't comprehend what would possess them to make this change. It makes the whole scene seem almost childishly simplistic.
It's funny how two music threads about basically the same issue come up at the same time. I can see why they changed it, it is handled as his theme by many players, so slapping his theme on the scene makes it more about him. The old music was part of the score environment of the Tourmaline Depth and roots the scene more in the place where it happens and the general situation. As stated above, it makes the scene also seem more hopeful, but hope hasn't yet been reached at this point, that comes at the graveyard. It's also a bit sad to loose bits of a lovely specific score for some sort of leitmotif or at least adapt the leitmotiv to the environmental score of the place.
but hope hasn't yet been reached at this point, that comes at the graveyard.
Which is a romance exclusive scene and really needs a friend version, because now if you don't romance him you don't get to see that hope and new beginning. And that scene is the perfect place for I Want to Live.
Which is a romance exclusive scene and really needs a friend version, because now if you don't romance him you don't get to see that hope and new beginning. And that scene is the perfect place for I Want to Live.
Where it appropriately starts playing, when he starts carving his new date of birth into the tombstone. And it does really need a friend version, I'd argue it also needs an Origin version, but that's a special can of worms. It's so odd which things are hidden in the romance track in general. Gale's "romance-question" is about how he's holding up ... so may I not care about his mental well being when he is "just" my friend?
Come to think of it, I think that is the Graveyard Version, which they added to the none-ascension.
Just made an audio edit so the music fades into silence when he starts crying and I'll admit I was wrong to ask for this as an alternative, the old version is just better IMO. Just revert it. Here's the edit so you can judge for yourselves, I think it's still better than the new version by virtue of not having cheerful music but it's a bit uncannily empty to me:
Same, I just reached this point 2 days ago on my second playthough and was so put off by the music. It doesn't fit the mood at all, it's too lighthearted and triumphant when Astarion is having such a cathartic moment, breaking down on the floor after violently stabbing Cazador to death. There is too much whiplash going from dark to hopeful so suddenly and then back to eery ambiance when you have to decide the fate of the spawn. The music is also too loud and overshadows characters speaking.
And what is especially jarring, it also plays in the scene where Astarion has to kill Cazador when you refuse to help him with the ritual (not persuade him out of it, just straight up refuse) and after this cheerful music ends he tells you he hopes you die screaming and leaves the party XD
It surprised me that so few people have been talking about this change so far, when supposedly it has been out for a while.
And what is especially jarring, it also plays in the scene where Astarion has to kill Cazador when you refuse to help him with the ritual (not persuade him out of it, just straight up refuse) and after this cheerful music ends he tells you he hopes you die screaming and leaves the party XD
Lol, that's so bad it's actually funny. Reminds of some ridiculous vids I saw once with serious movie scenes that had the original soundtracks removed and had cheerful music in the background instead.
And what is especially jarring, it also plays in the scene where Astarion has to kill Cazador when you refuse to help him with the ritual (not persuade him out of it, just straight up refuse) and after this cheerful music ends he tells you he hopes you die screaming and leaves the party XD
Lol, that's so bad it's actually funny. Reminds of some ridiculous vids I saw once with serious movie scenes that had the original soundtracks removed and had cheerful music in the background instead.
I shouldn't drink things when reading forums. That is so funny in a bad way that it shouldn't be mixed with the consumption of hot beverages.
Reminds of some ridiculous vids I saw once with serious movie scenes that had the original soundtracks removed and had cheerful music in the background instead.