Random Thoughts Upon Finishing Dreamfall: Chapters

A few days ago I finished Dreamfall: Chapters, bringing an end to a series begun when I started The Longest Journey in college long ago (barring the possibility of another story some distant day.) Fortunately, it was a satisfying enough end, and I look forward to replaying the game all at once now that I can. And at some point I'll have to play through the whole trilogy again. But for now, I just want to note my random (spoilery) thoughts and questions about Dreamfall: Chapters and the worlds of The Longest Journey.

• On some level I think it works better to consider Dreamfall and Dreamfall:  Chapters one (long) game (albeit with a weird, unfortunate decade-gap in the middle there.)
• Mostly that's due to Dreamfall having such a...I don't even want to call it an ending, because it so badly failed at doing anything endings are supposed to do (at some point I'll do a post detailing worst game endings, and Dreamfall will definitely be on that list.)
• For now I'll just note one of the many reasons it's bad is how it shows the villains succeeding, making you feel like the game has been pointless, if not making things worse.  Said scenes actually require some jumping ahead to stuff in Dreamfall:  Chapters, which makes them in retrospect feel even more like pointless kicking when the player's down.
• But also the main characters are (mostly) the same in both games and their stories begin in Dreamfall and conclude in Dreamfall:  Chapters.
• Chapters' music reflects (and occasionally uses pieces) from Dreamfall, which makes sense, but there are a few occasions I wish it'd refer back to the (also excellent) Longest Journey music.  Mostly because I love the "House of All Worlds" music and there were some perfect opportunities to use it.
• I kind of wish we'd gotten to return to cyberpunk Europolis or at least seen more of Waticorp's fall instead of just hearing about it, but maybe things will feel more balanced (heh) when I replay.
• I do hope for more some day, mostly because I want more Saga.
• Speaking of which, it wasn't until I was reading about it online that I realized Saga was also Queenie.
• I'm amused that while The Longest Journey the villains are bad fathers/patriarchy, Dreamfall has bad mothers/matriarchy.  Covering all the bases!
• The villains in The Longest Journey were a lot more simplistic, though.  The villains in Dreamfall practically require charts to keep track of their motivations and connections.  I'd have preferred something between the two.
• In both games, however, victory comes by unexpectedly embracing what was thought of dark to create balance.  Guess I should have seen that coming.
• So, Brian Westhouse:  when exactly did he become a genocidal racist?  It doesn't seem to be the Undreaming's influence.  It's dark, but Westhouse really seemed to more be calling the shots.  And his plan didn't really seem to require murdering all the magicals.  He never seemed to hate them, just be bitter about being stuck in Arcuria.  I can totally buy him executing a complicated, circuitous plan to get back to Stark, but why all the unnecessary killing?
• How exactly did Westhouse gain control over the matriarchal Azadi empire?  I'm sure there's an interesting tale of science, magic, religion, and politics there.
• The Silver Spear of Gorimon!  I was delighted to have this bit of The Longest Journey lore show up.  I recall theorizing about it on forums back in the day.
• I never liked the idea that all the Draic Kin had been killed, however.  How did Westhouse get down to the Blue?  And weren't the Green and Red still in Stark (where Westhouse obviously couldn't go?)  Maybe they're still around?
• Mostly I just want Cortez to still be alive.
• Maybe one of them is Uncle Galen?
• Who is Uncle Galen?!
• Zoe seemed kin of zoned out in the last chapter.  You just discovered Hanna's another sister!  Crow just said he died!  Was she drugged?  Show some emotion!
• I'm sure they were viciously murdered among the remnants of their once-great culture, but I can't be sad the Grubbers are gone.