Why Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Ending is Actually Good (Mostly)

[@Ianbits]

this video was lot more fun for me to make than usual! expect more stuff focused on parts of a game rather than full reviews, i think that's part of why i found it easier to put passion into a project. aiming to have a new video every Monday at 5 PM EST!

[@r3gret2079]

Why is everyone on the ending? Cid not being playable is the REAL travesty here. Game is garbage. Lol

[@olibob203]

The problem for me is I didn't not like it I just missed the moment, I was waiting to be like is she dead or alive, the switch made me go is this a multiverse, by the time I got she was dead , the moment had passed. I was gutted she's not alive , but also not sure if she is in a multiverse. I've really enjoyed the game, but the ending is not good or bad it's confusing. I watched the cut scene twice and was like dunno what's going on watched cloud save and then didn't see aerith die I was like what

[@iriliean]

during the death scene, they purposely show cloud's "speech" but leave it muted. they cut out the chunk of time where the water burial happens but frame it in a way that shows it's obvious that's what happened. i think these scenes are being saved for cloud's lifestream moment with tifa, where he has to come to terms with who he is and with what truly happened. it makes sense for them to want to save the most emotional scenes for the third game, especially at one of the most significant moments of the original game. i think it'll make the lifestream scene with cloud the standout of the entire trilogy if they pull it off right

[@iriliean]

also after hearing the creators say the planet itself is a "character," i absolutely think the lifestream is still relevant to the multiple worlds thing. if they're interconnected in that way, and every "alternate" path is just something that exists in the lifestream, it'll be a lot more digestible since the concept is already part of the original game

[@furrylifephotography]

Is it possible Cloud hasn’t lived through these scenes? Like he doesn’t remember them? There’s also that weird fact where he never acknowledges giving Sephiroth the Black Materia, instead we have Yuffie asking him while they’re walking in the sleeping forest that Sephiroth beat the crap out of him and took it and he agrees/lies why would he do that? My guess is he either doesn’t remember or it is that we are following a Cloud from different timeline. Thoughts?

[@iriliean]

@@furrylifephotography oh i think he knows or it at least happened, it's just the same as his existing situation where he feels ashamed of what happened and doesn't want to tell the truth, or is mentally blocking it out

[@xXilfinitoXx]

Yeah I agree. We didn't see certain scenes this time because Cloud isn't in the mental state to accept what happened. He layed her to rest, but he fractured mind isn't acknowledging that she's gone so anything to do with Aerith being dead is locked away in his mind. That's why some stuff is missing to us. Even the recap in the end credits has all the scenes related to Aerith being dead missing. He's not ready yet

[@nevets0688]

100% my thoughts

[@AcappellaGamer]

Couldn’t agree more - seeing Aerith as a person - like really really dropping her cover and showing her true desires and needs and impulsive energy - but having all that still tempered by her deep understanding of her responsibility and task ahead of her made my heart hurt on a whole other level . When she finally pushes cloud into the portal and we see Sephiroth open the church doors her sacrifice that she made from the original until now feels like it carries so much more weight emotionally. I have a lot of faith they will nail the conclusion in part 3 - and think they are doing a fantastic job overall.

[@Ianbits]

That moment really is tough to watch. You can sort of tell that when she's saying goodbye to Cloud, she's saying goodbye to Zack as well. Cloud is just serving as a representation to all the people important to her.

[@Trippincozy69]

I hear you, but think how would it have been if they had showed Sephiroth drive his blade into her back in the church while Cloud falls through the portal? You get a different scene than the OG and yet a very strong emotional hit. Now that would have had people crying their eyes out. This is what I believe people mean when they say the ending missed/fumbled and didn’t hit as hard as it could have or the OG. It had all the pieces to do it but fell a bit short. It seems almost as if they wanted to censor the violent aspect of Aerith’s death but that’s what made it so iconic. It felt more like a punt for the 3rd game instead of a touchdown to end the game

[@federicamacchia1656]

@@Trippincozy69 this ending Is created purpously to leave us with many question...it's also a way to keep us emotionally Active while we're waiting the third part of the trilogy,and to make us think to what Is really happening,what Jenova Is trying to achieve in in what way....But probably thay'll give us again this part of the story,this time the full sequence,once Cloud regains totally the continuity of his Memories,in the third part

[@Mr88811]

SPOILER ALERT NEWS = Just say I had some good networking on Japan that produce this game. He told Me 1 thing, don't confuse with the Timeline or Multiverse. In the end it's doesn't matter. You know why? Because On Part 3 a.k.a. FF7 Reunion, All of it will become One World. All Timeline. All Multiverse gonna be 1. Sephiroth will succeed his mission. That the Point. After It's become 1 World, all timeline will combine for each other. Aerith and zack will comeback to Live, even Biggs, Jessie and other too (Because there a LOT of timeline that every one of them is still Live not died like biggs and zack, even Aerith when cloud succeed to deflect Sephiroth Blade). That why the part 3 call "Reunion". And afterthat, Everyone beat Sephiroth and everyone can Meet each other once again and live on Same Timeline together. In the End, everyone got happy ending because no one died after the Timeline has become 1. Hope you all Understand. Oh yeah, 1 more thing. About Love Storyline = In the end Cloud and Tifa will be together, and Aerith comeback with Zack. Thank you.

[@hapwn]

🙏

[@rodo2220]

Didn't realize people thought the ending was bad. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since I beat it

[@MonstrousAvail]

My thoughts exactly

[@jackthompson7125]

I think everyone who would have disliked the ending never even got rebirth because they dropped the series after the first game when they found out Sqeenix lied about it being a remake when it's actually a funky timey wimey sequel.

[@ekoms108]

​@@jackthompson7125how can you not understand the legitimate criticism of this ending?

[@9thmaggot]

Didn't realize people that thinks the ending is good exist until I run in this comment section

[@dubhudz]

same. i can't wait for the finale to put my theories to rest!

[@nathanking5137]

We are meant to have questions. We are supposed to be confused, angry... we are supposed to be living this through Clouds eyes. Until part 3 and he sorts his shit out. This is how Cloud feels.

[@davidharner2481]

I didn’t even realize that. The player and the audience kind of mimic cloud in this moment They’re confused sad and angry. They don’t even know what to think anymore about themselves or the world around them. Until cloud can find his true self which is what defeats sephiroth in the end

[@RoyalPear]

i think the ending is one that gets better the more you think about it, when i finished i was a little confused, but now i'm in awe about how masterful the remake trilogy is

[@ILovePizza620]

Dude i know, really excited for part 3

[@sassychespins]

Felt this exactly!!

[@brucey5585]

Yeap. I was disappointed until i sat there and think of the theme . We can all say that cloud will be totally destroy in the 3rd game when all of his memories come together. He will realize he didnt actually save aerith. Also it wasnt the same game it is a sequel.

[@Eriqzzzz]

I actually said something similar in another video. I don't think they messed up with the timeliness elements as long as by the third game. They at least tie everything together in part 3

[@Rhomagus]

Same

[@itsdantaylor]

3:27 yeah, Red XIII explicitly states it during his max intimacy date that both he and Aerith were gifted knowledge of the futures but after the fight with the whispers, all that knowledge was taken away from them

[@Ianbits]

Thank you! I knew it was somewhere else I just couldn't remember where.

[@renoslash1890]

Almost as is Sephiroth has put the Rebirth gang on a path that has no set destiny. As is they were defying destiny or something. Its almost as if Sephiroth has a plan to use an alternate timeline/world to fulfil his goals. ;)

[@Valik2104]

Dont even need max relationship.

[@zacatkinson3926]

Why was it removed? What’s the current theory?

[@Mukation]

@@zacatkinson3926 They ended up defeating the whispers, so they "beat" fate.... So the foreknowledge they used to have of the future is now gone, since the future is no longer written is my guess

[@Chrisharris2024]

I adored the ending. One of the biggest problems with getting older is you have less surprises, less moments that get your heart pumping and emotions running. You get married, have kids, achieve many milestones and after that there are very few pivotal moments left in life and in stories. Ff7 rebirth ending actually suprised me and got the emotions that i didnt think were still possible. Aerith death broke my heart when i was 10 years old and im amazed they broke my heart again. I really wanted to save her this time, the remake ending gave me hope for years. The entire rebirth game gave me hope. And the last hour of the game i could see it slipping away but i still had it. I had hope i could save her till the last second when i deflected the blade. But i couldnt save her in the end. I literally had to explain to my RL wife that i was in mourning after a video games ending...a remake at that. Too me that means you did a good job. Im in my mid 30s and a bunch of fake anime video game characters broke my heart and i love the ending for making that possible.

[@ferdyxu9847]

I Felt the same, i told my RL Wife about it. Couldnt save someone even in video game is just...

[@xxa9148]

​@@ferdyxu9847 My wife could not fathom the feeling i had. I finally complete the game and 'freely' delve into the comments because I was afraid of spoilers. Now that I did - I realise the community is feeling the same way and I'm glad I'm not only the one feeling this way. To briefly sum up the experience I had during the OG period, I glanced upon my seniors playing the OG and he immediately broke the entirety of Aerith's death to the crowd (I was 7 at that time). Years later I chanced upon the game by borrowing the it from a friend (11 years old) and I did not shed a single tear during that pivotal moment maybe because I was spoilt by it years before. However, that scene propagates and highly contribute to his thereafter failure and his victorious speech after tifa saved him from the life stream. Back to now that I 'thought' we could save aerith, the feeling of heart broken NOW is what I would say SQEnix did a freaking good job to let me first lived what I could not have felt many years ago. Now I am looking much forward to cloud's big point of failure where he disappoints the party and how he would bounceback from it.

[@ravenfirepheonix]

Same. Never thought I’d react to a video game like that again. Haven’t felt that effect in many years. Rebirth is a classic.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

No I disagree

[@pogoacct8611]

This is how I feel as well. I really thought we saved her

[@coxfire]

What i liked with this ending is that the theme of "Cloud can't cope with his failures and needs a worls where he succeded" is still there. In the OG, it was his failure to make it to SOLDIER and seeing Zack gunned down, here it's Aerith dying. Now, it cannot be said 100% that Aerith is alive in another timeline or not (both work for me), but fact is that she is gone from the main timeline and he can't really cope with that. And this is consistent with what we know of Cloud, and he'll need to face the "truth" and how to go on and mend himself in part 3.

[@princessofthecape2078]

By sleeping with Tifa? No, man - sorry. If the girl is your soulmate, you don't recover by fucking her best friend. It was a dick move 25 years ago, and it will be a dick move in three years, too.

[@ChillBuilds]

Some spoilers included. It's a long running theme in Final Fantasy games that your characters are fighting against fate. They also showed that things can travel between the alternate realities, or meet between them. Cloud met and interacted with Zack, who should have been dead to him. The white materia passed from a dying reality to the main story one. Aerith and Sephiroth seem able to initiate these changes and move between the worlds. It's unclear whether Cloud and Aerith inhabited the comatose bodies at Aerith's home, or something else happened, since her mother, Marlene, and Zack were not there to witness them waking up. All that being said, my theory is that the planet itself ends up being the final enemy. We've already had a direct armed conflict with Sephiroth in a handful of ways in the Rebirth finale. Whether that planet is somehow bonded to Sephiroth, or the characters have to do battle with fate one final time in the end, the party's goal will be to reassemble the realities in to one where the characters finally live, the threats from both Sephiroth and the planet's will are gone, and the characters that everyone has wanted to see live for decades are somehow restored to life through the reality reassembly. That's a wildly optimistic prediction. But I'll be very sad if they wrap this up for a final time and do nothing for one of the most innocent and likeable characters in final fantasy history.

[@KirbyGotenksabsorbed]

2:33 Lol the whispers are 100% metaphors for "those" players who refuse to accept the story going any way except the same way as the original.

[@Kinslayu]

The ending sequence would work if it wasn't the end of the game, but now there's a 4 year gap and playing 80 hours to have no emotional impact or questions answered is not satisfying. There's so much of "they'll explain it in part 3" that it left part 2 unfulfilling

[@vanthadoun1]

FF7 has entered the Quantum realm, and Aerith has become Schrödinger's cat, she is placed in a box, and without knowing about what's inside the box, she is both alive and not alive at the same time.

[@raulrojas9253]

So is basically shit.

[@Pikachu-qr4yb]

So much this !

[@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher]

And that's good is it?

[@ChrisG_90]

​That's actually part of the original game. She resists the lifestream much like Sephiroth and aids the player at the end of the game saving midgar/the planet. ​@@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher

[@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher]

@@ChrisG_90 oh boy you should warm up before stretching like that, you'll pull something

[@Aardavianboy]

Tbh this really opened my eyes. I came to a similar conclusion recently. When I finished the game I was confused and angry. Nothing made sense and I felt a lack of closure for Aerith’s death but then I realized that it was definitely intentional and I got played the way they wanted us to. I’m excited for the final installment.

[@GodOfAI_]

The trilogy is LITERALLY a sequel to advent children: from the first game you can clearly tell that Aerith and Sephiroth knew what was going to happen in the future and by challenging fate multiple timelines were created so there’s a chance to see Aerith back in the third game in fact she’s alive in Zack’s timeline. We will have to wait until the third game to discover the truth.

[@HarrySingh-z1e]

Most other youtubers have been interpreting the interview quote of "things will link to advent children" and taking that as the trilogy will end with Advent Children, but maybe it's linked because it's actually a sequel and AC is the prologue of Remake trilogy

[@GodOfAI_]

@@HarrySingh-z1e precisely, finally someone that gets it. It will connect/link, not be the same.

[@jagermeister1487]

no, its really not.

[@jagermeister1487]

@@HarrySingh-z1e i would take it as say said - it will tie into ac. there is not much deviation from the og as it is. Especially if you take AC into consideration.

[@metastase895]

So what? A sequel to a bad product nobody wanted. They might as well put emphasis on Genesis and Dirge of Cerberus during part 3.

[@FreeFlow__]

There is no justification. The ending is terrible. I felt way more in bigg's death and we are talking about fucking aerith here.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

YeahI think most People defending this never really *CARED* about FF7 in the 1st place

[@Brou15O]

i think Aerith's plan was to be half dead like sephiroth, so that she can face him on his level. or atleast help the party fight him since the party doesnt have access to sephiroths limbo realm/state.

[@dissmob7648]

To each their own, I guess. While I didn't like the writing of this ending it is still good to see some optimism in this project. Just one thing: while it is confirmed that there is a timeline where Cloud blocked the attack, she's most likely dead there. In fact, what probably happened is that Cloud blocked the attack but then Sephiroth "merged the worlds" and essentielly retconned reality before Cloud's eyes.

[@ChrisG_90]

Sure he merged them to dominate Cloud and show him he can't save Aerith. But what's merged can be separated again. It's literally what Sephiroth tells Zach. So buckle up, questions are fun and hopefully part 3 beings some answers.

[@kagekun1198]

You know, since I completed Rebirth's story last week, I've been going through pretty much all the stages of grief. Your video has taken me one more step towards acceptance. I pretty much agree with your explanation, especially the huge pressure they have put on Part 3. Every moment must be earned in storytelling. It feels like the writers took out a huge literary loan in the climax of Rebirth and gave us the fanservice scenes like Zack and Cloud facing Sephiroth together and Cloud blocking that fateful blow upfront. They got the party, but Part 3 is now stuck with the bill of justifying those events. That puts a lot of pressure to answer those questions. I'm really not sure Nomura has the competence to pull it off now. But hey, your opinion has credence since someone who plays the Trails series definitely has taste!

[@Ianbits]

Thank you! Can't wait for Daybreak. It's awesome seeing that other people got hit as hard emotionally as I did. It felt weird getting so depressed about the ending of a video game but making this and seeing other people say the same thing has been really therapeutic.

[@linkz35]

The ending, in a way, reminds me of Empire Strikes Back. The second act of a three act play is not supposed to end cleanly. It's meant to leave you with questions. It's setting up the payoff for a number of things in the final act where we will get our conclusion. The ending hit me emotionally different than the original. The nugget from the end of Remake where Aerith mentions that things will change still rings true. Cloud is confused but it seems as though he has sense of understanding he didn't have before. Maybe this will help him understand his true self when the time comes?

[@devon9374]

Since I experienced the OG, deep down I never really cared what they would do with the story in the rendition. They have done such a good job with these games in nearly every aspect so far. I hope they nail it in Part 3. I have a feeling Jenova, the Gi and outer space are going to be pivotal to the finale.

[@federicamacchia1656]

Probably they Will be,and we'll have to prepare to some nice surprises

[@13AxelRoxas]

My main problem with the ending doesn't start until Aerith's death. I felt more confused as to what was happening. I mean, one second, you're saving Aerith, and the next, she's just dead. After that, you're left with a really hard final boss, which becomes incredibly frustrating if you die during the final phase boss of the fight, which is very easy to do if you don't have any ATB to heal with and the you start from Phase one of Sephiroth AGAIN! I just felt like the final boss went on way too long, and by the time I was just glad, the final boss was eventually over, and it really affected how I felt during the final cut scene.

[@metastase895]

That is precisely what we call bad writing and bad pacing, which is what this game has.

[@kamii_999]

Sounds like a skill issue 😂

[@Kanriel]

Except if you choose the top option to continue, it starts you over at the phase you game over'd on, not phase one.

[@ShallBePurified]

@@Kanriel I did the final phase of the final boss for over an hour, and I still couldn't beat him. You could say it's a skill issue, but it's still an extremely frustrating fight after already doing a gauntlet of phases for like 2 hours before that. I watched the ending online, and I actually really do like the ending. I just didn't like how frustrating the final phase was. His final attack was just super annoying to deal with, and it takes so long to get back to that point and I die too quickly to learn how to deal with it.

[@Kanriel]

@@ShallBePurified If you mean the whisper wave thing that's just a "better beat me fast" check, you need to burn the final 15-20% fast, cause you're gonna take hits from that move.

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

If you're expecting the third installment to wrap things up in a neat little bow, you don't know Tetsuya Nomura at all. He doesn't do "closure." He's like the Japanese version of George Raymond Richard Martin, he only brings up questions, never answers them.

[@Ianbits]

Nomura is only co-director this time around, by all accounts most of the directorial duties were handled by Naoki Hamaguchi this time around. And perhaps more crucially, unlike Kingdom Hearts, he is not the writer.

[@Wendy_O._Koopa]

@@Ianbits ... I mean it's _better,_ but it's hardly a guarantee.

[@wingmanscreencasts6808]

I'm totally good with the ending as long as the ending to part 3 makes sense and is definitive

[@mascott1157]

Like this ending would be “fine” if it wasn’t for the wait over the next 3-4 years. Hoping the final, final ending has better closure.

[@andresgarza8511]

If yoy pay attention it makes sense

[@kamii_999]

It all makes sense people just don't have the patience to do research anymore

[@ybyby3rdday]

It won't

[@Mukation]

Definatly, if the third game does tie up all the lose ends then people will not mind at all. I think they either will open with Aerits burial in the third game or they'll save it for another important moment in the story. But i honestly was 100% certain the game would end with her burial, just as i figured that the first game would end after the highway chase.

[@thebrigade7684]

When a side characters death like Dyne has more emotion put into the death despite the knowledge that this guy dies is actually quite hilarious when they couldn't do it for Aerith one of the main character

[@franimal86]

I do think the overcomplexity COULD be interesting IF Jenova is using Cloud’s memories of Aerith to manipulate him. If Aerith really is dead (she probably isn’t “dead”) and Jenova is just appearing as her, then that would be interesting and canon. Jenova is said to use loved ones to manipulate the Cetra, so she could be using Cloud’s memories of Aerith to hand him the white (actually black) materia, so that he takes that black materia to Sephiroth. That would explain why Cloud has the black materia (instead of the white materia) at the end of the game. Overcomplicated but canon. I’m worried it’s not that, though.

[@Ianbits]

The whole white/black materia stuff was definitely the most confusing aspect of the story to me, I'm sure it'll make sense in part 3 but I don't even wanna TRY to sift through it

[@Mikey64]

I’m pretty sure the white materia fell into the water like in the original game. How Cloud got the black materia will probably be answered in Part 3 though. Orrrrr maybe Sephiroth is just fucking with Cloud again lol

[@dewot1256]

I think that Aerith is dead and also what Cloud sees isn't Jenova. Our boy is just straight-up crazy in a way that will be untangled in the lifestream with Tifa.

[@metastase895]

Is Nanaki crazy too for feeling dead Aerith?

[@dewot1256]

@@metastase895 He's feeling Aerith's lifestream presence but he's not repressing/denying her death or seeing her walk around like Cloud is.

[@r3gret2079]

If any hasn't yet, PLEASE DO YOURSELF THE FAVOR and look up the FF7 book "On The Way To A Smile", specifically the "Lifestream Black" and "Lifestream White" stories. A lot more of this new Remake series will start to make sense. Edit: I am kinda on both sides of the fence, I wanted a remake as close to the OG as possible cuz I love that story, but I also am absolutely loving what we are getting. Since it's NOT a retelling of the OG events, and is it's new thing, I'm not holding it to those standards, I am looking at Remake/birth for what it is. It's kinda crazy how in OG, Aerith's death was fuckin devastating, and yet here, after all is said n done, I feel content. Most hate that the heartbreak is gone, but it makes me optimistic. I dunno, that probably sounds stupid, but I think I feel good about where we are. This is fuckin wild to say, but I'm glad they still killed her off. But I'm also glad that she isn't GONE. I dunno, I'll die alone on this hill I guess. I feel hopeful, for what's to come.

[@dawnrigel4255]

I needed a day to process how I felt about the ending, and I think I actually enjoyed what they did here. Whether Aeris lived or died, I wasn't going to be shocked either way. But this whole ending shocked me lol.The way I'm interpreting things is it seems to me like Cloud created that second reality where Aeris survived, and in that time line, she is choosing to stay behind maybe at the city of the ancients to continue trying to make the white materia work? But Cloud is also repressing the fact that he just witnessed Aeris die in his current reality as well. So he's just traveling with the rest of the party who's all mourning Aeris' death, and Cloud just thinks she stayed behind to continue trying to activate the materia. Maybe I'm wrong. But either way, the fact that they made Aeris' death fuck Cloud's mind up even more is really all I could have asked for lol

[@chuckrichardson83]

The whole end fight on the ending itself has to have been the worst ending in any Final Fantasy game or in any of squares RPGs at all that ending was absolutely terrible

[@joshz2491]

Why? Cloud is positioned as an unreliable narrative. If you hate the ending than you don’t care about Cloud’s journey. How does it not make sense that he would struggle with her death when that is a core part of his character, he lost his mom and couldn’t deal with it, he lost Zack and couldn’t deal with. The one thing that I always hated about the OG is that it treats Aerith dying like it’s easy for characters to get over. That’s complete BS and not realistic at all.

[@joshz2491]

And most of those fights happen in Cloud’s head. As for the timelines, that’s irrelevant because they will all disappear eventually. It’s temporary they make that clear multiple times in the game before the last chapter.

[@blocksheep4899]

I think they can knock this home in part 3 if we see the burial of Aerith in a flashback and a breakdown of Cloud once he finally accepts her death and then we no longer see her again.

[@renoslash1890]

I think its 90% that we see those scenes while Cloud has his realisation moments. There is a reason they didn't show them.

[@boomdogg38]

Oh it is happening in part 3

[@Ico_]

I mean.. The cutscene is there. You even do see it on the first part, towards the ending. There is no way, S-E did all that for nothing, specially when they added flashbacks from the first part in Rebirth.

[@Kanriel]

There is a 100% chance we get a Cloud dropping Aerith's body scene in part 3. I would imagine it'll be the very last part of Cloud getting his mind put together. Once he deals with all his trauma, he'll see the "truth" of what happened in the forgotten capital, so we'll get the scene.

[@BobbaFett312]

There is flashback of aerith burial in ff7 part 1

[@ziggyjuarez8544]

" hey, you know the most emotional part of the game?, Yeah let's convolute that."

[@handsomeDRAC]

Face it. It's not shocking anymore when you expect the expected. I like where this remake trilogy is going.

[@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher]

​@@handsomeDRACthe only issue I take with that line of thought is there isn't any question about whether the story works, only that it's different. If we open the third part and Aerith buries Cloud and takes up the infinity gauntlet to summon Optimus Prime to officiate her marriage to Sephiroth does it become good? After all, you don't want to bore the audience by making part 3 a continuation of part 2. That's not shocking, it would be expected and therefore bad.

[@handsomeDRAC]

@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher this is the cliffhanger. I trust part 3 will satisfy expectations with just enough fresh new takes that it will retroactively make the end of rebirth make more sense but make it better, too. They are saving that definitive moment for Clouds' lifestream moment. He is confused at the end of rebirth. We experienced the story through Clouds eyes. He will be confronted with truth in the next game, and it will be all the more powerful for it. Trust me. I believe that's where it's going.

[@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher]

@@handsomeDRAC i hope you get the ending you want, I think it's been pretty much sunk since part 1. Roche was where I checked out of the remake having any potential, the original one is dated and needs updating narratively and graphically but it was never embarrassing to play.

[@handsomeDRAC]

@EdgarFriendlysCivicsTeacher I didn't play the game to see how it would end. I played it because I enjoyed the journey and took my time to rake everything in. Spent 200 hrs on the first normal playthrough before getting to the end of rebirth. Trying to ace everything I do including mingames, queen's blood, side missions, combat challenges, chocobo races. I didn't want it to end, having a good time in this world along with exploring it.

[@mikeroe7943]

Reminds me of the end to the Silent Hill movie. Leave the audience questioning survival, and what even counts as surviving.

[@Ianbits]

Sort of, yeah. Definitely wants to blur the lines between life and death, in a lot of ways because Cloud at this point in the story has no real grasp on what's real anyway

[@welchianachi7707]

Has anyone found that this tear in the sky strangely enough reassemble Nexus from Sar Trek Generations where Jean-Luc Picard meet with long death James Tiberius Kirk?

[@Mukation]

If they hadn't done anything new with the ending and just kept it virtually identical to the OG people would have complained, if they definitivly had Cloud make it in time to save her in this version, people would have complained. Now i have my complaints about the incorporations of the whispers into the story, but i get that they on the off hand want to tell the fans that "the OG is still the OG timeline" so you can view this game as sort of a sequal instead and the introduction of the whispers allow us to get more of Zack into the story aswell, which i'm all here for. Him just glowing with pride at how confident Cloud was when they teamed up against Sephiroth was just perfection.

[@Thevikingninja117]

I really love your comment. This is absolutely true. I loved the ending as it gave life to new possibilities with the multiverse and I’ve seen it so many times now on KZbin and twitch streams and some people be confused and some people just balling their eyes out and the chat trying to comfort them. Ultimately the conclusion being:we just need to make a Time Machine so we can get part 3 right now lol.

[@CrowsofAcheron]

If they kept it the same as the original, fewer people would have complained, but I don't think it would be talked about nearly as much. Controversy creates attention.

[@Mukation]

@@CrowsofAcheron True, but i think alot of the questions fans are arguing about steams from the fact that it's one game that is now split into three and the devs are both trying to make each game "one" story while still keeping all three as part of one story. Like shoehorning in a boss fight with Sephiroth in the first game. Thematically for the entire FF7 story, it doesn't make sense, but when you think of Remake as a self contained game, then it does. It would have been bold of them to just cut to credits after the highway chase in Midgar and Aeriths death.

[@cloudkitt]

People only would have complained because of the nonsense at the end of remake. If they had played it all straight there wouldn't have been a reason to complain. And also even if they wanted to do things differently. The way they did differently still sucked ;)

[@melvillemercado]

The last scene with Zach waking up in the church, I feel like he is now in the actual rebirth timeline. The church looks different somehow.

[@Ianbits]

Wouldn't be surprised, he'll end up there at some point. Can't imagine they actually had him fight with Cloud in Rebirth just to leave him on his own in part 3

[@yonathwin]

Yep, maybe "rebirth" means Zack has rebirth on this timeline.

[@angelbloodshinra]

It's because the flowers are alive. My suspicion is that he'll be the main playable dude while Cloud is out of commission in part 3 as opposed to Cid.

[@MarcusSanchez2525]

@@angelbloodshinraI was thinking the same thing, With Cloud gone for a majority of part 3 it would leave a big hole in the party which Zack could fill for a time.

[@blueblase9981]

@@MarcusSanchez2525Zack on the Highwind would be insane!!

[@MrLightlike78]

out of all the breakdowns i've watched this one has gotta be my favorite- there's still a lot of dangling threads that the devs can pull on and despite my overall confusion...especially with the final scene...im excited to see how this all plays out.

[@StoriesWithPrentice]

Thanks for this, it very desperately needed to be said. You are seeing and experiencing this through Cloud as he is so broken. The lack of emotional weight is in fact felt - just by the other characters. Barret, Cait and Cid - distraction therapy Tifa and Yuffie - inconsolable and Red comforts Tifa whilst characteristically being able to sense Aerith nearby. (By the way, can we just take a moment to ask why nobody is talking about how brutal this is for Tifa :( )

[@Yodaaa1991]

It is not actually the ending (story) the problem I have rather they rushed it after the temple of the ancients. The game does not let you experience the lost of Aerith that you have to actually find her. No bone village , there is literally no city of the ancients. Those segments were relevant to create atmosphere. But here you are right there at the ending scene after the temple and it was disappointed.

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

I'd have preferred if they cut like 50% of Temple of the Ancients and made a City of the Ancients dungeon instead. I really wanted to explore it.

[@NokoFace]

Reading these comments made me realize what I thought was obvious, clearly isn't obvious. The post-Aerith death scenes, like Cloud's speech and the water burial, are CLEARLY going to be shown properly in the third game. Like you said. Those scenes are pivotal for the emotional hit of her death, and choosing not to include them + showing Aerith (in whatever form she's in) at the end takes that away. They're saving the impact for the third game.

[@buckethood5757]

​@@NokoFace That's what i thought initially. They could have kept this iconic scene and the exploration of ancients city for part 3, but it's very unlikely as you see the characters at the end of the game flying away to a new destination with the Tiny Bronco. However, it's very likely that the exploration of the city is left for the part of the OG game where you meet Bugenhagen there and need to retrieve the ancients key.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

Yeah Rebirth's Story is a Disgrace

[@federicamacchia1656]

This ending Is not Just touching,but extremely clever from the devs....nothing changes,but all become possible

[@dragonwarriorz1]

What's clever about it

[@federicamacchia1656]

Many things....if you consider the direction they are taking,it's pretty obvious that they cannot lead the story in the same exact way of the OG,Because this Trilogy Is not a remastered,but a continuation of the OG,or,Better,an alternative exit that Jenova Is trying to create to change the end....Giving this,the devs must create situations in which we can see that this Is happening,but,at the same time,that this Is happening inside a situation that we all know very we'll....Every player has it's own way to see a story and it's own way to Wish to see It finish the way he wants,but every change brings consequences....so,what Is Better???I think that,in the end,the devs will give us a multiple ending,and let the players choose Among them..but they'll also show us that often a different choice could mean terribile consequences.As It happens here,in this sequence of Aerith's death....Because She Is dead,and,despite the Wish of many players,of Cloud,of her Friends,She makes us clear that Is necessary for her to die,for the salvation of the future.....To create such sequence it's surely been not Easy...but they did It,and they did It really well

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

No it is the Work of *"Cowards"*

[@MasonLopez]

As an old fart who played FF7 when it released, I would never have believed they could make me care about how this remake plays out. But surprise surprise, here I am, and I have no idea what's going to happen. And that's kind of amazing.

[@cynicalidealist11]

I was bawling my eyes out at her death.

[@sarab2583]

I agree with a lot of what you said here. I was struck by the lack of emotional impact, but figured it was intentional for part 3. I don't know if/how they'll do it, but for now I'm happy to wait and see if it all pays off in the final part!

[@st8vie282]

Church scene made up for it imo

[@threestars2164]

Thankfully Capcom does understand what a remake is and easily sweeps this foolish company with its standout remakes Resident Evil 2, Resident Evil 3, and Resident Evil 4. And they did it with each being a complete game in one package! No multiverse, dr strange crap there.

[@SuperNeos2]

You did not just call Resident Evil 3 Remake a complete game

[@tsujack]

Pretty much they gave FF 7 the FF 14 multi-world treatment.

[@AnthonyJayCee]

Thank you so much for putting this video together. I ended up rewinding a little here and there throughout just to make sure I understood everything you were saying (and since I was getting a little distracted by the video part (especially the text)), but it was very much worth it. I feel like I understand what happened a lot better, and I'm much more so looking at it as this still being mid-story, where the big payoffs will all be in the third part, if it's done well. And we can judge it then. And, in engaging with some of the other commenters, here's what I'm thinking: 1. The reality-- or the main timeline/universe of the story we're following, to be more precise-- is that Aerith died. But Cloud is not experiencing reality as it is, so for him Aerith is still alive. One could say he's hallucinating, but I think the hallucination can also be just perceiving Aerith's spirit, which is still very real, in a physical form. 2. In the original game, later on, Cloud resolves his psychological disconnects with reality in that scene with Tifa in the lifestream (or wherever). The scene of him laying Aerith's body in the water (aka, what really happened) will be one of the things Cloud comes to grips with then. Much like how he came to grips with how, five years earlier, Zack was the SOLDIER and he was, well... someone else. 3. If they want to come closer to pleasing everybody, they could do what Metal Gear Solid V did with Quiet-- she canonically leaves you team in the story, but you can get her back for gameplay and eye candy purposes if you replay one of her missions a bunch of times in a row. Aerith could "come back" as a playable character only for part 3... I guess just for the chapter select after you beat the game, say. That way, they can come a lot closer to pleasing everybody. Oh, and by the way, I'm pretty sure I've figured out what the "Re" word in the third part's title is going to be. It only came up, like, a hundred times throughout Rebirth...

[@Ianbits]

Thanks for watching! Weirdly enough, I don't think it's going to be Reunion because that was the subtitle for the Crisis Core Remaster that came out a few years back. My personal guess is "Return" to tie on with the "it's not a death, it's a homecoming" line.

[@blobber51]

​@@Ianbitsi think its interesting that they have aerith alive alive in another timeline.

[@zachkennedy575]

Thank you for sharing your positive opinion on the ending. I’ve played the original a couple times and I still really like rebirths ending. Glad you could be objective about it being bad if part 3 sucks as well.

[@marinomele4575]

Not at all? Part 3 is part3. Being it good or bad, It won't retroactively improve part2. Not to mention this multiverse thing Is everything but promising. The guy in the video sounds like he's trying to convince himself more than us, trying to still have hope for the next installment. I'm sorry, but this is called being delusional...

[@AnthonyJayCee]

@@marinomele4575 When you read a mystery novel, and everything is revealed in the conclusion, it technically "improves" the middle of the story since you see where it was going, and the point of all the stuff causing confusion. The problem is looking at Rebirth as if it's the end of the story, rather than the middle of it. Basically, one isn't judging it fairly if one is judging it now. If they don't bring it all home with part 3, then, by all means, have at it then.

[@royso5917]

Your video literally sums up my thoughts. Great work

[@salmark9080]

people are hating too hard. The story of this game is trying to accomplish making a sequel, a fan service, a theorycraft story that will last us until the next game, and make it meta outside the game story to make it relate to you the player. I love the ride im going along on. But question, what triggers the events of this saga anyway?

[@auto_kailani]

There's no world where Ianbits video wasn't going to be polarizing...wait no that's not true these videos are always bangers. On the heels of another jrpg that Ian is about to review, Ianbits found himself in an impossible situation of his own making. One in which he was obligated to use his creative freedom he'd opened up, but also one in which he'd appease fans and cute whales to believe these videos will never end. And to say these videos will end is just crazy. There would be quite a bit of negative reaction from fans and all whales if he stopped. We can't let this happen. Make sure anyone who sees this gives a thumbs up and says great work Ian, otherwise my massive whaleness will smush you into a pancake. Thank you

[@Ianbits]

Thank you as always whale friend

[@barnfulofmilk]

Honestly i think if cloud had killed aerith in his sephiroth psychosis that would have really hit home. The shots of her forgiving cloud in death and the group realizing sephiroths deeds would have made much more sense.

[@ShadenRyanStudio]

By merging the timelines, sepharoth can just snap his fingers and change any outcome that doesn’t go his way. That’s his goal. You saved areith this time but seph just snaps his fingers and changes realty to her dying anyway. It’s cool

[@lovepirate14]

Awesome video! It’s so easy to talk about things you hate, but you did a great job finding the gems in the ending of this game.

[@EvilXero359]

This is just my opinion but that'd be really awesome if the story writers and devs make the ending where the team fights Sephiroth for the last time, Aerith turns up, spirit form of course, dispels the whisper wraiths and proceeds to weaken Sephiroth as the battle goes on, and as an added bonus we as in the players can control her

[@stephensturges5711]

Yall are really over thinking this. Long story short...aerith does indeed die..she has too yet she's still "alive" in the lifestream. and withi clouds head. When aerith is killed we see cloud saying his "my eyes are tingly, mouth is dry" speech but yet in our current timeline, he feels as though he deflected sephiroths sword. Also keep in mind we are playing this without knowing what part 3 will focus on. I think cloud is about to break..something is going to happen where he realizes aerith died. Thats where were going to get the mental breakdown. I wouldnt be shocked if a good portion of part 3 allows us/makes us play with a party without cloud. Now moving forward, yes there is an alternate timeline but in the end, i think they will all converge into 1..and when sephiroth is beaten, he'll be gone and we will once again have the original 1997 timeline that we know of. Same end result, just a different process. But the way these games are made..we are being toyed with and believing we can change destiny..which is exactly what Remake and sephiroth wants us to feel.

[@joetalks.]

the point about undermining her death in part three was genius

[@pencilcheck]

to me, this is the same as this: you show someone light go through a thin glass, the light bends and that's it. Later, I use a prism, and shine a light to it, and it show a rainbow, and people are pissed because they want light, not rainbow.

[@adambaird3424]

I was incredibly frustrated by the ending at first too. At this moment in time, when we only have 2/3 of the trilogy to play, it sucks that people who haven’t/won’t play the original don’t get to experience the loss of Aerith in the most pure form. That being said, I expect it will pay off BIG TIME in the 3rd game. After putting thought into it and realizing we aren’t seeing alternate timelines or some mcu bullshit, it makes me really feel for cloud. The man literally is unable to accept her death in the moment and it’s quite haunting. It took a while to realize that’s what’s happening, but again part 3 will make up for the emptiness of this ending. God I can’t wait.

[@VegettoBlack]

I mean we all knew the ending would change in rebirth because the whispers exist. I was just hoping it would of been more coherent

[@kbeats2001]

That ending took all the emotion out of it for me when I had to figure out what was going on. They should've showed her death, waited a moment and then did all that timeline mumbo-jumbo. I was so confused that I didn't have an emotional response. And that first playthrough is everything.

[@PerfectEclipse]

Amazing video, and as someone who cares deeply about the OG, Cloud and Aerith, this ending landed in a way that amplified everything beyond any expectation or experience I could have had if it was a 1 to 1 retelling,.

[@HarrySingh-z1e]

Most other youtubers have been interpreting the interview quote of "things will link to advent children" and taking that as the trilogy will end with Advent Children, but maybe it's linked because it's actually a sequel and AC is the prologue of Remake trilogy

[@Ianbits]

Yeah I think it's out of fear that they'll bring in too much of the post-FF7 stuff into the new trilogy. I'll admit I was really worried when the first thing they did after opening up creative freedom with Remake was bring in a bunch of Dirge of Cerberus characters in Intermission.

[@metastase895]

Does it matter? Literally nobody asked for a connection with a bad product. I know it is just money for them at the end of the day but that is a dangerous investment either way (and FF7 Rebirth sales looks worrying so there you go).

[@HarrySingh-z1e]

@@metastase895 It matters because the developers said it does and it links. Also rebirth's latest numbers are showing it sold better than FF16

[@user-mi2mq6gh4z]

Enjoyed this, good summaries and ponderings!

[@Ianbits]

Glad to hear it!

[@gibbs615]

I think that in part 3 the two worlds will merge together and Aerith & Zack will finally reunite ALIVE!

[@mikev8746]

1:13 This is really it I've come to believe. For me I played the OG like 3/4 times throughout my life, mostly disjointed or still being a kid. It's very easy for me to see the games flaws and view it is a draft for the modern day version. I can accept changes and also those that are maybe not as good as it could have been. Meanwhile you have people that have yearly playthroughs of the game for 2 decades or more. They wrote books about it, named their kids after the characters or what not, had profound life inspirations based on the game. There's no way in hell these people will ever accept any form of change. For the worse, but also not for the better, because change is what they resent. Given the attachment. I don't have this with any game tbh. But I can relate because I am exactly like this with some other forms of media. Things I also annually consume and find attachment and comfort in. At that level you become a super fan and you enjoy stupid shit in your favorite entertainment. Things that aren't even that great. But the charm has hooked you in. I generally just accepted the fact that these people will never not hate the remake project. And also won't stop publicly hating on it. I understand their paint. Even though I find it over emotional and not being self conscious about what you're feeling.

[@Rondoudoud]

I'm allways shocked when i hear people say that because we know what happen, it could never has the same impact, to me this is the most wrong thing i've ever heard. I often rewatch show and what strike me each time, even though i know what will happen, i still cry where i cried 5 years ago. When a scene is strong you don't need surprise, the death of Aerith a character i could fell in love with, will allways be sad to me, and yet i wasn't sad during rebirth ending.

[@Ectohelix]

Facts. They took away from the impact of her death(not-death?). A better ending would've been the original death, followed by a big multi-tier fight with Jenova, then the original funeral. Then the game ends. The impact would've been a lot more major (and lingering) then.

[@Kinda_ANastyDude]

The ending was absolutely perfect. I loved every second of this game. The best part of the remake project is that as someone who has played OG 7 a dozen times and is very familiar with this story, I am still left guessing as to what is happening. Its the closest i can be to playing 7 for the first time again. Ive loved this world for nearly 30 years and they somehow manage to maie me feel more invested then ever before.

[@everlastingbeats]

I felt more at Jesse’s death than Aerith’s death. No amount of retrospective flashbacks in Part 3 will change that. Let that sink in.

[@1kbmahan]

Going nomura is a cringe term in my opinion since he made these games in a direction that people like.

[@garrettsweet9826]

First I've seen not dissecting the ending, let's give it a listen! Also just raw opening with Kiseki music? Based.

[@Ianbits]

Can't wait for Daybreak!

[@garrettsweet9826]

@@Ianbits YEAH BOIIIIIIIIIIII

[@MrMidasGames]

You lost me at Advent Children slander 😂 I actually I’m fine with the ending as I can tell Square wanting everyone to be questioning what happens and what happens next. I do feel robbed of that moment but I believe we will get it in Part 3 and Zack n Cloud moment is everything.

[@TuLokotron2010]

Advent children was a terrible movie. I agree with him. I love ff7 and its world but advent children was lame as all hell and boring.

[@deanwilcoxson9754]

Bro these games have brought me back into games emotionally. Like bro. I’m soo invested in this it’s crazy. I have preordered each game as soon as it’s available. I love the length, the depth how flushed out they make the world. Masterpieces, each one. Idgaf what anyone says.

[@TylerA52903]

There were so many questions about how this game was going to work when it comes to the world traversal, mini games, and the plot itself, and I don’t think Square Enix could of done it any better. That development team deserves all the credit in the world, even for the controversial ending because it answers a lot of questions while leaving many questions unanswered. I hope FF7 Rebirth sells well

[@renegade637]

With regards to the Advent Children connection, I saw on another KZbin video that, when the game makers were asked about a link to Advent Children, they said that there would be connections between the Remake trilogy and AC. Any mention of a lead into AC was just a mistranslation.

[@matten_zero]

I had a 2 hour debate with someone who didn't enjoy Remake's ending on my channel. This was basically how I felt about it and I'm also happy with Rebirth's ending. I think endings like this are too much work for general audiences. The meta-narrative is very interesting to me as someone who enjoyed Evangelion's Rebuild project.

[@metastase895]

That's why people are asking: who is the target audience for this trilogy? They screwed up with OG fans and now Rebirth removed the emotional impact as well. It is too convoluted for new fans. It is no wonder Rebirth sales are worrying.

[@Garl_Vinland]

To quote a classic piece of media: “people die when they are killed”

[@Ianbits]

Gonna need a source on that one, just doesn't sound right

[@Garl_Vinland]

@@Ianbits Fate Stay Night lol

[@itsdantaylor]

10:42 this kind of checks with what the developers have stated previously in that, the "BIG TWIST" with Cloud from the original game will be less of a 'unreliable narrator' and more of a 'unreliable world' so when we see the 'world' splinter especially at this pivotal scene, we question WTH is happening, and WTH will happen next? That could be the direction they are thinking of going. Whether this is a GOOD direction to head I think would depend on your personal prefernces

[@Ianbits]

I never saw that interview, it makes a lot of sense considering the ending.

[@metastase895]

It doesn't depend on our personal preferences. We can still recognize and like bad writing while fully understanding it is the opposite of good.

[@gustogusto4519]

Defending the ending? Why? What is there to defend? People who think this is deviating too far from the original story, still think this is a remake in the classical sense and not a sequel. Time to wake up out of that and strap in for a ride that we aren't expecting. This is a sequel. There are no promises to keep. If you hate it, vote with your wallet and don't buy the last installment. If you wanted an HD version of the original, play New Threat or the Steam version with 7th Heaven Mods. Imagine Square doing a total 1:1 remake of the original. How boring. We know how that story goes.

[@Flenderr]

It wrecked me pretty good, I played it again for 3 or 4 times looking for signs wheter she was alive and watched hours of review videos. A week later it still hits and the realisation kicked in that I'm not looking forward to playing part 3 for 100 hours, without her.

[@zacatkinson3926]

She is alive in another timeline

[@AnthonyJayCee]

I don't know-- given how much is going on with each party member from an abilities and gameplay perspective, if anything it felt like they had too many different party members in Rebirth already. I think it's a very good thing that they held off on playing as Cid and Vincent. With Cid and Vincent being new playable characters in part 3, it's going to feel like even more of an overload. (I mean, if you have three different presets again to swap through between battles, you still won't be able to have everyone included between them all.) So, not having Aerith as well is probably for the best. That all said, she might be in it a lot still, akin to The Joker in Arkham Knight... and, even if she isn't, she'll still be involved in the ending as she was originally anyway. And there are plenty of sidequests with her in _this_ game anyway, so you can still get your fill of Aerith.

[@nathanking5137]

​@AnthonyJayCee they'll probably up the amount of presets to 5 for part 3. Hopefully.

[@dannyleo5787]

Definitely curious now with this splinter direction they chose to place instead of aeriths parting. Sephiroth in the scene was clearly in control of this just from how he was. He also looked like he was fighting the actions he had made in the og if you look at his body language. Overall if these worlds are merging or colliding. It means one thing, meteor is going to be given to a physical body of sephiroth but this time making the lifestream more potent or vast from the other worlds that are or will be destroyed like with zacks fight. Safer sephiroth will most likeley appaer but at the same time, something new and horrifying is on its way to shake up the conclusion

[@rozalinkie]

She hasn't had her best weapon nor final Limit Break which is quite a lore based limit break like Cloud's Omnislash. I'm glad to see a video that knows she will still appear whether she will be saved fully or die fully instead of pushing "she's definitely dead/alive because A/B/C" as none of us can know yet

[@WreakHvok]

Guess I’m the only one that loved advent children…

[@Ianbits]

I should rewatch it one of these days but I know I definitely didn't like it on first viewing.

[@viggstable305]

This is literally the most logical and perfect argument as to why the games ending was better this way

[@StefanShedenhelm-yn8kg]

I have been frustrated about this games ending for over a week, and still am But I have to admit its a good point that her death wouldnt have had the same emotional and shock value as the original. I think EVERYONE knows about it Good video. Hope that part 3 sticks the landing

[@furrylifephotography]

Thanks for putting everything I was thinking and the confusion I was having, into an organized trail of thought. I agree entirely. We are also not the same person we were back then when we played the OG and we will not be the same in 4 years when the new one comes along, having a new twist to it opens us up to having a new,different experience. It just SUCKS, to have to wait that long to know if they will get it right or not 😅

[@Ianbits]

Yeah that's a great perspective. Both we and the original creators of the game have changed a lot, that's why Kitase, Nomura, Nojima all decided to go in this direction rather than remake their original work.

[@JAGtheTrekkieGEMINI1701]

I disagree Dude... I am STILL the same Person I was 25!! Years ago when it comes to FF7

[@Kanriel]

My main criticism is that they really didn't "change the story" that much. They changed the order of scenes, and didn't show us some scenes, but the order of events from the original game is still 100% there. Cloud shows up, almost kills Aerith, stops, Sephiroth kills Aerith, team fights Jenova, team says goodbye to Aerith and drops her in the water. In the scene they move to right after the fight, when they talk about "We gotta go" the water is there. They dropped Aerith in the water. We'll see that in part 3. You are overall absolutely right, doing a frame perfect copy would not have had the same impact, so they went to change some things up, which means it didn't hit the same, but that was intentional and I feel once part 3 hits the payoff will be there.

[@Rhomagus]

I don't like multiple timelines but I loved this ending. I surmise that in order to emphasize the theme of life, the five stages of grief will take center stage going into the third installment. How people go through the stages of grief and how not everyone follows the same "order". Thematically it's clear that Cloud is currently in denial and the developers represented this almost perfectly, while the other characters are in their own stages.... Yuffie saying, "It's not fair" is bargaining. Barret saying, "We can't stay here forever..." is acceptance. Cloud hallucinating, and responding non chalantly with a "Yup. Sounds good." is denial. Tifa's dismissive guffaw to Cloud is the seed of anger. While Nanaki is shown expressing depression along with Tifa on the hill by the Tiny Bronco. Everyone is at different stages and that dynamic alone will create so much emotional conflict in the third installment. I'm glad there is no closure because even though the death scene in 97' was sudden and permanent, there was a large enough populace in the playerbase that was in denial even then, they would constantly be looking for opportunities to revive Aerith, giving way to online hoaxes claiming there was a specific and convoluted method in which to do so. The developers successfully put me back in that same emotional state I was in back in 97' specifically by staying true to the themes and expanding on them in a meaningful way. Firmly putting Cloud in a semi permanent state of denial not only fits thematically but makes perfect psychological sense to his character, with or without JENOVA influence. This also gives more depth to AC Cloud. The survivors guilt, and the rest of the stages of grief he goes through between this point and AC's ending really drives home "emo" Cloud, an aspect that may have been lost on some viewers because they thought there was closure in 97'.

[@residentevil2928]

I just hope there is a timeline/world that Aerith gets a life and to be happy. I would like that for Zack as well. They deserved more.

[@diego_es_dios]

personally what bothered me a lot about the ending is that they didnt dwell on the death enough. the characters just sit around in silence instead of like the original where each character has an individual reaction (tifa and yuffies reactions specifically destroyed me). and also the moment just kinda looks ugly imo theres too many whispers around and it feels messy

[@Ianbits]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but those reactions are only for the people who are in your party for the boss correct? At least from re watching it honestly seems like there's more reaction from party members in this version.

[@diego_es_dios]

@@Ianbits they are but i think it wouldve been a perfect oportunity to demonstrate the rest of them too. apart from that i really liked the ending

[@tlozmeowcatz7991]

@@diego_es_dios I think they're leaving the dwelling for part 3, because of what was in my opinion a huge problem with the original. The characters just kinda forget about Aerith until she becomes plot relevant again after her death, and then mention her existence again. It feels very gamey and not natural at all (for an older game obviously, it makes sense, but would feel horrendous now). The next part is going to be Cloud wrestling with this constantly, and seeing the other party members break over what happens and seeing Cloud in denial will make it MUCH more powerful than the original. If that happens, that is, I do think people are disappointed because they didnt get a definitive answer now and that it's basically a repeat of what happened with remake. The question now is whether or not they can stick the landing, because that's really what I think the biggest concern will be going into the next part.

[@pallafox]

They didn’t dwell enough because they are going against that will. Devs said that they want to give this trilogy a “happy ending” kinda tells you where this is headed

[@tlozmeowcatz7991]

@@pallafox Idk, I think it'll be bittersweet at the very least. Like she's alive in a dif time and Cloud gets to see that, but his Aerith is dead or something (which would be consistent with what we've seen so far), because they have been keeping rock solid with the themes of the OG so far. People thought Biggs, Wedge and Jessie were all alive now at the end of the last one, and that cheapened their deaths. We ended up getting that Jessie was always dead and what we saw was a recording, Wedge died during the attack on the Shinra building and Biggs gets shot unceremoniously. Obviously it's uncertain for rn so all we can do is theorize, but loss is still a central element in the game.

[@derekhogan9685]

I'd be worried for part 3 due to my two decades of following KH. It's proven that Nojima nor Nomura can wrap up their mysteries for a finale...at least not well.

[@metastase895]

That's because they are always just winging it. Unlike Matsuno or Tetsuya Takahashi, they don't know how to plan ahead with finances and schedule in mind.

[@viggstable305]

Well Stated as a huge fan of the original this was my concern was the weight of the death not having a meaningful impact especially given the fact that there is no way she was going to be completely cutout of part 3 if she did die

[@ugh5281]

i think criticisms towards how the ending of the game was handled are fair. it's extremely convotuled, confusing and you just end up feeling absolutely nothing with the constant back and forth, switching, glitching, aerith dies, aerith lives etc... that said, i think the majority of people were expecting the ending to give us a clear cut answer about aerith's fate be: is she going to live or is she going to die? instead what we got as a non-answer and they basically allude that she is both dead and alive and depending on your own perception and interpretation of the ending you'll lean more into the "she dies" camp or the "she lives" camp. one thing i do agree with you is that despite the ending being very confusing i agree that aerith has a larger role to play in part 3 regardless if she's alive in another timeline or just a "forceghost".

[@sirdanny4011]

exactly. Ever since the moment they meet in the church and get a flash of "that scene" they are punking us with the possibility she could be saved.

[@AnthonyJayCee]

She's dead, but it's more like how Jesus is dead today, Holy Saturday. She'll be back on the equivalent of Easter... but she'll be different, since she'll be transcendent. Pretty much the same thing as a forceghost, yeah, but only if there's really only the one forceghost, her, rather than many of them. I think the timelines need to converge into one where she's dead... at most I guess they could keep a small side timeline where she and Zack are both alive just so that there's a way for people to play as her in part 3, but it'd have to be something that the story could basically ignore. In Metal Gear Solid V, there's a way to get Quiet back after she's canonically left your team during the story, which is nice due to the gameplay and the eye candy. So, they could bring her back in that sense and come closer to pleasing everybody at the same time.

[@TifffanyTaylor]

Most confusing part was the hell house color mechanic coming back in sephiroth's wings & it not being explained or even hinted at. Anyone else fight for like 10 minutes before figuring it out/looking it up?

[@scarlettlav]

A sub for you, I love how insightful and how neutral you are. You just explain the ending as a matter of fact, most of the videos are filled with too much biases on their own personal interpretation instead of looking at it from an objective standpoint like aka emotional weight and we are still left with more questions. (I mean it's fine to be bias but most of them just take their own bias as fact!)

[@Ianbits]

Appreciate it!

[@Crashsquirrel72]

The thing with multiple timelines is they ALL are mainline timelines. They are just different choices made. Cloud had to best both the whispers to save Aerith in one of the timelines. Hell, we dont even know what timeline we are even playing in. It can literally switch on us at every major point. Did we actually save the Aerith in our timeline, and then get shifted to another timeline? You wouldn't know as that's how multiple timelines work.

[@WhatICallWrestling]

Totally agree. Great job, dude!

[@Redamthe5th]

This is a very concise expression of everything ive felt for the last 24 hours. Im here for the ride and im hoping square can pull whatever the hell theyre trying to pull off...

[@beethehype]

i just think the “multiverse” ending is just not cutting it.. it just made players confused. we’ll know in part 3

[@kayladaly8378]

Honestly this really makes clouds headspace in advent children make a lot more sense

[@pooolish334]

Aerith's death scene was a monumental occurrence because nothing had been like that at the time. Fast forward many years later, and do ppl think it will have the same impact?! Of course not! It's the whole point of this trilogy! To change and rekindle that flame that had been so impactful all those years ago. And given the uproar, it was well executed (no pun intended). Why do ppl want closure on the 2nd part of a trilogy? It doesn't even make sense. We need an ending like this to keep us intrigued for the 3rd part, and I can't wait for it. So yes, the ending was successful.