I wanted to punch Algus so bad. Guy was just a superb classist prick.
Honestly wish they would’ve returned to doing stories that included the kind of nuance/class warfare that FF Tactics had but I don’t think the people writing these games in the PS1 era continued to really have much influence (xenogears was a particularly fun one).
I feel like it just kinda goes in the same trajectory that a lot of jrpgs go. I agree that by the last chapter it completely drops all these other interesting plot points, but I can’t blame them for devolving it into you v Satan (but also kinda Jesus? Lol) when dealing with the more nuanced stuff wouldve been a lot more work… And a lot more risky. Still miles better than most FF plots
Yeah like every dialogue you have with the Corpse Brigade before you defeat them has the player going “Yeah hmm they’re kinda cooking Ramza you are a spoiled blue blooded punk that serves the interest of the ruling class at the expense of the common folk you rob but call thieves”.
But of course, the revolutionary forces are colluding with the temple knights who are secretly colluding with and/or are actual literal demons so they have to die to protect the royal families!!! We have to grease the economy with peasant blood or else everyone and everything will die!
It’s a very typical story dynamic from libs. Just have to create some reason why any sort of class revolt is actually bad, despite good intentions. In this case, as is often done, it’s by making the leaders of the class revolt seem corrupted.