Leaping Across the Spaces Between Us: On Relationships in Final Fantasy XV and The Last Guardian

Of course it was frustrating, not being perfectly understood by Trico. Wondering if I was making sense to him, and if he’d be willing to do what I wanted him to do. It was a negotiation. Somewhere in the space between him and me, we met. We may not have understood each other perfectly, but we understood each other enough. The imperfection of our understanding was part of the cost of having any understanding at all. This is the way it is. That perfect, seamless understanding, that deeper understanding that games so often try to offer us is a myth. Because my connection with Trico was not like this, because it was an imperfect negotiation in which I felt that the two of us were always hoping for some sense of mutual understanding that was not guaranteed to us, it felt real, and being with him, petting him, caring for him, was meaningful to me.

New for Feminist Frequency, my piece on Final Fantasy XV, The Last Guardian, and how taking care of my friend’s cat gives me the gift of making me feel like my love is worth something. Read it here.

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For more writing by me on Final Fantasy XV, also check out my previous post Derust: On Speedrunning, Writing, Final Fantasy XV and the Search for Revelation.