Even though the world of Astral Chain can best be described as an apocalypse with extra-dimensional demons having killed off 90% of the planet, it can still have it's heartwarming moments. Spoilers Off applies to all "moments" so beware of unmarked spoilers.
- One of the mechanics exclusive to the Beast Legion? If you stand in front of it and press the interact button, you will pet it.
- Max's cat hideout. Since he couldn't bring cats back to Neuron or your home due to the risk of redshift, he made a secret little place out of an abandoned apartment where the cats he adopted can safely live. After his Heroic Sacrifice, you and Akira pretty much take over, and in every File you can rescue the local cat and bring it back to the hideout. It also becomes the last quick-travel option in the Lappy Shortcuts menu. It's worth noting that even in Files 10 and 11, in which you're a wanted fugitive who's been fired from Neuron and thus take refuge in Zone 09, the game keeps this one location available in quick-travel, letting you visit your furry little friends anytime!
- During File 05: Accord, you have the option of donning the Lappy suit for Marie, since she sprained her leg. You go about the station cheering your fellow officers up, by letting someone in on Max's secret cat sanctuary in Maison Forest, resolving a serious miscommunication between two officers by acting as intermediary, and sparring with Jin—while still in the Lappy suit—to cheer him up. It's as absurdly funny as it is sweet.
- During the investigation phase of many Files, a lot of optional cases are routine police work. Little things like helping a lost girl find her mother, or replacing a clumsy child's ice-cream out of your own money. Often there's very little reward involved, but the people you help are always grateful.
- One of the harder blue cases involve returning a soccer ball to some kids in Maison Forest. You can't pick it up as an item, so you have to putter it around and carefully attack it to get it back to its owners who are quite a distance away from it. Once you do return it to them, they're so appreciative that they offer to let you score a free goal. Doing so causes confetti to shoot out with the elated kids cheering at your success.
- Once you unlock Blueshifting, you can heal people of their corruption before they permanently turn into aberrations. These people are oftentimes visibly suffering to outright bedridden, and then you bring them back to full health in a snap. They rarely if ever realize that it was you and your Sword Legion's work, but it's always nice to see them being thankful that it just "blew off".
- One side quest in the late game is a particular example of heartwarming. A man is trying to get his redshifting wife treatment, yet despite his desperation, the doctor he's talking to refuses to provide treatment without payment. Cue you saving her via blueshifting. Not only do you save the woman's life, but the man actually recognizes you from an earlier sidequest, realizes that you somehow healed his wife, and thanks you profusely for it.
- A pair of NPCs in File 11 are conversing about the file's cat and the sad situation it's in. If you talk to them after rescuing it, they express relief that it's found a kind owner.
- In File 08, after you capture the Axe Legion and retrieve Max's Legatus gear, you and Akira find with it a picture of you both with Max, from the first your first day as cops. Your old man had been keeping this moment with him the whole time.
- One of the Red Cases in File 10 is about looking for someone's missing cat. As it turns out, said cat got snatched up by chimeras and taken into the Astral Plane. After rescuing the cat, who's alive and well, and explain to the owner what happened, said owner realizes that his cat won't be safe even with him. You then explain that you do have your own cat sanctuary (Max's safehouse), and the owner is relieved that, even if it won't be in his custody anymore, the cat has someplace safe to be.
- Just the fact that the people at Neuron are mainly good people dedicated to helping make the world a better place. Olive and Brenda moved on from adequate jobs because they wanted to do something about the misery of the world, Max did so for similar reasons and it's implied that his parenting is the reason the twins want to do the same. Even Yoseph, whose motivations are... less than stellar, still put together the Ark in hopes of giving humanity a chance to not be completely wiped out.
- Olive is particularly noticeable in this regard.
- She was a reporter and allegedly Loved by All because of her quick wit, yet she decided to become the Mission Control of Neuron because she wanted to do something more for the world.
- She quickly develops a good relationship with the twins to the point that after nine days after meeting them she's willing to open up a private channel to check if they're OK after being arrested in File 7. She also seems mildly concerned for Hal, a reclusive colleague who she repeatedly takes jabs at.
- After the Raven Corps nearly kill the protagonist's Legionic Fusion form, she eventually becomes Hal's mole inside Neuron after feeling that something wasn't quite right with how the older Howard was handled. To reiterate, she winds up betraying what she thought to be her opportunity to do more for the world, because she felt someone she hadn't even met until not even two weeks ago got shafted by Yoseph, who is essentially famous for being the savior of humanity. That's quite a lot of faith she has in you, and in Max as well. Also an Awesome moment, as she deduces that because there was no reason for the protagonist to betray Neuron, Yoseph has some sinister motives for getting rid of them—and she is completely right.
- In File 10, it's revealed that Brenda's also on the run from Neuron. Olive's first instinct after learning this? Immediately dash through Zone 09 to find Brenda, with only an X-Baton in blaster mode to defend herself. It's not her brightest moment, considering Zone 09 is littered with Yoseph's forces, chimeras and aberrations, but damn if she doesn't care.
- Max adopting the twins would normally be this, but it becomes even more so once we learn the circumstances of said adoption. In File 5, Jena reveals that the twins were quite the scientific discovery due to being born after the Pandemic, and that they would likely currently be "strapped to lab tables" if it wasn't for him.
- There's a sidequest in File 05 that involves a sick child just wanting a Lappy doll, and Brenda, being the Lappy Fangirl she is, has a collection of them. Once she hears about the situation, she's more than happy to donate one of her dolls. "Just one."
- A hindsight example: play through File 07 and 08 with the knowledge that Akira is still on your side this whole time. They immediately vouch for your character when Jena's homunculus surfaces in Zone 36, their reminiscing of your family memories is genuine, and they'll trust your judgement if you help a pair of broken robots escape a crime scene.
- The Lovesick Man from the last two Files of the game is initially depicted as a rather shallow rube, but when given the choice between using a Lappy keychain that he risked his life to get to either woo Brenda or make a sad child he doesn't know happy, he chooses the latter. The elated youngster goes so far as to say that said man deserves to meet "someone special" in the future if he's a nice enough fellow to do such a thing.
- The lyrics of "Dark Hero" counts. It's a song that's about when you are at the end of the rope, and are about to give up, you suddenly find the power to continue on, and you are willing to sacrifice yourself so that you can protect the ones closest to you. And the moment you hear it in-game is when you have to fuse with your Legion, potentially losing yourself or being unable to turn back to human, to snap your sibling out of their rampage.
- In File 07, you're hot on the trail of a rampaging Homunculus and basically on parole for your Cowboy Cop antics in the previous File (which left your only marginally less useful colleague an outright fugitive); you can't afford to let it escape. Yet, you can still stop the chase to help various Neuron members and police officers who've gotten themselves in danger (including a downright annoying battle where you have to fight off enemies while simultaneously blueshifting an anonymous police officer who's on the cusp of succumbing to The Corruption).
- Helping Carlos put down the Z09 Liberation Front with his noble principles intact.
- File 12: Rebirth is this and Bittersweet Ending. People in the Ark now know about the chimeras, and while fewer gates have been appearing, there's still work to be done. The "reborn" Neuron is now (mostly) back to normal, with almost everyone who got shafted or worse now back to protecting the Ark from the still-present chimeric threat. Jin and Alicia are leading their fellow Neuron officers in the field, all of them now with their own Legions. Olive's taken over as interim commander, and Marie's doing her best for the team again. Brenda's turning her attention toward the abandoned planet outside the island, and the possibility that humankind can return to their home planet. And despite not coming back afterward, Hal instead remains in Zone 09 in hopes of helping it, and it's implied that he and Kyle are working together again. The bittersweet comes with Akira's survival, their consciousness having been brought into a surviving Akira clone and missing some of their last memories. All of this is narrated by your character, who wonders if Akira's "rebirth" is an "act of mercy" from Noah, or a gift from Akira's Legion.
- The gradual development of the player character's Legions. It's subtle and never commented on, but their behaviour in cutscenes steadily becomes more willing and cooperative. By the end, it's clear they've gone from dangerous, hateful slaves to reliable partners, all thanks to the Howards treating them that way.
