Memento Mecha, Part 5: Everything In Its Right Place
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a deeply human story about memory that both exploits and subverts the very processes that allow one to form memories.
If you're just jumping on board--or need to refresh your memory--check out the previous parts here:
Some quick notes before beginning: I will be taking care to avoid spoilers throughout this series, though there will be some broad plot descriptions of both 13 Sentinels and Memento as well as some discussions of early scenes. The specific gameplay mechanics that I will be covering are explained in the manual and shown to the player throughout the prologue. Finally, all images are screenshots from my copy of the game unless otherwise noted.
Everything In Its Right Place
Roughly 30 hours after beginning 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, players will reach the canonical ending of the game. They will undoubtedly be confused, mentally exhausted, and potentially on the verge of tears. But if my experience is anything to go by, most players will immediately want to dive back into the Analysis mode to see what they've missed.
I will tread lightly here to avoid spoilers, but I plan to discuss a few things that unlock after the credits. These descriptions will be extremely vague, and there will not be any specific plot or character details. However, if you are incredibly sensitive about what counts as a spoiler, everything beyond the next image is about the post-game experience.
The game officially ends as credits play over the canonical ending cutscene, and after a few minutes, the story of 13 Sentinels is complete. However, I can guarantee that most players will not stop here. Even with several major plot points clarified in the game's final moments, there will inevitably be gaps in players' memories and understanding. This is where the Analysis mode continues to be an incredible and indispensable resource, beyond what can be reasonably expected from any standard appendix, codex, or glossary, regardless of the medium.
As one might expect, the final chapters and battles reward players with the last handful of Mystery Files, finally granting them access to the complete, objective truth. Character backstories, location details, and more will be updated to include the revelations from the final cutscenes. Some supplementary files (mostly about side characters, food, and Sentinel tech) may still be locked behind the Destruction mode if a player has not completed the S-Rank and Bonus objectives for every level or if they do not have enough Mystery Points to unlock everything. However, by this point in the game, players should be able to easily revisit previous missions and trounce the invading kaiju. In addition, the Event Viewer receives several updates that makes revisiting key moments even easier. Not only will the Viewer contain the completed main timeline and all of the characters' individual timelines; there will be additional filters for secondary characters as well as two subtle bonus features that I cannot explain here without delving into spoilers. Any question that players have asked themselves can be answered by perusing the contents of the Analysis mode. This still requires a good deal of effort, it prevents the need for another 25+ hour playthrough.
With that said, it's been three weeks since I finished 13 Sentinels, and I still cannot stop thinking about it. I've put in another three to four hours just reading through Mystery Files and revisiting earlier chapters in the Event Viewer, even some from the tutorials and prologue. Not since Memento have I been as enraptured by a narrative's presentation as I was by the narrative itself. Vanillaware—like Christopher Nolan before them—has achieved something special, crafting a deeply human story about memory that both exploits and subverts the very processes that allow one to form memories.
As a work of art, 13 Sentinels is messy. Its labyrinthine construction and seemingly endless barrage of twists can be mentally exhausting. One can see how Kamitani nearly lost his mind “from rewriting the plot constantly over three years and yelling into the night”. But it also becomes clear why several of the game’s designers called it “something precious, almost something to die for” and “a miracle” (“Developers’ Talk 1”). Where 13 Sentinels potentially eclipses many of its influences and contemporaries is the degree to which its form enhanced its function. The uncompromising totality of its vision could only be realized in an interactive medium, and an interactive story of this scope would only be possible if the players were given the proper tools with which to navigate it. The game’s mechanics were built with this express purpose in mind, resulting in a truly singular multimedia experience that deserves to be remembered.
Thank you for following me on this journey.
A complete version of "Memento Mecha" can be found here.
Works Cited
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Nintendo Switch version, Atlus, 2022.
“13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Double Helix – Developers’ Talk 1”, translated by Garm, Garm’s Translations, 21 Aug 2021. Originally published in Famitsu, 12 Dec 2019. https://garmtranslations.wordpress.com/2021/08/11/13-sentinels-aegis-rim-double-helix-developers-talk-1/.
Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, performances by Guy Pierce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie Anne Moss. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2002. Limited edition DVD.
Roughly 30 hours after beginning 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, players will reach the canonical ending of the game. They will undoubtedly be confused, mentally exhausted, and potentially on the verge of tears. But if my experience is anything to go by, most players will immediately want to dive back into the Analysis mode to see what they've missed.
I will tread lightly here to avoid spoilers, but I plan to discuss a few things that unlock after the credits. These descriptions will be extremely vague, and there will not be any specific plot or character details. However, if you are incredibly sensitive about what counts as a spoiler, everything beyond the next image is about the post-game experience.
The game officially ends as credits play over the canonical ending cutscene, and after a few minutes, the story of 13 Sentinels is complete. However, I can guarantee that most players will not stop here. Even with several major plot points clarified in the game's final moments, there will inevitably be gaps in players' memories and understanding. This is where the Analysis mode continues to be an incredible and indispensable resource, beyond what can be reasonably expected from any standard appendix, codex, or glossary, regardless of the medium.
As one might expect, the final chapters and battles reward players with the last handful of Mystery Files, finally granting them access to the complete, objective truth. Character backstories, location details, and more will be updated to include the revelations from the final cutscenes. Some supplementary files (mostly about side characters, food, and Sentinel tech) may still be locked behind the Destruction mode if a player has not completed the S-Rank and Bonus objectives for every level or if they do not have enough Mystery Points to unlock everything. However, by this point in the game, players should be able to easily revisit previous missions and trounce the invading kaiju. In addition, the Event Viewer receives several updates that makes revisiting key moments even easier. Not only will the Viewer contain the completed main timeline and all of the characters' individual timelines; there will be additional filters for secondary characters as well as two subtle bonus features that I cannot explain here without delving into spoilers. Any question that players have asked themselves can be answered by perusing the contents of the Analysis mode. This still requires a good deal of effort, it prevents the need for another 25+ hour playthrough.
With that said, it's been three weeks since I finished 13 Sentinels, and I still cannot stop thinking about it. I've put in another three to four hours just reading through Mystery Files and revisiting earlier chapters in the Event Viewer, even some from the tutorials and prologue. Not since Memento have I been as enraptured by a narrative's presentation as I was by the narrative itself. Vanillaware—like Christopher Nolan before them—has achieved something special, crafting a deeply human story about memory that both exploits and subverts the very processes that allow one to form memories.
As a work of art, 13 Sentinels is messy. Its labyrinthine construction and seemingly endless barrage of twists can be mentally exhausting. One can see how Kamitani nearly lost his mind “from rewriting the plot constantly over three years and yelling into the night”. But it also becomes clear why several of the game’s designers called it “something precious, almost something to die for” and “a miracle” (“Developers’ Talk 1”). Where 13 Sentinels potentially eclipses many of its influences and contemporaries is the degree to which its form enhanced its function. The uncompromising totality of its vision could only be realized in an interactive medium, and an interactive story of this scope would only be possible if the players were given the proper tools with which to navigate it. The game’s mechanics were built with this express purpose in mind, resulting in a truly singular multimedia experience that deserves to be remembered.
Works Cited
13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. Nintendo Switch version, Atlus, 2022.
“13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Double Helix – Developers’ Talk 1”, translated by Garm, Garm’s Translations, 21 Aug 2021. Originally published in Famitsu, 12 Dec 2019. https://garmtranslations.wordpress.com/2021/08/11/13-sentinels-aegis-rim-double-helix-developers-talk-1/.
Memento, directed by Christopher Nolan, performances by Guy Pierce, Joe Pantoliano, and Carrie Anne Moss. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2002. Limited edition DVD.