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

[Sacky]

It's complicated = Yes we talked about it but your story doesn't make sense. Zack never fell. He was with me at the reactor and we went back to the village together. I can't tell you this before we know what's really happening. So let's just say we didn't talk about it.

Cloud think she didn't talk about it because she's afraid to tell the news to Aerith. Like "yeah it's complicated if she still loves him"

would have been better if Cloud said she told me she still has feelings for Zack then to make it match better with Gongaga. Small nitpick though

 

[Yoru]

would have been better if Cloud said she told me she still has feelings for Zack then to make it match better with Gongaga. Small nitpick though

Just not using the interrogative intonation would have been enough

• "It's complicated"
• "She still has feelings (yeah)..."

instead of

• "It's complicated"
• "She still has feeling ?"
  
  

Whatever. It's all optional anyway

 

[Ryushikaze]

would have been better if Cloud said she told me she still has feelings for Zack then to make it match better with Gongaga. Small nitpick though

I think she doesn't want to lie to the boy, even by omission, so she chooses a true but deflecting answer. "It's complicated" avoids direct confrontation while letting Cloud know it's not really cool to talk about right now.

 

[c.lupara]

The scene that made me create an account here to talk about it. The scene I still don't understand after everyone shared their point of you here. Clotis "hate" it. Our Cleriths "hate" it. I don't understand what's going on lmao.

At first it seems to me it was a very poor free fanservice and goodbye scene. But after that the game is still giving a fanservice and goodbye scene. So I don't know anymore. Am I missing something ? Is it just bad ?

I'll tell you why I didn't like it:

1) Aerith in this dream scene is not the Aerith of Rebirth but someone coming from an unspecified dimensional hole;

2) It's a very badly managed scene in terms of timing because basically if you don't make Aerith content for her, you don't see Aerith until chapter 12 and so from the way I see it, if you're a new player you don't have time to become attached to her (well I'll be the one to be insensitive);

3) The multiverse creates disasters;

4) The date is cringe for me and personally made me uncomfortable;

 

[nars305]

The scene that made me create an account here to talk about it. The scene I still don't understand after everyone shared their point of you here. Clotis "hate" it. Our Cleriths "hate" it. I don't understand what's going on lmao.

At first it seems to me it was a very poor free fanservice and goodbye scene. But after that the game is still giving a fanservice and goodbye scene. So I don't know anymore. Am I missing something ? Is it just bad ?

I mean it very well could be a goodbye scene, and I think that’s what I accept it as. That and I suppose it serves a purpose to show what lengths Sephiroth is going to as he hunts Aerith down.

I don’t know, I’m sure the scene appears differently to people who do Aerith side quests, get her on the date, etc.

 

[Sacky]

I mean it very well could be a goodbye scene, and I think that’s what I accept it as. That and I suppose it serves a purpose to show what lengths Sephiroth is going to as he hunts Aerith down.

I don’t know, I’m sure the scene appears differently to people who do Aerith side quests, get her on the date, etc.

Yeah its strange when its a goodbye scene its good the problem is the pacing after temple and the lack of explanation what is the happening for the whole final chapters. Fall of Temple, Dream date goodbye, then forest goodbye, then revealed we didnt fall in headache, then rush to Forgotten capital

 

[Rin]

I mean it very well could be a goodbye scene, and I think that’s what I accept it as. That and I suppose it serves a purpose to show what lengths Sephiroth is going to as he hunts Aerith down.

I don’t know, I’m sure the scene appears differently to people who do Aerith side quests, get her on the date, etc.

It doesn't help that you can skip it if you decide to turn Zacks interlude off on your second run (if you do a second run), so it really does feel completely divorced from the main storyline.... because I guess it is? But yet it's not since it's how we receive the White Materia but what's the point of that?

It's also confusing as hell to me because Aerith is awake and leaves the party while Cloud is still asleep and heavily dreaming as noted by Barret saying his eyes were twitching like crazy. I don't get it at all.

 

[nars305]

It doesn't help that you can skip it if you decide to turn Zacks interlude off on your second run (if you do a second run), so it really does feel completely divorced from the main storyline.... because I guess it is? But yet it's not since it's how we receive the White Materia but what's the point of that?

It's also confusing as hell to me because Aerith is awake and leaves the party while Cloud is still asleep and heavily dreaming as noted by Barret saying his eyes were twitching like crazy. I don't get it at all.

The only thing I can assume is that since the clear materia was given to Cloud in this scene we’ll definitely have a call back to this scene…?

For all I know I might be so pleased with the LS scene I won’t give a shit about anything. I’ll be very easy to please if Part 3 goes my way.

 

[Yoru]

I mean it very well could be a goodbye scene, and I think that’s what I accept it as. That and I suppose it serves a purpose to show what lengths Sephiroth is going to as he hunts Aerith down.

I don’t know, I’m sure the scene appears differently to people who do Aerith side quests, get her on the date, etc.

But I did all of them



I literally did all her quests every chapter, the only thing I didn't have was her GS date.

And it's still doesn't make any sense. That's what killed me. It's not the Aerith of MY game. Who are you ?

Why my Cloud is suddenly all TeeTee ? Who are you ?

I see the point like I already explained my theory here. But even with that. It felt wrong and out of place.

 

[pxl_pushr]

Yeah its strange when its a goodbye scene its good the problem is the pacing after temple and the lack of explanation what is the happening for the whole final chapters. Fall of Temple, Dream date goodbye, then forest goodbye, then revealed we didnt fall in headache, then rush to Forgotten capital

Pretty much my main issue with it. By the third goodbye I was thinking “omg die already so we can move on!” And I didn’t want to feel that way.

 

[Rin]

The only thing I can assume is that since the clear materia was given to Cloud in this scene we’ll definitely have a call back to this scene…?

For all I know I might be so pleased with the LS scene I won’t give a shit about anything. I’ll be very easy to please if Part 3 goes my way.

Yeah the devs said the clear materia plays a big role in part 3 supposedly.... but .... I'm wary lol

 

[Yoru]

Pretty much my main issue with it. By the third goodbye I was thinking “omg die already so we can move on!” And I didn’t want to feel that way.

I was borderline pissed of when Cloud deflected the blade. I was like "Seriously bro? 2 Goodbye scene (I didn't know a third was coming..) for that ?

I'm not saying I want her dead absolutely, but teasing something too heavily is bad.

 

[pxl_pushr]

Yeah the devs said the clear materia plays a big role in part 3 supposedly.... but .... I'm wary lol

I think it’s gonna be charged with Cloud’s new memories made in part 3

 

[Sacky]

I was borderline pissed of when Cloud deflected the blade. I was like "Seriously bro? 2 Goodbye scene (I didn't know a third was coming..) for that ?

I'm not saying I want her dead absolutely, but teasing something too heavily is bad.

actually techincally 3 happen in the ending. The ive got this, the everyones waiting AC one, and the final one

 

[Hellenic]

Think bout the persona series. Once you get max level friendship, you have the option of romance or not. You can say no and romance someone else. Its really as simple as that in my eyes. FF7 is definitely more character driven so there is a difference but I think the same principle applies.

Sorry but no. Why are you comparing FF7 to Persona where romantic choices have absolutely no bearings whatsoever as far as the story goes?

There's a huge difference with a game like Persona that just throws this thing there to please players, versus a game like FF7 where your protags whole character setup involves romantic feelings with a specified character that only gets explored more and more as we go on with the games.

You don't choose Clouds background involving Tifa, what he feels towards her and vice versa, like you choose Ann or Makoto as your chosen "romantic interest" in P5.

It really is not just that simple here. I don't know why you think the optional dates here define the entire thing when the games clearly show and are building towards a very specific outcome regardless of which one of those you saw. The dates are there to establish how Cloud would be and feel with each specific person in said scenario. They don't decide what the canonical outcome to the story is, but instead they give you character insight.

 

[Yoru]

actually techincally 3 happen in the ending. The ive got this, the everyones waiting AC one, and the final one

How I count :

• Dream Date
• Forest Aerith
• AC everyone's waiting

Rest of it is more small dialogues than real scene. I'm not counting the CG ending, even if it works as "our" goodbye and not Cloud's.

I don't know about other Aerith's fan, but it was way too much for me.

 

[Sacky]

How I count :

• Dream Date
• Forest Aerith
• AC everyone's waiting

Rest of it is more small dialogues than real scene. I'm not counting the CG ending, even if it works as "our" goodbye and not Cloud's.

I don't know about other Aerith's fan, but it was way too much for me.

I think the pacing of having 2 goodbye scenes back to back including the forest one was too much even if it is a different Aerith. But thats also part of the problem

 

[Rin]

I think it’s gonna be charged with Cloud’s new memories made in part 3

Yup, same same

 

[pxl_pushr]

How I count :

• Dream Date
• Forest Aerith
• AC everyone's waiting

Rest of it is more small dialogues than real scene. I'm not counting the CG ending, even if it works as "our" goodbye and not Cloud's.

I don't know about other Aerith's fan, but it was way too much for me.

It just felt like the business goals, creative goals, and fandom goals just didn’t coexist with this execution

Creatively wanting to depict her death on a different way and incorporate Cloud’s fragile mental state? I can get behind that.

Have a back and forth between if you saved her or if you didn’t to keep social media engagement off the ground for a couple months after launch? Less in love with that but I get it.

Fans not wanting her to die and wanting more of a send off if she does? I can get behind that.

Doing all 3 at once? Dear god, what have you done? My perception may flip once part 3 is out, but I can’t easily say what would keep me from deciding this is the weakest choice they’ve made so far.

 

[null]

Same here, for a time. On a lark I checked the FF7 related forums there. Some of the same people posting the same shit they were 20 years ago.

What kind of geezer posts the same shit for 20 years. glances around furtively

Come to think of it, we got bored and raided GameFAQs one day. I think we brought you back with us afterward at some point.

Ah, memories https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/197341-final-fantasy-vii/45198720

@Isabella wherever you are, you'll get a kick out of it. (Just don't log in and blame me for falling off the LTD-free wagon.)

Oh and this is a must-read for any LTD junkie who'd like to be DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC

 

[GamerSkull]

I definitely agree that the pacing is out of wack in the final two chapters. I also agree that there were way too many "goodbyes' with Aerith that it made it not matter anymore in the end. I hope Part 3 at least helps alleviate the confusion as to what all of this means.

Sorry but no. Why are you comparing FF7 to Persona where romantic choices have absolutely no bearings whatsoever as far as the story goes?

There's a huge difference with a game like Persona that just throws this thing there to please players, versus a game like FF7 where your protags whole character setup involves romantic feelings with a specified character that only gets explored more and more as we go on with the games.

You don't choose Clouds background involving Tifa, what he feels towards her and vice versa, like you choose Ann or Makoto as your chosen "romantic interest" in P5.

It really is not just that simple here. I don't know why you think the optional dates here define the entire thing when the games clearly show and are building towards a very specific outcome regardless of which one of those you saw. The dates are there to establish how Cloud would be and feel with each specific person in said scenario. They don't decide what the canonical outcome to the story is, but instead they give you character insight.

Persona is a series where the protagonist has only small amounts of personality as he mostly meant to be a player-insert for the most part. People see Cloud as a self-insert but I never felt that way. In fact, most FF protagonists have very specific personalities. For other games, like Mass Effect or Dragon Age, the characters are designed to be role-played so that each playthrough can yield to different outcomes.

I don't think Final Fantasy 7 actually meets any of these criteria and you only have very slight input on differences in any given FF game, most of them do not leave much room for drastically different playthroughs in terms of the story stuff. No matter what you choose, Tifa stays with Cloud at Mideel out of love, Cloud always says one of his primary motivations to become SOLDIER was to be special to Tifa, etc. These are not things you can really change, and they exist for a reason.

Making this Cloud's motivation, then having it revealed as a plot twist is not something that can just be swept away as "it's up to the player". It has strong romantic implication because Tifa wanted Cloud to be her "knight in shining armor" and the big reveal was that he kept that promise to her even when she did not know it. He wanted to become a special existence to her and he did exactly that.

Why reveal that? Why make that such a huge part of the story? Only for it to be that it's up to the player?

Moreover, this sentiment seems to only exist with Final Fantasy 7. Not a single other FF game has made the romances ambiguous, they are all clearly defined with very little room for interpretation. Does Noctis like Iris? No, he clearly likes Luna. Tidus clearly likes Yuna, but I suppose we can interpret that he likes Lulu because it's a dialogue option we can choose. Can I interpret that Locke will reunite with Rachel once he dies so he's just using Celes for now?

I want to apologize to any normal fans if this sounds toxic but I don't mean it to be: I find that in a majority of cases where people that say that it's up to player preference seem to always lean towards Clerith, and I feel that's basically because subconsciously they know that it needs to be that way so that they can have their Clerith endgame.

I also think some of them don't even believe it themselves, as I've seen people respond to similar statements with "Well, okay... the way I saw it play it means that Cloti is endgame" which is then met with responses that seem to indicate that Aerith is supposed to be the main heroine and this is not the actual reading they should have gotten. As if to say "It's up to the player... but obviously the devs meant for Aerith to be the real choice."

 

[Sacky]

What kind of geezer posts the same shit for 20 years. glances around furtively

Come to think of it, we got bored and raided GameFAQs one day. I think we brought you back with us afterward at some point.

Ah, memories https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/197341-final-fantasy-vii/45198720

@Isabella wherever you are, you'll get a kick out of it. (Just don't log in and blame me for falling off the LTD-free wagon.)

Oh and this is a must-read for any LTD junkie who'd like to be DESTROYED with FACTS and LOGIC

my brain aint reading that stuff 2007 seems like hell for the LTD XD

 

[SilverSisu]

It's not the Aerith of MY game. Who are you ?

She is the og Aerith from 1997 ps1 game. She controls the white whispers and is waging a war against Sephiroth in the lifestream.

 

[Yoru]

my brain aint reading that stuff 2007 seems like hell for the LTD XD

You know what's ironic ?

The Amano art used as background depicts Cloud hugging his sword instead of Aerith.

Have fun

 

[Sacky]

I definitely agree that the pacing is out of wack in the final two chapters. I also agree that there were way too many "goodbyes' with Aerith that it made it not matter anymore in the end. I hope Part 3 at least helps alleviate the confusion as to what all of this means.


Persona is a series where the protagonist has only small amounts of personality as he mostly meant to be a player-insert for the most part. People see Cloud as a self-insert but I never felt that way. In fact, most FF protagonists have very specific personalities. For other games, like Mass Effect or Dragon Age, the characters are designed to be role-played so that each playthrough can yield to different outcomes.

I don't think Final Fantasy 7 actually meets any of these criteria and you only have very slight input on differences in any given FF game, most of them do not leave much room for drastically different playthroughs in terms of the story stuff. No matter what you choose, Tifa stays with Cloud at Mideel out of love, Cloud always says one of his primary motivations to become SOLDIER was to be special to Tifa, etc. These are not things you can really change, and they exist for a reason.

Making this Cloud's motivation, then having it revealed as a plot twist is not something that can just be swept away as "it's up to the player". It has strong romantic implication because Tifa wanted Cloud to be her "knight in shining armor" and the big reveal was that he kept that promise to her even when she did not know it. He wanted to become a special existence to her and he did exactly that.

Why reveal that? Why make that such a huge part of the story? Only for it to be that it's up to the player?

Moreover, this sentiment seems to only exist with Final Fantasy 7. Not a single other FF game has made the romances ambiguous, they are all clearly defined with very little room for interpretation. Does Noctis like Iris? No, he clearly likes Luna. Tidus clearly likes Yuna, but I suppose we can interpret that he likes Lulu because it's a dialogue option we can choose. Can I interpret that Locke will reunite with Rachel once he dies so he's just using Celes for now?

I want to apologize to any normal fans if this sounds toxic but I don't mean it to be: I find in a majority of cases that most people that say that it's up to player preference seem to always lean towards Clerith, and I feel that's basically subconsciously they know that it needs to be that way so that they can have their Clerith endgame.

I truly don't understand how people see Cloud as a self insert. Hes a guy who has an alien in his brain that has convinced him he has false memories, who suffers from headaches, has a whole backstory with movitations and specific character moments not chosen by the player. Has a movie were no one would want to self insert as a character with a deadly disease who is running away from his family because of the guilt he feels and he doesnt want them to be there when he dies. Compare this to Joker from Persona 5 a highschooler who tried helping a woman then got arrested in trouble, and was sent to Toyko to live with someone in a cafe while he attends school. Thats all you learn about him, he doesnt have any character specific motivations for any of the romanceable people. You chose all actions how he acts rarely ever acts out an emotion on his own. The most you get is you are friends with everyone but theres not that much of a difference in the dynamic with any of them. Thats a self-insert; you choose which relationship matters most from characters you have no history with and a character who you know didn't have a crush or become a phantom thief for.