Hopes for Remake & Rebirth (story/content)

[Yunipan]

Hope they do better with the translation and stay true to the OG Japanese translation also on the website

 

[Clean Cut Chaos]

I agree that, as a shapeshifter, Jenova cannot (reliably) be considered a "she." I don't think it's stuck in the form of a Cetra though. Jenova Synthesis, which is just crafted from the Jenova cells that Sephiroth gathered after rebuilding his body, still maintains the "feminine" traits. It might just look like that.

Was it ever explained why Jenova chose to take form as a woman? Were they a matriarchal society and it would be easier to gain influence or was a woman the first being she encountered or something?

 

[ForceStealer]

That's what I'm saying, it might just be what the alien looks like. That it has nominally "female" features could be incidental. It is an alien, after all. Somehow I don't think glowing eyes, eye boobs, and grotesque wings would have fooled any of the Cetra

Ifalna refers to Jenova as "he" at one point in the English game, which is a localization error, but I actually kinda like it, given the shapeshifting nature of the creature.

 

[mandelbrot86]

So my biggest concern for the story is actually the inclusion of Cait Sith and how to explain his nature...
Unfortunately Cait Sith's nature is not clean cut or well defined, but I think AI would be the way to go. That way he could be "Controlled By Reeve" but still be autonomous (that would cover the whole "how is Reeve controlling this 24/7 and doing his job?" issue.)
It would also be a little more emotional when you get to the whole Temple of the Ancients bit and maybe he'd be saying, it's okay, I'm just a robot, but his tone and his eyes convey that he's really not okay and he really has some level of sentience and fear of death. His sacrifice might actually have some redeeming value then.
Also, I feel like it was cheap that he just popped right back up after that. It would make more sense that you don't find Cait Sith number 2 until after the crater when you are in Junon and he helps get you out.

 

[Clean Cut Chaos]

I hope SE spent some time gathering every bit of confusion and debate over all these vague story elements and takes some time to flesh them out. Hopefully over all these games they will be able to do that satisfactorily.

 

[ForceStealer]

Also, I feel like it was cheap that he just popped right back up after that. It would make more sense that you don't find Cait Sith number 2 until after the crater when you are in Junon and he helps get you out.

That was intentional, to show a traditionally melodramatic, immediately un-done death to contrast the much quicker and permanent death not long after. But getting the replacement could still get shifted around I guess.
The AI-that-can-be-directly-controlled is what I always assumed growing up. Depends how much they decide to stick to that stupid Inspire thing.

 

[mandelbrot86]

Even if they have him show up rather quickly, it shouldn't be immediate. They figured out the whole Shrinking Temple thing right before that and then he gets crushed. The time it would take for the replacement to get there wouldn't make sense for him to just be there at the pit. I mean the immediate next scene is in Gongaga and Aerith has had time to make it to the Northern Continent so it wouldn't be too nuts to already have Cait Sith No. 2 meet the party there, but I still think they need to make his loss a tiny bit more dramatic than it originally was. Especially if it's not until Junon you get him back and new players are starting to wonder if they are just going to have to watch their characters killed off one by one. (Cait Sith, Aerith, and at this point potentially Cloud all while the current scene where he shows up, they are insinuating that Tifa's about to die. I might be morbid...)

 

[Erotic Materia]

stupid Inspire thing.

What's that?

 

[ForceStealer]

Oh boy. *rubs hands together*

From Reeve's character profile

By utilizing his special ability, “Inspire”, he is able to cause inorganic things to emit life; his “child”, the “cat”-shaped robot, Cait Sith can be controlled from a great distance.

Just...some random shit Reeve can do for some reason. And this is from the FF7 Ultimania, so you can't blame the Compilation for this crap, lol.
I apologize that you can't unknow this now In my head it's still just a robot with an AI that he can take control of.

 

[Cannon_Fodder]

After replaying FFVII earlier this year, I was taken aback by just how badly timed Cait Sith's return is. I mean, Sephiroth shows up, Cloud gives the Black Materia away and starts attacking Aerith, and then Cait Sith comes in like a goddamn Looney Tune. "Oops! Looks like I came at a bad time *hee-yuk.*"

 

[ForceStealer]

 

[Jairus]

Yeah, that was kind of odd timing on his part. I'm sure the remake will address that, though. Should be interesting to see his playstyle. Hopefully his limits won't be so dependent on random chance this time. And I like the idea of him having some amount of sentience apart from Reeve. Might be worth exploring to get a better idea of his and Reeve's character and why they do what they do. I always felt that although Reeve knew Cait was just a hi-tech robot toy, he liked to think of him as a real being instead. And it might be a cool idea to have #2's personality be a bit different than #1's, to better differentiate them, show that they're not all the same, and help us feel a bit of loss when #1 gets crushed. He did say that there was only one him, after all. The remake should show that individuality, I think.

 

[FFShinra]

I feel like all characters after the first four (and maybe Cid) were generally not given as much focus and time as they could have been (for obvious reasons with regards to Yuffie and Vincent, but also Cait Sith and Nanaki for I guess their non-humanoid nature) and as such are more flexible for reimagining by square, at least in terms of details that simply didn't exist before.

 

[Jairus]

Nanaki got an entire sidequest and some good character development in Cosmo Canyon during his return, his trek through the Gi cave, and his discovery of the truth about his father. Plus his relationship with Bugenhagen and his past with Hojo. He and Vincent are always in my party when I fight Hojo. I'm sure the remake will expand all of that, plus Cait's character and background as well.

 

[jazzflower92]

Maybe just explain his "Inspire" ability as giving life to inorganic life. Just like Big Mom's Soul Soul Fruit from one piece.

https://onepiece.fandom.com/wiki/Soru_Soru_no_Mi

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I think it might be a good idea to quietly let inspire die. There are too many times when not using would be unjustifiable yet using it would spoil the plot.

 

[Rydeen]

Maybe we can justify "inspire" as technical genius and thusly an ability to engineer technological singularity - either through mako/materia, plain tech, or some combination of both. Or, we can quietly let it die.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

Yes, I like the idea of limiting it in that way.

 

[Erotic Materia]

A few things:

1- Wow, "inspire" is some deus ex machina crap. To me, it screams lazy writing.

2 - While doing some light reading on Inspire, I came across this nugget, which made me laugh:

Spoiler: Who else gonna take the black materia out of the Temple of the Ancients?

3 - For some reason doesn't show up when I'm on my work computer. It turns out it's directly linked from deviantart, and the work network is classifying it as a virus. I dunno, I'm not a computer doctor. Maybe we could have a copy that's local to TLS? SUUUUPER minor, I know.

 

[FFShinra]

Nanaki got an entire sidequest and some good character development in Cosmo Canyon during his return, his trek through the Gi cave, and his discovery of the truth about his father. Plus his relationship with Bugenhagen and his past with Hojo. He and Vincent are always in my party when I fight Hojo. I'm sure the remake will expand all of that, plus Cait's character and background as well.

Nanaki's entire plot is done once the first visit to Cosmo Canyon is over. I want his plot peppered throughout, particularly given the Bugenhagen connection, but also anything else that would make sense for his character. Cait Sith needs further expansion upon other than being the spy. And also a less contrived way of meeting him.

Basically, I want the other characters to be given the same level of development as the core four (insofar as that is possible, I recognize that three of those four are more integral to the story than the rest, but Barret got a fair amount of respect compared to the rest).

 

[jazzflower92]

I actually would make "Inspire" have more of an explanation in-universe. Maybe it's an ability that the Ancients used to have. Maybe Reeve's has heavy Cetra ancestry and "Inspire" was a special ability even rare among them.

 

[Knights of the Round]

After replaying FFVII earlier this year, I was taken aback by just how badly timed Cait Sith's return is. I mean, Sephiroth shows up, Cloud gives the Black Materia away and starts attacking Aerith, and then Cait Sith comes in like a goddamn Looney Tune. "Oops! Looks like I came at a bad time *hee-yuk.*"

I actually smirk/laugh at that part every time. It's such a contrast to Cloud smacking the crap out of Aeris at the bottom of the pit. Very awkward moment, which I'm guessing was how they intended it to be.

 

[mandelbrot86]

Also if you have him in the party when Aerith dies he does this awful nearly comical pout and shuffle that reminds me of something out of Peanuts comics. I mean, I know his character is goofy, but that part of the story they go so far as to keep Aerith's theme playing during the boss battle in order to keep the tone, but Cait Sith ruins it. (Not that I have ever had him in my party at that point in a real play through.) The point being, I don't mind goofiness. It's part of what makes FF7 endearing, but they need to make sure it doesn't wreck a serious plot point...

 

[Alex Strife]

I actually would make "Inspire" have more of an explanation in-universe. Maybe it's an ability that the Ancients used to have. Maybe Reeve's has heavy Cetra ancestry and "Inspire" was a special ability even rare among them.

I think part of the appeal of Reeve is that he's a normal guy. Giving him "heavy Cestra ancestry" would destroy that. And if he has enough ancestry to have a "rare ability" from the Cetra, that makes Aerith A LOT less special in the eyes of Hojo.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I don't really understand why so many fans want to give other characters Cetra ancestry. Aerith is the last remaining Cetra, and even she is only part-Cetra. Giving Cetra ancestry to others would only diminish her. In Reeve's case, it would make his actions (spying and kidnapping for Shinra) even more reprehensible.