Let's say that you are put in charge of deciding how the remake story unfolds.

[Roundhouse]

Obviously this example would never happen, it's just an imaginative exercise.

Let's say you are suddenly in charge of the story development of remake in P2 and 3. What would you do with the material you have that was established by the end of part one?

 

[Ite]

I would commit to the sequel thing and double down on the multiverse stuff. Aeris lives, Sephiroth turns good, Zack and Cloud fighting time gods. Just go ham. I would make sure that all original locations were involved in the new story in some capacity. Then, after all three parts are released, sell a packaged Legendary Edition trilogy, with a bonus actual remake of the original story using the assets from all three games.

 

[Roundhouse]

'with a bonus actual remake of the original story using the assets from all three games.'

They would never --

Spoiler

Oh.

 

[Ite]

'with a bonus actual remake of the original story using the assets from all three games.'

They would never --

Spoiler

Oh.

Ever Crisis looks fun, for sure! I loved Remake’s combat so much. I’m excited to see how it develops across Pt. 2 and 3 — if I were in change I would make a “Part 0” after all parts are out that takes the best developments of Remake, and recreates the OG story in Remake’s style (fully cinematic scenes, AAA graphics, etc)

 

[jeangl123]

Obviously this example would never happen, it's just an imaginative exercise.

Let's say you are suddenly in charge of the story development of remake in P2 and 3. What would you do with the material you have that was established by the end of part one?

Gilgamesh was behind it all.

 

[Limestone]

I'd be boring and stick to what they've been doing so far: mostly follow the OG with fleshed out scenarios and content from the Compilation. Remake added major new elements, but they didn't have any bearing on most of the story. I'd have Rebirth be similar; you get times where it's the main focus, but other times it's minor or even bundled into main events (for example, the party could learn about Whispers and such at Cosmo Canyon).

I prefer having different universes versus time travel, so I'd have the Terrier Timeline be a simultaneous universe that is just chronologically a few weeks behind the main one. It was simply altered by the events in the Singularity. The Terrier Timeline would allow Zack and Aerith to survive but, in keeping with the theme of loss, other characters (including Cloud) die or are otherwise never encountered. Probably tie that universe into Sephiroth's overarching goals regarding universe birth/death. Future Sephiroth and future Aerith memories also stem from other universes that are chronologically past the main story's events. Future Sephiroth is bummed that his planet crumbled and is trying to create a timeline perfect for his and his planet's perpetual existence.

I'm also not a big fan of "fated to do something" destiny stories. We know that Whispers manifested to offset Sephiroth's influence. So, there could hypothetically be universes where Cloud and co. never meet up or never defeat Sephiroth, and there would be no Whisper interference because no outside actor is trying to alter the planet's future. That planet succumbs, others live on for millenia more. So "destiny" isn't a concrete series of events that play out the same in every universe; it's people making their own choices without Sephiroth trying to guide them a certain way. I don't know exactly how Remake is viewing destiny, but it's what I'd do.

But y'know, all these thoughts are just for fun. I'm happy to just see where the game takes me.

if I were in change I would make a “Part 0” after all parts are out that takes the best developments of Remake, and recreates the OG story in Remake’s style (fully cinematic scenes, AAA graphics, etc)

I once thought about the possibility of them doing that with this trilogy. There's already a perfect name: Final Fantasy VII Redux

 

[Wol]

Sephiroth and Cloud fuse to become Super Saiyan 3 and save the world, proceeds to beat the crap out of Genesis and Cherdleys.

 

[Roundhouse]

REBIRTH opens with Sephiroth floating in darkness, defeated after Advent Children. He's reflecting now, and he is beginning to realise all the mistakes he made. Somehow his empathy has awakened amidst the Hades lifestream he is in, and all he can think is to try and make amends. He visualises the planet before him, and then shoots toward it like Superman. We hear Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time in the background, and Sephiroth through sheer willpower manages to shoot through a time portal into the past. As he lands in a Midgar alley, crackling with electricity as if in Terminator 2, he sees Aerith and then quickly hides behind a wall.

We see Aerith glance around and then hurry off as she does in P1.

"I'll make things right...I'll change it all!" Sephiroth swears to himself. The logo appears on the screen as we watch him walk down the alley. FF7 REBIRTH.

During the game we find out that Sephiroth wanted the party to defeat the whispers in p1 because they were Time Travel Police from the lifestream trying to stop him changing the future, so Sephiroth manipulated Cloud and co into beating them with him. After this he tries to tell Cloud the truth, that he is only there to help and change the future, but he is very bad with making his good intentions understood, and thus Cloud refuses and attacks him. Sephiroth blocks and dodges everything then peacefully leaves, just as we saw in p1. Seph ensures that Zack survives this time by defeating the second army that was supposed to come after him.

Seph then thinks his job is done, but he finds out that Genesis intends to complete what happened in the OG because it is more poetic and fits Loveless. Genesis defeats Seph in their one on one battle because of his new Planet Powers that Minerva gave him, so Sephiroth begs Cloud and co to join their team. He sobs and hits the floor as he confesses to his past crimes.

Aerith: But now you've changed that future...you've redeemed yourself, Sephiroth! You even saved Zack!

Zack: Thanks bro.

Eventually Seph hugs them all and they decide they will team up to defeat Genesis. Game ends on this note as they set off to confront Genesis at the North Crater...

 

[Ite]

 

[Lestat]

Don't encourage him

 

[Wol]

REBIRTH opens with Sephiroth floating in darkness, defeated after Advent Children. He's reflecting now, and he is beginning to realise all the mistakes he made. Somehow his empathy has awakened amidst the Hades lifestream he is in, and all he can think is to try and make amends. He visualises the planet before him, and then shoots toward it like Superman. We hear Cher's If I Could Turn Back Time in the background, and Sephiroth through sheer willpower manages to shoot through a time portal into the past. As he lands in a Midgar alley, crackling with electricity as if in Terminator 2, he sees Aerith and then quickly hides behind a wall.

We see Aerith glance around and then hurry off as she does in P1.

"I'll make things right...I'll change it all!" Sephiroth swears to himself. The logo appears on the screen as we watch him walk down the alley. FF7 REBIRTH.

During the game we find out that Sephiroth wanted the party to defeat the whispers in p1 because they were Time Travel Police from the lifestream trying to stop him changing the future, so Sephiroth manipulated Cloud and co into beating them with him. After this he tries to tell Cloud the truth, that he is only there to help and change the future, but he is very bad with making his good intentions understood, and thus Cloud refuses and attacks him. Sephiroth blocks and dodges everything then peacefully leaves, just as we saw in p1. Seph ensures that Zack survives this time by defeating the second army that was supposed to come after him.

Seph then thinks his job is done, but he finds out that Genesis intends to complete what happened in the OG because it is more poetic and fits Loveless. Genesis defeats Seph in their one on one battle because of his new Planet Powers that Minerva gave him, so Sephiroth begs Cloud and co to join their team. He sobs and hits the floor as he confesses to his past crimes.

Aerith: But now you've changed that future...you've redeemed yourself, Sephiroth! You even saved Zack!

Zack: Thanks bro.

Eventually Seph hugs them all and they decide they will team up to defeat Genesis. Game ends on this note as they set off to confront Genesis at the North Crater...

The part where Sephiroth says "It's Morbin time" really brought a tear to my eyes. Stellar writing.

 

[ph14basicbitch]

I would add in a scene at the start of Rebirth where Rufus turns towards the camera and goes, "I'm not an Ancient. That's fucking stupid." then he brushes his hair back and walks away.

Rest of Rebirth proceeds with whatever Square-Enix is making.

 

[Roundhouse]

People are theorising that?? Why? i'm assuming it must be because he can see the whispers?

 

[ph14basicbitch]

tl;dr yes

 

[Roundhouse]

Maybe they are right, hmm. Why else would he be able to mysteriously see them....

 

[Ite]

It’s a mystery of mysterious mysteritude. It’s incredibly big brained and we should all theorize about it.

 

[cold_spirit]

I had a plan for how this series could unfold, but then the trilogy announcement totally decimated it

If I could modify it I'd just expedite the process. So Rebirth would more or less follow the events of the original game up to the Northern Crater with the new mystery involving Zack being sprinkled throughout (no different from the Whispers in Remake), then a big controversial blowout at the end.

I personally feel like it'd be good to follow the original story for just a little bit longer so that more essential groundwork is established. For example the Nibelheim Incident, as well as Vincent and Cid's backstories/motives for joining the party. As much as Remake deviated for the original game, it still kept the core character dramas intact, at least for Cloud, Barret, Tifa... well for everyone who's not Aerith or Sephiroth.

I'd make environments in Rebirth however small as needed in order to ensure the game reaches the Northern Crater. Then, at the end, have Aerith live and reveal Sephiroth's plan to absorb the multiverse, allowing him to break free of whatever new cycle he's aware of.

Part 3 would largely be new material. The only two things I would keep for sure is Meteor's impending doom and the Weapons rampaging around the planet. The former is too iconic to leave behind and the latter is too cool to let sit. In regards to Rufus, being able to see the Whispers is directly connected to seeing memories of the original game. I think this should be used to give him a change of heart earlier than the OG's continuity. So he'll play more of a supporting role to the party by the end of the series, just like he did in AC and DC. Other than that, resolve Cloud's identity crisis, how Aerith got her "other memories", the goal of the Whispers, and Zack's new conflict searching for Aerith. Then off to fight Sephiroth (with Terrier Zack no doubt assisting).

 

[Clement Rage]

Killing the Whispers means that the Planet goes offscript and releases the Weapons early. Sapphire Weapon attacks the cargo ship. It doesn't sink it, but causes a lot of damage. Sister Ray isn't ready yet, so there's no way to stop them really. The basic structure is similar, but Sephiroth and the party have scrapes with Weapons at different point, altering the dynamic because Sephiroth's fake body is under legitimate threat, he has to be more careful.

The leads have changed their fate, but that comes at a cost. They're not necessarily the people paying for it, but it is being paid. So they have to wrestle with 'we changed our fates, but what was the price of that? Maybe Zack and Aeris are saved, but if Priscilla drowns because Weapon attacks Junon because we changed our fates, is that better?

 

[ForceStealer]

Killing the Whispers means that the Planet goes offscript and releases the Weapons early. Sapphire Weapon attacks the cargo ship. It doesn't sink it, but causes a lot of damage. Sister Ray isn't ready yet, so there's no way to stop them really. The basic structure is similar, but Sephiroth and the party have scrapes with Weapons at different point, altering the dynamic because Sephiroth's fake body is under legitimate threat, he has to be more careful.

The leads have changed their fate, but that comes at a cost. They're not necessarily the people paying for it, but it is being paid. So they have to wrestle with 'we changed our fates, but what was the price of that? Maybe Zack and Aeris are saved, but if Priscilla drowns because Weapon attacks Junon because we changed our fates, is that better?