A huge LTD rant, and why I think the devs are out to kill it.
First, what is exactly the "love triangle" in FFVII OG? Answer: it's a trick. A narrative device the devs used that furthered the illusion for the player that they had full control of Cloud Strife - and his love life. It is also used to make you care for Aerith quite a bit, because you're supposed to think "oh! That's the one!" and then you lose her halfway through while you barely know her. And then, the Northern Crater and the Lifestream scenes happen, and you realise that it's the "side chick" that Cloud loved all along. Starting there, you have no control over Cloud Strife's love life anymore. You realise that your role was akin to Jenova's in his head, but since he's himself, that is gone.
I don't think that when they created the LT as a narrative device, the devs thoughts that the consequences were going to be... so long-lasting. Its major problem is not really that it exists - after the OG was released, they didn't think they'd come back to this world nor thought much of the LT that simply didn't exist in their minds. The problems however are as follow:
1. People do not understand the canon of FFVII and its Compilation
To put it mildly, most simply don't get it. The fact that we ourselves fought for years about the LTD just proves it, and we are hardcore fans. We even debated if Cloud and Tifa were together after AC, which showcases
their couple problem and
them being reunited at the end. This is how much it distorted our view of the characters and their relationship and the STORY. If you deny that Cloud loves Tifa and ends up with her, you screw up a big part of the game, you don't understand its narrative. Because it's very simple, you shouldn't have to argue over it. It doesn't really matter that people ship whatever they ship, it's their right, they can have fun however they want. Clerith is cute, if people prefer that, be it. However if you distort Cloud's character to make him love and search for Aerith after the end of the game, in the light of the Compilation, it just makes him a huge arsehole. And Cloud Strife is *not* a huge arsehole.
There is a whole set of fans who truly believe that in FFVII, you "pick the girl you want", and... that's simply not what happens. You have to turn a blind eye and think that the romance part basically end at the Gold Saucer date.
In the end, I think that it really what's bother the devs. Their message simply did not go through; they have a story about a character who's messed up mentally, who needs help, who grows up a loooooot during the game and around it... and the message that a lot of people feel is "pick up who you like, lol". This is probably the reason why I'm still arguing the LTD. At first it was because of shipping lolz, but nowadays I feel it's more because I feel offended on the behalf of the devs that their story has become so distorted. For clerith to work like
some of their fans (and I insist that it's luckily far from the whole clerith fandom) claim it does, it means that you have to distort completely the characters and the story. This is no wonder that a large subset of these fans bash Tifa and Zack, because those two characters' existence simply disprove a lot of their theories.
This muddling and changing goals and outright lies have been going on for years and have left such a huge scar in the FFVII fandom that you cannot be a shipper without being labelled as crazy. And it's sad, because both cloti and clerith are cute. You shouldn't be labelled as crazy for liking one pair. They're made to be both loved by the devs.
2. Hatred towards the main heroines
And I say that as someone who hated Aerith in the OG. It took me a recent playthrough again to think "she's OK" as a character. And that was with a Remake behind me because I think Remake really made me appreciate Aerith and understand her more. When I see her in Remake and OG, I see what the devs mean when they say "the characters have always been like this in our minds". I never really spread hateful messages about her though I just stated this rather bluntly here
If you look back, it sucks because originally, Aerith and Tifa were one character. But the LTD was born because basically, people misunderstood their roles: Aerith is the heroine who takes care of the overarching story; Tifa as the heroine who takes care of the intimate plot. They compliment each other, but cannot replace each other's role. They both guide Cloud throughout the game. You are supposed to enjoy both heroines' presence.
However, there is a set of fans who hate one of the two heroines depending on who they ship Cloud with. While this is nothing new, I find that the hate and lies being spread become more and more outrageous. It is very clear to me that, with Remake, the devs intended to make BOTH heroines loved by the fans. They have erased a lot of complains we had about one or the other throughout the years. Again, hate distort their characters (Tifa's just fanservice, people just love her tits is something I often see) and thus, the message that the devs are sending. I think it is no mistake that they have insisted a LOT on their friendship; how dare we hate their best friend? Rather than pitting them against each other, we're supposed to see their friendship and enjoy it (and luckily, I think a laaaaaaarge subset of the fans did see it and is enjoying it).
3. Distorsion of Cloud's character
I have already spoken about it, but when you say ugly things such as:
- Aerith means nothing to him
or
- He had fleeting feelings for Tifa, his first love is Aerith
You are missing on. So. Much.
And it's not as if SE wasn't very clear and loud there; to Cloud, everything is precious. That's his answer in ACC. Zack, Aerith, Tifa, the kids, they're all precious to him. In different ways, yes. But the bonds he made are more important than anything. Just because they're not romantic doesn't mean they don't mean anything. The fact that he's known Aerith so little has literally nothing to do with how much he considers her.
And if you dare say that his feelings for Tifa were fleeting, you are basically ignoring what the climax of the story tells you: that everything began because Cloud Strife was in love with Tifa Lockhart. The fact that his world grows and that he makes precious bonds along the way IS the important message, but the core of FFVII? It's Cloud and his relationship with Tifa.
And because you belittle the Lifestream scene, you belittle Tifa's role, how she was able to piece him together and show him the way - it's literally her guiding him through the Lifestream scene, wanting him to find the answer by himself so he'd be able to tell her the truth.
ACC goes into the psyche of a depressed Cloud - I know I didn't like it, I know a lot of people want Aerith (and Zack possibly) to live just because they don't want depressed!Cloud. I can understand that feeling - probably because the movie really isn't that great, it's too complicated to understand and you have to read the novellas to fully get the message - but on the other hand, now that I do understand what the devs had in mind... I find it very precious. It's not an easy message, to have your main character being depressed and people around him trying to cope with the same thoughts AND himself at the same time. Accepting to move on from death, may it be friends or lovers has always been a theme in FFVII. So, in a way, I really appreciate that. And they gave him a happy ending, which I also appreciate.
4. The LTD overshadows pretty much everything else
Pretty much the title. One thing that struck me is what a youtuber who played Remake blind last year said (Materwelonz for reference); she said she didn't know *anything* about FFVII or its Compilation, but she knew... that there was a love triangle, and she feared it because the 90's were quite ugly on that side of storytelling. She didn't even know about Aerith's death but somehow managed to catch about the love triangle! How NOT TO HATE that? Where are the messages of FFVII, of an ecoterrorist group fighting for the planet, of life and death? It's nowhere! I can't fathom how annoying that must be for the devs. They have made a great game, but what's left? One guy and two girls fighting over him? Ugh. No wonder they made their friendship so much in your face.
5. The devs are out to kill it
They really do. They do not like the LT. They're always asked about it instead of other interesting stuff; that is why last year when asked about it, they insisted about Aerith and Tifa separatly, as characters, because that's how they see them. They want them to shine by themselves, for themselves. I think it's a shame they didn't have time to include the Tifa bonus, to be honest, because it's clearly and answer to Aerith helping people around as Shinra is attacking the pillar.
But to truly see what they are doing with the LT, it's best to simply watch and dissect Remake. To be blunt, in the OG we had so many choices for the LT it was absolutely crazy. However here, this is not the case. We have much, much less choice this time around. It's basically a bunch of quests and who you pick in the sewers. Plus! Every scene is canon! Please get to see them all because they display the bonds that Cloud is developping with everyone!
The LT in itself was pretty much reduced to a few nods in chapter 11... and even then, if you look really at what's happening there, if you go slomo on the scenes to see behind the smoke the devs are pulling on you, it's very clear that Cloud has already chosen Tifa. I can fight you about this later on if you really want, but it's reallyyyyyyy clear. The fact that it's pulling smoke and make you think that the girls are even is in itself the nod to the LT, however just like in the OG, there is a hidden path that shows Cloud's true feelings (because I'd argue that in the OG, the path to get Tifa was rather... hidden).
One of the reasons why they want us to be aware of the OG and Compilation, clearly, is to free themselves from the LT. They don't want to be bound by it, even if there will be more cloti and clerith scenes in the future, I am persuaded that their message about who Cloud loves will be very clear.
They have already shown in part 1 the difference of treatment that Tifa gets compared to basically anyone else, despite her being a competent fighter. This will continue because "only her opinion counts" (I'm sorry Barret at the number of time you look like a third wheel
even you, Aerith).
They have created new memories of Tifa that are made up by Jenova... why? Because Tifa did not notice Cloud when they were kids, but his desire to be noticed by her is that strong. So Jenova manipulated him into thinking that way. I may add that the addition of Tifa's flashback with Jessie asking about Cloud and Tifa's relationship as soon as chapter 1 is there to make sure that you, as the player, will care about that "Tifa" because obviously, there is something going on there.
They also have created new scenes with high sexual tension between him and Tifa, and the UST is just... phenomenal lol. At this point, when the Highwind scene will kick in, we'll be relieved for Cloud haha.
They have made sure we'd know that it's his SOLDIER persona around Aerith and his true persona around Tifa that make him act and speak as he does (not that he doesn't try to pull off the SOLDIER stuff with Tifa, but I've seen enough cleriths already claiming the contrary, which is... audacious, considering the Ultimania is barely a year old).
On the other side, we also have seen Aerith still stuck on Zack and how she made Cloud do things she wanted to do with Zack. How scarred she is that he's not around anymore. The comparisons she draws between the two. And her understanding already the bond between Cloud and Tifa.
So yes, the Lifestream scene and the Highwind scene will be loud and clear - and they don't need to have 2 Highwind scenes this time around. It's a high bet that we're going to have the high affection scene for that one, because Tifa's line there is iconic.
However, and I feel like a broken record there, the fact that some prefer clerith doesn't really mean it's the end. We're talking about canon ending there, and it's my belief that there will be more clerith along the way. But the fact is that this time, the devs are free from the LT and add *more* cloti to make sure that most players do get the point: it's not "up to you", Cloud loves Tifa.
