[UWSL]The Special Support Section is a solid team, with a good leader. For almost the entire game, Lloyd was trying to get away from the shadow of his brother, while at the same time, he tried to fill Guy's shoes both as a renown detective and a person who is revered by his peers. When Lloyd finally arrived at the realisation that he has achieved his own personal goals not by imitating his brother, but by his own strength and conviction, I feel a certain satisfaction in knowing that Lloyd is a mature and well-rounded character I have come to expect from a protagonist of Kiseki series. I can also say that even from his first mission with SSS, his leadership qualities are immediately apparent, albeit still lacking the necessary strength to follow suit. [/UWSL]
[UWSL]One of the themes presented in Zero is progress (or change) and how we shouldn't be afraid of it if we want to experience better lives for ourselves. For instance, Randy is a complex character despite his carefree and womanising exterior. He escaped a life of violence and tried to remake himself into someone who lives in the moment, enjoying the company of the ladies and Crossbell's nightlife to the fullest. He expressed distaste at the mention of his old [/UWSL][UWSL]nom de guerre[/UWSL][UWSL] when Garcia mentioned it, and he was very reluctant to share his past with Lloyd, at least initially. He refused to pick up a firearm, resulting in his discharge from CGF. He is a prime example of someone who isn't afraid of change but at the same time, he hides behind his carefree exterior because he ultimately hates the person he once was. Only after Lloyd learned of his past and accepted him for who he once was and the present, I feel that Randy doesn't need to hide his past anymore, because he finally has found his place with SSS where he belongs.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]The story of Tio is a tragic one. As much as Randy was, Tio was also looking a place to give her life meaning through change. As a survivor of human experimentation and horrific rituals she had to endure during her confinement by the D∵G cult, she experienced remorse and survivor guilt, despite being able to experience a relatively normal life and no physical impairment after being freed from confinement. Her life as a survivor wasn't an easy one either since she became estranged with her parents due to her extranormal abilities. Tio questions the meaning of her existence, and why she was able to live a normal life when others have perished in the same cult lodge Guy had found her in. It comes as a surprise to her that the other SSS members accepted her and her abilities almost immediately, despite the same ability has caused her estrangement from her parent and in turn, has caused her much pain as well.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Elie was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but it doesn't mean that her life is all sunshine and roses either. Born to an aristocratic family with an ambition, Elie knows first and foremost that the corruption of Crossbell has cost her one of the things she holds most dear: her family. She is well aware that changing Crossbell is the only way she can regain what she once lost: a great, livable city where her family could live together again, someday. While she spent most of her younger days arming herself with knowledge, she is still unsure of herself and not knowing how she can be the change that Crossbell needs, until of course, she met Lloyd and the rest of SSS.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]As any metropolitan cities in the real world, Crossbell also shared the same type of problems, namely: organised crime and corruption. There's obviously an argument to be made that these problems are just pale imitation of their real-world counterpart, however; the idea behind it is still very relevant, and the solution is as complex. The confrontation between Revache and Heiyue affects the lives of people of Crossbell in the same way that organised crime is affecting people in a real city. The collateral damage from their experiment with the Doven Kaisers is an example. The intimidation of Mainz' Mayor to gain profit from the mining town's production output is another. And of course, the total disregard of the authority of CPD due to corruption at the highest level of government which has rendered the police force essentially toothless, leading to public distrust. The SSS team spent most of the game trying to regain this trust back, not only for the good of the city but also motivated by their personal drives. Lloyd is trying to fill his brother's shoes by being a remarkable detective people can rely on. Elie knows that getting rid of Crossbell's corruption has to start with regaining the public trust. Randy and Tio considers Crossbell their adoptive homes and felt certain affection towards it like Lloyd and Elie does.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]The pulse of the city itself is directly reflected on its citizens. The diversity of the location and the people it occupies presents a very real place which feels lived-in. For example, the Downtown District is occupied by blue-collar labourers, struggling artist, immigrants and neighbourhood gangs. West Street is where middle-class citizens live, with upscale apartments, retired bureaucrats and entertainers, and also a safe neighbourhood for children to play on the street. East Street is an analogue for Chinatown, with market stalls lining up the street, eastern restaurant and cheap apartments can be found in there. The Residential street is where the aristocrats live, new money intermixing with old money, essentially the Crossbellan ruling class and the privileged.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]The issues faced by Crossbellans are also reflected in the variety of sidequests. Although most of them are mundane tasks such as tracking down overdue library books or rescuing lost pets, there are a few quests which highlighted urban crimes, such as smuggling, counterfeiting and thievery as a result of social divide/poverty. I feel that these types of quests go a long way to make Crossbell feels like a living, breathing city.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]The overarching storyline in Zero is a curious one. It's almost as if this game is a self-contained story (it actually is), in a sense that a particular mysterious organisation is merely given a passing mention, and the final antagonist is a separate entity which Renne and Tio are trying to come to terms with. Because of this, I feel that Zero is Renne and Tio's story as much as Lloyd's. While by the end of the game the search for Guy Bannings' killer is still ongoing, the story ended satisfactorily while still leaving the audience wanting for more. Unfortunately, this is a part where I feel Falcom could've developed Elie's character arc a bit further since her pairing with Lloyd is obvious enough and they have very good chemistry together. [/UWSL]
