SPOILERS LTD Remake — It's like New Coke except ... no, it's exactly like New Coke

[nepheneethedestroyer]

Even with the OG, when she asks us who Tifa is and we tell her she's our girlfriend, she takes advantage of the break when we're in shinra prison to talk about the date she owes us in front of Tifa. Personally, at this point I was like "But WTF ? You're the one imposing it on me ! What is this super dishonest move" lmao

Well, honestly, OG is a bit of a different beast in this regard, I do actually think Tifa and Aerith can come off as quite unfriendly towards each other in OG.

This is probably my biggest gripe I’ve sad a couple of times. I don’t like how the ambiguity makes this underlying “conflict” with Tifa and Aerith. Not them directly, but every time I think they are close friends, I’m like oh yeah they seem to like the same dude.

Yeah, I feel like "there is a ceiling on how good of friends two women who are pursuing the same guy can be" is a totally reasonable stance to have.

I mean we (the player) are not Cloud, and that's not how Cloud reacts in the Shinra jail cell, he doesn't react like super negatively there at all, if I recall correctly isn't that the screen shot that one of the Ultimanias says where Cloud and Aerith are building their "two person" world or something like that. He never rejecting the first date, nor the offer of another. OG at least Cloud doesn't seem adverse to the concept of dating Aerith.

Sure, EC confirms he did indeed accept the initial offer of one date.

Rebirth I'll conceed might give that impression with Costa Del Sol date for EN version partially and I don't blame players, because I'm not good at it, dating is a different impression.

To be clear, I think OG is really quite different--there it's just two women who both are interested in one guy, there's nothing wrong with being forward. It's just that in Rebirth, I think Aerith is notably aware of Cloud and Tifa's mutual affection post Chapter 9, so I understand why the whole dream date sequence gives people weird vibes in regards to Aerith and Tifa being good friends.

I think anything pre-Chapter 9 is whatever, Cloud is notably more...opposed, I guess, in the English version of the Costa del Sol Aerith quest for sure. I don't have any issue with Aerith's overall forwardness up until the dream date, honestly, which is where it gets a little weird for me--but sometimes a girl's gotta have closure, you know?

 

[Hellenic]

That's such a weird argument because if you don't have the time... why play at all?
Most people who use that argument won't even buy and play the game lmao

No i do get it. People don't necessarily have the time, will or desire to replay games, especially games this long. Like i was very big on replaying games multiple times when i was younger, but these days i mostly run a single playthrough for most things. I basically only replay and do everything in games that i absolutely love and want to 100% complete like these ones.

But like i said, if people have a desire to still see every possible dialogue option and whatnot the game has to offer then youtube is a handy tool for that for people who don't wanna put in the extra time for it themselves, so the argument falls flat anyway.

 

[Yoru]

What about when Cloud talks to the plants?, feels wholesome to me. Also a follow up for the "Language of Flowers" scene.

I'm talking about Rebirth and its intended affection system.

And again, I'm not saying he doesn't give a damn about Aerith. Never said that and never will.

What I'm saying is Rebirth is giving a pretty clear view of what Aerith and Cloud relationship is, and that the dream date doesn't really respect what we saw.

 

[Hellenic]

i saw that and i hadnt seen the streamer play it but i could tell they had done the conversation considering they were talking about it and also walked up to Tifa XD

You even have the affection pop up right at the start of the clip as if people wouldn't notice that.

 

[ChaosandConfusion]

Ok, so I just beat OG and now I'm a bit confused about the relationships and the characters themselves. I don't want to derail the thread with questions, so if anyone is willing to indulge my curiosity outside of this thread me know.

 

[nepheneethedestroyer]

Ok, so I just beat OG and now I'm a bit confused about the relationships and the characters themselves. I don't want to derail the thread with questions, so if anyone is willing to indulge my curiosity outside of this thread me know.

There is a OG only thread in this subforum, but you can probably fire off questions here if you want? IDK, Rebirth kind of quelled a lot of actual "debate" here lol.

 

[Sacky]

Ok, so I just beat OG and now I'm a bit confused about the relationships and the characters themselves. I don't want to derail the thread with questions, so if anyone is willing to indulge my curiosity outside of this thread me know.

honestly just say stuff here its fun to discuss

 

[Yoru]

Ok, so I just beat OG and now I'm a bit confused about the relationships and the characters themselves. I don't want to derail the thread with questions, so if anyone is willing to indulge my curiosity outside of this thread me know.

If it's about the two girls it's pretty simple :

• Tifa is your childhood friend you meet after some years in the army.
• Aerith is "just a city girl" you meet after one of your failed mission
• The two girls are interested in Cloud
• Cloud can be interested in the one you like the most as a player
• Aerith dies whatever was your choice
• The game has a big plotwist and you learn that the Cloud you're playing from the start is a fake Persona with wrong memories
• Real Cloud is a shy country boy who went on a journey to impress and become someone important to Tifa
• They confess their feelings to each other before the world ends
• They kill Sephiroth but the meteor can't be stopped, they think they're going to die but are not afraid because now they know an afterlife exist
• Aerith saves the day. We can suppose she's part of the planet now.

 

[Maidenofwar]

The thing is if Aerith didn't pursue Cloud (to some extent) she wouldn't be well ... Aerith.

It's a hard line for them to walk, the devs, I think to balance OG Aerith, that had an impact on so many people, to the extent people cried, and that was already appreciated and loved from OG, and CC/Re-trilogy where Zack has a much larger presence.

 

[GamerSkull]

Ok, so I just beat OG and now I'm a bit confused about the relationships and the characters themselves. I don't want to derail the thread with questions, so if anyone is willing to indulge my curiosity outside of this thread me know.

The thing about the OG is that it not as explicit about certain things and so there’s quite a bit more leeway for interpretations.

That being said, my read on the relationships is that Cloud loved Tifa, forgot about it after Hojo’s experiment. Started getting close to Aerith and even developed attraction and romantic feelings, then she died… then Cloud remembers who he really was, including his love for Tifa. And then the scene under the Highwind is a subtle confirmation of those mutual feelings. But Cloud still holds Aerith dear and at the end, when they think they’re all about to die soon… he says they can see Aerith again so it’s not so bad if this is the end. But while he specifically refers to Aerith, he mostly means they will all reunite with loved ones who passed on. He’s saying this in order for comfort, as they might not survive the next few moments.

As for Zerith, most of that comes from Crisis Core and depending on your viewpoint either recontexualizes or elaborates on Aerith’s relationship with Zack.

I definitely think this is why Nojima wants to be more explicit with Remake trilogy. He doesn’t like some misconceptions that arose.

 

[eleamaya]

Besides the guy taking pictures everything was mostly the same.

I think the cameraman is the opposite of people in the slum market who think Zack & Aerith is a couple although they just met.

It is, as such, extremely inappropriate that Cleriths should gatekeep Aerith and who can be fans of Aerith. As a Zerith, there is not a single moment of her character that I can not enjoy and not a single moment that I can not appreciate. I don't need to ignore events that are uncomfortable, nor do I need to twist her character into being something it's not. Aerith is Aerith.

My fellas~ Yeah, I'm sick of #Zerith tag on twitter is full with discourse of ZAs are CTs in disguise again, or that none of us loves Aerith and just Zack fans. I'm tired to defend myself anymore, had done that since Remake is released,

 

[GamerSkull]

I think the cameraman is the opposite of people in the slum market who think Zack & Aerith is a couple although they just met.


My fellas~ Yeah, I'm sick of #Zerith tag on twitter is full with discourse of ZAs are CTs in disguise again, or that none of us loves Aerith and just Zack fans. I'm tired to defend myself anymore, had done that since Remake is released,

To be honest, I think there are a ton of Zack fans that like him with Aerith. Doubt it has anything to do with preferring CT necessarily.

But let’s be real, there are people shipping Zack with Elmyra right now… for CA related reasons.

Gross, imagine shipping a guy with the mother of the woman he loves.

@ChaosandConfusion I recommend playing Crisis Core next. It can be the original PSP version or the new remaster.

 

[eleamaya]

But let’s be real, there are people shipping Zack with Elmyra right now… for CA related reasons.

Gross, imagine shipping a guy with the mother of the woman he loves.

That's just a joke, I'm the one who invent it at the first time lol

 

[GamerSkull]

That's just a joke, I'm the one who invent it at the first time lol

Yeah, I hope it’s a joke. Otherwise, it’s kinda…. just weird. It would be like shipping Cloud with Tifa’s dad.

“Oh Brian is just being tsundere with Cloud.”

 

[nepheneethedestroyer]

The thing is if Aerith didn't pursue Cloud (to some extent) she wouldn't be well ... Aerith.

It's a hard line for them to walk, the devs, I think to balance OG Aerith, that had an impact on so many people, to the extent people cried, and that was already appreciated and loved from OG, and CC/Re-trilogy where Zack has a much larger presence.

They were/are in a weird place because they sort of...regressed? What Aerith was aware of (the knowledge of the future that she held in the White Materia) between Remake and Rebirth...so some people who didn't like her forwardness/flirtiness from the OG didn't like that she "reverts" to that in Rebirth, while I think people who were more of a fan of her OG personality were happier with her in Rebirth? Like, the Under Junon inn scene, the conversation she has with regifting the flower--that reads a lot more true to me to OG Aerith, but I think it threw off a lot of people who liked the changes to her in Remake.

 

[LNK]

The last one is literally all I want lmao. I mean I feel like if this a remake, how can we leave out seeing Denzel in some way?

Right? Having Nanaki's 500 year later scene at the end of ff7, is already set up to have epilogues for everyone else post DoC. That would help give the compilation the closure it needs. I really can't see them making more games post DoC.

1. A proper Zack and Cloud reunion (it’s a friend…ship)

I forgot about that one. I definitely want to see that

 

[nars305]

Yeah, I feel like "there is a ceiling on how good of friends two women who are pursuing the same guy can be" is a totally reasonable stance to have.

I can really only base my thought on it from one moment pretty early game. When they are escaping Kalm Tifa is obviously jealous or confused about Aerith saying she and Cloud went on a date.

It was a very fast moment but for me playing, it was when I was just beginning to get invested in them. The reaction from Cloud and Tifa pushed me to become aware of their feelings.

 

[Yoru]

But Cloud still holds Aerith dear and at the end, when they think they’re all about to die soon… he says they can see Aerith again so it’s not so bad if this is the end. But while he specifically refers to Aerith, he mostly means they will all reunite with loved ones who passed on. He’s saying this in order for comfort, as they might not survive the next few moments.

It is the moment Cloud understands Aerith is still around helping them. Her helping hand literally appears to him and then switching to Tifa's. Like her musical theme switching to Tifa's. She's the one reuniting them. That's the moment he understands this Promised Land thing. So yeah, he's telling Tifa to not be afraid, death will not be the end.

 

[LNK]

I thought this was funny. The comments are even more hilarious. Sometimes I want to engage, but I would probably just be banned

 

[Eerie]

Oh yeah, I saw that post as well, including the Clerith talking about how they skip Tifa scenes.



Question, but does anyone know if there is a lets play with Japanese subtitles out there? I sometimes want to go to the original japanese to check what is being said but something it's hard when it's just audio with english subtitles. This time I was looking for what Zack and Marlene say to each other in response to Marlene says Aerith likes Cloud. It sounds like "so it's an emergency", "yes, it's an emergency" but I can't check without subtitles and I don't feel like playing through everything whenever I want to check a sentence.

You can watch Cloud's mocap actor play, I believe he plays it 100% in JP.

Also, just so you know, most Aerith dialogue isn't skippable. If you see someone claim that someone else skipped it, they're lying. The only one you can skip is the Under Junon one where it's Tifa's that's not skippable.

 

[GamerSkull]

I thought this was funny. The comments are even more hilarious. Sometimes I want to engage, but I would probably just be banned

It’s okay. Let them enjoy it. They’ve only got a few years left.

The writing is on the wall. They want Part 3 to end without “unresolved feelings” which means they are gonna make it so that Zerith gets closure as well even if they aren’t necessarily gonna be alive. And they aren’t gonna make Tifa be alone with unrequited feelings while douchebag Cloud strings her along.

 

[Maidenofwar]

You can skip all the conversations on the beach. I did so on my initial run. You can skip either Aerith or Tifa in Nibelheim. Also you have to talk with them again to get their follow up scenes.

 

[Eerie]

You can skip all the conversations on the beach. I did so on my initial run. You can skip either Aerith or Tifa in Nibelheim. Also you have to talk with them again to get their follow up scenes.

Mmh I thoguht most of the time you have that "speak with Aerith" and the game doesn't let you progress unless you do. I skipped Barret in Gongaga because I couldn't find him but that's the only one I skipped.

 

[Yoru]

I thought this was funny. The comments are even more hilarious. Sometimes I want to engage, but I would probably just be banned

Wow. I would love to be rejected like that.

Bruh. I can't even. How can they want to be taken seriously with things like this ?

 

[Eerie]

In both versions he reaffirms that "not one bit" "hold on tight" etc. that tells her that no she isn't getting ahead of herself. One version is just more intimate than the other.