• There are currently leaks out on the internet for FFVII Rebirth; we have received legal notice about these being posted on the forums. Do not post any images, videos, or other media, or links to them from FFVII Rebirth or the artbook. Any leaked media or links to them will be deleted.Repeat offenders will be suspended.
    Please help us out by reporting any leaks, and do not post spoilers outside of the spoiler section.

FFVII from a newcomers perspective

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
I've loved Final Fantasy for a good 20 years now, FFIX being my favorite game of all time, and FFVII being not far behind. So I talk about it, a lot.
Especially to my best mate whom I've spoken about it, trying to avoid spoilers for the most part in the hopes that he'd play it one day, knowing he probably wouldn't. Still, he knows the big ones, he'd seen AC once years ago, and I'd spoken about the brilliance of CC's ending when that came out as well. So he vaguely knows who Sephiroth is, knows what happens to Aerith, doesn't know what happened in Nibleheim or who Zack is, knows though that Zack
is dead as fuck.

I especially had been talking a lot about it since remake was announced, and when I finished it and wasn't too pleased with the ending I ranted about it to him.
I think that's important to note because I clearly poisoned the well. But doing so did persuade him to play it.

The experience was rather interesting, especially since my friend both looks, and acts, a lot like Soldier Cloud, he's the same height, extremely blond, and has the exact same "not interested" behavior. His reactions even mirrored Clouds several times during the game. I personally look and act more like Zack so it's a fun dynamic.

So what did I get from that.

1: He will probably be disappointed at real cloud since he probably prefers Soldier Cloud.
2: He got REALLY annoyed at some parts of the combat and trying to orient in front of stairs, but that's his own personality getting in the way.
3: He MUCH prefers Tifa and was visibly annoyed by Aerith at times, like when she's not letting you go home. (he really mirrored Cloud here).
4: He doesn't think there is anything between Cloud and Aerith and thinks Aerith is obviously still in love with Zack, and that the two pairings were pretty clear in game.
5: He didn't like how they did Sephiroth, he felt that he wasn't mysterious enough and that his constant inclusion broke his immersion with the shinra storyline. I've shown him just shots of how it's done in FFVII before and he much preferred that approach.
6: He felt like he understood most of what was going on, or at least, the things he didn't understand, he understood that he WOULD understand them later on, he wasn't lost, except for the ending, of which he just couldn't make heads or tails.
7: He wasn't a fan of Barret until he had to play him, because when he was the one with the attitude it felt a lot more enjoyable I think, this is when we realized he's also a bit like Barret.
8: He was really interested in the world and what the hell is going on, so we just started playing FFVII.

I haven't played that since remake got announced and it now felt really weird how quickly we're going through it, one session and we're already at wallmarket.
Still, he's amazed at how 1 on 1 it is, he knows basically where he is and where he needs to go and what the next events are, and says he's getting a weird sense of nostalgia from the juxtapostion of seeing places and things he knows in high quality now suddenly in 90ties graphics.

His main take-away so far is that the original did an absolutely amazing job at setting atmosphere, with both the music and the way Clouds episodes are handled. He was no idea what's going on with him but thinks the original made it look more creepy and interesting. I also find it interesting that several of the scenes that bothered him, unbeknownst to him, were scenes specifically for the remake, like seeing Sephiroth in chapter 2.

I am going to kinda document how he experiences the rest of the game since I find it pretty fascinating since I can't really remember not knowing the story of FFVII anymore. Anyone else have some experiences with newcomers they'd like to share? (ps, I think that because of this, I've now also convinced him to play FFIX and Nier: automata, which I am really happy about).
 

Éiru

Rookie Adventurer
Sounds really interesting! I would definitely enjoy reading about his experiences/thoughts on this! I’m an oldie of FFVII - having played it when it first came out and continuing to revisit it throughout the years so I think my love of the OG and nostalgia can definitely skew my interaction/views with some of the decisions in the remake, so it is certainly refreshing to hear a perspective that is coming to the game for the first time.
 

Torrie

astray ay-ay-ay
Seeing newcomers' reactions is always refreshing! If you can collect some observations/comments/jokes he makes throughout the game, I'll be glad to read them. I sometimes wish I could remember much of my earliest experiences with the OG, so maybe his will remind me of mine.

For me, it started with a guidebook that I bought randomly and simply read for entertainment. That's how I got acquainted with FF7 and FF9, so I sort of spoiled everything which could potentially be spoiled. I played in Russian, but for some weird reason, the guidebook listed all the main encounters in English. I was a diligent student, so I sat down with a dictionary and started translating them bit by bit. The very first enemy that Cloud defeats, is a grunt. My old dictionary said it meant "grumpy", or "grumbler", so before I started playing, I expected him to be a dwarf - it's a fantasy game, after all! Oh how astonished I was to see a soldier and the industrial setting hahaha. Anyway, the more I was progressing, the more I was enjoying the combo of the story, the graphics, and the music, which created an experience quite different from what I'd been imagining.
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
So we went to Don Corneo, realized we skipped the honeybee in, couldn't accept that, loaded the save file, and went to have a bath with some bros and watch someone try and summon satan.

Thoroughly confused my mate lamented that 1997 was a magical time and that we miss those days. He was also shocked at how graphic the torture/sex dungeon was, he never realized that while playing the remake, although I think that it was equally horrifying in the remake, I think it's just that a fixed camera makes the entire layout jump out more.

He really loves the original menu screens, he was extremely annoyed while playing the remake that everything was so unnecessarily complicated with sword cores floating through space and what not and felt vindicated that the original was so much cleaner and "nicer".

He's also shocked at the sudden, matter of fact, nature of Wedges' death, and finally understands how it's possible that the entire remake is just the "intro" since the speed of our progression just feels like either a speedrun, or like we're watching FFVII abridged.

Of all the things that annoy him, the random battles aren't one of them strangely enough, he enjoys those. His main take away is still that he likes the fact that he feels less lost in the story, he knows whats going on, his attention is on shinra, and Clouds episodes are mainly in the background and make everything feel extra creepy.

Personally I was extremely impressed about the accuracy of all the enemies, never really realized how accurately they were reproduced, there was really nothing missing and even the specific attacks were accurately remade.

We're at the plate drop now and will continue on sunday.
 

Fiz

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Eh?
My neighbours son has played it, and a few of my own sons friends have. None of them know anything much about the original, they're like 12-13. Other than my neighbours son (his parents played the original but haven't spoiled him) I haven't discussed at great lengths with them about it.

They're all aware of a certain characters fate from memes (don't take it seriously) and recognise Sephiroph from memes and those chibi like figures in toy shops.

Some random take-aways:

1. They seemed to like it
2. They like the characters but Barret needs to calm down. Favourite seems to be Aerith and Tifa.
3. Battles are fun
4. They generally got it and the things they didn't they understood are for later
5. They assume Sephiroph is Jenova and it's some kind of god
6. They clocked Aerith as the main character and probably some kind of god (opposite to Sephiroph who cant match him yet)
7. The story is to save the planet from an apocalyptic prophecy

The last 3 are interesting to me, basically they interpreted the OG flashback/forwards as some kind of prophecy of an apocalypse, and that Aerith and Sephiroph are some kind of god-like figures. My next door neighbours son was confused about Jenova, but kinda came to the conclusion it's a demonic god and Sephiroph is its form.

I said before that they favour Aerith and Tifa as characters, they seemed to want them to come forward more in the story as heroines. This isn't any surprise to me, they have grown up in a different environment to many of us and have different expectations from female characters. Tifa avenging her fathers death (from flashbacks) and Aeriths own animosity towards him planted this idea.

Another thing, they all figure, particularly from the finale, that Sephiroph and Aerith know each other well and have bad blood between them. I laughed, you could say that.


Another thing that sticks out to me is this attitude to Shinra, it's a thing to repair not to destroy. They clocked Reeve and the Neo Midgar vision as being eco-friendly, a vision for the future that we will realise. Kids these days take this stuff really, really seriously with climate change. It's the biggest issue in their minds. They also associate Shinra under the current leadership as fascist, their political worldview and experience with whats going on in the world today shows. They basically associated them with Trumpism.
 
Last edited:

Makoeyes987

Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
AKA
Smooth Criminal
Another thing that sticks out to me is this attitude to Shinra, it's a thing to repair not to destroy. They clocked Reeve and the Neo Midgar vision as being eco-friendly, a vision for the future that we will realise.

lol defund SOLDIER

Abolish the Office of Public Security

I would love to hear Shinra's executive committee responding to calls for reform.
 

Odysseus

Ninja Potato
AKA
Ody
Each generation interprets FFVII in its own way. That's why it's a classic.
This is something that's always interested me about FF7, and, well, media at large. The game is static, it does not change. The game people can download on their switches or PS4s right now is mostly the same game people popped into their PS1s 23 years ago. The game itself hasn't changed, but the thoughts and expectations people bring into it are very different now. People know [famous spoiler] people recognize Cloud from Kingdom Hearts or Super Smash Bros, and everyone alive has heard one winged angel at some point. There's also this glut of extraneous material they might have been exposed to first, Like Crisis Core or Advent Children or even the remake now. The game hasn't changed a bit, but the audience has.

Another interesting thing that has changed over the years is how the FFVII brand has been represented, and how that rubs off on public perception. Heck, just the way Cloud is depicted is telling, check it out:
EVLPQebUwAEXHHl.jpg

90's

Not made by Square themselves, but indicative of how people viewed the game and characters. Cloud is smiling and confident, the colors are vibrant and warm. This was when FF7 was known a exciting, dare I say "epic" RPG, and when it started gaining a reputation of being one of the best games ever made.

cloud-portrait.jpg

2000's

Colors are washed out, Cloud has a sullen expression and posture. This is around when FFVII started getting a reputation for being an "emo," edgy game, brought on by Advent Children and Dirge. Wall Scrolls of this image could be found in hot topics everywhere.

61bk6LgJouL._AC_SY879_.jpg

Modern

Colors are brighter, Cloud has a more determined expression. He's still not smiling but he's not looking depressed either. Nowadays FFVII has mostly shaken off the stigma (lol) it used to have in the 2000's, and is generally just a respected game of its time. People are able to separate it from the less well regarded material that followed.
Every decade or so the game is reframed. I don't see it listed as a contender for best game ever anymore, but I don't see people call it emo either, I'm not even 100% sure what people in general think of it these days, just that people still like it, and more importantly perhaps, new people are still PLAYING it. There are a lot of different demographics that have their own views of FF7 at this point because it's so old, but in the end it's still the same game.

Honestly I'd love to see a deep dive into the FF7 fanbase and its history at some point, I'm just not qualified to make it myself (I wouldn't know where to look.) I always think it's interesting to hear about different people's perspectives on this dumb game; a big part of the reason I enjoy Obstinate Melon's comic is because it gives an insight into his perspective on the series, that of a jaded long-time fan who's willing to call out the game for it's shortcomings despite loving it, and someone who is sick of Square's bullshit treatment of it over the years. It's fun.
 
Last edited:

Makoeyes987

Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
AKA
Smooth Criminal
Just like any other group organization, fandoms go through shifts in their culture, popularity and relevance which is reflective of the time and context their space exists in. The same is true of FFVII and it really reflects how this game has literally evolved and adapted to the shifting sands of time and technology that exists around it. The fandom changes and so too does FFVII, which allows it to remain culturally relevant and appreciated.

FFVII has gone through around let's say, four "epochs" that have reflected it's growth and continual popularity. I'm not going to count the actual release of FFVII, since that would just really be it's "birth." That's pretty obvious. It left its mark and that's what started it all. I will comment that one thing that really helped it endure was it's ambiguous ending. It was powerful and mysterious. We were left to wonder if every human lived or died. Some adamantly believed every human died, and some stated they could tell that humanity essentially got a do-over and the ending shows the results of humans returning to nature. But we already know what direction was taken so :monster:

EYJFw4TVcAAwDAu.jpg

After the release of FFVII, people naturally were curious given that ambiguous ending. Which is why when Ehrgeiz released a year later in Japan, and two years later in the US, fans were hyped and surprised. Originally, fans thought FFVII would continue to exist only in the space of doujinshi and fanfic, so imagine fandom surprise when S-E's first foray into fighting games featured these 5 characters. Especially Zack. This game even featured new artwork done by Nomura, which really piqued people's interest. The game was popular despite it's mediocre gameplay, no doubt thanks to it's FFVII tie in. And this was the first piece of kindling that really kept the FFVII flame burning strong. Ehrgeiz was extremely niche and hard to come by in the states, so it became an extremely valuable collector's item, especially the cold cast statue featuring Vincent facing off against himself. This hard-to-find game kept people hungering for more FFVII, since the internet was still growing, overseas Japanese shopping was not so easy, and information about it was scarce. FFVII already was hugely popular but between this, and other cameos in Square games like Chocobo Racing, FF Anthology and FF Tactics, it's no surprise FFVII and Cloud sorta became the face for Squaresoft. This was when the roots of FFVII sorta took hold, and the 90s OG fans really got hooked into one of the most popular RPGs of video games. The late 90s, ending around 1999.

pic5.gifpic10.gif

This was probably one of the most ambitious, bold and utterly puzzling gambits Squaresoft took that paid incredible dividends for them. Kingdom Hearts. This crossover owes half its success to Final Fantasy, especially FFVII. The shock and wonder at the inclusion of Cloud, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith and Sephiroth was akin to a worldwide popular band getting back together. This was circa 2001 and 2002, the PS2 era. Bear in mind two things here. This was the most modern look FFVII characters ever had, and the first time they were ever given voices. This is especially relevant for Cloud, who's voice actor Steve Burton would end up voicing him for over 15 years and Sephiroth was voiced by Lance Bass which was so hilariously bad, it became comically infamous. We're 5 years past the original release of FFVII, but already it feels a lot longer given the massive leap from the PSone to PS2 era, and the number of FF games Square had released. FFVII's popularity reignited again, given KH's popularity and the memorable and puzzling appearances Cloud, Sephiroth and other characters had. This is Sephiroth's most famous depiction of his "one wing," although doujinshi have showcased human Sephiroth with one black wing even back in the 90s. However, KH FM cemented this look hard into his character's canon. Maybe it's an example of fandom and creators neurally tapping into the same creative source? I think it goes without saying that this created a whole new gen of fans of FFVII and KH, and we get the beginning of backdoor entry into FFVII through media outside of FFVII. OG fans were quite perplexed at the way the characters were included here, particularly the meaning and significance. After all, you got Aerith walking around alive here, Cloud carrying a black wing and being quite dark and mysterious, and Sephiroth trying to murder you in a colosseum. FFVII's flame of popularity is bright.





Tokyo Gameshow September 2003. This was when the flames of FFVII would swell into an inferno. A lot was featured at that event. RE4 got it's first demo, Sonic Heroes was debuted, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories was teased... But one thing that really stole the show.... Was this. A movie that was sprung on fans out of nowhere. FF fans were expecting more news on FFXI, Final Fantasy X-2 International Last Mission, and whatever new FF game was in the pipeline. Little did fans know that FFVII would be even more alive than ever before. I don't think I can understate how powerful these trailers landed on the fandom of FFVII at large. It sparked the creation of one of the largest FFVII forums and fansites devoted to this movie, which of course led to the creation of this forum. Advent Children's enigmatic and highly advanced visuals were probably one of the most significant contributions to animation, anime pop culture and FFVII history. This was probably the most significant moment for FFVII save for the game's original release and of course the remake. There's... So much to say that I don't think I can fully encompass and do justice to the amount of theorycrafting, interest and renewed passion that was created with this movie's inception. It's like the popularity and fandom energy sorta swelled for this moment because it really took off from here. I'd say outside of the OG, this certainly cemented FFVII's pop culture consciousness for a long time and created another new generation and backdoor into FFVII fandom. This movie here. The Compilation of FFVII was born from this and through the ups and downs FFVII lived. Until the Remake, this was like, the heyday of FFVII.

El9BB3YU8AEk24Z.jpg

It was around this time KH2 also was announced. Ironically KH2 came out first in the US before AC. KH2 released 12/22/2005, and AC released in the US 4/25/2006. Ironically, KH2 was where we got a preview of the English voice actors that would be lending their talents for the movie. LOL I'll never forget some of the posts on AC.net where fans were feeling shook as fuck from hearing the stilted and troubling vocal talents in KH2 and worrying if they'd have to listen to this movie in Japanese forever. :monster: I personally didn't think it was that bad, although Mena Suvari as Aerith sorta left a lot to be desired. I sooooo wish I could've been to one of the debut English film screenings of the movie since they were pretty memorable and limited in number. Posters who gave spoilers about the film and what happened were just... It was wild. People were flipping out because at the time, no one really knew what the fuck the film was about. I'll never forget one poster who flipped out at how Sephiroth literally came back out of nowhere and was so damn puzzled about how it happened. They thought it might have been a dream, but then Kadaj fading back to himself was clearly real so... They were left puzzled, hyped and blown away by the visuals.

Considering the parallels between AC and the FFVII Remake, I feel it's important to mention how an illegal torrent of the entire movie was put online around September of 2005. I think I abstained from watching it but sorta peaked at spoilers, contenting myself that way. The movie got pushed back a lot, before it's final release date in April. It's pretty hilarious how this sorta mirrors what happened to the Remake. A leak of it's assets, game, script and plot happening several months before the release... And then the final release happening in April. :monster:


And then the ultimate cocktease. The FFVII PS3 tech demo released in 2005. This is what really got fans hungry as hell for a remake of FFVII. This... This is what really started the howls of "Remake FFVII damnit!" And Square just... Kept this potential project in their back pocket. After the release of ACC in April of 2009, FFVII sorta... Slept. The Compilation had finished and it seemed like Square Enix was moving on and devoting their attention to other games entirely. Especially the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. People just sorta wondered if anything new would happen and there was a lull. FFVII was finally getting some rest.


And then... They were back. E3 2015. Six years of speculation, hope and despair. However, people were still not convinced it was real. :monster:

It was pretty hype though. Suddenly FFVII was back again. It'd been several years since AC and the Compilation and the flame burned brightly again. However...


If people had doubts, this trailer dispelled them. I think the energy from TGS 2019 was the closest to meeting or even exceeding AC's first trailer back in 2003-2004. The fucking hype and awe was so thick you could physically feel it. I don't think there's much to say here. Between the oldies who were drawn to this, and the new fans who were finally getting a look at FFVII from beyond the lens of a PSone game, this was... A significant moment. The rest history.

In the end, there are several things to speak to about FFVII's continued popularity. For one, FFVII has always adapted and evolved itself to the technology and pop culture era it existed in. It's sorta similar to comic book characters in a sense, but not quite. The characters are still the same even with the changes that happen to their appearance over time. However, they do evolve. And they do so successfully. I will say that this is thanks to the characters being so memorable, loveable and overall well-written. They're so popular and striking that they've created archetypes based on themselves. They landed at just the precise moment in time to really, really stick around and just cement themselves within their corner of pop culture. In terms of their looks, we can see the shift from anime-inspired graphics and design, to photo realistic and now hyper-realistic appearance Square and the creators managed to accomplish so amazingly well with these characters. I think this sort of appearance shifting definitely owes a lot to their popularity.

Another thing that reflects their fandom depiction and popularity is how until relatively recently, Kingdom Hearts was inexorably tied to the post FFVII release of FFVII, particularly 2000 to 2010. These fandoms had been connected. Tied to the Nomura, soon to be completely remade. :awesome: The thematic and characteristic personality impressions left by the FFVII characters were influenced thanks to their appearances in other media, particularly KH. "Emo" Cloud didn't technically start with AC. It started with KH1 and then KH2. AC simply reinforced it in people's minds, given had been previously shown before.

However, once FFVII was cut loose from KH, that "emo" label eventually faded from Cloud. Subsequent post-FFVII appearances jettisoned that character depiction, leaving it behind in the first decade of the 2000s. A portion of FFVII does ride on things that ironically aren't in FFVII. This is because FFVII has thrived beyond its original release and evolved. So many cameos, games, appearances, designs etc have existed outside the OG and led fans back to get hooked into the OG of FFVII. Like a tunnel. FFVII is able to takes bits and pieces of the media it's been apart of to sorta.. Add to itself and continue to thrive, growing and shifting along the way. It reflects itself, the times, and the media landscape it resides in to fans to continue to be popular and relevant.

.... It sorta sounds like Jenova now that I think about it. And we all know how hard it is to kill so.. :monster:

Suffice to say, FFVII uniquely reflects the fans that experience it. It's just good like that.
 

Odysseus

Ninja Potato
AKA
Ody
Man you totally went and upstaged me lol. Great post!

I sometimes wonder if that PS3 tech demo isn't more responsible for FFVII's persistence than people might think. That's where the idea of a Remake took hold, and people never really forgot that desire. We have a whole sub forum dedicated to pre-reveal rumors after all.

Also, you're right, KH1 was the beginning of Emo Cloud, though his role was so limited I didn't really consider it. The brooding nature of his character started to take the forefront there.
 

ForceStealer

Double Growth
It's funny that the first appearance of an AC trailer was only 6 years after FF7. That feels like nothing now, but it felt like it had been SO LONG back then :lol: The fact that it didn't actually come out until 9 years after the original release still feels reasonably significant. (and 12 years for the best version)
 

Odysseus

Ninja Potato
AKA
Ody
It's funny that the first appearance of an AC trailer was only 6 years after FF7. That feels like nothing now, but it felt like it had been SO LONG back then :lol: The fact that it didn't actually come out until 9 years after the original release still feels reasonably significant. (and 12 years for the best version)
It is kind of insane how far CGI came between '97 and '03. If you put that trailer side by side with FF7's cutscenes you'd never think it was only 6 years now.
 

Obsidian Fire

Ahk Morn!
AKA
The Engineer
And that post didn't get into the whole era of FFVII Fan-fic that stems from Crisis Core. There was an entire era of FFVII fandom after CC was released that centered around the time period of that game and often involved "fixing it". Especially the idea of Zack somehow surviving CC and into the OG.

With Crisis Core, FFVII was no longer just about Cloud and AVALANCHE (although that is still it's main focus). It also became about Zack and about Sephrioth before he went crazy and how that could have turned out differently...
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
This is something that's always interested me about FF7, and, well, media at large. The game is static, it does not change. The game people can download on their switches or PS4s right now is mostly the same game people popped into their PS1s 23 years ago. The game itself hasn't changed, but the thoughts and expectations people bring into it are very different now. People know [famous spoiler] people recognize Cloud from Kingdom Hearts or Super Smash Bros, and everyone alive has heard one winged angel at some point. There's also this glut of extraneous material they might have been exposed to first, Like Crisis Core or Advent Children or even the remake now. The game hasn't changed a bit, but the audience has.

Another interesting thing that has changed over the years is how the FFVII brand has been represented, and how that rubs off on public perception. Heck, just the way Cloud is depicted is telling, check it out:
EVLPQebUwAEXHHl.jpg

90's

Not made by Square themselves, but indicative of how people viewed the game and characters. Cloud is smiling and confident, the colors are vibrant and warm. This was when FF7 was known a exciting, dare I say "epic" RPG, and when it started gaining a reputation of being one of the best games ever made.

cloud-portrait.jpg

2000's

Colors are washed out, Cloud has a sullen expression and posture. This is around when FFVII started getting a reputation for being an "emo," edgy game, brought on by Advent Children and Dirge. Wall Scrolls of this image could be found in hot topics everywhere.

61bk6LgJouL._AC_SY879_.jpg

Modern

Colors are brighter, Cloud has a more determined expression. He's still not smiling but he's not looking depressed either. Nowadays FFVII has mostly shaken off the stigma (lol) it used to have in the 2000's, and is generally just a respected game of its time. People are able to separate it from the less well regarded material that followed.
Every decade or so the game is reframed. I don't see it listed as a contender for best game ever anymore, but I don't see people call it emo either, I'm not even 100% sure what people in general think of it these days, just that people still like it, and more importantly perhaps, new people are still PLAYING it. There are a lot of different demographics that have their own views of FF7 at this point because it's so old, but in the end it's still the same game.

Honestly I'd love to see a deep dive into the FF7 fanbase and its history at some point, I'm just not qualified to make it myself (I wouldn't know where to look.) I always think it's interesting to hear about different people's perspectives on this dumb game; a big part of the reason I enjoy Obstinate Melon's comic is because it gives an insight into his perspective on the series, that of a jaded long-time fan who's willing to call out the game for it's shortcomings despite loving it, and someone who is sick of Square's bullshit treatment of it over the years. It's fun.
All I know about the fandom is that there is apparently someone named "Cali" who is insane, and someone else whose name I've forgotten who is obsessed with Jessie.
 

Odysseus

Ninja Potato
AKA
Ody
All I know about the fandom is that there is apparently someone named "Cali" who is insane, and someone else whose name I've forgotten who is obsessed with Jessie.
We don't talk about him anymore. No idea who Cali is though.
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
We don't talk about him anymore. No idea who Cali is though.
Apparently a clerith shipper whose particularly toxic towards, well, everyone. Don't know her myself but have the name mentioned several times by others.

It's funny that the first appearance of an AC trailer was only 6 years after FF7. That feels like nothing now, but it felt like it had been SO LONG back then :lol: The fact that it didn't actually come out until 9 years after the original release still feels reasonably significant. (and 12 years for the best version)

It's probably because I was younger, but it really feels to me like AC and CC are closer to remake than they are to the OG. 6 Years is nothing, but it was a lot of time during my formative teen years. By the time AC came around FFVII already felt like ancient history almost, it didn't feel like the continuation of something that had basically been ongoing ever since 1997. It really felt like something "from the last millennium" being brought back for a new audience. And it felt to me like that project to redo FFVII has been ongoing since, with AC/CC/remake all being the "new" reboot. So the fact that AC really belongs to the original run, as it were, still just feels odd.
 

KindOfBlue

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Blue
Being pretty new to the fandom myself, I’m interested to see how your friend’s experience compares to my own. Though in my case, I played the OG first and the remake shortly thereafter. To address what you’ve mentioned so far about about your observations:

1. In my case, I wasn’t particularly interested in Cloud for many years because my impression of him was soldier Cloud and emo Cloud from AC/KH. One playthrough of the OG and he quickly became my favorite video game protagonist of all time, and I think the remake is the best portrayal of him since the OG.

2. Admittedly, never been much into turn based games which is what kept me from the OG. Since playing the OG, I’m more open to that gameplay style but I really love the combat of remake.

3. Like many, I was spoiled on Aerith’s fate before playing the OG so I paid more attention to Tifa back then. For the remake, I like them both but knowing where the story goes, Tifa makes more sense to me than Aerith. The manic pixie genki-girl types don’t really do it for me anyways.

4. I feel like Aerith’s feelings are almost as complicated as Cloud’s, and I think that was intentional (maybe not so much for the OG, but post CC at least). I don’t really fall into the “these are the two intended pairings” mindset that a lot of shippers do. For me it’s more that every pairing has something, but they all resolve in very different ways.

5. I didn’t mind Sephiroth’s inclusion knowing that Shinra’s not really the main enemy anyways. But I’m also pretty bored with the evil corporation trope so I wasn’t particularly interested in them in the first place aside from Hojo. I’ve accepted that Sephiroth’s inclusion is partly a consequence of the story being broken up into separate games and I’m personally glad I didn’t have to wait like 3 years to fight Sephiroth in HD.

6. I actually liked the ending of the remake but at this point, nobody knows what the hell’s going on. Bold move, I’ll say. Time will tell if they stick the landing.

7. Of all the characters, I’d say my investment in Barret improved the most with the remake. Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII were already my favorite characters in the OG and I already thought Aerith was great too, but Barret didn’t do much for me in the OG. I freakin’ LOVED him in the remake, almost as much as Cloud and Tifa.

8. I haven’t been this invested in the lore of a universe in a VERY long time. I never had a “favorite game” growing up, but I’ve come to consider FFVII my favorite game as no other game has left this much of an impression on me. The remake elevated my love of this universe even further and the whole experience has been a saving grace of this awful year.

While I’m at it, I’m thankful for this site as well. Having people to discuss this game with has been an absolute delight!

All I know about the fandom is that there is apparently someone named "Cali" who is insane, and someone else whose name I've forgotten who is obsessed with Jessie.

I’ll admit I’ve developed a sort of morbid curiosity with these types of people in the fanbase, I just find it fascinating how obsessive some people can get over...wanting fictional characters to bang each other.
 

Stiggie

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Stiggie
5. I didn’t mind Sephiroth’s inclusion knowing that Shinra’s not really the main enemy anyways. But I’m also pretty bored with the evil corporation trope so I wasn’t particularly interested in them in the first place aside from Hojo. I’ve accepted that Sephiroth’s inclusion is partly a consequence of the story being broken up into separate games and I’m personally glad I didn’t have to wait like 3 years to fight Sephiroth in HD.

I think "the price" for that will mostly come in the future though, it's not necessarily that it's unsatisfying to fight Sephiroth this early (although I do feel that a bit), fighting Sephiroth could still be enjoyable in isolation. It's just that I think it will impair the impact of later parts of the story, it's like drinking, we're stealing happiness from tomorrow, I don't think it's a good long term solution XD

My PS account was hacked, which means my playthrough with my mate is on hold for a few days, would continue today but we both have a massive hangover so we're skipping :(
 

Fiz

Pro Adventurer
AKA
Eh?
1. In my case, I wasn’t particularly interested in Cloud for many years because my impression of him was soldier Cloud and emo Cloud from AC/KH. One playthrough of the OG and he quickly became my favorite video game protagonist of all time, and I think the remake is the best portrayal of him since the OG.

For me I found OG Cloud a bit dull, upstaged throughout by the others. Remake has made him so much better.


2. Admittedly, never been much into turn based games which is what kept me from the OG. Since playing the OG, I’m more open to that gameplay style but I really love the combat of remake.

Agreed. I mostly put up with combat in OG & I'm glad they went for an ARPG battle system. I've seen it compared to Tales games a few times, which is a good thing. While good, I still wanted more from Remakes combat and I'm hoping part 2 evolves combat so that it at least matches a Tales game.

3. Like many, I was spoiled on Aerith’s fate before playing the OG so I paid more attention to Tifa back then. For the remake, I like them both but knowing where the story goes, Tifa makes more sense to me than Aerith. The manic pixie genki-girl types don’t really do it for me anyways.

4. I feel like Aerith’s feelings are almost as complicated as Cloud’s, and I think that was intentional (maybe not so much for the OG, but post CC at least). I don’t really fall into the “these are the two intended pairings” mindset that a lot of shippers do. For me it’s more that every pairing has something, but they all resolve in very different ways.

I always saw both pairings as romances that aren't particularly healthy & wouldn't work out. I found Aerith the more viable romantic option, but both come with a lot of baggage.

Shippers are annoying though, and weird.


5. I didn’t mind Sephiroth’s inclusion knowing that Shinra’s not really the main enemy anyways. But I’m also pretty bored with the evil corporation trope so I wasn’t particularly interested in them in the first place aside from Hojo. I’ve accepted that Sephiroth’s inclusion is partly a consequence of the story being broken up into separate games and I’m personally glad I didn’t have to wait like 3 years to fight Sephiroth in HD.
[/quote[

Also, agreed, but then there is the problem of how they will top it in later battles. OFC there is Jenova, I wouldn't be surprised if they go for Jenova being the climax.



6. I actually liked the ending of the remake but at this point, nobody knows what the hell’s going on. Bold move, I’ll say. Time will tell if they stick the landing.

7. Of all the characters, I’d say my investment in Barret improved the most with the remake. Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII were already my favorite characters in the OG and I already thought Aerith was great too, but Barret didn’t do much for me in the OG. I freakin’ LOVED him in the remake, almost as much as Cloud and Tifa.

8. I haven’t been this invested in the lore of a universe in a VERY long time. I never had a “favorite game” growing up, but I’ve come to consider FFVII my favorite game as no other game has left this much of an impression on me. The remake elevated my love of this universe even further and the whole experience has been a saving grace of this awful year.

My opionion on this... FFVII's story isn't that great anyway, it's carried by its characters. Which is totally fine, and doesn't take anything away from FF7. Many great films don't have the most exciting plots, but the characters carry it through. Whatever they do - I have reasonable confidence they'll land it because the characters are good, especially in remake.
 
Top Bottom