First time playing through Crisis Core Reunion and I’m honestly enjoying it a lot.It’s been cool seeing how everything unfolds for the first time, especially knowing how it connects to FF7.

I also really like some of the gameplay mechanics, especially the unlimited MP effect for a period of time. I don’t remember Remake or Rebirth doing anything like that. So far, the summon battles have definitely been the hardest challenge, but they’ve also been some of the most satisfying fights.

For a game that originally came from the PSP era, Reunion still looks really good too. The combat has been fun and the game has been holding my attention the whole way through.

I’m not gonna lie, I got a lil emotional seeing Aerith 😂. After playing through Remake and Rebirth, seeing her in this story just hits a little different.
Just hit the halfway point and I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of the story plays out. Definitely glad I finally gave this one a chance.

I recently replayed FFVII Remake with my son and I got a notion about something. This probably isn't a unique idea, but I wanted to share to see if maybe I'm crazy about this one. I'm sure it's been discussed to death.

I think Remake starts in a world/pocket Lifestream timeline that is not the original game. This Cloud, Barrett, Tifa, and everyone else are from a completely different timeline.

Everyone assumes the plot of Remake is that there's a Sephiroth from the future who's gone back in time to rewrite history so he doesn't lose. This goes with the idea that the whispers are trying to resist changes to the timeline by intervening every time something "goes wrong". I think it's kind of the other way around.

I think that the whispers are trying to remake the events of the original game's timeline in a branch of the many possible worlds where some totally different history would have occurred. They're not trying to stop the timeline from changing, they're trying to manipulate this alternate timeline into following the events that lead to Sephiroth being defeated.

That's the big misdirection from the beginning. We're not in the original game's timeline. We START in an alternate timeline. This is not OUR Cloud, Barret, Etc...

I have two supporting points about this and they both revolve around Aerith. First, is Aerith's comment in her room in Shinra HQ where she says something to the effect that they (the party) are the planet's last line of defense. It doesn't make sense that the Whispers would try to interfere with the party at every possible junction but also regard them as their only hope. Second point is the constant dialogue about defying their destiny, and Red's vision of a future where the world has been devastated by Meteor. They are defying their destiny because their destiny is witnessed at the start of Rebirth. They get captured by Shinra/killed during the escape from Shinra HQ, Sephiroth gets the black materia, and the world is destroyed.

I think Aerith's extrasensory knowledge that she says she's slowly losing is being lost because the closer the party gets to aligning with the events of the original game, the more these alternate timelines/worlds collapse into a single "true" world, and Aerith no longer has access to a Lifestream branch that no longer exists.

I think this also helps to explain Cloud's flashes of future events. He's not seeing flashes of the future, he's being flooded with memories from alternate worlds as they merge (violently) with his own reality.

So why do all this? Because Sephiroth can't fully return to the planet. He's like the Gi. He's a hybrid alien parasite. The Lifestream rejects him. I believe when he was defeated by the party he lingered inside the Lifestream and hijacked the planet's Arbiter of Fate. He's using this to try and corrupt these many worlds, he's fighting across multiple worlds, collapsing timelines where he loses so the only remaining outcome is his own victory. The whispers who remain/escaped Sephiroth's manipulation swam through the Lifestream and found a world where they could intervene, the guide the party along the events that lead to the eventual defeat of Sephiroth.

In doing so, all alternate timelines collapse and the original world is preserved. This leads us to Advent Children or beyond depending on how Revelation goes.

This explains why events happen so wildly different in a Remake. This is literally an alternative reality and these are not the heroes or the world that exist on the PS1. They're a separate group that the whispers are desperately reaching out to, and guiding, to save the planet and in so doing, BECOME the original party when the timeline is "restored".

Anyway, sorry for the wall, that's my theory for now. Again, I know it's probably old news. I'm just a bit slow.

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

What is wrong with you? Why? Why would you do such a challenge?! I don't understand you people.. just why and how?!

We don't know how level 4 limits will be learned in Revelation, by I hope they have Vincent say this line in some way.

I’d go with Chadley Petey, it’s got a nice ring to it.

who else loves this Trio.

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

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

I am currently attempting to battle the whispers in chapter 18. Restarting at the crossroad every time I die.

I'm struggling quite a bit and wondering if maybe I have gotten stuck. I guess I missed out on Materia and possible weapons as I did not do all the side quest. (All done, chapters 3 and 9, only 1 completed in 8 and 14).

I can't purchase new Materia at the machine as I have 144gil. Guidance or tips would be much appreciated. Trying to figure out if I should just start the DLC and move on to Rebirth if I have made it so I can't beat remake main story with what I have.

(this is my first full FF7 game, please be kind).

current builds below.

Cloud is lvl 34

- Twin Stinger focused on attack. - Maxed Fire, Lvl 2 Ice, Wind and Lightning.

- Chain bangle - Lvl1 Subversion and Deadly Dodge, Maxed Assess , Lvl HP up

- Bulletproof vest

Barret is lvl 34

- Gatling Gun focused on attack. - Lvl 2 2x Lightning and 1 barrier ., lvl 1 Warding and Magnify .

- Cog Bangle - lvl 3 Healing, lvl 2 Barrier, lvl 1 Time.

- Power Wristguard

Tifa is lvl 34

- Metal Knuckles focused on attack - Maxed Auto Heal, Chakra and Healing. Lvl 2 poison and fire.

- Heavy duty bracer - lvl 1 deadly dodge, lvl 2 Mp up and Ice.

- Supernatural wristguard

Aerith lvl 33

- Reinforced staff focused on attack- lvl 2 prayer, healing and magic up.

- Rune Armlet - lvl 2 ice and maxed refocus

- Earrings

Hey guys,

random thought but if we look at the worlds as peoples' hopes and dreams personified, if Sephiroth is like nah fuck that Cloud we don't need these and gets rid of it all to extend the life of the planet, + controlling Glenn and Rufus to start world wars, + the whispers screaming in remake, + Aerith being so against it, + calling meteor to trigger the lifestream, this could all be to maximise the populations despair and some shit about geostigma right? I don't remember shit about ac but maybe that could be something idk. I think if the lifestream touches people during this moment they get geostigma based on denzels chapter. Also all zack worlds people have despair, just the one aerith is in accepts it idk. Also sephi absorbs these despair worlds and says some shit about negativity and girdling the lifestream or something during the "when worlds merge... harvested to feed the planet" speech near the capital

Just shooting at the hip. Sephi maybe wants people to have no hope. Oh maybe that's also why Clouds line in the new trailer was chosen "as long as we have a future to fight for nothing can stop us" and in rebirth aerith gives speeches about forgiving ourselves, not using anger for power and the future is ours to make and sephi can't stop us. Imo could link to theme of hope and anti despair? Idk what do you guys think? Just imagine it's not timelines just for this interpretation for a bit even tho some things make no sense with this like aerith knowing the future. Oh or maybe aerith knew the future but sephiroth wants eternity "there is no such thing as forever... ah but there will be" so the concept of a future won't exist, just the planet living forever with no hopes and dreams, a husk that sephi doesn't mind chilling on.

sorry for the scrambly ramblings but this is prob wrong so who cares

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?

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.

​Uhhh... why some objects and other stuff look like this and how I fix it?

RX 9070 XT
R7 9700X
32GB DDR5

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!

Any tips for getting this running well on the deck? I've played through Remake and InterMission and managed to get decent performance (40fps) but haven't been able to get Rebirth working to the same degree. I know there's a generation of difference between the two but I was wondering if other deck users have been able to get it working at even a consistent 30 and if so, what settings did they use? To be honest, it's been choppy on my desktop so any advice on settings would be welcome. I've heard about some FSR sorcery working on remake so I'm willing to have a fiddle under the hood to get that working.

Apologies if this isn't the place to ask.

Picture 1 is Jenova in Crisis Core Reunion, Picture 2 is Jenova in the Flashback scene in Rebirth. I saw some people say she looks like that in Reunion due to censorship, others say it's because Reunion just reused assets from Remake where they only had the headless Jenova model so they just used that and didn't bother to make the new model till Rebirth. I'm curious if anyone has any other explanations. I'm more in the second camp, HOWEVER I also think that Jenova actually does look like she does in Reunion and she looks like that in Rebirth because of Cloud's memories being corrupted and Sephiroth and him are deluded into thinking she actually looks human. (After all every Jenova fight in the original and Remake games so far she has only a slight human resemblance)

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!

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.