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

[pxl_pushr]

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I'm sorry, but I can't take them seriously. I can't imagine them as anything other than 14-year-olds who don't get out of the house enough.

It's so cringe. I'm sorry but it really is.

There is no side. There's just a story written by Nojima, which the developers are trying to portray to the best of their ability and budget.

The developers are so dedicated to Clerith that they chose to use the game's most fanservice moment to favor the other side. Really 4D chess masterminds... ffs expressing themselves on social networks should only be allowed after medical consultation...

Yeah, the devs don’t think in terms of ships or which shipping side they’re on. They’re all just characters in a story to them, and those characters will interact in ways that progress and elevate the story.

Why did Cloud and Aerith get a long, sweet goodbye? Because they wanted to respect Aerith and the relationship she had with Cloud. He doesn’t reciprocate the feelings she puts out there, but he still treats her tenderly. Because he cherishes everyone.

Why does Cloud kiss Tifa and only her? Because their feelings are mutual even if there’s still tension between them due to his identity crisis.

 

[abzy1200]

Why did Cloud and Aerith get a long, sweet goodbye? Because they wanted to respect Aerith and the relationship she had with Cloud. He doesn’t reciprocate the feelings she puts out there, but he still treats her tenderly. Because he cherishes everyone.

Let's be honest, that's totally not their last meeting, and it's hardly their last goodbye. Are they going to be able to help themselves in part 3? I don't think so.

 

[pxl_pushr]

Let's be honest, that's totally not their last meeting, and it's hardly their last goodbye. Are they going to be able to help themselves in part 3? I don't think so.

Maybe, but i just can’t see them immediately ruining Aerith’s goodbye marathon with her showing up regularly in part 3.

Personally, the wait will be easier for me if I choose to have some faith in them.

 

[Yoru]

Let's be honest, that's totally not their last meeting, and it's hardly their last goodbye. Are they going to be able to help themselves in part 3? I don't think so.

It should be. I'm sorry but honestly if this wasn't all about saying goodbye, then this ending is the worst. And the writing of Aerith's character definitely screwed up.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Just thought I'd post something humorous I saw on twitter for those who avoid it - a story and four parts.

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Ironically, you can argue that this actually confirms anyone BUT Aerith is Rosa, because the blocking is wrong if Tifa or Yuffie are not on stage and thus Aerith is not center stage/ frame.

 

[pxl_pushr]

It should be. I'm sorry but honestly if this wasn't all about saying goodbye, then this ending is the worst. And the writing of Aerith's character definitely screwed up.

And it’d be such a weird fumble to make because I assumed all three games are supposed to work as one story when held up together.

If it’s not goodbye, then why burn that much time on it when you could’ve avoided all the drama by just sticking as close to a 1:1 retelling of her death without all the allusions to finality.

They’re trying to recreate the same emotions as we had way back when, which is the point of the perspective shift imo. Using Cloud’s pov is perfect for that.

In part 3, the most you’ll get for 90% of the game is maybe the occasional hint that she’s doing stuff in the LS, but you won’t see her until maybe the very end.

 

[Yoru]

They’re trying to recreate the same emotions as we had way back when, which is the point of the perspective shift imo. Using Cloud’s pov is perfect for that.

In part 3, the most you’ll get for 90% of the game is maybe the occasional hint that she’s doing stuff in the LS, but you won’t see her until maybe the very end.

I'm supposed to be sad. No way I care about her death if she's doing her Jedi ghost thing during all part 3.

As I've said before, bringing out the violins and trying to get me to cry for 2 chapters only to tell me that “everything's ok” is killing replayability for me.

If she's more alive than alive, apart from the fact that you can't touch her, I don't see how that's dramatic.

And it destroys Advent Children even more.

tl;dr: The dead should stay dead and not be able to interact directly with the living.

 

[abzy1200]

Personally, the wait will be easier for me if I choose to have some faith in them.

I wish I could, but they didn't exactly do Aerith many favours in the re;trilogy did they? Especially not in Rebirth. Which makes it hard for me to have faith for part 3 when the groundwork is already lain...and not well.

If it’s not goodbye, then why burn that much time on it when you could’ve avoided all the drama by just sticking as close to a 1:1 retelling of her death without all the allusions to finality.

To bait people and keep people talking for the next couple years. Nomura said that they wanted to add some mystery to the re;trilogy to keep new and old fans engaged.

They’re trying to recreate the same emotions as we had way back when, which is the point of the perspective shift imo. Using Cloud’s pov is perfect for that.

I'd argue they aren't. With the original they wanted you to have feelings of reality and not hollywood...but let's be honest, feelings of reality were the last things I was feeling during Rebirth's ending.

I think Nomura said something about changing the emotions they want to convey, they want to go with a denial angle this time. Which is funny because people are saying she isn't dead.

 

[Yoru]

To bait people and keep people talking for the next couple years. Nomura said that they wanted to add some mystery to the re;trilogy to keep new and old fans engaged.

The point is, this is the last game. They don't need to trick people anymore because... this is the moment when mysteries become explanations. It's no longer teasing, it's climax and final conclusion.

The previous 2 installments were 80% relecture and expansion, and 20% “keeping people interested”. 20% of which will no longer exist because there's nothing to introduce behind it.

So for now, I'm still in the camp: She's dead. We left her behind in the end cinematic, so there's no reason to see her again just yet. And by the time we do, Cloud himself will be fully aware that she's dead. And maybe we'll even get an explanation of what these other worlds are, and by then Zack's part will be concluded too.

All of which is to say that there's no proof at the end of Rebirth that we won't be replaying the same story. People already thought that at the end of Remake we could only go for nonsense, and in the end we got exactly the same game, except that Cloud blocked Aerith's death in his head.

 

[abzy1200]

Oh no, I don't think they'll put more bait in part 3, I'm saying the whole "will she live?" in the marketing and "is she alive?" in Rebirth itself and how complicated everything is makes me think a lot of stuff is just theory fodder so people don't get bored waiting for part 3.

 

[Ryushikaze]

It is possible we get a moment with Aerith before the end, but only as part of Zack's story. We have space for perhaps 3 cuts to them, not including the very final battle, and if they're in the final battle, one of them needs to be the two of them figuring out what's going on and that they need to join the fight somehow. However, they should not interact with the main cast at any point before this, and not at all before that final battle.

 

[Yoru]

I even think that Aerith will be Zack's quest and that we'll just be following him, as in Rebirth. And he'll be the one to find her at the very end (maybe when he realizes he's been dead all along).

Maybe I'm wrong. The first teaser/trailer should quickly make us understand what kind of marketing we're getting into.

But for the time being, I really think they're going for an unattainable Aerith. And Zack's reward, as it is for players who are fans of the character, is to find her with him towards the very end of his arc.

 

[Yoru]

Zack is supposed to be super important to Remakes. That's what they kept saying. And so far, sorry son, but you've been "useless" in this new arc.

I think the whole point of this is that he saves Aerith from Sephiroth in the LS, and that it's thanks to him that she can be “there” at the end to stop the meteor.

 

[Eerie]

It is possible we get a moment with Aerith before the end, but only as part of Zack's story. We have space for perhaps 3 cuts to them, not including the very final battle, and if they're in the final battle, one of them needs to be the two of them figuring out what's going on and that they need to join the fight somehow. However, they should not interact with the main cast at any point before this, and not at all before that final battle.

I kinda think alike; to me Aerith is dead and will only show up to Cloud at the very end, like in the OG. Rebirth's ending solidifies this to me, as it shows that Cloud cannot see the real Aerith in the Lifestream, even if the FMV makes you believe otherwise. It's really well done but yeah, she's gone.

 

[nars305]

Part of me felt like the way they handled Aerith’s death was to make sense of the fact that Cloud had seemed to move on from her death pretty quick based on what I’ve seen some of yall say.

Maybe they didn't want it to seem that way in the remake.

But I agree, based on how she doesn’t get on the ship it only makes sense for her to appear how Zack did in Rebirth to make sense of their relationship and how they help save the world.

But I feel like the more Cloud interacts with Zack and Aerith, the less his grief in AC makes sense.

 

[LNK]

Maybe, but i just can’t see them immediately ruining Aerith’s goodbye marathon with her showing up regularly in part 3.

Personally, the wait will be easier for me if I choose to have some faith in them.

I think she'll have a similar amount of scenes that Zack did in Rebirth. Maybe a little more, since she's more important to the plot.

 

[LNK]

It should be. I'm sorry but honestly if this wasn't all about saying goodbye, then this ending is the worst. And the writing of Aerith's character definitely screwed up.

Based on my interpretation of the ending, I don't see how there wouldn't be another goodbye for Cloud specifically.

 

[Yoru]

Based on my interpretation of the ending, I don't see how there wouldn't be another goodbye for Cloud specifically.

Because his goodbye is in Advent Children.

 

[LNK]

Because his goodbye is in Advent Children.

At this point, he doesn't seem to be acknowledging she's dead. That would still need to happen before the ending of the 3rd game.

 

[Ryeleigh]

I wouldn't be surprised if this is how some think. I've seen this kind of mindset in other fandoms too. ATLA has a sizable fandom that ships Zuko and Katara together and they regularly rant that their ship would totally have happened in the cartoon except that the writers wanted Katara to be with Aang instead. Every time I see that kind of thing being said, I can't help but wonder how people can make themselves forget that that's exactly how fiction works -- the authors write what they want to happen. The characters aren't real people; they don't just do what they want and the author is simply consigned to record it all down like some kind of witness's testimony.

This bothers me so much in fandom discourse, lol. Like, y'all, the characters aren't real.

 

[Yoru]

At this point, he doesn't seem to be acknowledging she's dead. That would still need to happen before the ending of the 3rd game.

You don't need to see the ghost of someone and telling them goodbye to accept the fact someone is dead.

Cloud can't see Aerith anymore for FF7 to make sense.
How can you mourn someone if you know she's not really dead? The end of FF7 is symbolic. He feels her presence. It's a metaphor for the famous “our loved ones are always with us”.

Aerith coming back to say hello to Cloud in “reality” means you're throwing out her death and the whole of Advent Children.

The dead are dead. There may be an afterlife for them. But it's not something we're supposed to observe. Biggs may have had an afterlife, but from our characters' point of view, he's dead and they'll never see him again.

 

[abzy1200]

Cloud can't see Aerith anymore for FF7 to make sense.

What about Zack though? He's presumed dead and in the lifestream, but he met Cloud.

Much to my dismay, it's going to happen in part 3 that Cloud, Aerith, and Zack team up to fight Sephiroth, getting capped off with the same kind of thing that ACC ended with.

I don't want it to happen, I'd rather Cloud stay with the rest of the party and fight as their leader, but I can't see them not going for a similar angle they went with in Rebirth.

 

[Yoru]

What about Zack though? He's presumed dead and in the lifestream, but he met Cloud.

And Cloud has little or no reaction, even though he's supposed to be with his friend, whom he saw drown. I don't think we should give too much importance to anything that happens “outside reality”. We don't even know if Cloud is aware of it.

 

[abzy1200]

And Cloud has little or no reaction, even though he's supposed to be with his friend, whom he saw drown. I don't think we should give too much importance to anything that happens “outside reality”. We don't even know if Cloud is aware of it.

Yes, I'm also of the opinion that he doesn't remember, but the bottom line is that Cloud, who is alive, met Zack, who is dead.

...and the same happened with Aerith. Actually, know that I think about, Cloud and Aerith have already "reunited" in Rebirth, no? Not talking about the ending cutscene, but the fight with Sephiroth.

 

[Ryushikaze]

Yes, I'm also of the opinion that he doesn't remember, but the bottom line is that Cloud, who is alive, met Zack, who is dead.

...and the same happened with Aerith. Actually, know that I think about, Cloud and Aerith have already "reunited" in Rebirth, no? Not talking about the ending cutscene, but the fight with Sephiroth.

I stand by my theory that the Zsck he meets is not, per se, dead. He is also not, per se, alive. I kinda legit think he's a Dream of the Fayth/ Shinentai situation, and any Aerith we see before the final moments will probably be the same.