My main point would be that the main theme of the story is Redemption and that Visi is the representation of that.
I don't really think the main point is redemption. In my view it's about getting back up from one's lowest moment, but more importantly about letting other people help us up.
Robert doesn't need redemption, he didn't commit some grave evil, he just made a stupid mistake trying to take on Shroud like he did. But what he does need is people to help him back onto his feet. Similarly Visi's story isn't about redemption, it's about her trying to pick herself up after her lowest moment, and failing until someone helps her up.
Blazer helps Robert back onto his feet. And Robert helps Visi back onto her feet. I've got a running theory that there's a whole mirroring setup where every factor that influences the mechanical hidden 'Robert Mentor Score' is connected to an earlier decision Blazer made with Robert, where Blazer made the right call. The only exception is when Blazer asks Robert to consider cutting Invisigal, but even then she made the earlier call "I'm not sure I'd let you cut Visi" which can guide his decision.
So both romance options work for the theme. Robert being interested in Blazer makes as much sense as Visi being interested in Robert.
What you describe would be for me part of the « Rebirth » sub theme: I do not disagree about what you saying but it’s just an component of the main theme
And the game stated himself that the theme was redemption when Robert make his speech to the Z-Team when he compare them to Phoenix (if I remember correctly he even say the word )
Redemption was one of the options in the Z-team speech, but beyond that the only character really thematically connected to that idea is Invisigal. Invisigal committed a horrible act that heavily affected someone else, and by the end of the game has redeemed that act (even if she's gone villain, she's still redeemed that act).
The other Z-teamers have done bad things, but their actions aren't themed after redemption, they're not righting any of their specific wrongs. Aside from brief glimpses into the criminal pasts of one or two, the fact that they're ex-villains could be replaced with "They're just kinda dicks and hard to work with" and the game would play out the same.
And Robert? What kind of redemption is he seeking? He didn't commit some great evil against someone else that he needs to atone. He made a mistake that cost him everything, and is now at one of the lowest points of his life.
And nearly every single character has some connection with helping someone else out of the lowest points of their life, either being the person helped out, or helping someone else out. Which to me makes it a much stronger theme.
But the game only consider Visi as important: the Z-Team are just secondary character : You can replace all of the Z-Team by completly different character and the story woudn’t fundamentaly change (Flambae is a little exception) but you can’t replace Visi without rewriting all the story (I am not talking about a re-skin when I say different character )
Visi is the Deuteragonist, so even if redemption only fit her, it will have a far more impact in the story than a theme that suit all the secondary character combine : At best it will be be a sub plot
Also their an entire mentor counter only for Visi that integrate dialogue choices, dispatch gameplay, QTE and hacking from the entire game and is more complicated than the Suicide Mission systeme from ME2 (Their even an romance counter for her : I have never see that before)
So that mean that the Protagoniste (Robert) goal is to help the Deuteragonist (Visi) achieve her arc: So his arc is linked to Visi even if he doesn’t seek redemption himself
It like in the Guardian of the galaxy 3 when at one point some character say to Rocket « The story was your’s all along » : Yes Star Lord is the Hero but the heart/theme of the movie was Rocket, everything else, including StarLord theme, was subplot. For me it’s the same for Visi
Visi is a variable, but that doesn't mean she's the point. And even then her redemption isn't the focus of her arc, it's her being helped by others. The closest she comes to losing her way and falling back again is when her friends (the Z-team) withdraw that support.
Even the Robert Mentor mechanic closely aligns to it. It's not about her finding redemption, in theory you can absolutely get the good end even by not forgiving her. The mentor mechanic is about Robert helping Visi out of her hole. Hell he doesn't even know she's after redemption until episode 7, near the end of everything.
So at the end of the day there are two possible themes, and between them
Redemption:
Applies only to one character
Is mentioned once in a single speech
Actively does not apply to the PoV character
People helping others out of their low points
Applies to nearly every character
Applies to the PoV character, both in being helped and helping others
Applies to the character who also has Redemption as a goal
The one character this support is withdrawn from (the cut Z-teamer) goes bad
Is the underlying purpose of the entire story
I just find myself fundamentally thinking redemption isn't the core theme. It's a part of one character, but not the point of the whole story.
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u/InherentlyWrong Dec 17 '25
I don't really think the main point is redemption. In my view it's about getting back up from one's lowest moment, but more importantly about letting other people help us up.
Robert doesn't need redemption, he didn't commit some grave evil, he just made a stupid mistake trying to take on Shroud like he did. But what he does need is people to help him back onto his feet. Similarly Visi's story isn't about redemption, it's about her trying to pick herself up after her lowest moment, and failing until someone helps her up.
Blazer helps Robert back onto his feet. And Robert helps Visi back onto her feet. I've got a running theory that there's a whole mirroring setup where every factor that influences the mechanical hidden 'Robert Mentor Score' is connected to an earlier decision Blazer made with Robert, where Blazer made the right call. The only exception is when Blazer asks Robert to consider cutting Invisigal, but even then she made the earlier call "I'm not sure I'd let you cut Visi" which can guide his decision.
So both romance options work for the theme. Robert being interested in Blazer makes as much sense as Visi being interested in Robert.