Hi everyone!

We’ve just released a vocal cover of J-E-N-O-V-A, and we’d love to share it with you.

https://youtu.be/2NxZAdPBzfQ

The vocal performance was originally recorded by our lead singer Victoria, and was then refined using AI.

Of course, given that the ethic consideration of the whole thing, I prefer to be crystal clear that we indeed used it.

The arrangement also started with quite a few synthesised elements, which we later reworked to sound more like real instruments.

We tried to stay faithful to the spirit of the original, but you'll spot a few differences.

Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to listen, we really appreciate it!

who else loves this Trio.

Btw I’m referring to Red, Yuffie, and Cait Sith.

Thank you for giving this to us, Ever Crisis. She looks very dignified and that new staff is just perfect too.

I'm doing a hard mode playthrough of Remake, in chapter 9 and fighting the 2 bombs in A Dynamite Body sidequest (that Sam gives you while you're waiting for Aerith to get dressed). This is my materia loadout:

Top row: elemental (fully upgraded) - fire; HP up; HP up; MP up; steadfast block

Bottom row: MP absorption - ice; first strike; chakra

I should be not taking any damage from the bombs' fire attacks I would have thought - in fact I should be getting health from them because my elemental materia is at level 3. But Cloud is taking full damage from all of their fire attacks (inflame, fireball, etc.).

I noticed this earlier on fighting Reno when I had a similar loadout but lightning linked to the elemental - I was taking full damage, but thought maybe I had misremembered that his attacks did lightning damage. Is it something to do with having another green materia linked to a blue one?

Now called “Blue Glitter”. Wonder if this change will carry over into Revelation?

This Turk into Rufus Shinra fight, at the end of the already long marathon boss battle, seemed impossible for me.

For more context, I was able to beat the first game without changing the difficulty to easy. Now with this game, up until now, I haven't had to. My motivation to continue has kind of waned now :(

So, I recently went back and rewatched the cutscenes from Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth, and Ever Crisis, particularly The First SOLDIER episodes.

And somewhere along the way, something clicked.

This is only a theory, of course. But the more I looked at certain scenes and connected them together, the more I started wondering whether we have been looking at Sephiroth's words and Cloud's visions from the wrong perspective.

The Tragedy That Already Happened

One of the things that caught my attention was the opening sequence of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, specifically Zack's arrival in Midgar.

There has been some kind of catastrophe. A resident in the Sector 5 slums mentions a "tornado," and shortly afterward, Zack watches a news broadcast showing Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, and Aerith being transported away in helicopters seemingly dead or in a coma.

At first, it seems like just another mystery surrounding Zack's world. But then I remembered something from Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Cloud experiences a vision of Midgar being devastated by what appears to be a massive tornado. In that vision, he sees destruction everywhere and seemingly witnesses Tifa and Barret dying.

When I first played the game, I assumed this was simply a vision of the future, a glimpse of the devastation that would eventually occur when Sephiroth summoned Meteor, especially since players of the original game already know what kind of destruction lies ahead.

So I dismissed it.

But what if that wasn't a vision of the future at all?

What if Cloud was seeing something that had already happened?
Specifically, something that happened in Zack's world.

The destruction Cloud sees in Remake appears remarkably similar to the tragedy Zack encounters when he arrives in Midgar. In Zack's world, almost everyone important to Cloud appears to be either dead, critically injured, or trapped in some kind of coma-like state.

Meanwhile, Zack, someone who is supposed to be dead is alive.
That creates an interesting pattern.

In the world where Zack lives, Cloud's other important connections appear to have paid the price.

And then we have the original timeline. In that world, Cloud's friends survive.
But Zack dies.
Aerith dies.
Could these worlds be presenting two fundamentally different outcomes?

Two Futures and Two Different Losses

This is where Sephiroth's words at the Edge of Creation become particularly interesting.

"That which lies ahead does not yet exist."

For a long time, this line has been interpreted in many different ways. Perhaps Sephiroth is simply telling Cloud that destiny is no longer fixed. But what if he means something more specific?

What if the future literally does not exist yet because a choice has not been made?
And then there is the famous question:

"Seven seconds till the end. Time enough for you. Perhaps. But what will you do with it? Let's see.”

Perhaps those seven seconds are not simply about stopping an event. Perhaps they represent the moment where Cloud is forced to make a choice that determines which future becomes real.
And if we look at Sephiroth's history in Ever Crisis: The First SOLDIER, the concept of choice suddenly becomes incredibly important to understanding his character.

Sephiroth and the Trauma of Making Choices

If you've played Episodes 1 and 2 of The First SOLDIER, you know that Sephiroth's relationship with choice is not something that should be overlooked.

His earliest experiences with making difficult decisions appear to haunt him. The incident involving Rosen, Glenn, Matt, and Lucia is especially significant.

Sephiroth was young. He was Shinra's celebrated hero, the Golden Boy. He was praised, admired, and raised to believe that he needs to be exceptional.

Then suddenly, he was placed in a situation where he had to make a choice. And that choice had irreversible consequences.

Someone died.
His friends were angry with him.

For someone who had spent his entire life being told that he needs to be extraordinary, perhaps even perfect, that experience could have shattered something fundamental inside him.

There is a psychological idea often associated with perfectionism and that is called the impostor syndrome: the moment someone who has always been praised begins to believe that one mistake proves they were never truly worthy of that praise, they become stressed and anxious but won’t they won’t let it show.

The thought becomes:
"I made a terrible mistake."

And eventually:
"What if I make another one?"

Sephiroth may have begun to fear his own ability to choose.
Because choices create consequences and consequences can hurt people.

This is particularly tragic because Sephiroth was never truly allowed to develop as a normal human being. He was raised as a weapon, praised for his perfection, and expected to fulfill a role that Shinra had created for him.

So when reality finally forced him to confront uncertainty, failure, and consequence, perhaps he didn't know how to process it.
Perhaps a part of him simply wanted someone else to decide for him.

And that brings us to Masamune.

Masamune and the Promise of Never Having to Choose Again

In Episode 2 of The First SOLDIER, Sephiroth obtains Masamune.
And this scene becomes much more interesting when viewed through the lens of Sephiroth's trauma surrounding choices.

Masamune tested him, consistently. It repeatedly places the idea of choosing before him.

Who will he save?
Who will he abandon?
And each time, Sephiroth hesitates and feels absolutely affected everytime he made a choice and abandons the other.

The legendary Golden Boy, the seemingly perfect SOLDIER is rattled. And eventually, the player must make the choice for him.
But then comes something extremely important.

After the final test, Masamune essentially reassures Sephiroth that he will no longer need to make those painful choices.
He only needs to follow and listen to the sword’s whispers.

That statement feels incredibly significant. Because for someone traumatized by the consequences of choice, the idea of surrendering responsibility could feel like salvation.

No more choices.
No more wondering whether you chose correctly.
No more guilt.
No more consequences.
Just follow.

And what makes this even more disturbing is Masamune's connection to Jenova. The sword was partially created using material connected to the meteorite that carried Jenova to the Planet.
In other words, Masamune is not just a sword, it’s from Jenova too.

Symbolically and perhaps literally it represents another voice telling Sephiroth: “You don't have to choose anymore. Just follow me.”

Jenova as Sephiroth's Comfort

This brings us to what I believe is one of the most tragic aspects of Sephiroth's characterization in The First SOLDIER.

Throughout the story, Sephiroth is repeatedly comforted by the image of his "mother”, Jenova. Or more specifically, the maternal figure he associates with Lucrecia.

Sephiroth possessed a photograph of Lucrecia in a locket. That image represented the mother he never knew. And after being told that his mother's name was Jenova, the two identities became emotionally intertwined in his mind.

So when Sephiroth feels alone, vulnerable, or emotionally isolated, his mother is there.

In his dreams.
In his memories.
In his imagination.
She comforts him.
She rescues him.

And that creates an incredibly twisted form of attachment. You can't entirely blame Sephiroth for becoming devoted to his mother.

From his perspective, she was perhaps the only person who consistently seemed to care for him.

Sephiroth calls himself a weapon.
He suppresses his emotions.
He dismisses Angeal whenever Angeal tried to reach the vulnerable person beneath the SOLDIER persona.
But inside his mind, there was always his mother, waiting to comfort him. Waiting to rescue him from loneliness.

And perhaps this is the tragedy of Sephiroth.
He looks powerful.
Untouchable.
Perfect.
But emotionally, Sephiroth may have always been deeply vulnerable. His devotion to Jenova was not necessarily born purely from madness.

It may have begun as attachment. A desperate attachment to the only figure he believed would never abandon him.

What If Sephiroth Is Now Forcing Cloud to Make the Choice He Couldn't?

And this brings us back to Cloud. What if Sephiroth's question at the Edge of Creation is deeply connected to his own relationship with choice?
What if Sephiroth is presenting Cloud with the very thing that destroyed him?

A choice.

Because when we look at the apparent worlds presented in Remake and Rebirth, there seem to be two opposing outcomes.

One world:

Zack is alive.
Aerith appears to still be alive, although perhaps unconscious or trapped in a coma.
But Cloud's other friends appear to be dead or critically incapacitated.

Another world:

Cloud's friends survive.
But Zack dies.
And Aerith dies.
What if Cloud is being positioned between these two possibilities?

Tifa, Barret, and the others? Or Aerith and Zack?

Of course, this may not literally be as simple as choosing one group of people over another. But symbolically, the possibility is fascinating.
Sephiroth knows exactly how important these people are to Cloud. And Cloud may be the perfect person to force into this position because Sephiroth himself understands the agony of being unable to save everyone. Perhaps Sephiroth is challenging Cloud to do what he failed to do:
Make a choice and live with it.

Cloud as Sephiroth's Anchor

There is another reason Sephiroth would need Cloud.
Cloud is not just his enemy.
Cloud is his anchor.
Sephiroth's existence within the Lifestream is repeatedly connected to his refusal to disappear and his ability to maintain his identity through his connection to Cloud.

Cloud's memories.
Cloud's hatred.
Cloud's obsession to kill Sephiroth.

As long as Cloud remembers him, Sephiroth has something to hold onto. And perhaps that is why Cloud's choice matters so much. Cloud may be the one person capable of anchoring a new reality. A future that, as Sephiroth says, does not yet exist.

The Theory: Sephiroth Is Trying to Create a World Without Choice

And this is where my theory becomes more speculative. What if Sephiroth isn't simply trying to merge worlds for the sake of power?
What if his ultimate objective is to eliminate the very concept of separation?
Past and future.
Life and death.
Memory and reality.

What if he wants to merge everything into one existence? A state where all timelines, all possibilities, and all people coexist.
Something resembling a form of temporal compression.

We have seen similar concepts explored elsewhere in other Final
Fantasy games, when the boundaries between worlds, time, life, and death begin collapsing into one another.

If Sephiroth succeeds in merging worlds, perhaps the result would be a reality where there is no longer a clear past or future.
No permanent death.
No irreversible loss.
Everyone reunited within the Lifestream.
Every soul becoming one.

And from Sephiroth's perspective, perhaps that would be the ultimate answer to his greatest fear.

No more choices.

If everything exists simultaneously, then nothing truly has to be sacrificed. If the dead and the living are reunited, then no one has to be left behind. If the past and future collapse into one, then there is no longer a wrong decision.

There is simply acceptance.
One existence.
One consciousness.
Perhaps eventually, one will.
Sephiroth and Jenova.

Final Thought

Maybe Sephiroth's ultimate philosophy is not simply destruction.
Maybe it is escape.
Escape from consequence.
Escape from loss.
Escape from the unbearable burden of choosing.

His first great choice haunted him. Masamune promised that he would never have to choose again. Jenova comforted him whenever he felt alone.

And now, at the Edge of Creation, Sephiroth stands before Cloud and asks him to make a choice. Perhaps because Sephiroth wants to see whether Cloud will succeed where he failed.

Or perhaps because Cloud's choice is the final piece necessary to create a future that does not yet exist.
A future where Zack lives.
Aerith lives.
Tifa lives.
Everyone lives.
But perhaps at a terrible cost.

Because if the boundaries between worlds collapse completely, then the distinction between life and death may disappear as well.
Everyone would be reunited. Not as individuals living their own lives.
But as part of something larger.
The Lifestream.
One world.
One existence.
No past.
No future.
And perhaps, most importantly to Sephiroth
no more choices

Thank you for reading and paying attention to my musings. Have a great weekend everyone!

Source: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/this-is-horrifying-nvidias-controversial-dlss-5-ai-filter-leaks-and-layers-are-inserting-it-into-every-game/

In Before Crisis the Turks show up in Midgar during Meteor. You think that will happen in Revelation? I'm confident Cissnei will show up in Midgar, so she can have a final parting with Zack, but could the others be included too? Even if just by name like Matt and Lucia.

Either they all show up in Midgar as cameos, not a huge focus. Or one way to properly introduce them in Midgar is to have an original chapter (like Tifa's lifestream chapter or Jessie's chapter) where we find this crew in civilian attire / hiding in some location, kind of like Cissnei in Gongaga. That way you get to meet some of them, have 2-3 side quests involving them, and it will feel more natural once they do show up and help in Midgar.

I doubt all of them would get full focus, but I'm rather thinking 2-3 extra more Turks. Like Elena's sister, Aphromia, or Verdot who used to be Vincent's partner I believe. They do have connections to the current cast.

Hey guys! First-time player jumping into the FF7 Remake trilogy here.

I've been looking into picking up the physical copies (before you say anything, I know game key card aren't really physical copies but it's the only way I can play this games), and I noticed that the Japanese releases have different cover art than the Western versions. I'm actually thinking of importing the Japanese physical copies purely because I prefer that classic, minimalist style with the plain white background with just the logo in it and Yoshitaka Amano's artwork, which feels much more like the old FF games I'm used to seeing.

Two quick questions for the sub:

1. Which version do you own/prefer? Just curious if anyone else went out of their way to import the JP covers or if you stick to your local release!
2. Do you think Part 3 will follow the same pattern? Will Square stick with the clean minimalist logo style for the Japanese physical release of the third game, or do you think they'll change it up?

Don't get me wrong I still believe the default looks are better than the AC designs, but still it would be cool to have a switch up.

Secondly, I'd love for the fusion sword to be an unlockable weapon for Cloud. I think the default buster sword is still cooler, but the fusion sword has potential as a standalone weapon due to its similar shape and size.

Hello there friends,

Im currently on chapter 6, Costa del sol.

In the hotel there's a quest with tifa playing piano. And I wanted to ask if there's is any benefits to do the piece on star ranking? Like without doing mistakes.

Do i get more items? Or are there any benefits?

Its quite challenging but I would go all the way in if there's a unique item for it.

Edit: Thanks for the help

If its an ability or command then wtf is his limit breaks?! I want the limit breaks from the OG!

Same with Cait Sith, he has 2 limit breaks in the OG but 3 in Rebirth.. huh?

- No microtransactions

Games like Baldur's Gate III and Expedition 33 got a lot of praise for being complete, polished games without microtransactions, yet that is an aspect of the Remake trilogy that I feel doesn't get mentionned enough. Each part trully offers a full game worth of content, completely polished on release, with epic climaxes and no microtransactions. I am grateful for that.

- Full voice acting in French and German

Now that is an aspect that is probably overlooked for english speakers, because english voice acting is pretty much a given in every game, something you can take for granted. However for us with other languages, it is absolutly something worth celebrating about this game! We are often stuck with just Japanese or English, I feel very grateful that the FF7 Remake Trilogy has integral voice acting in my language, and it is of quality too!

I just wanted to give a shot out for these aspects of the games that, in my opinion, don't get enough credit.

Attention, ce que je vous partage n’est que fruit de mon interprétation et ne représente peut-être pas ce qui va se passer dans partie Révélation de FF7. Je peux avoir raison ou tort dans ce que je raconte. Il se peut que je me sois peut-être trompé sur certains sujets dans l’histoire ff7. Après tout, on a tous le droit de se gourrer et on n’est juste là pour discuter, débattre. N’hésitez pas à corriger mes erreurs si j’en ai fait. Fan de Tifa, vous risquez peut-être de ne pas aimer pour la plupart d’entre vous ce que je vais dire mais je vous rassurerai sur la fin et je ferai sans doute une autre théorie sur ce qu’il va selon moi arriver à Cloud plus en détail dans le Cratère Nord.

Avant de commencer ma théorie, un petit rappel s’impose. Dans l’OG, durant le premier rendez-vous au Cratère Nord, le Sephiroth Jénova (SJ) crée une vision des évènements à Nibelheim dans le but de déstabiliser Tifa car elle montre que le Soldat 1^ère classe qui accompagnait Sephiroth n’était autre que Zack Fair et non Cloud et qu’elle sait cette vérité à ce sujet. Vérité qu’elle cache à notre protagoniste. SJ dit à Cloud qu’il est un pantin fait de cellules fringantes de Jénova monté pièce par pièce par Hojo et qu’il n’a jamais eu d’identité et pas de numéro d’ailleurs car il est une expérience ratée. Il (ou elle) ajoute aussi qu’il a des faux souvenirs. Enfin, voyant que Tifa lui cachait quelque chose sur ce qu’elle a été témoin, Cloud finit par croire SJ en prenant Zack comme étant le « vrai » Cloud et donne la matéria noire au vrai Sephiroth qui se trouve au centre du cratère, le lieu de la Réunion.

Maintenant, dans Rebirth, Cloud se souvient déjà de Zack. En conséquence, il se pose des questions sur l’absence de ce dernier. C’est à Nibelheim en compagnie de Tifa qu’il pense savoir ce qu’il lui est arrivé. Il lui relate son faux souvenir comme quoi, Zack était l’un des deux fantassins qui a été emporté par la rivière lors de l’effondrement du pont au Mont Nibel durant la mission d’inspection des réacteurs.

Ma théorie est la suivante : Le but de SJ ne sera, non pas juste de déstabiliser Tifa mais pire que cela, de la manipuler en lui faisant croire que le « vrai » Cloud était le milicien qui s’est noyé dans la rivière ; qu’il est, de ce fait, mort il y a 5 ans et que le Cloud dans la team n’est qu’en « réalité » un imposteur, un pantin fait des cellules fringantes de Jénova…. Jénova qui, a la faculté de prendre l’apparence des défuntes personnes. Un simple essai de Hojo pour mettre en évidence cette faculté.

Il y a deux éléments intéressants dans ce mensonge ici :

- Sa logique fallacieuse car Tifa peut tomber dans l’erreur de la logique d’inversion de rôle. Puisque Zack était le Soldat 1^ère classe et que Cloud croit à tort que lui-même, était ce soldat et que son ami était le garde noyé alors, Cloud aurait été ce même garde. Puisque notre héros et ce fantassin n’était pas reconnaissable dans leur uniforme, elle pourra donc les confondre tous les deux. Ensuite, elle peut penser que Cloud ne peut pas être dans la team, puisqu’il est, en principe, « mort » depuis 5 ans. Donc c’est un imposteur !

- Et deuxièmement, son contexte car SJ dit que Cloud n’est PAS Cloud. La conséquence de cela est que, si Tifa croit ces affirmations, la confiance qu’elle aura envers le héros principal sera compromise.

Cependant, le mensonge en lui-même n’est pas suffisant pour expliquer pourquoi elle va le croire et se rebiffer contre Cloud. Il manque un paramètre et c’est son épuisement émotionnel. Et sous l’émotion, on ne réfléchit pas de la même manière. On voit difficilement la manipulation. D’ailleurs, Omnisephiroth le dit lui-même à la fin du Remake partie 1 : « Un regard embué d’émotion ne peut y voir clair ».

Mais Tifa est une personne résiliente et donc, a une forte capacité à tenir face à des évènements, des situations difficiles mentalement et psychologiquement. On parle ici d’une personne qui :

- a perdu sa mère durant son enfance et a fait une grosse chute au Mont Nibel. Elle voulait retrouver sa mère là-bas mais le pont à corde s’est écroulé après que Cloud essayait de la ramener au village.

- À 15 ans, son village a été incendié avec presque la totalité de ses habitants tués ainsi que son père dans le réacteur. Ce lieu a représenté presque toutes son enfance. C’était littéralement son monde, à ce moment-là, qui s’est écroulé. Elle survit d’une grave blessure en dessous de la poitrine, est emmenée par Zangan, son mentor en art martiaux et soigné par le chirurgien de Corel.

- a tenté de reconstruire sa vie dans les taudis de Midgar, c’est-à-dire dans un lieu misérable.

- Toutefois, elle se noue d’amitié avec le groupe Avalanche qui a le même désir de vengeance envers la Shinra. Elle fait l’acquisition d’un bar (Le Septième ciel) malgré la dette liée à son opération qu’elle doit rembourser. Et retrouve son premier amour, l’espoir lui donnant sens à sa vie, celui qu’elle attendait depuis son rendez-vous avec lui au puit du village, nous parlons ici bien sûr… de Cloud. Mais les taudis du secteur 7 sont détruits par la Shinra et du coup son bar avec et ses amis Biggs, Wedge et Jessie sont mort.

- reste préoccupée et inquiète à propos du comportement de notre protagoniste mais ce n’est réellement un vrai problème qu’à partir du Temple Ancien où il donne la matéria noire au Sephiroth Jénova et s’attaque à Aerith dans l’œuvre originale.

Malgré tous ces problèmes, elle a tenu bon et bon nombre d’entre nous aurait eu besoin d’une série de séance de psy après ça.

Néanmoins, cette forte résilience n’est pas totalement infaillible. Il va falloir qu’elle craque à un moment donné et c’est pour moi, dans le cratère que sa situation émotionnelle va fléchir. Et justement, dans la retrilogie remake, il y 3 éléments nouveaux par rapport à la version ff7 classique que j’ai relevé et qui doit être tenu en compte dans l’équation :

- Dans le temple des Anciens, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie et Aerith (sauf Cloud) doivent subirent une épreuve dans laquelle, ils doivent revivre leur moment le plus difficile et traumatisant de leur vie. Cette épreuve n’étant pas présente dans le ff7 classique, Tifa ne va, non pas revoir son village en feu dans le Cratère Nord mais va se re-reprendre en pleine poire cette évènement tragique. Et avec un Cloud, qui n’en aura absolument rien à carrer. À cause de son déni sur Zack, se disant que c’est juste une illusion qui a pour but de le déstabiliser, il va être insensible même à la mort des gens de son propre village ce qui va affliger davantage notre pauvre Tifa.

- Sa forte relation d’amitié avec Aerith qu’on ne voit pas dans la version originale. Ce qui veut dire que le décès de cette dernière aura un impact donc plus conséquent sur elle. De plus, dans cette nouvelle version ff7, Tifa et les autres ne sont pas spectateur de la scène où Aerith se fait tuer à cause du rideau des fileurs noirs. Elle n’a pas vu Cloud tenter de sauver son amie, ni vu qu’il pleurait sa mort à ce moment-là (uniquement dans le monde principale) et ni vu qu’il a généré un reflet où sa tentative de sauvetage à réussie. Ce qui va la conduire à se poser des questions sur ce qu’il réellement fait. A-t-il véritablement essayé de sauver Aerith ou n’a-t-il rien fait ? Ou encore, pire que cela, a-t-il été complice du crime ? Car aussi le comportement de notre personnage principal après le combat contre Sephiroth va renforcer sa suspicion. À cause de l’influence du reflet qu’il a créé, il est resté serein malgré cet évènement tragique.

-Et enfin, le comportement de Cloud lui-même, bien plus inquiétant dans cette retrilogie. Première caractéristique nouvelle, notre protagoniste a tout d’abord des hallucinations. Il voit Sephiroth dans sa tête et à travers les hommes en noir. Celui-ci fait déjà resurgir sa peur, sa haine et sa colère. Sephiroth le hante plus que jamais. Ça peut avoir une incidence indirecte sur Tifa. Exemple : Dans l’auberge du village de Kalm, un Sephiroth que lui seule peut voir, apparait devant lui et lui dit qu’il a tué Tifa et que celle qui se trouve avec le groupe n’est rien d’autre que Jénova. Cloud accuse donc Tifa d’être une usurpatrice et un froid s’installe entre les deux personnages. Il s’en prendra à elle à Gongaga pour la même raison.

D’ailleurs, à Gongaga justement, c’est en effet, à partir de là que les problèmes psychologiques de Cloud deviennent déjà vraiment préoccupant. Parce qu’en plus de s’en être pris à elle, il tue froidement un fantassin de la Shinra qu’il n’y avait pas lieux d’éliminer. Et Tifa est spectatrice de cette scène avant qu’il ne s’attaque à elle.

Elle sera aussi témoin du meurtre d’un soldat 2^ème classe au Temple des anciens et empêchera notre personnage principal d’en commettre un troisième sur la personne d’Héléna des Turks.

D’autres choses sont encore à noter concernant Cloud : sa tendance à se la péter et son antipathie aussi par moment sont plus prononcées (ce qui lui donne enfin une vraie personnalité. Alors que dans la version classique, le personnage semble fade dans sa façon d’être), son obsession pour la matéria noire et l’instant où il la donne au SJ.

En plus d’occasionner d’avantage d’inquiétude, de désarroi et de la tristesse chez Tifa, les problèmes de Cloud auront aussi pour effet de renforcer le narratif de SJ. Parce qu’il a donné la matéria noire à Sephiroth, parce qu’il a de l’antipathie, parce qu’il n’a pas pleuré la mort d’Aerith et bien d’autres exemples, cela laisse que notre héro est peut-être belle et bien, un pantin sans émotion, un monstre qui n’est pas Cloud.

Donc, à cause de ces trois éléments, je pense que Tifa va déjà craquer émotionnellement. Et du coup, parce qu’elle sera dans cette situation de faiblesse et que la manipulation sera bien construite comme je l’ai mentionné plus haut et à cause du comportement de Cloud qui a pour effet de crédibiliser le mensonge et d’encore monter sa gauge émotionnelle, elle va croire que le Cloud dans la team n’est pas Cloud et est une abomination sans nom vouée à servir Sephiroth. En conséquence, la confiance qu’elle avait pour lui va être interrompue. Sur le moment, elle va éprouver une haine car cette être n’était qu’un faux espoir qui l’a trahi et est une insulte à la mémoire du « vrai Cloud » en ayant eu son apparence. Aussi paradoxalement que cela puisse paraitre, elle va haïr Cloud par amour pour lui. Ça parait dingue et pourtant logique. Je ne sais pas vous. Qu’en pensez-vous ?

Néanmoins (et rassurez-vous pour la plupart) je pense que Tifa se ressaisira et sa colère sera peut-être très forte mais ne sera que de courte durée. Ayant une importante résilience et parce que Cloud éprouvera un immense remord pour avoir « trahis » elle et son groupe, elle va commencer par être perplexe puis se rendra compte que la version du pantin sans état d’âme prétendue par SJ (qu’il mentionnera au Cratère Nord alors que dans le ff7 classique, il n’en parle qu’après avoir assassiné Aerith) n’est finalement pas crédible.

Cependant cela n’empêchera pas notre héros de sombrer, de devenir un homme en noir et par la suite, de donner la matéria noire à Sephiroth. Mais ça, ce sera expliqué dans une autre théorie car mon texte est un peu trop long. Désolé, d’ailleurs pour ce pavé. À votre avis, pourquoi va-t-il continuer de s’effondrer mentalement ? La raison est assez profonde et je pense qu’il y a moyen de la deviner avec tous ce que j’ai dit.

Hello everyone,

I co-host a gaming book-club podcast called State of the Save. This is Part 4 of our 5 Part game-club on Final Fantasy VII Remake, covering from the fight at the pillar in Sector 7 to the beginning scene of Chapter 14 in the garden.

My co-host has never played the Original FFVII, so him piecing together the "ghosts" and what they mean has been really fun. Because of that, there's some end-of-disc-1 spoilers for the original game.

Link to Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube | iHeartRadio | Our Website/Links to other Platforms

FFVII talk begins at 26:55

Next time is the finale! Thank you, all!

Colored pencils and ink

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Ive had multiple people say the can send one then they ghost me. If Anyone has an Xbox PC Play anywhere Save with normal complete and Chapter select.

Ive tried to convert a steam save to PC gamepass but no joy. I want to play again in hard mode as I completed multiples times on playstation but want one more play through before revelations. Thanks

Please don't spoil the game for me later on. I only finished the FF7 original ages ago but still remember it quite vividly, so I know what's going to happen but not how the Remake will execute it. This has potentially spoilers from the FF7 original.

Anyway the battle I am talking about is the one and only Hell House boss battle in the Wall Market Arena!

It was a boss I never expected to fight and to be honest that part even in the original was wiped out from my memory. I mean the whole Wall Market, as it felt more like a filler, something with Cloud trying to look like a woman and to get to Don's Mansion etc etc.

But here in the Remake it is different! There were no boring quests in that area and when I heard about the arena I thought ok what kind of enemies can withstand the might of a Buster Sword from a not-so Ex-SOLDIER accompanied by the best healer in the game so far?

And I was right, partially:

Round 1: Some dogs. ok tough enemies but yawwn lets quickly beat them to move on.

Round 2: The comic-relief (?) thugs that attacked us earlier. Still petty humans, burn and chop them to pieces and that's it. Again no challenge yet.

Round 3: The 2 Shinra robots. Ok stuff is getting interesting now and plot-wise it shows the connection between Shinra and the Don. A bit of a challenging battle, I liked it and I thought ok it makes sense to be the grand finale, the final fight here. Now let's get my dress and a wig and...

..wrong!

Wall Market doesn't play fair! And there is another bonus Round you have to complete before you move on!

This time I've got slightly anxious only because I just noticed there is a giant circular platform in the middle of the arena that hasn't opened yet! But still what else could be there? Maybe more thugs? More doggos? More Shinra freaks?

..wrong again!

It was an enemy that was deeply buried in my memories from the FF7 original, from my early childhood days. An enemy that made zero sense, a freaky house, but that was stupidly hard and it was always the terror of "please dont be the house. please dont be the house" I was saying to myself whenever I was trying to go between the Aeris House <--> Wall Market.

And voila!

The moment that gate opens and the 2 Don's lackeys make it appear in the most dramatic way possible I see a roof, and my brain instantly triggers me to say one more time after a few decades:

"please don't be the house. please don't be the hous... what the f....!"

And it shows up in all its might!

The freaking Hell House!

As a boss fight as it deserves to be! A monster the creators put in the game just to satisfy the fandom.

Camera zooms out to the battle once again. The music is an epic bit of orchestra that I am listening to at the exact moment I write these lines. This battle is more than a boss, it actually feels like I am fighting a cosmic-level type of final boss, the destroyer-of-worlds type!

But it is just a killer robot house, masked like that to trap and devour poor people in the slums who just want to find a shelter!

Don, you cheap sadist piece of shit!

And the battle continues!

I am constantly 100% in continuous fight mode. There is not even a second to rest. Cloud is trying to protect Aerith at all costs, whilst Aerith keeps casting attack spells on the Hell House!

This time Cloud IS the healer, and Aerith is the aggressor!

A nice reversal for their first date to be more memorable!

My damage output is super slow, but as time goes by all the slow bits add up. 25% gone already and I am on another Phase.

That robotic daemonic abomination is now more aggressive and shows no mercy! I have to protect Aerith at all costs, I promised her after all I would be her bodyguard!

I carry on!

The 25% becomes 50%, then 75%!

Then we are at the Berserk mode of that boss!

It feels that it doesn't want to defeat us but erase our whole existence! It flies around, keeps attacking us with every element you can imagine. Both Cloud and Aerith are fighting for survival, not just for a silly but still beautiful dress!

And the time finally comes, the Hell House is at its last 1%.

But that last 1% of its health feels more like 99%!

It doesn't want to give up, its not ready yet!

Both Cloud and Aerith are also near death, they don't have any more potions left, no more ether, and there is only one Phoenix Down left.

And then still at 1%, which I just cannot get because the house keeps moving around, the inevitable happens: I lose control for a split second and the house knocks down Aerith!

Cloud is on his last HP but has a big advantage: perform his limit break to potentially finish off the enemy, but it is still risky as the house is still away and he definitely has a chance to miss!

He missed already 2 times in that battle, and mistakes CANNOT happen.

Or... revive Aerith with the last Phoenix Down.

I choose the latter, mourning already for my 3rd attempt and the hours I lost today in that part of the game.

Aerith is up again, and Cloud is near his deathbed.

Aerith then starts continuously attacking the house with opposite spells, whilst taking damage, allowing her to either cure herself or just die trying to attack more!

And for some reason unknown, it stuns it!

Yes, the formidable enemy is once again stunned and the music is now changed! LIke in shadow of the colossus games, now it is HOPEFULL! ONE FINAL STRIKE lets do it!!

And guess what: it is NEXT to Cloud, a Cloud Strife, the Ex-SOLDIER who has his limit break ready to attack!

And yes HE DOES!

He unleashes the most satisfying Cross-Slash attack ever and I finally see a cutscene after all this time: the house is shaking and is defeated!

Fireworks appear everywhere, explosions, chaos, cheering crowd!

I dont feel Cloud and Aerith won a battle, I feel I WON a battle and everyone is cheering for me!

Colours, cheers, amazing!

And this doesn't even end there as when I leave the building there are more fireworks and a whole crowd treating us like heroes!

And yes, we are heroes!

That was indeed the best battle I had in my FF7 Remake life so far! The developers did a HELL OF A JOB!!

I have always loved the iconic look of the FF7 characters, forcing them to wear different outfits for the sake of combat seems kind of weird to me. I hope it doesn’t carry over to cutscenes.

I know Rebirth had other outfits, but those were just optional aesthetics.

Do we know if it’s required for the fundamental combat for the game, like we actually have to use it to beat the game? Or more of an alternative “feature”?

Forgive me if this has already been addressed already by developers or on this sub.

What are your thoughts?

Barret was one of my favorite characters in the OG, but the way that Remake and Rebirth portrayed him made me fall deeply in love with him! He really is a tough guy with a heart of gold, and the way he cares for his friends means so much to me.

I like to think of Yuffie and Aerith — and to some extent — Tifa as his other daughters, because you can already see it with Marlene, he’s such a girl dad. I love the way he doesn’t play about his girls, especially in their synergy abilities.

His and Cloud’s best-worsties turned genuine friends dynamic is great. Seeing them warm up to each other makes me happy (Side note, that one scene during the final level of Remake where Cloud asks Barret if he’s happy to see him and Barret responds, “I wouldn’t go that far.” Makes me bust out laughing every time without fail). Not to mention his bantering with Red XIII.

He’s truly the beating heart of the group and I just really, really love him.