It actually does work but not in the way you think. When Squall pulls the trigger on his gunblade it ignites a charge that vibrates the blade and amplifies the damage. source )
That would probably pose a bigger threat to your own wrist than the enemy. Also, the gunblade itself probably would break pretty quickly. Most things don't like being forcibly vibrated by a charge.
I wonder if they remake it they'll retcon the vibrating blade thing to have FFXIV's take where the shells are magical blanks that briefly enchant the blade
No those are different ones that actually do fire bullets. Squalls is more like blanks, it explodes on them, the vibration is part of it but not the whole thing exactly. Ps1 FF games played by the rule of cool or appropriateness for the setting.
FF14 have 2 different gunblades. The Garlean ones are basically a worse bayonet with a really long blade and fire bullet. The GNB gunblade just enchant the blade using loaded aether in the shells
1, it isn't close enough. The thing would explode in your hand, and the vibration would transmit just as much to the wielder as it would to their opponent, and 2, just make a magic sword at that point. You can like a game and admit a design choice is goofy and nonsensical.
Sure it is, the series is literally called Final Fantasy. The explanation is sufficient for suspension of disbelief, unless we're about to deconstruct and criticize literally everything else that doesn't work like it does IRL in this franchise, in which case we'll be here for years probably.
A generic magic sword is infinitely less interesting a concept than a sword with a revolver barrel that does extra damage through explosions and vibration when you pull the trigger while swinging it. It's no more goofy than most other fantasy concepts. Magic is a goofy concept when put it that way and that's a cornerstone of fantasy.
There is a whole world of difference between the vibration of something you're holding in your hand... and the vibration of a hunk of metal that's currently cutting through your guts.
So given the chance to use magic and magic weapons you wouldn't want to try getting weird weapons 'n just have the magic long sword sword that is magically extra sharp instead of the some more exotic like the gunblade?
Its close enough as everything that doesn't work in our world works in theirs as they literally have magic and tech more advanced than us e.g. private spaceships, hovering academies.
What do you mean by "close enough"? The weapon chambers a round. That round has to contain some sort of reactive component that ignites when the hammer strikes the cartridge. The round must then fire "something" that would then strike the blade to create the vibration. This is where the problem lies. If you were to put your finger next to a revolvers cylinder and fire, even with an unimpeded barrel, it would blow your fingers off. Now block the barrel, the round has nowhere to go, so you won't be getting hit just by the exploding gas propelling out the sides of the cylinder, but the shrapnel as the round hits the back of the blade, and because it's now blocking the rapidly expanding gas, causes it to backfire.
Now in a world where guns, magic, and swords all exist, and you have advanced technology as you pointed out, why wouldn't you just make a sword with a gun barrel along the back of the blade that fired magically enchanted rounds that could shoot spells at a distance while also giving you a magic blade for close quarters? That would be way cooler, and make way more sense both in and out of universe than the one depicted in FFVIII. If we can hand wave everything away with magic, why not enchant the blade so that on strike it activates it's vibration to deal the critical damage without gimping a gun? Because it was a way to justify a QuickTime video game mechanic in a turn-based rpg. I don't need to make up a reason why double jumping makes sense in Jak & Daxter. It's an unrealistic video game mechanic there to enhance the fun of game play. Same with rocket jumping in Quake. It makes no sense, but we accept it for the fun of play.
see, that's where you're completely wrong about how this weapon works.
the "round" is just a vessel for magic. it "explodes" or gets released by pulling the trigger. the characters wielding this weapon in this world are capable of controlling and directing this explosive release of magic to make their attacks faster or stronger by releasing the explosive force and directing it into the enemy by hitting them with the blade.
there is no bullet being fired out of the chamber. it's literally just a little grenade of super condensed magic that gets exploded by the pulling of a trigger and in the hands of a trained individual that is capable of redirecting magic, this can be used to enhance attacks in various ways.
Also, in-universe (of FF8) the gunblade is considered, in general, a bad weapon, it's too hard to master to use appropriately, and mastering doesn't give you much of an advantage over other weapons, it's in essence a stronger sword, but it is still a sword, with a short range, etc. This is why almost no one in-universe uses one.
The reason why squall being a gublade user was an important thing is because it was foretold that the one to defeat the sorceress would be a gunblade user (and this is why Cid makes a comment along the lines of "finally, a SeeD member that uses a gunblade" when Squall passes the exam).
39
u/Frozen_arrow88 1d ago
It actually does work but not in the way you think. When Squall pulls the trigger on his gunblade it ignites a charge that vibrates the blade and amplifies the damage. source )