This Confirms A TON! New FF7 Rebirth Interview (SPOILERS!)

[@Josh-in9jh]

I love Max FF7 talks. I know you’re a fighting game channel mostly, but I love your input on games outside of fighting ones. Your FF7 talks are an addiction to me cause I love that game so much

[@fattmusiek5452]

Me as well! Pinnacle interweb content for sure

[@OfLaSoul]

It confirms nothing...

[@GuakH03]

He’s always been talking about ff…

[@levitastic]

Max is pretty much the only one that where u can FEEL the excitement with him, it can be quite magical.

[@FredMaverik]

@@GuakH03 only 7 though.

[@RamzalTimble]

Cloud is going to snap at the northern crater. Jenova is going to drop the illusion and Cloud is going to just give up and hand it over like the OG.

[@flimermithrandir]

Aerith will appear as well and tell him its fine.

[@AncientCityMusic]

This is hands down my favorite moment in the game. I hope they keep the haunting theme ‘Reunion’ true to the original

[@Maganac1]

@@flimermithrandir I want him to be so broken, that neither Aerith or Zack can help him.

[@anastasiosrepousi3397]

I don't really agree that Aerith speaking with Cloud at the end is just Sephiroth messing with him. She says goodbye without him even realising it, which feels like it's entirely her own moment of acceptance. It was really sad-just her, alone, saying goodbye. It hit me hard, and I actually teared up. The whole final sequence dropped hints while keeping us guessing, creating a bittersweet feeling at the same time. That’s why I thought the ending was absolutely fantastic.

[@UmNontasuwan]

Aerith might be different from others because she's a Cetra.Which only someone like Cloud or Nanaki can sense that.

[@KirboDreamland]

I agree, even Nanaki sensed that Aerith was there so it's not just Cloud who went crazy about Jenova or Sephiroth

[@Smallville619]

She mentions Meteor...... which has not been mentioned or shown in rebirth

[@burnzie743]

@@Smallville619 It was shown to them in Remake, in the VR dome at Shinra HQ. Barret calls back to it as a reminder to the others (and the player) at the end of the Mythril Mines when they finally meet back up near the exit.

[@TamsinV]

@@KirboDreamland Nanaki was fooled by Jenova and thought it was a friend in the original game. It is very easy for him to be fooled here, too.

[@lonely_warrior]

I will die on the hill that yells "Chadley is Hojo getting intel thanks to us"

[@whoismorn2]

Yeah there’s gonna be some sort of Chadley boss in the next game for sure

[@xtheeliminator4967]

I'm betting on Chadley becoming omega. An AI through its encounters with gilgamesh learns of the existence of the rift. Hojo does something to corrupt Chadley leading to an insatiable desire to gain knowledge. What the ultimate issue will be I have no idea.

[@beatles123]

i mean theres a sidequest that reveals hojo is watching through him, so....

[@EPICSAWIKI]

Is that why I hate him?

[@lonely_warrior]

@@beatles123 im betting that Hojo will pull some bs through Chadley, make him an enemy or that he take us to a trap

[@darbs1832]

I never played ff7 OG and Max's enthusiasm for Rebirth got me to try FF7 Remake and I was hooked instantly. Rebirth is my favorite game of all time. I 100% cried my eyes out at the end of the game (for multiple reasons) and my thoughts were that even though there were confusing elements to it, I have full faith in the devs to pull off their vision.

[@HHHKKK-w9g]

Awesome man it's also my favorite game of all time , try FF16 next and maybe later FF15

[@Ashenshugura]

Same FF 7 Rebirth truly is a masterpiece. Just wow. Sad that so many people have missed out on it. But they might be waiting for all 3 parts to be released before jumping in on top of the exclusivity.

[@meteor22]

​@@Ashenshugura That's what my friend is doing. I tried to stress to him that playing all 3 games back to back is going to be A LOT of effort and time and that he might reach burnout. Let alone that he could be waiting close to 10 years before all 3 parts are released. But it's what he wants to do.

[@SeiyaSoiya-un4jj]

Do yourself a favor and go back and play the original. It’s beloved for a reason.

[@dl2one]

Nice my friend, glad you enjoyed it so much from a non OG view. Greatest game ever

[@heartstriker2831]

I hear ff7 and max....I dash myself in to the direction of said sequence

[@fattmusiek5452]

Big same

[@outrightflame4280]

Same here I love FF7

[@tetchycrane3648]

Same

[@yokotarosimp]

same here

[@bruhm0ment6000]

​@@Mewsashi-cz9fo How can you watch Avatar 2 and form a conclusion about how the rest of the Avatar movies are gonna be like? Same thing with FF7 remake trilogy. This is only THE second part and you're already jumping to the conclusion that it's just fanfic. Every single person like you who thinks that way should wait when all of 3 parts are completed then form your conclusion. I'm also guessing you're an OG fan.

[@jonlocke7112]

The scene where Cloud and Tifa get dropped into the life stream is going to reveal all. It feels like everything happening from Remake and Rebirth is leading up to that.

[@dkolendo]

for sure. that was the clinax of FF7 og. everything after Cloud coming back, the north cave etc is just resolution.

[@thegoblincoward1217]

And some people believe that it "already happened" because Tifa fell into it in Rebirth. Really don't get that, especially considering the purpose of the OG scene is for CLOUD to be put back together, that didn't happen in any capacity

[@zeroskaterz92]

@@thegoblincoward1217 I don't know why some people believe that it already happened because of Tifa fell into it. As if anything, that explains how Tifa is able to help Cloud later on because she's already experienced it once before. In the OG, Tifa just casually walked around helping Cloud in the lifestream like it's nothing.

[@thegoblincoward1217]

@@zeroskaterz92 yeah exactly, it doesn't make any sense

[@renatop.dosreis5051]

I can understand that some people say that Tifa's Weapon scene is an advance scene from the Lifestream scene. If we take into account the official collection of Ultmania from 2005, in the novel there, it is explained that Aerith is the one who makes this connection so that Tifa has access to Cloud's memories. In this same novel, Aerith shows that she is sad because she herself couldn't help Cloud directly, because she couldn't communicate with him, so she used Tifa for that. If we put this in current reality, this communication problem between Aerith and Cloud in the remake no longer exists... So it doesn't make sense for Aerith to have to use Tifa in the lifestream, since Aerith herself is able to communicate with Cloud, both in the FF remake, just as she could also communicate with CLoud in AC.. Not to mention that Aerith in the remake (The versions that know the future) already know the entire story of the characters. If I could make a guess, I would say that this lifestream scene will be readapted, so that it does not contradict what the game's story has been presenting so far.

[@videoinsomnia]

It's funny to think there's someone out there who seen the Stamp in Junon and it led them down some long, rabbit hole tangent of a theory only for Square to be like "oh, mistake. fixed." lol

[@Michael-rc7jl]

Assuming everyone knows but spoilers. I am sort of the opinion that when Cloud attempted to save Aerith, he actually did, but Sephiroth simultaneously converged this timeline with the one where Cloud did not save Aerith (maybe why Tifa saw both outcomes) and its partly why Cloud is as messed up because he thinks he saved her but he's been sort of "implanted" in the timeline he did not save Aerith. Obviously I have no idea if thats true but seeing that whole scene again and the way Aerith addresses Cloud in the final fight I feel like there's something there.

[@TheFlyingBookworm]

I think this is a great concept!

[@TheFlyingBookworm]

@@Michael-rc7jl I think this also explains why she says 'I saw what you did back there. Thank you' referring to the fact that she saw and knows that he saved her before the timelines merged.

[@benc7826]

Sephiroth says 'So it begins a confluence of worlds'. Confluence means a coming or flowing together, meeting, or gathering at one point.

[@surreal_dreams]

@@benc7826 Yeah but in this game he states that the Reunion is both the confluence of worlds and the gathering and merging of Genova's cells, and the Reunion is supposed to happen at the Northern Crater where Sephiroth's real body lies, not in the Forgotten Capital. So I'm not buying the theory that worlds where actually merged together after Aerith's death. Also, if they were, where would've been Zack sent to after he fought alongside Cloud, and why would the battle against Sephiroth Reborn take place in 3 seperate realities? So no. My theory: Cloud saved Aerith in one reality but we just don't get to follow this timeline for now. Our Cloud is talking to the dead Aerith, but he's not as sad as the others because she confirmed to him that she saw that he saved her in another timeline and they got to say goodbye to each other when they fought Sephiroth together, plus he still thinks he has a chance to save her by merging the timelines together, which is why he keeps the black materia and now wants the reunion to happen. I think he will fail though.

[@SirMufalmar]

They definitely left out the burial scene because it's from Cloud's perspective and he's blocked it out from his memory

[@Rexaura888]

In Cloud’s mind, there’s no body to bury. Aerith’s alive. Why would they need to make a grave for her

[@phrofile3613]

Exactly. The main theme of this game is accepting lost. Which cloud is in denial

[@Dis2good]

Yup. That’s what makes this game so great. Amazing way to tell a story.

[@vincentgraymore]

@@Rexaura888 Yea, and also, will we see a robotic Cloud going through the motions of burring Aerith while thinking of the next step instead? He also "blocked" Sephiroths attack by sidestepping away so that he could see Aerith die behind him, was he really just dancing around the stage while Sephiroth being like "WTF are you doing Cloud, anyway I am just gonna stab Aerith". Or was everything simply just not like this at all? Cloud super emotional and then just "yep let's go". Didn't he say "I got this" and not have a limit break during Jenova fight? One brilliant part of the Nibelhiem flashback is that it is correct, except for Cloud thinking he is Zack. It is not just a lot of random other actions that never happened. Aeriths death in Rebirth require a lot of things to be different.

[@vincentgraymore]

@@phrofile3613 The main theme about Remake was defying destiny. The main theme of remake is that defying destiny does not change the outcome. All other themes are subthemes.

[@reversereverse7349]

Hard disagree. That Dyne scene had my grown ass in tears. One of a handful of moments I’ll always remember when thinking back on this game.

[@piaxerofchaos1309]

I really liked it too. It come down to that do you accept fact that Dyne was killed by Shinra and not killing himself? I think it was very good scene and voice acting was top tier. Usually people who dislike that scene dislike the fact that Dyne didn't kill himself after realizing that Marlene is still alive and what kind of monster he has become as he did in original game.

[@arianadonis4099]

Hit me in the feels too but that's probably cause I have a daughter

[@shou_191]

As someone who never played the original FF7, the ending broke my heart not for cloud, nor for the other teammates, but for Aerith ! I believe she’s dead in that world but alive in another world and that qhat makes even sadder. It’s knowing she will never be part of the group the way she was before that make it difficult. I feel like the third sequel will explore this feeling as well

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

Did people not do all the side content? Chadley is a real boy lol. His body was being experimented on in a lab, you get this cutscene by doing the side quests on Mt. Nibel region. I think we’re going to get to save him in the last game.

[@YourDevastator]

No. There was so much side content. So no, not everyone 100% the side content. Lol

[@irocznissan2]

Yea and also i think hojo is spying on everything through Chadley. That side quest had small subtle hints about that.

[@the-red-thing]

If I did all the side content I would have been burnt out by the end.

[@TypicallyUniqueOfficial]

@@the-red-thing I learned my lesson after the first area. What you wanna do is do all the towers first so you can unlock the map. Then start a story mission. Then do a side mission or two. Then another story mission. Doing it this way didn’t burn me out. Most gamers like getting the side content out of the way, but in Rebirth that’ll burn you out fast. I personally loved Queensblood so I did all the matches I could when I was able to.

[@ReidusQuitzed]

Chadley is a cyborg. AI copy Of the original Shinra boy genius from FFX-2. Hojo found the AI, put it in a defenseless boy cyborg. Chadley broke a deal with Hojo, let him out the world, travel and stuff, but Hojo gets intel and data.

[@science_respecter]

There’s a revisit to the Forgotten Capital w/ Bugenhagen in the original and the planet replays the death scene to the characters. Maybe they show what actually happened in Rebirth including Cloud’s speech & the burial during that sequence.

[@animenewsnetwork]

Our interview was by Lynzee Loveridge, not James Beckett. Aside from that, glad you liked it.

[@ocean_0602]

Agreed, it’s most definitely not a multiverse. It’s an expanded depiction of the lifestream.

[@thezx5795]

I need this explained

[@adamtheriault6743]

​@@thezx5795all the "alternate universes" we've seen take place within the lifestream itself, not as their own seperate universes/dimensions/realities/etc like you see in other media, marvel as an example

[@ThisIsRune]

What’s the difference? It’s clear that there’s multiple worlds/timelines/universes. Whether this is due to the livestream, is just the backstory or explanation for the concept.

[@Xelpherpolis]

@@thezx5795 Did you play Final Fantasy X? If so, these other words are basically multiple “Dream Zanarkands”, but they’re all inside the life stream; the echo of peoples lives, memories, dreams and unfulfilled desires given shape and becoming sentient.

[@ett375]

Whatever it is, to me in the end of the day these multiple worlds merging is for sephiroth to suck it and turn into a god.

[@PleasantlyLee]

An IRL of Queen's Blood will be difficult. Cloud always plays on the left and goes right. The cards will need to be double sided for IRL player 2 to be able to place them on the board in the opposite direction, but theres also a top middle and bottom lane, and cards have asymetrical tile. It would be very difficult to impliment.

[@sibby_547]

If both players play from the camera's position, and not where the characters sit while playing, then there is no problem. Just get rid of the castle on the game board so both players can sit across from each other, then you are always playing from the left no matter which side of the board you sit on.

[@Hollowed2wiz]

I agree. I think the game would be better as a mobile and/or pc game.

[@KkkKkk-re9il]

The players can simply sit opposite to each other, like in chess.

[@Christian_Kim]

Time for more FF7R news with Max!

[@HurleyMage]

I went into Rebirth with pretty average expectations. By 30 hours, I was completely mesmerized. For about a month, I was living and breathing Rebirth. I stalled as much as I could until there was nothing left but to face the end. At first, I was pretty upset about the ending. But then I ended up replaying the game again and beating it a second time really opened my eyes to the genius that is behind it all. There are a handful of classics that I put on a pedestal, and deem them as some of the best games ever made. Without a doubt, Rebirth is in that category. It really is a master piece and we are spoiled to get a game this good in 2024. It brought me the same level of happiness, intrigue, enjoyment, even sadness, as some of the other classics that are renowned and esteemed. Ocarina of Time, Chrono Trigger, FF9, FF6, and Skyrim just to name a few. Rebirth steals a spot on that stage and for me right now, it has the spotlight.

[@omgwtfbbqkitty]

I definitely agree they did the Aerith scene at the end only through Cloud's perspective which is the player perspective at that moment very intentionally. I'm very excited to see how/where the true perspective (what everyone else saw) is implemented. Don't worry Max, you weren't the only one who thought creepy Aerith was a giant red flag. It was the first thought that went through my head after the credits rolled.

[@andrewcastro4450]

Im calling it right now….We are going to get evil cloud and Jenova/Aerith psycho team up when he splits from party. I also agree that was not her. Cloud looked like he was in a trance THE ENTIRE time he talked to her in that last scene. The smallest facial expressions matters.

[@Wi11iamNZ]

yep, I thought that too. Immediately afterwards I thought something was very wrong with Cloud and Aerith in those final scenes. After running it back a few times we realise it is by design. Cloud should not be that chill, the party is obviously very suspicious of him. Tifa can't even look him in the eye and Barret although playing along is fully aware that Cloud is cooked right now. As for Aerith, well that's not our Aerith. She wouldn't be acting that way at all in a time like this.

[@andrewcastro4450]

@@Wi11iamNZ Puppet Cloud laughing along with fake Aerith synergy attacks would go so hard.

[@renatop.dosreis5051]

If it's not Aerith, how did Nanaki feel her presence?

[@andrewcastro4450]

@@renatop.dosreis5051 SPOILERS!!! In the original game. Red is tricked by Jenova at the Northern Crater to give her the materia by impersonating a party member. Red is still very young and gullible. Also Tifa had no reaction to “Aerith” which is SUS because that’s her best friend and she has experience in the lifestream. I believe they intentionally had Red sitting next to Tifa to give that little detail.

[@Dominion_Hawks]

Dude part 3 cant come soon enough, im dying over here to play it

[@Lancerris]

There is just no way last night I finally finish the 4 hour long video about ff7 ending opinions lore and speculation and this drops today, can't be a better world

[@closedchill5243]

I just hope Arith is fully with the party early on in the last game. So much fun in the Rebirth were her interactions with the other party members. If she remains alive but not with the party, then for the most important intents and purposes, she's dead. Big features next game is full airship flight, expanded Wutai, weapons, KotR game long quest like Gilgamesh, and I think the finale will not be the northern crater. Maybe that's still a dungeon, but I think there will be a new finale after that.

[@greghaggerty9996]

Whether it's a multiverse or not, it kinda feels like the same thing either way. Multiple worlds based on alternate choices. Even if it's not technically a multiverse it might as well be one in practice.

[@dkolendo]

but it's not alternate or multiple worlds. it's life and the lifestream, which is like saying mortal life and heaven, or something like that. the stuff you see happen with zack is like his ghost not realizing he is dead and navigating the afterlife, or cloud remembering him in his own broken consciousness. aerith can kind of communicate with the lifestream since she is 1/2 cetra, and sephiroth is in it trying to control it, but it's always one world, with deliberately vague or red herring storytelling to keep players thinking its different worlds. then again i can't be sure till part 3 comes out, i know.

[@Dis2good]

@@dkolendothat actually makes the most sense to me. So the different stamps are unique to each “timeline” because the ghost has not realized he’s dead? And Aerith is a ghost that can communicate between heaven and reality? But then that makes Septhrioth what? A ghost that cannot accept his death and wants to return to the living world?

[@greghaggerty9996]

@@dkolendo I get what you're saying. But in practice, what we see is a bunch of alternate "what if" style outcomes of various character choices. And they are referred to as "worlds" by Sephiroth. So even though it isn't an actual multiverse, it serves an extremely similar storytelling function.

[@darthvaderreviews6926]

@@dkolendo Nah I don't agree with this assessment, I don't see any evidence Zack is actually dead and it's just his adventures in the Lifestream. It's different from multiverse rules as many would understand it, _(eg. instead of every choice making a world, it's only choices that "break the boundaries of fate". the two worlds Cloud has potentially created involved him and the party breaking literal boundaries created by the guardians of fate. Zack is an exception because him being alive at all is a breach of fate)_ but fundamentally it's a similar enough concept. It's multiple worlds because IMO it's intended to be an in universe explanation for how Remake is even happening. People initially assumed Sephiroth was time travelling via the Lifestream or something, but no, the original FF7 world still exists and played out as normal, Remake is just its own world. Re. Aerith being able to communicate with it, it's not that simple. There's only one lifestream, so when people return to the lifestream & their memories with it, all world versions of them can be treated as merged. This isn't a unique thing to Aerith, _(eg. she draws out the same memories in Red XIII, though he only recognised it as "seeing the future" and didn't realize they were legitimate memories)_ but Aerith's connection with the lifestream makes it a lot more useful for her.

[@martinaguiluz4063]

@@darthvaderreviews6926 Exactly. It has to be some time of multiple worldlines shit. When important predestined events are stopped (like Zack surviving and Cloud stopping Sephiroth), new "doomed" worlds are created. These new worlds would still be connected to the same lifestream.

[@LordAzrael707]

I think OGs are confused because Square is giving us what we want, but not in the way we're expecting it. And some people are upset that their expectations aren't being met. But I am definitely here for what they're cooking.

[@The_Phoenix_Saga]

Convolution of a story plot and splitting what was once one game into three whilst utterly milking the fanbase, isn't what I'd ascribe as to "giving us what we want"

[@liquidsnake23]

I was a little upset with remake ending but rebirth gave me hope without looking up anything else since it seems I’m close to being right. If they pull this off with what I believe, this would be amazing.

[@Aliens1337]

Also the fact that FF is not the powerhouse it used to be. Sad pill to swallow Im sure. But just think about 15 or 20 years ago, when you say RPG, people say Final Fantasy. FF used to be THE genre defining series. Each FF release used to be an event. Nowadays there are way too many great RPG franchises to compete with. Consumers have more choices. FF isn’t the king of RPGs like it once was.

[@docbenway1082]

​@The_Phoenix_Saga Why do you keep watching videos about FF7 remake if it upsets you so much? I've seen literally dozens of comments from you on FF7R videos across multiple channels spanning over a year. Spending so much time on something you hate really isn't healthy - have you considered therapy?

[@lopezzelo2502]

This is not what I wanted…

[@botanbutton]

Honestly, when I got to the ending and watched everything play out, I began to bounce up and down because I just knew what they were doing! That line from FF7 OG where Cloud is talking to everyone on the Highwind kept playing in my mind "I’m…Cloud. The master of my own illusionary world." And then when I watched Max finish up and start giving his ideas and theories, I got even more excited. The 3rd installment is gonna go crazy, for newbies and old heads!

[@Jast-Sama]

Since Rebirth covered a majority of the story in the original game, I wonder if we will get Advent Children content in the final entry post game, even in the form of DLC would be the perfect way endings the trilogy!

[@PaulJohnson-zv3hl]

FF7 is very much doing multiverse stuff…. It’s just the “Copenhagen” theory. Long story short “Many Worlds” is the big thing in films atm where there’s a full multiverse…. The Copenhagen theory says these other “worlds” exist but briefly until only one version exists. Sephiroth is saying the multiverse is “Copenhagen” but the very big plot line of Gilgamesh (that runs the entire game and EVERYONE ignores) says it’s “Many Worlds”. Who knows what the writers have planned but what we do know is: -Dreams/ being unconscious can allow powerful characters to travel between realities into the bodies of their alternate selves. - matter can travel between worlds like Zack and the white materia. - new Worlds can be created by characters that are powerful enough like Gilgamesh and fort condor - time travel is possible such as Sephiroth and the whispers. To not follow up on the ideas of quantum mechanics and the mythological poems of Gilgamesh and have it as a red herring would be such a bummer.

[@blueseraph8618]

That's why I think it's parallel worlds existing within the Lifestream. Aerith is in a schrodingers cat type situation.

[@Ukaran]

There is an NPC in Cosmo Canyon who explains what's really happening.

[@GCharlesE]

?​@@Ukaran

[@PaulJohnson-zv3hl]

@@Ukaran I don’t buy that the devs put some of the most important exposition in that random NPC before Bugenhagen can figure it out when he reaches the forgotten capital.

[@SeferAngeloEspiritus]

​@@Ukaranand that same npc stated that it is just a theory

[@leedunkin3338]

What is the feasibility of the final installment combining the first two maps to create a comprehensive open world of Gaia?

[@SRFAA]

Pretty sure that'd be their goal considering how much they've already covered in both.

[@Dis2good]

It’s a requirement. Otherwise, they will disappoint every FF7 fan.

[@timogul]

I still expected Rebirth and beyond to be way different than the original, because I saw the ending of Remake as being the breakpoint between continuities. I expected it would hit the same locations, but for the actual story to differ more than it was.

[@timogul]

@@Alcogod Personally though I was looking forward to a very different story. I wanted to see what a new take on things would be. Then maybe after the final part of the Remake trilogy came out, they could release a "FF7 Remaster" that is more of a 100% faithful copy of the PS1 game, reusing the visual assets from the Remake trilogy.

[@Nico-nc5qb]

I mean, it's pretty obvious that they don't show the scene of Cloud getting Aerith's body under water and the fact that he is seeing her around, his mind broken, so that when Tifa saves him it will have more context. It's also why the Tifa scene happened, so now she knows how to traverse the Lifestream so it makes perfect sense that she could help Cloud see the truth, come to terms with who he is and what happened and wake up. They'll show Cloud being Zack and him failing to save Aerith. So it changes the road, but the outcome is the same as the OG, wich it makes the narrative make more sense.

[@KazinM]

It's a shame we didn't get that scene when he wades into the water and let's her go.. its such a iconic scene with alotta emotion. But I understand why they wouldn't do it given the context of the current story..

[@Justin-td2er]

​@KazinM okay but you understand what this commenter is saying right? The part people seem to be missing is that it appears we will get a new version of those events in part 3. The new version will include Aerith being put into the water and that's when we will get that iconic scene

[@KazinM]

@Justin-td2er sorry was on a small break at work and skimmed over quick. Your right likely! That be sweet

[@Justin-td2er]

@@KazinM no need to apologize, I just wanted to tell you that because you seem a bit disappointed they didn't include that scene(as was I). It sounds like it's coming around as a "this is what really happened" type of way, so we should still get it

[@zeroskaterz92]

It's like some people didn't even pay attention nor play the OG where the group later return to the forgotten city and watched the whole Aerith's death again through the materia recording.

[@buttersleopaldstoch5793]

Things are starting to click in my head now. Cloud is going to believe he's giving the white materia to Arith in the northern crater but it's actually going to be the black materia and he's going to hand it to Seth Roth. Edited: Sephiroth.

[@dkolendo]

oh thats a GOOD prediction

[@sora_escandar222]

thats a nice theory. Spooky Aerith will convince Cloud to give the materia to Sephiroth thinking it was a blank materia but then suddenly she just vanish and the blank materia turns into the black materia and then booom ! Sephiroth is back baby !!

[@rleeton1]

Damn you Seth Roth! 😠😠😠

[@Enorium]

I laughed out loud ​@@rleeton1

[@buttersleopaldstoch5793]

@@rleeton1 I was using talk text and to be honest don't know how to spell his name

[@spoogtastic]

So i have played and finished ff7 remake and rebirth and my 12 year old son has as well. When he was playing through and the 1st time they showed thr different stamp dog, he immediately caught it. "Wait, thats a different dog" i was so proud lol stamp was a perfect device to subtly show this isnt the same place we know. God i love these games.

[@Tangozzz]

X

[@alexm8d13]

I love how people tend to forget that the big Spoiler for part 3 is already out there, in your game and it's “Loveless” and “No Promises To Keep”, they literally tell you more or less how this story is going to end.

[@renren47618]

Loveness or Loveless? And if it is Loveless, are you talking about the Rebirth one or Genesis' poem?

[@alexm8d13]

@@renren47618 Sorry loveless I meant to say and I was referring to the one from Rebirth.

[@mettatonneoex]

Minerva would be an interesting name to bring up

[@yoyoyoyo-qv5hu]

I'm glad the rebirth has alluded to the OG's underlying kabbalah theme. The mix of tifa's theme and the gold saucers has not gone unnoticed and how the gold saucer depicts an actual tree with its branches visible underneath. Ya know the original was about finding yourself again when you had become lost and cloud finds his inner tiferet in the end.

[@Coyoda]

I am an OG fan and I was fine with the ending though I was also very analytical, looking at the symbolisms, philosphy, time and space, hints, etc. I think playing xenogears early in my life a few years after ff7 really made me open minded about many things though. Dimensions get created when there's a rainbow effect on screen and Cloud essentially embraces his "will to power" Frederich Nietzche philosophy style and chooses to do something in the moment even if the future could be pre-determined or aka, in a cycle of eternal recurrence. Cloud trying to do something different against what is preordained along with Sephiroth trying to be a demiurge of all this all fit accordingly to Nietzchean philosophy to overcome and transcend what exists. Sephiroth both embraces Nietzchean philosophy but also fails part of it which why Cloud is able to overcome him. his statements like never wanting to become a memory, trying to continuously exist, echo this failure. He cannot accept mortality at its most blunt level and wants to stay eternal (a quality you would see with Krelian, Wilhelm, Zanza etc Xeno series. These characters refuse mortality itself out of fear or being unable to face a quality they don't like). But yet he embraces Nietzchean philosophy in how he gives of this 'Cloud he needs to suffer to become stronger' mentality, though, the type of suffering he puts Cloud through is not exactly the kind Nietzche intended. Though, Loss is one of these, in that the loss of Aerith and accepting that people are mortal and not eternal. What's interesting to look at though is...Cloud preventing the loss of Aerith in some shape or form. In the case of Eternal Recurrence, if you prevent the death of someone, you still have to face their mortality later. it only delays the inevitable, sure old age is one thing, but would this mean Cloud is denying his own evolution (not literal evolution for those who've actually read this far, it's basically your own character growth that's being referred to here). Or is this actually growth of some kind being that he was exposed to the fact that Aerith can die, realizing that it's all rigged, doing some self-evaluation of what he truly feels about all this, and overcoming through suffering in the past recurrence? Course...these are just thoughts about it. I'm not saying THIS IS WHAT IT IS. But there's a lot of Nietzchean elements present in ff7 and I can't help but wonder how it might be getting applied to the characters and actions in the game.

[@brayenmorrison3199]

More Interview Notes.

[@stu729]

I've heard that when Infinity War was being developed, they weren't sure if they wanted to end the movie at just the death of half the universe or with the charge to Thanos' farm world and realize how they had truly and utterly failed after he destroyed the stones. The decision eventually was to hold off on that "it's even worse than you think" moment until Endgame just to drive the despair home. The movie starts by hammering home the hopelessness. I think the FF7R developers did the same thing by not giving us that closure with Aerith's death, and yeah with that question of did Cloud actually kill her. When we actually get that in Reborn (that's my call for the next game's title) it's going to absolutely destroy Cloud and reinforce the feelings of loss in the player before the events of the game and finally the ending brings you back up again. They know what they're doing. I can't wait

[@matthewloveridge5469]

The interview being read through was conducted by Lynzee Loveridge of Anime News Network, though James Beckett helped write the questions.

[@zekiel2533]

The troll in the beginning. The anime is great btw

[@eji]

yeah Dyne's death was melodramatic and corny in Rebirth, honestly... the OG was surprisingly darker and more somber because he literally kills himself to absolute silence

[@rafaynoman1180]

Yeah they mostly did that for the Chinese audience because in China you cant show suicide in most media. So they had to show him getting gunned down instead and if you think that doesn't make sense remember they banned Winnie the pooh for equally ridiculous reasons.

[@CTomCooper]

@@rafaynoman1180Yup. A series remade for modern audiences. Le sigh.

[@Darxide23]

Melodramatic and corny is the Japanese way of storytelling. That's why anime is so cringe and terribad.

[@gerrya2133]

​@@rafaynoman1180I doubt that. If you compare Japanese vs Korean shows and movies, Japanese shows are less subtle in their performances. What they did in Rebirth is right in line with that. No need to alter their style.

[@zueszues9715]

OG better but rebirth kinda good And Dialog from cloud to berret kinda cute when he bring berret gun hand Return to him

[@grapes9h5]

Max + VII equals drop all else at once

[@ViewportPlaythrough]

as for the timeline thing, again, because 90s anime and 90s jrpg uses "multiverses" and "timelines" differently than how western media, specifically the mcu, handles it. just watch anime from those era and you would understand it. if you know chrono series and xenogears then youre pretty much set for it. then theres the girl who leapt through time, steins;gate, haruhi suzumiya. even the more recent ones such as link click, summertime rendering, tokyo revengers, mirai nikki. even 16 sentinels is closer to it than mcu. even kh series is closer. if you think of 7R project like that, then its closer to those.

[@xtheeliminator4967]

My bet for Chadley Chadley has a desire for knowledge. Hojo will corrupt him and his desire will become insatiable. Deciding that the world is too small and remembering his encounter with gilgamesh he decides he needs to go beyond. He inhabits a machine that was a left over or prototype from the shinra weapons or space program. Chadley will be a boss fight. Omega.

[@WhiteHawk77]

Multiverse by another name.

[@manwiththemachinegun]

I could care less about fighting games. Max is who I go to for FF7R news.

[@videoinsomnia]

couldn't*

[@TheSpectacledOwl]

“I could care less” So…you could actually care less? Or did you mean “I couldn’t care less”?

[@gektoast4968]

@@TheSpectacledOwlit always means “couldn’t care less” it’s just that that’s how some people hear and repeat it

[@huzidamasta]

​@gektoast4968 yeh but that's obviously a problem haha

[@huzidamasta]

So in other words, you care to some degree

[@Nyla_emotes]

Cant wait for the next big discussion with Sleepezi, BBseal and the others. That was an epic moment and I hope once we will get closer to the last part of Remake trilogy that you guys will organize another one together! Thanks Max you are always the best! :)

[@yokotarosimp]

i have a feeling part 3 will have a lot of butterfly effect moments in the dialogue, since now they're fully diving into the whole worlds concept, we're gonna get the rainbow effect every time we do something that affects the story, and that's how they expand player control over the story

[@MelRetro]

*I have the FFVII Intergrade on PS5. I can't wait for the release of all the DLC for Rebirth*

[@krismunroe9849]

There won't be dlc for Rebirth. They're working directly on part 3

[@SRFAA]

​@@krismunroe9849Yeah, was sure they said no DLC this time.

[@reeceholmes7903]

They definitely not doing DLC for Rebirth they are hard focused on part 3 and they already said that they want to get part 3 released as soon as they can

[@DoctorPorkenfries]

I think Sephiroth is going to defect to the hero side in the next game. If you think about it, Sephiroth himself is really just a puppet of Hojo and Jenova, lead around by the notion that Jenova is his mother and hes not human. I think part of the next game will be the reveal to him that his true mother is Lucretia, and that she wants to love him and care for him instead of just use him (like Jenova.) Theres also that speech Aerith gives in the temple about how she thinks there's strength in forgiveness. "Cloud" blows it off because it was Sephiroth controlling him at that point, but what if Aerith knew that and actually meant for Sephiroth to hear it? I think Sephiroth is going to have a "come to Jesus" moment in the next game (which works well with the "Aerith as an almost Christ-figure thing) and that one of the big themes is going to be forgiving mistakes in the past and moving forward instead of dwelling on them. Corel forgiving Barret, Shinra and Avalanche putting their differences aside and working together to beat Hojo/Jenova (assuming Shinra pulls their heads out of their asses and stops literally killing the planet), the heroes forgiving Sephiroth, Cid forgiving tea lady, Yuffie and her father forgiving each other, etc. That being said, I'll never forgives Jules for the sit-up minigame.

[@DoctorPorkenfries]

I think that whats going on with Aerith is that she showed Cloud the multiverse, so that when she died and appeared to him as a consciousness within the lifestream, Cloud could have some kind of explanation for how she's not dead when other characters talk about her death. Sephiroth *wants* the characters to feel grief, sadness, and anger over her death, and she's trying to prevent that for Cloud, or at least put it off until Sephiroth is defeated.

[@ff8masterc]

I bet Max has already seen pt 3. I really hope they go the multiple endings route for the finale.

[@gimmeonion]

not the noob saibot kombat kast, I'm so anxious about it

[@BltzZ]

12:35 😭

[@nicholasg.5441]

Sephiroth: in your anger, you killed her. Cloud: NNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[@eclipsicalbluestocking1182]

That would be sick

[@Reaps]

It won't stop after the final. There is a game after this, we getting a more than FF7, like it or loath it this is a franchise that cant fail, regardless of quality.

[@alistairblaire6001]

14:52 Yeah I gunned it and got hard stuck at Midgardsormr. I spent like 2 days trying to beat it and gave up. Now that I have this tip I might revisit the game lol

[@mikeisfine]

Dyne was so heart shattering. His voice acting was so great and seeing Barret come to the realization that he's so mentally unwell in such a sad way really hit me hard. Definitely a top moment in the game for me. And I absolutely loved how many minigames there were in rebirth, but I do hope they let them exist in two and move forward with three in a unique way. So much respect for how ambitious they're being and openly accept whatever changes they think are fun.

[@samus8163]

Showing Terror of the Deep instead of Midgardsomr while you were talking about Midgardsormr tripped me up 😂

[@G37Samer]

We need to find a way to get Max to interview the developers. Make it happen internet!

[@Dis2good]

They know Max and won’t answer a single question he has 😂😂

[@dreamer6737]

So do you think we will see what actually happened when Aerith got killed in the next game? The scene in the water that was missing etc?

[@dominiksledziewski]

Man, I can't wait for the third game. On the other hand, what the hell will we do with our lifes when we finish it?

[@MRayGames]

In addition to it not being a multiverse, they also kinda confirmed it isn't a sequel by explaining the only reason they have sephiroth in remake is because there is no mystery around him anymore. They couldn't just wait for rebirth, his reveal would never have the same impact. And remake would have been worse off by not having an imposing antagonist and lackluster ending. I'm still in the camp of him just having further knowledge like Aerith and Red did, and it's clearly not resulting in any significant diversions to the plot. Theory crafting is fun, but I wonder where people will land if it ends up JUST being an expanded retelling and not some kind of pseudo sequel

[@Nigel222]

Im curious if part 3 will start you off with all the summons you could get in Rebirth or if they will just make us collect new ones or something. Stuff like Gilgamesh and whatnot.

[@Onidragon55]

Probably how they played it in Rebirth with the Remake summons-keep a few of them from the start, one of them is a pre order DLC, the majority are new ones.

[@colinnixon7739]

Theory; aerith and sephiroth will be battling in clouds mind to bring him to the conclusion.

[@stephenoliveau]

Most likely, the gun models WERE as heavy as comparable real guns... just that dance troupes aren't soldiers and used to carrying something that heavy. I'm pretty sure even soldiers would need to train to do those moves with their weapons though.

[@MightyPinecone]

I like that blitz in the chat trolling 😂

[@colinnixon7739]

When cloud is in a coma we will be playing solo cloud parts like how we played zack solo parts.

[@holitinne]

I think the console exclusivity helped the devs to bring the game out faster. So it wasnt all doom and gloom.

[@bruhm0ment6000]

Yeah but that's why it only has 2 million copies sold, FF16 sold more than that.

[@holitinne]

@@bruhm0ment6000 1. 2 million is good considering FFVIIR sold 3 million in its first year and it’s PS4 install base is *DOUBLE* of that of the PS5. 2. FFXVI is a complete package. FFVIIRB is part 2 of 3 installments. While ironically Rebirth has 5x the content of XVI, most people will see RB as a portion of package. 3. Poor marketing, because of SE’s brutal take down on people streaming FFVIIRB it did not get the exposure it deserved.

[@holitinne]

@@bruhm0ment6000 2 million’s not bad considering the last one sold 3 million on its first year with double the install base.

[@bruhm0ment6000]

@@holitinne Don't lie to yourself, Final fantasy 7 is a top 2 game tied with Ocarina of time, this game has an iconic legacy that deserves more love. For starters Hogwarts legacy has 24 million sales, Baldurs gate 3 has 10 million sales, Zelda Botw 30 million, Zelda Totk 20 million, Elden Ring and Cyberpunk have 25 million, Helldivers 2 has 12 million sales. Even niche genres like fighting games have more sales than Rebirth. Street fighter has 4 million, Tekken 4 million, Mortal Kombat 1 has 4 million, Guilty gear strive have 3 million. I'm no expert but I dare say Action, RPG and JRPG genre of games are more popular than fighting games. Console exclusivity is not the way ****A N Y M O R E****. Unless you're Nintendo because Nintendo is just so ahead in the Console wars right now. I understand when SE said they were not meeting expectations because if Remake had 7 million sales, the only natural progression is to reach 10 million sales, not 5 million lesser than Remake. It's such a disappointment but I hope Rebirth wins GOTY and increase their sales. Easily 20 million copies if they had better marketing, better word of mouth, and day 1 PC launch because for games that have 10-20 million sales on average are all on PC.

[@holitinne]

@@bruhm0ment6000 this isn’t about FFVII Rebirth is it? You seem to be angry at something else.

[@DeRossi-z]

Please make this game goty

[@AruLily]

Like i told my bf that said oh no another shite multiverse and i said, as the philosopher here, this didn't feel like a multiverse. When i read the interview i thought ''so you put slices of peoples assumptions as possibilities that may or may not have happened into a white space with windows in it, like something to watch as you fly by, a sort of nier automata ending kind of thing, a sort of touch of the players essence? So it's just what we thought moments, but they wont actually touch the story, i'd say. Yeah, the moment we were supposed to put Aerith in the water, it cut, it felt like i got stabbed in the feels, so yeah, i felt like, that was a very popular scene and there is no way, they wont replay that scene again in the 3rd part and let us and cloud see, what really happened, because he will need to face it, it might even happen at that scene where Tifa helps him fix his mind.

[@whitey00112]

I thought they pulled it off great! They gave us hope that we could save her this time. Just to rip it away in a blink of a moment. Which was the best way to recapture the impact of that moment for people who played the original.

[@rimwrex5538]

after banging my head against the wall trying to figure out this story…imma just enjoy the ride, no matter how we think about it - we just don’t have enough info to make a conclusive deduction, everything’s gonna be settled in p3. idk about yall but i hated the ending at first, sat with it, and found myself for really enjoying it because I did not know what was next, especially for Zack’s story

[@Anduril74871]

So, I came away from the Aerith's death scene with a slightly different perspective than Max does here, and apparently other fans too. When Cloud lunged forward and seemingly stopped Sephiroth, I felt a sense of relief and a little annoyance that it changed, that through all of this, we actually did change fate. And then Cloud has a little episode and shifts to the dripping blood from Masamune and I felt like they kissed me on the mouth and then stabbed me in the heart. Because for the briefest second, I had hope and Sephiroth proved that no, he still holds all the cards. And then you have the ending which felt like Aerith saying goodbye to Cloud, but also felt like Cloud wasn't acknowledging that she's really gone.

[@AKAProm]

While I never thought it was going to be a completely different game, the ending of Remake does so much to tell you that things are going to be different. Not only are you fighting against a literal manifestation of the concept of "Fate" but they even do the ENDING of FF7 with Sephiroth! Sure, it's a fake out but they played that card already by doing that. Not only that but all the stuff with Zack? There is too much different for things to stay the same at the end... but that's the benefit of the next game being the last one. They can do whatever they want. I fully expect some kind of multiple ending situation.

[@CarlosXPhone]

I am at the final boss battle with Sephiroth.

[@Dis2good]

I’m waiting Cloud……

[@tiffyw92]

14:35 "You don't fight Vincent in FF7." Tell that to my 7-yo self who would attack Vincent in Galian Beast mode because he wouldn't stop using Beast Flare on a DRAGON. Ffs Vince. Like sure, you can say I was dumb to summon Galian Beast on a dragon but he was a new character, his Limit was up and I needed to grind his kill count. Also I was 7.

[@meeveling]

I was never upset by the ending, just confused. Original ffvii is my favourite game ever and means a lot to me, and I didn't expect the reboot to be exactly the same. I was confused by everything, and wary about the next game, but this video has explained things in a way that make me more excited than ever even if they change the ending. I keep saying that as long as they hit the right story beats, I'll be okay with this being a different game from the one I have loved for years.

[@Ty4ler]

That’s actually wild they caught wind of the chadley rumour …. I really hope they pull a 180 and actually make him into a boss … like imagine him the last trial of the brutal challenges and he turns into an adult (probably looks alot like Weiss so they could use his model and change the hair ) that would be so sick

[@TillyLogan-yd7kt]

WILL WE GET KNIGHTS OF THE ROUND TABLE? NEO BAHAMUT? RUBY ROSE? GOLD CHOCOBOS ANYWHERE AND EVERYWHERE? UNDERWATER EXPLORATION? EXPAND IT IF SO? WILL WE BE ABLE TO REVISIT EVERYWHERE WE,VE ALREADY BEEN? WILL THE WEAPONS AND MATERIAS HAVE EVEN BETTER CRAZIER CUSTOMAZATIONS AND COMBONATIONS?

[@johnpaulyoshida5690]

It's funny. As someone familiar with parade drill I was immediately impressed with how the parade isn't just fun to watch but also from a real world perspective, while technically difficult isn't outlandishly fake.

[@jameshunter6289]

Always enjoy these uploads. Shame i completely forget about the triology between games, the wait seems like forever

[@surreal_dreams]

13:45 Oh Max... Airship combat... you're making me wish for a Skies of Arcadia remaster so bad right now. A real shame you never played it.

[@AmazingFrenchman]

The biggest meta I've ever experience is MGSV The Phantom Pain lacking episode 51 and then they show us what it was supposed to be in video form. Giving us ultimate Phantom Pain. WTF right after I type this shit Max goes V has come to! hahaha!

[@elfsong713]

As a newcomer who never played OG (and have no plans to) I thought the ending was sad, but what I felt more was confusion. I appreciate the fact that the developers have changed enough that long time fans and newcomers alike have no idea what is going on. It puts us all in the same boat! 😅

[@redacewave4353]

It's the same stuff as the OG it's just now it's from Cloud's point of view.

[@vantox9001]

"What was your favorite minigame?" Man I LOVED picking mushrooms in Gongaga. Peak FF7 for me

[@ucupas]

Thank you for talking about FF VII Rebirth again 👍🏻💪🏻

[@dobbear]

Well, yeah, it's gonna be spooky Aerith that will tell Cloud to give Sephiroth the Black Materia.

[@lomborg4876]

Cloud had a vision of Aerith's death, when he first met her in the church.

[@arianadonis4099]

I been saying this since before Remake but I still think they should make Gold Saucer be a multiplayer hub where players can play the mini games against each other.

[@TRNFloyd]

I liked the Dyne scene, but I wasn't to big on the difference between OG and Rebirth. OG Dyne gave up on life, ending it by jumping off a cliff as he felt he had no way to come back from what he had done. Rebirth Dyne was very close to the same as OG, but ended up using his life to save Barret from a Shinra attack. In my opinion, Shinra being there during that felt very off. It might of made sense, but that scene was a big part of Barret's story, and them being there to basically finish the job of killing Dyne and Barret seemed.. Idk cheap? OG's scene felt more powerful/impactful because he did it more for himself than anything. Dyne was done, and nothing Barret, or anyone, could do or say would change that. Rebirth forced Dyne to save Barret - which up to this point feels off and out of character. Why would someone who's this messed up in the head, save someone who - to him - stole his child from his life and started raising them as their own? Because "former friendship" feels weird to me as an excuse, personally. Then again, perhaps a moment of clarity struck. Maybe he knew he wasn't gonna last much longer, and decided that Barret was the best chance at a good life for Marlene. Idk. I think this is where people are feeling the "it was just okay" from though.

[@T2JUDGEMENTDAY-rl2xi]

I dont think they could include a suicide scene and keep it family friendly

[@davidisbrosif3899]

I accepted the ending 100%! I played only the FF7 Remake and then Rebirth. Love it!

[@Goldenking1216]

I think with the high wind while you flying around the party will be on the bottom deck and you’ll run into monsters while flying and then fight them on the bottom deck

[@AstalThe9]

16:38 I got the one scene I've wanted out of this trilogy, where Cloud does SOMETHING to try and stop Sephy Poo from shish-kabobbing Aerith. Didnt really work out in the end but my boy smacked Sephiroth so hard he disarmed him. They can literally turn everyone into moogles at the very end of the next game, I got what I wanted.

[@dkolendo]

so THAT's the satisfying happy endung the devs were alluding to. haha, just kidding

[@xyrots]

"what'd you think of gears and gambits?" "I'd rather eat my fucking hand than play it again" LMAO

[@donah4496]

Real. It was the only minigame I would rather skip

[@xyrots]

@@donah4496 ehh, Fort Condor and the Chocobo flying ones didn't really do it for me either

[@mettatonneoex]

Multiple Endings? Fates becomes a series of Decisions and choosing memories, what would you do?

[@JustinGreene0224]

I didn't play the original, so I landed somewhere in the middle. Not know Aerith dies is like finding someone that doesn't know Darth Vader is Luke's father, or the ending of Planet of the Apes. It's damn near impossible to not know it's going to happen going in. But I still love what they're doing. I'm enjoying the more subtle story beats I'm getting. That said, I just wish the part on Rufus secretly running Avalanche hadn't been spoiled. THAT would have been my major reveal of Part 3.

[@clojap]

Xbox sales would have been negligible. The last mainline FF game that launched day and date over 5 times as many copies sold on playstation

[@URmomsleftBREAST]

7:36 The Barrett actor was effected by his father’s death. That was his literal tear and screams from the recent passing of his father during that time.

[@TifaLockhart77]

Cloud : dead end for you maybe ! lol not for me I already have a solid answer of the ending maybe because I am asian so I know what the dev and nojima thinks, so sorry for you getting confuse but when the 3rd game came out you all will see :)