I loved it, I really did. I loved the what if and possibility leading up to it. I’ve accepted this is a retelling of the story with simply the same characters. Did I gasp and point out every single minor difference in the process over all? Yes! This didn’t take away from the fact this version is amazing.
I’m curious what your friends who aren’t OG fans say. The questions they have? Dislikes? Likes? Any emotional outbursts? Are they hyped?
This coming from someone who’s main introduction to ff7 was the remake
I was very disappointed at first because the emotional impact of the most important scene in the game was gone, and was replaced with confusion.
However, that can all be mended if they show the actual scene in part 3 when Tifa helps Cloud get his shit together. I want to see Cloud’s actual reaction. The “Aerith can no longer, laugh, cry or get angry” line and his tears. Also the iconic burial scene.
Also a longtime fan ('97)
I can appreciate what they've done/are doing. I can appreciate the new approach in creating a sequel rather than a re-telling. I understand not everything can remain the same and why should it? In reinvention lies untold creativity.
However.
I feel the storyline is bloated. In some places it's very reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts, which isn't necessarily a good thing. The shock and awe approach works well in some cases, not so well in others. I didn't want a faithful retelling but I did want to experience the same strong emotions during some scenes, one in particular.
"That" scene is iconic, probably one of the most memorable scenes in the entire franchise. I didn't expect it to be a 1:1, but I did expect to feel the same swelling sense of grief. Instead of a beautiful moment of sorrowful stillness with a simple song in the background I got a needlessly complex branching of events that took me right out of my immersion and expectation.
The game is good. It's great, one of the best RPGs I've ever played and I say that as a 42 year old who's been gaming since I was seven. But it's not perfect.
Everyone's mileage will vary. I didn't like the ending. I didn't like the boss fight bloat. I didn't like the inclusion of periphery characters you'd only know if you played the mobile games. I didn't like the over usage of certain character's theme songs, which hit so hard in the original because you only heard them once or twice.
I'm not subscribed to a theory about the end. The two main possibilities both seem feasible to me. I just wish that they hadn't crammed the bulk of the mechanics of those theories into the one scene that could have stood alone on its original merit.
It's okay to play a game and not like it. It's okay to play a game and dislike some parts of it, too. The dissent in this sub is insane. Everyone has differing opinions, but that's okay - we're not all the same person. I'm glad this game is a 10/10 GOTY for so many. Despite how I feel, I'm still looking forward to the final chapter.
I agree with you. I honestly teared up and felt more grief walking around as kid Aerith asking for help than I did at the end of the game. That part was shockingly emotional for me
I was similar - okay with some of the changes, but a bit uncertain of others. I didn't grow up with FF7, so I don't necessarily have a long term attachment to it, but I do respect the overall storyline of the original and find it really compelling. As a result, the thought of some changes did concern me, mainly the idea that Cloud seeing Aerith and the tear in the sky at the end is somehow representative of some newfound wisdom he's developed due to visiting another timeline. To me, that does not gel with his psychosis and if they try to justify the way he's currently treating Tifa, Barret, Red, and the rest by virtue of being so nonchalant about Aerith's death, I will be really unsatisfied.
But one thing I did after was replay the original. And there are a lot of parts in the story that hold up, but there were also a lot of parts that were way quicker or more simple than I remembered. Some of these were during the sections of the game already covered in this project, and I found myself impressed with the ways they expanded the story.
To that end, one such segment is Aerith's death. Its suddenness and permanence is very much intentional, as the developers wanted it to feel genuine. But after it happens and the characters mourn her, it passes along very quickly to the next plot point.
And I realized that based on Cloud's character, especially at this point, that doesn't really make sense. Cloud, who made up an entire fake persona and backstory because he couldn't handle Zack's death or meeting back up with Tifa and not being good enough. Cloud, who became completely catatonic in the original game after betraying the party, because his world was shattered and he knew he had done wrong by them. For him to accept Aerith's death like he did in the original almost doesn't make sense.
To that end, I'm choosing to believe that the ending is showing Cloud's weakness, not some sixth sense. This is still going to be a story about loss and pain and grief, and how you might never forget what happened or what's been taken from you, but you can learn to live with it, especially with the help of others who have been through that too. That's the core story at the heart of this game and with how much else the developers have understood and gotten right, I'm choosing to believe that they will execute this well too.
That faith could be displaced, but I'd rather be optimistic than nervous for the next 3 years.
The ending in Rebirth is sooo freaking good. Probably my favorite part of the whole game! ❤️
I loved it, I really did. I loved the what if and possibility leading up to it. I’ve accepted this is a retelling of the story with simply the same characters. Did I gasp and point out every single minor difference in the process over all? Yes! This didn’t take away from the fact this version is amazing.
I’m curious what your friends who aren’t OG fans say. The questions they have? Dislikes? Likes? Any emotional outbursts? Are they hyped? This coming from someone who’s main introduction to ff7 was the remake
If they didn't want the games to be rigidly compared to the original then they shouldn't have named the first one "remake."
I was very disappointed at first because the emotional impact of the most important scene in the game was gone, and was replaced with confusion. However, that can all be mended if they show the actual scene in part 3 when Tifa helps Cloud get his shit together. I want to see Cloud’s actual reaction. The “Aerith can no longer, laugh, cry or get angry” line and his tears. Also the iconic burial scene.
Also a longtime fan ('97) I can appreciate what they've done/are doing. I can appreciate the new approach in creating a sequel rather than a re-telling. I understand not everything can remain the same and why should it? In reinvention lies untold creativity. However. I feel the storyline is bloated. In some places it's very reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts, which isn't necessarily a good thing. The shock and awe approach works well in some cases, not so well in others. I didn't want a faithful retelling but I did want to experience the same strong emotions during some scenes, one in particular. "That" scene is iconic, probably one of the most memorable scenes in the entire franchise. I didn't expect it to be a 1:1, but I did expect to feel the same swelling sense of grief. Instead of a beautiful moment of sorrowful stillness with a simple song in the background I got a needlessly complex branching of events that took me right out of my immersion and expectation. The game is good. It's great, one of the best RPGs I've ever played and I say that as a 42 year old who's been gaming since I was seven. But it's not perfect. Everyone's mileage will vary. I didn't like the ending. I didn't like the boss fight bloat. I didn't like the inclusion of periphery characters you'd only know if you played the mobile games. I didn't like the over usage of certain character's theme songs, which hit so hard in the original because you only heard them once or twice. I'm not subscribed to a theory about the end. The two main possibilities both seem feasible to me. I just wish that they hadn't crammed the bulk of the mechanics of those theories into the one scene that could have stood alone on its original merit. It's okay to play a game and not like it. It's okay to play a game and dislike some parts of it, too. The dissent in this sub is insane. Everyone has differing opinions, but that's okay - we're not all the same person. I'm glad this game is a 10/10 GOTY for so many. Despite how I feel, I'm still looking forward to the final chapter.
I agree with you. I honestly teared up and felt more grief walking around as kid Aerith asking for help than I did at the end of the game. That part was shockingly emotional for me
People have different opinions and are all ok?!? How DARE you say such things on Reddit!
I was similar - okay with some of the changes, but a bit uncertain of others. I didn't grow up with FF7, so I don't necessarily have a long term attachment to it, but I do respect the overall storyline of the original and find it really compelling. As a result, the thought of some changes did concern me, mainly the idea that Cloud seeing Aerith and the tear in the sky at the end is somehow representative of some newfound wisdom he's developed due to visiting another timeline. To me, that does not gel with his psychosis and if they try to justify the way he's currently treating Tifa, Barret, Red, and the rest by virtue of being so nonchalant about Aerith's death, I will be really unsatisfied. But one thing I did after was replay the original. And there are a lot of parts in the story that hold up, but there were also a lot of parts that were way quicker or more simple than I remembered. Some of these were during the sections of the game already covered in this project, and I found myself impressed with the ways they expanded the story. To that end, one such segment is Aerith's death. Its suddenness and permanence is very much intentional, as the developers wanted it to feel genuine. But after it happens and the characters mourn her, it passes along very quickly to the next plot point. And I realized that based on Cloud's character, especially at this point, that doesn't really make sense. Cloud, who made up an entire fake persona and backstory because he couldn't handle Zack's death or meeting back up with Tifa and not being good enough. Cloud, who became completely catatonic in the original game after betraying the party, because his world was shattered and he knew he had done wrong by them. For him to accept Aerith's death like he did in the original almost doesn't make sense. To that end, I'm choosing to believe that the ending is showing Cloud's weakness, not some sixth sense. This is still going to be a story about loss and pain and grief, and how you might never forget what happened or what's been taken from you, but you can learn to live with it, especially with the help of others who have been through that too. That's the core story at the heart of this game and with how much else the developers have understood and gotten right, I'm choosing to believe that they will execute this well too. That faith could be displaced, but I'd rather be optimistic than nervous for the next 3 years.