Fun fact: Mako repeated the word "dilapidated" so many times throughout this thread that I couldn't help learning it eventually. Always happy to enrich my vocabulary, thank youAlso, it's not meant to be shown as a completely different church, just less dilapidated as shown in Crisis Core.
The real Lifestream was the friends we made along the wayBut the Lifestream has always been shown as a white goo so... It's not supposed to be a place. We even see it in Remake in chapter 18, there's nothing but a flow of consciousness.
I need the game to show me two parallel timelines before I can get on board because what’s been shown and explained so far still leaves too many questions (as it should). The smoking gun in all this is Stamp, if we see a terrier Stamp as Cloud then we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore lol but that’s what the rest of the games are for. I do think the simplest explanation is the most likely, problem here is what’s simple to one may not be to another. Either way, I think the moral here is not to jump to conclusions.@KindOfBlue
Well, I suppose we'll see. Like you said, what you're saying does technically fit. However, I just feel that it's an unnecessary complication when we can simply take what the game shows us and what the writers explained.
And while you and others may scoff at such a clue lying within the designs of the church, this is simply deja-vu for me. Except now I'm on the opposite end, unlike the previous speculation of the chip bag with Stamp. The same intentionality that came from designing Stamp is twice over, is easily applied here. And bear in mind that the writers, particularly Nomura, have all done the exact same subtle burying of storyline hints within layers of inconspicuous background before. Nomura with Kingdom Hearts UnionX/BBS/1/2/3, Dissidia and of course Advent Children. Toriyama did it with the XIII series. The reason I see it is because this is simply their modus operandi.
We'll know something in a month.
I do think the simplest explanation is the most likely, problem here is what’s simple to one may not be to another.
Oh, so now you trollin' me, huh wise guy??
Look at this.
The are clearly not the same. The drapes are missing in FFVII-R. The walls of the church in FFVII-R are not clean like they are in the ending. Look at the cross-like shape that's there. It's paneled in wood in Zack's ending. That wood is missing in FFVII-R. Furthermore...
The only other time we see the Church have that wood paneling on its cross-like shape at the alter there.... Is in Crisis Core. The pews are also there near the flower bed in Crisis Core and in Zack's ending. Those pews are not near the flowerbed in FFVII-R.
There's a very clear allusion going on.
Okay no circles, but I hope the pictures themselves speak louder.
The altar... place? Idk what the proper name should be, but you get the idea.
The floor definitely looks different.
So INTERmission shows us the church which looks either identical or at least very similar to the CC church in terms of colours, decorations, and the floor. The candle holder also looks slightly different everywhere.
Edit: Ninja'd by Mako
People in the twitter thread have noticed it sounds like One Wing Angel from AC/C. That's really interesting. To me it gives credits that something is wrong - I've said it enough but I always felt that Sephiroth was taunting Aerith when he went through the portal, and only Zack's vision decided her to act.
Looking at the fact that the whispers are around the troopers... I'm starting to think that maybeeeeeee this scene is from a parallel universe from where Zack wins anyway. And the Sephiroth from that universe is trying to come to the OG universe. Actually, this would give credit to the merging universe theory, because that would be chapter 18 Sephiroth's goal, in order to wreck chaos in the OG timeline too.
Which would make me think that in this universe, because there is no Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret... they all die. Hence why we see people mourning Aerith maybe in her church. That would solve the "doubles" problem, except for Cloud's, which is to get resolved in the Lifestream.
That also reminds me that in their fight against Sephiroth at the end, Sephiroth only talks to 3 characters: Cloud (expected), Aertih (expected), and... Tifa. And he really doesn't like Tifa. Is this simply a way for the devs to allude to her role in the Lifestream scene, depriving him of puppet!Cloud? If this Sephiroth is from a parallel universe, logically, he hasn't heard of Cloud and the gang. Since they all die or Cloud is mako-poisoned. But I've also had the theory that the Lifestream is joining all the parallel universes... what if the OG story is the only universe where Sephiroth loses? Then wouldn't other Sephiroth(s) from other parallel universe(s) study that case in the Lifestream? Then Sephiroth's goal would be to win everywhere, maybe to converge all the parallel universes into one where he wins, and with all the power accumulated, truly becomes a god who can escape the Planet's fate?
Edit: also I was coming to this thread to talk about Scarlet and how she talks about Wutai: they're definitely scapegoats, and just like in the OG we're going to find that they've become pretty much a vacation spot for Shinra.
I'm of two minds of this... because Crisis Core changes some things up. Most notably, it puts Wutai on a much more even footing with Shinra. They were fighitng Shinra for eight years, and the fight could have gone on longer if Wutai hadn't agreed to a cease-fire when it did.Edit: also I was coming to this thread to talk about Scarlet and how she talks about Wutai: they're definitely scapegoats, and just like in the OG we're going to find that they've become pretty much a vacation spot for Shinra.
If they confirm the church is different, all that’ll do for me is confirm…that the church is different. Why and how is it different, and what does that mean for the story, that’s what I really need to know but I’m mentally preparing to not know until at least the next game comes out.LOL a very good point.
We'll know something in a month with the new Ultimania, including info on Intermission. I find it unlikely they won't say something edifying about that new ending scenes. If the church is mentioned as being designed or different than what we've seen, then I think we'll know which direction we're going. Even if we're not sure of the final destination.
I have a very open mind as I have no idea where it's going or what these scenes mean. I mean, even in part, Stamp exists as a message for Avalanche, so I could even see there being some sort of non-parallel timeline explanation for that even.Am I the only who has like zero theories on Zack and the ending and am just going like "Oh cool! I wonder what will happen do next?"
Interesting, in this way the main story wouldn't be affected and the Zack alt story would be released between main entries to hold interest (and Zack is a character that can do that).Maximillian_Dood on twitch is theorizing that Zack is alive in another timeline and Aerith is already dead hence the people crying in the church, wilted flowers, the "Aerith?" ending line, etc.
I don't know what to feel about that, but I'm seeing side missions, DLC with Zack and other characters with new side stories between and among the main installments of remake.
I think I remember Aerith yelling at the Sector 7 inhabitants to flee to Sector 5 or 6? With how many people have been displaced, I’m sure they’ll take whatever shelter they can find. I don’t remember the number Reeve gave to President Shinra about how many people live in Sector 7, but it’s a lot of people.Would the Sector 7 survivors really travel past Sector 6 and most of Sector 5 to take shelter at a supposedly forgotten church?