Vote for the Most Memorable Moment of the Compilation of FFVII, Round TWO

[Makoeyes987]

Well after delays due to people not writing their write ups as expected, Ryu and I finally finished the remaining moments, and have finally posted the article on the front page. A big thanks to all the members who followed through and sent in their write ups on time. They were all very awesome and fascinating reads, and I enjoyed finding the applicable pictures to go with your thoughts and feelings. I'd say the article turned out to be a huge success.

Now that the initial article is done, we must move onto the next phase. Where we will be doing the the voting for the top four. The top four moments out of the 10 will move on to the final round where we will find the definitive memorable moment of the Compilation of FFVII.

For those who stuck to their moments and want to continue, we can do something a little different. For the next article that showcases the winners of this vote, you nominators find the appropriate three pictures that sums up the moment best for you. They can be from any Compilation title depiction, it's up to you. But it can only be THREE pictures. Those three pictures will be used in the article.

So yeah, get to voting and searching for the appropriate pictures. Thanks again to everyone who participated! Now let's keep going, plz

 

[X-SOLDIER]

Ugh... the choice between the 2 sections of Zack's death is way difficult... They're both so very moving for me, and tied into my favorite character from the compilation. I'm gonna take a bit before I cast my vote. Maybe writing this all out will help me decide. The paragraphs in the news post got me thinking about why these mean what they do to me, and what I felt way back when.


When I first played FFVII, I was really intrigued by Zack's storyline, and how the events paralleled with the things that Cloud mistakenly "remembered." I recall when I went back into the basement, and read the notes that they wrote on each other's tanks (an event that was either retconned, or skipped over during Crisis Core). I remember when I went back to the basement, and found the extra scene, showing Zack's death, I was surprised that such an important scene could be added to a game in an entirely optional way.

Watching Cloud and Zack running from the facility, and then Zack's monologue "conversations" with Cloud, and his nice, joking nature filled in the gaps about what I'd learned about his character. I still know the feeling when Zack ran back off camera, and came back, before getting shot, and then getting riddled with bullets at point blank left me silent. Then seeing Cloud barely conscious, crawling with the Buster sword, and the rain as it revealed they were just outside Midgar.

I'd dreamed about seeing that scene in enhanced visuals just before AC was announced, and then seeing bits and pieces of the footage in AC along with the announcements of Crisis Core.

When Crisis Core finally came out, I got the Limited Edition Japanese version, and beat it playing ~28 hours over 2 days non-stop, no translations, no strategy guide, and only getting stuck in one part (the side mission with Aerith's flower cart). I had read the DMW was created with the end of the game in mind. Even going towards an ending that I knew was coming, I wasn't at all prepared for it. By the time it started, seeing and feeling everything slowly disappear as Zack was worn down, got to me in a way that I'd never expected, and I was all tears with Aerith's voice before seeing the 2 MPs and the Captain closing in.

That combination of brand new sorrow combined with the now-inevitable nostalgia of what was happening in the way that I'd remembered & dreamed about seeing was staggering. Hearing Zack talking to Cloud, and seeing Cloud's mako-poisoned stare, and dazed repetition of Zack's dying request. When everything went quiet, and the rain set in with the blood running, and seeing Cloud's dilated pupils snap back to normal, and seeing the realization on his face as all the pieces fell in place. Nothing chills my bones as much as Takahiro Sakurai's harrowing scream.

Even now, I don't know which means more to me. Zack's death is still just as powerful as it was, if not more-so, but the DMW scene still evokes a feeling that no game has ever done in identifying with the dying of a character, and feeling that connection go away.

Gah... I think I've gotta hold of my vote, and ponder this over a bit still. ><


X

 

[Makoeyes987]

Hey, that's cool X. Take your time.

Dude, I can't believe no one is even saying anything though or even talking about the front page. A lot of hard work from the members went into that, and no one cba to even comment? Wtf

 

[Alessa Gillespie]

OH MAN you mean something posted at 2AM tomorrow doesn't have any comments or discussion? Well shit, clearly the forum is dead.

 

[Makoeyes987]

OH MAN you mean something posted at 2AM tomorrow doesn't have any comments or discussion? Well shit, clearly the forum is dead.

Lulz, where the fuck do you live? That was posted at 6pm my time.

 

[Dashell]

May as well vote for my moment Stand by it and all...

I'll find good 3 pics... dunno what yet but surely some of Cloud bleeding

 

[Neutron Ronnie]

I thought it was pretty well done... Except, well, spoilers in Aerith's death scene section. But I suppose that serves me right for not having played those games yet.

 

[Makoeyes987]

I thought it was pretty well done... Except, well, spoilers in Aerith's death scene section. But I suppose that serves me right for not having played those games yet.

What? You...didn't know Aerith died? And you haven't played FFVII yet?!

What the deuce?!

 

[Neutron Ronnie]

What? You...didn't know Aerith died? And you haven't played FFVII yet?!

What the deuce?!

LOL, I knew she dies. I said games. I was talking about all the spoilers to deaths in the other Final Fantasy games!

 

[Dashell]

Zack's death shouldn't be a spoiler by now either.

 

[Neutron Ronnie]

Zack's death shouldn't be a spoiler by now either.

Actually, I don't think any of the deaths in Final Fantasy VII should be spoilers, because this is a discussion/information dissemination site/forum, right? If Zack or Aerith's deaths are spoiler material, then we'd have to go around putting warnings on stuff like Sector 7 coming down, or Cloud giving up the Black Materia to Sephiroth, or Nanaki's father not being a coward. It doesn't make any sense.

Once again, I merely brought up what I did because, this being a site on Final Fantasy VII in particular, I didn't expect to see spoilers from Final Fantasy II through Final Fantasy VI in a piece about memorable moments from Final Fantasy VII. Though, in hindsight, I probably should have.

 

[Ryushikaze]

You talk about a death in FF, I will talk about death in FFs.
I did make a typo, I think, in not using Aria's name the first time I mention FF3.
Also, I had a brainfart, Leila doesn't die, she is one of the 'gotcha' deaths, like Cid and Yang. Still, she is among the number who bravely sacrifices herself, it just doesn't take. Scott does bite it if you want it to be perfectly accurate.

There are a few other minor typos, like 'machin gun fire' but not sure if those originated with me or the transcription.

 

[KissTheRain]

I say Zack's death, both his and Aerith's passing moved me, but because of how Zack's was displayed and how it is one of the events that is needed for FFVII to happen it has a huge impact along with being heartbreaking. D':

 

[Bex]

Spoiler

absolute

unabated

horror

Regarding the choice of pictures, the first one strikes me as the minute Aerith's death becomes real. You hear the stab of the sword, see your highly levelled white mage fall forward, the materia fall out of her ribbon; then it hits the ground and the music plays. There goes our innocent, just-came-along-for-the-ride flower girl, murdered by a homocidal maniac. That's when it sunk in, you know she's dead, the materia's gone, and you're reduced to a complete mess that is unable to take in what has actually happened. The music is the perfect addition, after the silence where almost every gamer held their breath, knowing exactly what was going to happen but refusing to believe it.

The second one is self explanatory! Cloud echoes the thoughts of gamers across the planet and we scream 'WHY? WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY?!'. Well, probably just me. Then there's Sephiroth in the background, gloating, and you really start to realise how this bastard means serious business. This picture marks the end of the disc, and the start of shit beginning to get real.

Regarding the third choice. This is it. You may have refused to accept it before, but now we know Aerith is finally gone. Dead and buried, she isn't going to be healing you through any more boss fights. I remember after seeing her float off to the bottom of the lake, I had to pause and go and eat dinner. Yes, this is when it hit me and I bawled at the dinner table, being an over emotional 9/10 year old who gets over-attached to just about anything and everything. It was after Cloud let her go, that I felt the void. I think I just loved Aerith too much.

Why am I writing so much about FF7 lately? Maybe it's a mid-life crisis early.

 

[Smaddy]

I thought it was pretty well done... Except, well, spoilers in Aerith's death scene section. But I suppose that serves me right for not having played those games yet.

Agreed. I'm not angry, because spoilers are just a way of life on the internet... but as soon as I realized what I was reading, I glossed over those few sections and did my best to forget names.

Spoilers on the events of FF7, fine, that's to be expected... but unmarked spoilers for other FF's? I dunno. That's just my two cents, though.

 

[The Twilight Mexican]

Also: The boat sinks.


Anyway, I voted for -- as you might expect -- Cloud throwing Seph into the pit in Nibelheim. There's never been another moment quite like it for me.

It's tied for third right now -- so come on, guys, let's push it on into the top four!

By the way: Mako, good job with the pictures for the front page's article.

 

[Dark and Divine]

I voted in the last battle between Cloud and Sephiroth in AC/ACC.

Not only because is one of my favourite moments, but also because it's related to my previous nomination.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Just a bump for more people to vote and not forget. We only got 18 votes, so yeah

 

[Cthulhu]

imo, you should've not spread this out over a month or however long it's taken, .

 

[Makoeyes987]

imo, you should've not spread this out over a month or however long it's taken, .

imo, you should shut the fuck up.

And I didn't spread it out over a month, fyi. People not doing the write ups and taking a long ass time to vote did.

I suppose I could just rig the polls, arbitrarily decide which events will win, and then write it up myself...but where's the fun in that?

 

[Cthulhu]

You don't enjoy a proper vote rigging? Are you even from the States?

 

[Neutron Ronnie]

Voted: Aerith kicking the bucket.

 

[Dashell]

I'm surprised that that moment's winning since it really seemed like Zack's death did so much better last time... on the other hand it's Aerith's death so I shouldn't be so shocked.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Its gonna be close and between those two moments. But it'd be nice if more damn people voted. I'm leaving this open for another week and then moving on, ffs.

 

[LicoriceAllsorts]

I'm surprised that that moment's winning since it really seemed like Zack's death did so much better last time... on the other hand it's Aerith's death so I shouldn't be so shocked.

I think the vote for Zack's death has been split.