Re-Playing Final Fantasy VII Remake AFTER The OG & Compilation (FF7R Reactions)

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/ itslazboi
All my Final Fantasy videos in order
• Experiencing Final Fan...
VODs
• FF7R Replay AFTER OG
Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:45 - Final Fantasy VII Remake
1:01:23 - Intermission
1:11:22 - Rebirth Trailer
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● VOD Channel - / @itslazboivods

[@suchendelokidottir5673]

I think what's happening is Aerith and Sephiroth are metaphorically playing "new game plus" trying to get the "good ending" and naturally they have very different ideas of what the good ending is. But let's face it, neither of them had a good ending in the original

[@nohemi6899]

I agree. I feel like the entirety of this Remake is sort of the clash between the Whispers (The Planet) and Sephiroth. Sephiroth wants to change things and get the ending he wanted in OG. By having the gang kill the Whispers in the end, that gives the chance for his true goal to come to fruition. I think that is why Aerith is hesitant about crossing the bridge and changing fate. I think due to her Cetra origins, she has deja vu and instinctual moments of what's going to happen. Not that she knows everything, but she has glimpses so the planet attempts to remove the memories to prevent any changes. One thing Aerith does understand that the Whispers don't interfere with is her eventual end. I think Aerith is resigned to that that she won't try and change it. The Whispers appear to stop her from telling the gang about Sephiroth, but they don't appear the only times when she does remember something. Aerith could've brought up Sephiroth when Cloud mentioned him, but I think she agrees with the Whispers for the most part and wants it all to go the same way as the OG in order to defeat Sephiroth.

[@budakbaongsiah]

It's not metaphorically if both knew about their own deaths.

[@suchendelokidottir5673]

@@budakbaongsiah it's metaphorical because for them, it isn't a game. It's their lives and it's life or death

[@skidmc]

Being corrupted by Jenova, who wins in the end of the compilation story, Gaia believes any departure from OG is wrong. Now that Aerith and Sephiroth united against Jenova and Gaïa, destroying the orbiter to make change possible, Rebirth trailers seems to show Cloud embracing reunion way sooner and maybe Zack will come back up Aerith, witness her fate, play a role in bringing back Cloud?

[@Jappe132]

Definetly agree. I think the moment Aerith became the og Aerith is the opening scene of the game.

[@sageofsparda3764]

"I still don't know what's going on" that's the most accurate thing you could possibly say about this series of FF7 😂😂

[@ayazejjari3140]

Perfect summary in the end of this video 🙂‍↕️

[@ShirouBrando]

The Whispers are around Aerith at the beginning beacuse sephiroth encounters cloud at the stairway and they were keeping her there since he would have missed her now beacuse of him getting held up

[@un_known5895]

13:00 the reason why things are different is pretty much from the moment cloud got distracted by sephiroth on the way to the sector 8 train station, by sidetracking cloud it would've put him out of sync with meeting up with Aerith, who was being held in place by the whisperers, that escalated into a snowball effect which lead to cloud asking the group about invisible enemies which more than likely made the decision to drop cloud from the mission as they couldn't risk having someone along who was seeing things.

[@GamebustersUK]

There's also the very subtle detail of Aerith in the opening intro, she gets startled by "something" and runs off. Some people say it's the whispers, others says it's sephiroths presence.

[@un_known5895]

@@GamebustersUK yup you can hear sephiroth's theme blended in when she looks to the right

[@GamebustersUK]

@@un_known5895 yeah the chanting is through the entire opening up to aerith

[@KharaChmiel]

@@GamebustersUK It's 100% Sephiroth. There's the music in the background. My theory is it is at that moment when future-Aerith returns to past-Aerith and she begins to remember things she shouldn't know. Part and parcel of that knowledge is the knowledge that there is a bigger bad out there, Sephiroth (and, by extension, Jenova) and that if she could travel back in time following Sepiroth to the past, then its 100% likely that Sephiroth is already there and affecting things.

[@f25mart]

Ending this video with a long pause and then uttering "I still dont know what the fuck is going on" **Chef's Kiss**

[@Blag_Cog]

The reason Tifa protests the notion that she is an imposter is because Cloud sees Tifa get struck by Sephiroth hence why he said "I saw you lying there, I figured it was too late". Then a very alive Tifa rightly asks "What are you implying? That I'm an imposter?".

[@granddaddyotaku636]

I could be mistaken, but Aerith and Zack's relationship developed over months. Crisis Core doesnt really do a great job of conveying time skips, except for the occasional "some time passed" type of comment. But we're made to believe that Aerith and Zack got to know eachother over time. So it really wasnt just a few days. She fell in love with him over time. especially after he helped her with building the wagon, and supported her dreams of providing flowers for everyone :)

[@ItsLazBoi]

No I know that, my criticism is at the fact they didn’t bother to show us any of it. If you’re doing a game about Zack set before FF7 and you don’t show us much of him and Aerith, how do you expect me to believe it was an important part of his life?

[@goldengamerhd4469]

You’re right it’s just that he doesn’t like CC so he’s making a joke

[@cloudkitt]

@@ItsLazBoi I love that they can spend all that time on Genesis' futzing around in Nibelheim, but don't show the scene in the truck aside from one line. THE scene that established Zack's whole character in the original.

[@zacatkinson3926]

@@cloudkitt it isn't needed

[@Tigerchick70]

Yeah, you're right because Zack met Aerith when he was 16 and went to Nibelheim when he was 18.

[@maduross]

I like how in just a few months time you’ve experienced the full 25 year emotional roller coaster us OGs went on from original 7 being awesome to Advent Children and Crisis Core being kind of cool but also kind of ruining the themes of the original game and now back full circle to the remake. I’m kind of nervous about where remake is going because it seems obvious it’s actually a sequel but on the other hand I think back to like 9 year old me who was dying for the story to continue and I’m excited we’re finally getting that.

[@ItsLazBoi]

It’s been a RIDE

[@DevonDaVinci]

@@ItsLazBoi AIN'T NO GETTING OFF THIS TRAIN!

[@miburoushi]

9:40 This is also my personal concern. When people talk about FF7's spoiler, many will (understandably) point to the event in the Forgotten City. But to me, the one with a much more satisfying reveal is the one in Mideel. That whole sequence (especially with the triumphant timing of the original music score) is just perfection. I can't help feeling that the release of Crisis Core Reunion sacrificed this very important part of the original story just to give a little bit of context regarding Zack for the newer audience.

[@jt1973]

I think the goal with Remake is ultimately to give old and new fans to FF7 a similar, but new experience to the story - they want the same general story beats, themes, and emotions, but with twists. So, it would make sense that things like Aerith's Death, Cloud not being 'Cloud' etc are subverted in the remake as well, that way everyone is in the dark on what will ultimately happen. For example, we might learn in Rebirth/3rd one that Cloud is not only "not cloud/not a soldier etc" but that he isn't even the cloud from this timeline (explaining why hes having visions of the future?) - That might not be the exact twist, but I think subverting expectations of what we know will happen is explictly the point, "the unknown journey will continue" blah blah. That being said, this is the trickiest part for me because while its very common knowledge Aerith dies, I agree that the cloud identity reveal is the more cumulative and interesting surprise and - for those who havent played the original, is most certainly something they don't know. Cloud in compilation/other places is always mistakenly characterized as edgy/emo, but Remake especially rectifies this by showing him as childlike, trying to impress, and coming off as out of place/having underlying issues in a way that the PS1 couldn't, but was likely trying to do. Basically, they could keep this twist in tact and just amplify its impact for new and old players, or they could subvert it too. I think they're leaning towards the second option, and "Rebirth" will be the subversion of Aerith death, with "Re____" (final game) being a subversion of Cloud's identity reveal, but I kind of wish they just kept with what they set up with Remake, and use it as a chance to make the OG twist hit harder. Who knows tho!

[@cloudkitt]

@@jt1973 I thought Cloud's getting visions of the future purely due to proximity to Aerith, the way Red and presumably Marlene did. But I admit that doesn't explain the one he sees of the plate falling...

[@syahmioziar5290]

@@cloudkitt It's been a while since i read the translated ultimania for ff7 remake but the way cloud get the vision is different from Red & Marlene. Red & Marlene get the info when Aerith use her "magic" to calm them down however she kinda give them extra knowledge regarding the future as Red mention in chp 17. Cloud on the the hand is affected from the White Materia from Aerith.

[@morgan4574]

Agreed

[@MogsterKupo]

That "oh, right" part where the shot only shows her mouth (or lower part of her face). If you've watched enough anime, you'll recognise right away that's something they often do when a character isn't being particularly truthful. It's really interesting to see streamers (who may not be seasoned anime viewers) not recognise this right away but still eventually get there and figure it out.

[@FFxStrife]

That barren portion in the credits are meant to represent the gray part around Midgar in the original I think. Essentially the closer you are to Midgar the more dead things look thanks to the reactors.

[@reddragooner]

Also, when they flash the moment from the beginning of advent children with Cloud swinging at Sephiroth, it's the old design of the Buster Sword, but they went out of their way to remodel the Buster Sword in Reunion...

[@malpercio123]

Suuuuper interesting

[@CircuitReborn]

Loveless in FF7 is actually VERY old. As in...imagine if the street was called Shakespeare Street.

[@aarons.2323]

I'm not so sure Aerith knows everything, otherwise she wouldn't really still be carrying on about how the sky frightens her. She's still Aerith who has never left Midgar. I think when we see her in the very beginning she's getting a glimpse of something intangible, and maybe when she meets certain characters (Cloud, Marlene, Red XIII) they become more clear but not 100% understandable. Otherwise Rebirth is just going to start like "So, hey. I have to use the materia in my ribbon to summon incredible magic that will save the world, and I have to do it quick because something bad will happen to me if I don't."

[@Qarth56]

Yeah, I honestly don't think there's any kind of time travel as such. Probably just that Aerith is able to "tune into" the Whispers and get glimpses of the future. There are far too many times where she reacts with surprise for her to know exactly what's going to happen.

[@KharaChmiel]

She doesn't know everything. She sees glimpses of stuff and she has knowledge she shouldn't and can use powers that she should not have, but she doesn't know everything. In fact, during the scene in her room in the Shinra building, she mentions that every time the Whispers touch her, she LOSES part of that future memory, so by the end of the game, she's probably lost much of what FutureAerith imparted to her, other than vague feelings about wrongness and possible implications for future events.

[@TaydolfSwifter]

​@@Qarth56i think is more like the future is changing the past without actually traveling to time but sending a message back in time. Og(previous compilation from og to AC) Seph sending info to his past self who is controlling jenova cells around the world to prevent og time lineline. The world sending the info back that Seph is trying to change the past so making the ghost trying to stop the small change seph tying to do. All via lifestream that Aerith can tap on too

[@tatri292]

I don't think that Aerith really knows what will happen. By how she acts during the game she seems really unsure. I feel like it's more that she has some feeling of the future but not close to the full picture. Kinda like the flashes Cloud seems to have but she kinda knows what they're refering to.

[@laileleneirose7966]

I think the Aerith in the lifestream and the same one Cloud speaks to in the dream in the garden is OG timeline and final fantasy 7’s Aerith, and she knows everything that occurred before. But the one in this timeline isn’t OG Aerith yet occasionally is tapping into other Aerith’s déjà vu sense and awareness through her ability to communicate with the planet.

[@Thee_JC]

7 seconds is exactly how long it takes Sephiroth to do what he does in THE scene of OG FF7.

[@InterruptedByFireW]

No, it's meaning is in the chapter selection description.

[@sillybean5488]

Idk if anyone has mentioned this, but it's kinda important to knowing context to why things are phrased as they are in reference to trying to prevent the outcome of the OG timeline. It was said at some point in an interview that the post credit scene with Red running with his kids (500 years in the future) is a bad end. It's a world without humans, a world where yes, life is slowly returning, but humans have ceased to exist on the planet. So, them struggling against the "fate" that the planet has for them (OG timeline) is them trying to prevent the destruction of humanity by breaking free from the path the planet had laid for them. The sephiroth stuff adds even another later where he's also trying to get them to break free from fate because the OG timeline leads to his destruction, and them freeing this new timeline from the rails opens up the possibility of him winning. Sorry if this was long 😅 I deeply enjoyed your foray through the ff7 universe!! 💜💜

[@Daggea]

Oh wow I've never read that before ! My interpretation was that it was how Midgar ended, empty, because everyone left for a better place and no one ever tried to rebuilt the city.

[@GamebustersUK]

46:20, the devs confirmed that the whispers are removing Aerith's memories. Most likely because of the knowledge she shouldn't have at this point.

[@adam.pilkington]

I’m always interested in how people take to FF7 Remake when they’ve never played the OG. I’d imagine so many things would go over your head or make you think “wtf is happening?”

[@Null_Experis]

Loveless is FF7's equivalent of Christmas Story, or Miracle on 34th street. It's a culturally defining work of entertainment and they do it every year.

[@HirokiPlays]

Bro, your journey to becoming a FF7 fan has come so far. It's such a cool full circle to see you come back to this game knowing everything now. Your reactions are so legit and priceless. It's like "he gets it... He really gets it" lol welcome aboard this train. Ain't no getting off now.

[@jt1973]

@12:50 Back in the day, many argued that the original ending of FF7 (showing nanaki playing in a distant future, devoid of human intervention etc mako restored) was a "bad" ending. They stopped Meteor/Sephiroth, but ultimately humanity does not survive and learn to integrate peacefully with the planet, and they return to the planet/lifestream's memory. The scene of Nanaki and the overgrown vegetation of Midgar is showing that humanity didn't actually make it. Yoshinori Kitase supported this conclusion in interviews back in the day and said that this epilogue is the true "happy" ending of FF7, even with humanity gone. To others, seeing Aerith's face is cyclical like in the beginning and supports the idea that that the ancient one did lead us to the 'promised land' (which is actually a world where humanity/sentient life can live alongside the planet in harmony, instead of the technological hellscape and natural wasteland that midgar/shinra/etc envisioned). However you slice it, its ambiguous. To this point, Sephiroth tricking the party into changing fate in a way to allow him to control the planet/do evil Sephiroth things is believable - especially since we see the Nanaki running scene from the epilogue in the final chapter and they talk about how they can defy fate. FF7 has lots of pyrrhic victories and not black-and-white or clear cut conclusions in its themes, which is one of its strengths and in this interpretation could include - Aerith's death and even radically the cast saving the planet from Meteor. It's possible that they canonize the former interpretation - that, although humanity stops Sephiroth/Meteor by Aerith/Holy's intervention,, humanity does not ultimately reckon with their abuse of the planet's resources/memory, and ultimately don't survive/die off in some way at a later time. They might be trying to rewrite a fate (or conclusion of the trilogy) in which humanity and the planet actually learn to co-exist canonically and unambiguously. All of that said, I tend to gravitate towards the individual, character driven themes of loss and going on in the face of hardship than the ones that are derived from the overarching plot points, so I just want to remain intact, and for me Remake has only doubled down on those so far, even if they end up changing some of the plot-driven themes late.

[@dick8997]

I always took og ending as humanity died and it wasn't really a bad thing the planet and nature lived on

[@moonlight293]

Alternative title for the video: 'Man is haunted by Loveless throughout playthrough'

[@ravenmadd3895]

"The most improved voice actor in the Remake is Tifa. Tifa's voice actor in Advent Children was fucking atrocious." ...are you're not thinking about Aerith's voice actor? Because while I can (somewhat) agree that Rachael Leigh Cook's performance wasn't great, I would say Mena Suvari's performance in that movie is probably what killed her career.

[@Narokh]

"What if she shows up as the princess in the gold saucer?" Oof! XD

[@Blag_Cog]

18:10 You ask the question here "What changed to make Aerith fall-" the answer is that Aerith changed.

[@evrynmetakn]

Idk if you mention/figure it out in the full vod. But there is a key piece you're missing here. When Red says "a glimpse of tomorrow if we fail here today" it is because the OG FF7 has a bad ending. At that point in the future humanity is extinct (creator confirms this in an interview years after the game). There are 3 groups in this game. Humans, Sephiroth/Jenova, and the Earth. The Earth sees humans and Sephiroth as a threat hence why the weapons woke up. The whisps are on the side of the planet. They are trying to keep things on the timeline that will bring us to OG FF7 where the planet is safe without humans and sephiroth. Sephiroth wants the whisps destroyed so he can change fate and be the world's ruler, and we (the party) also want them destroyed so we can find a resolution to live peacefully with the earth.

[@D0d_]

I feel like a minority of people actually don't like the compilation at all and I don't understand why that is lol. It's so poorly written and executed, completely pissing on what made VII the iconic game that it is. Is it nostalgia maybe ? I wonder how those games would've been welcomed if they weren't attached to the FFVII name in any way, like brand new IPs. Like you said, Rebirth worries me quite a bit because of the many bad directions it could take. I really liked Remake when they stayed more or less true to the original and disliked it when the new additions ended up being more convoluted than smart. If I see Genesis anywhere near the Nibelheim scene I'll know they screwed the whole thing up 😂

[@zacatkinson3926]

dude its not poorly written

[@budakbaongsiah]

Minority? Most people don't like the Compilation. Crisis Core was liked only because it had Zack in it. Very few people liked DoC and AC, almost nobody knew the novellas and the animes, nobody can play the mobile games anymore.

[@cloudkitt]

The fact that the game already involves interstellar parasitic aliens, unreliable narrators, and an enemy with the ability to make illusions and they felt they needed to introduce time travel and multiverses on top of that is just baffling to me.

[@nyonlight357]

It's either too ambitious or too stupid Or both

[@Neutral-Party]

Baffling, maybe but is that inherently wrong?

[@eddy5097]

Game is excellent

[@toothfairy7765]

Wait until they do another FFX plot twist where everything you know is nothing but a lie.

[@eddy5097]

@@toothfairy7765 yeah Lulu's baby is really Auron

[@livith9]

I personally am less worried, because every time they reference the compilation, it’s been done in a very good way. Like, they haven’t thrown genesis in our faces for example lol. And deep ground in the dlc was actually kinda cool. I’m excited because this is their chance of creating the experience of FF7 all over again. Not just letting us replay the game upgraded and remember the original, but actually recreating the mystery and the emotions the OG had. They might fuck up, but so far they haven’t, and I’m tired of worrying when I can’t do anything about it. I’d rather be excited to see the characters they wrote so well in remake again in rebirth.

[@danieljarose9501]

Shouldn't they have mad a FFVII 2 then? Rather than a remake?

[@livith9]

@@danieljarose9501 I mean, isn’t it a remake in a sense? Plus I think they wanted to keep it a secret so naming it FFVII 2 wouldn’t work. And it doesn’t catch one’s attention as much as “remake” does. It isn’t a sequel in the traditional sense either, that would more be advent children, so it doesn’t fit if you ask me I guess xD

[@rubemevangelista3868]

​@@livith9it's a remake for me. We are experiencing the events of the original. Some things are expanded, some are minimized, and somethings are entirely different. But we are experiencing the events of the original. If it was 1:1, it wouldn't be a remake.

[@livith9]

@@rubemevangelista3868 I don’t disagree with you! Or more like, I think the definition of “remake” is a bit broader than people usually think it is.

[@budakbaongsiah]

@@livith9 SE is taking the word "remake" on writing manner instead of the technical way it usually used on the industry.

[@michaelfrey3619]

Cloud isn't going on the 2nd trip to the reactor cuz Jessie isn't injured before the Whispers show up.

[@neojc128]

the one wing thing comes the final form of FF7 OG, the final boss fight theme is even named "one winged angel". Every bit after is a callback to that

[@bradreed4414]

28:19 9 and 10 are next on my list of favs after 7 lol. The ending of 9….will kick you right in the emotions sack😢😢

[@JoakimKanon]

YES! Just finished binging your FF7 runs. 🤩

[@landvaettir2629]

With the context of Rebirth, and watching this back to see your thoughts spill out, you were pretty spot on man. Cant wait to see you play Rebirth!

[@puppetMattster]

My understanding is that Sephiroth doesn't influence the whispers, he influences Cloud. And the whispers intervene to undo the changes Cloud is making to the original timeline due to Sephiroth's influence.

[@un_known5895]

20:00 there is a small series called "lifestream white" and "lifestream black" that takes place between FF7 and AC it explains how Aerith is able to know about events in OG FF7, many have speculated that the Aerith at the end of FF7 is FF7R Aerith getting a full backstage viewing of the whole event, chapter 14 if you have Aerith as highest affinity confirms this with her: "you mustn't fall in love with me" line.

[@johnathancarrillo6990]

Not sure if it was brought up in any of the discussions for you but it sort of looks like the flowers are wilting in the zack scene at the church during intermission ending. So perhaps in zacks timeline, aerith is dead? Would explain everyone at the church crying and mourning as that scene would be taking place weeks prior to the plate falling so it wouldn't have any connection to that

[@morgan4574]

That would be simultaneously awful and genius.

[@MustachePandaYT]

Just a reminder, Red13/Nanaki is 48 years old. He is definitely wise. But he is a teenager for his species.

[@MustachePandaYT]

"Who ordaines fate" The planet. The life-stream.

[@MustachePandaYT]

Sephiroth had a wing in kingdom hearts as well. Which came out in 2002. Well before crisis core. The wing was planned the entire time.

[@PeachBootyPoppin]

I'm guessing that the only reason they would spoil the Nibelheim Incident by releasing Crisis Core Reunion before Rebirth is because for some reason, they want everybody, even newcomers, to know that when Cloud is telling his version of the flashback, at Kalm, he's lying or misremembering things. That's the only thing I can think of. It would lead to both the characters and the players questioning Cloud, and build up to him finally breaking at the Northern Crater when he hands Sephiroth the black materia. They obviously will have some other twists in mind, which will play into this, but I don't see them touching the Cloud Tifa lifestream event regardless. It's too important of a scene to change anything, regardless of what they decide to do with Zack. Even if newcomers won't necessarily be surprised by Cloud being the infantryman in the Nibelheim incident, it will still be a great scene if executed well. Most people already went back and played the OG anyways, and there might be some newcomers to Remake that skip out on Reunion as well.

[@tatri292]

Well the first trailer already has Tifa question Cloud's story. In general, the party didn't talk all that much in ff7, which I'd say is one of its biggest weaknesses. Playing up the distrust within the group is a natural choice but I still feel like knowing what actually happened ("what is fact and what is fiction" as they say) is a weird choice but guess we'll see what they do

[@imthedude2351]

"I know all this now...well, I _say_ I know all this, does anyone _really_ know what Dirge of Cerberus is about?" The Power of Friendship

[@lexnaum]

The very beginning, when Cloud sees Sephiroth for the first time, the phantoms are keeping Aerith in the same place so they can meet. There was never a distraction from Sephiroth in the og, in this one Sephiroth is trying to mess with the timeline. He probably didn’t know about the phantoms and tried to change one small but significant thing. This is probably when Sephiroth found out about the phantoms too.

[@ravenmadd3895]

*sees the way you changed the Hero's Journey diagram* */slow clap*

[@apathas4771]

Only a few minutes in, but the reason cloud wasn't invited to the mission was because of Jessie. In the og, she gets her leg stuck/hurt and is unable to contribute. In this one, the whispers come and she eventually hurts her leg again and isn't able to go.

[@ItsLazBoi]

Yeah I know, but like… why? What caused her to not have her leg hurt in this universe that made the whispers intervene? There has to be an instigating factor right?

[@kingrama521]

@@ItsLazBoi While I don't have any concrete proof for this, I think she didn't get hurt originally because Cloud went with her, Biggs, and Wedge on that prior mission. I'm guessing that although it's not in the OG game, Jesse still ended up sneaking to the upper plate, but without Cloud it was much more dangerous and she ended up getting hurt, leading to his substitution.

[@Fragmentsinfractals488]

@@ItsLazBoi In the Og, Jessie didn't get her leg hurt. Cloud agreed to go on the second mission for more pay. In Remake, he refuses. Which means he wouldn't be able to meet Aerith at the church. Sephiroth wants this, so he uses a Whisper he can control to put Cloud into a deep slumber so Cloud will sleep pass the point Avalanche will go on the mission. However, the rest of the Whispers don't want this, so They block Avalanche from leaving, and cause Tifa to go wake Cloud up. They then break Jessie's Leg, pushing her off the mission, so Tifa and Barret can guilt trip Cloud into going. Thus, Cloud will meet Aerith again.

[@michaelzedd2540]

The scene in chapter 15 where they take time to view the fallen plate from above during sunset is great cinematicly. It’s odd how no one remembers that Jessie’s parent were on top of that same plate. Three Rasberries are buried in that rubble.

[@funkyfranx]

Weren't Jessie's parents Sector 8? In the dinner scene, she asks Jessie why she doesn't get a job in a Sector 8 theatre instead of Gold Saucer

[@BashxSaiyan]

I just noticed something, the shot of Biggs resting in the bed has the shards of the whispers falling out of the sky the same as where Zack survived but the sky is clear when it comes back to the party. So its showing us something else that changed besides Zacks survival.

[@chainclaw07]

20:10 my understanding is that as an ancient she can communicate woth the planet. Therefore future Aerith can talk to this Aerith. It wouldnt make sense if she got matrix downloaded a program of all the knowledge.

[@ozdeveraux2082]

The most important change is literally the first thing that happens. When Aerith stand up to to go the street she looks back as one winged Angel plays. Sephiroth’s existence in this timeline is what causes the whispers to act but in their appearing they cause the characters to react differently. Sephorith was smart he knew if they made themselves seen the characters would react differently…changing everything. Sephorith wants you to change the timeline because he needs to win. I don’t think Aerith is AC Aerith but rather since OG Aerith is in the lifestream she can communicate. That’s why cloud has those visions, his OG self also has been in the life stream and Tifa. I believe that the OG characters are trying to communicate with them to tell them to not alter the timeline but they can’t. BUT I think Aerith knows what Sephiroth’s plan is and her plan is like a Hail Mary, they have to go with his plan in order to lure him out to actually stop him but that runs a huge risk of Sephorith actually being successful. In the end when the Arbiter of fate is destroyed it opens the flood gates. All the chips are on the table and the threat is real

[@un_known5895]

57:10 7 seconds til the end is reference to how long left for meteor to slam into the planet (chapter 18 logs)

[@ClementSanMartin]

Your last words in this video are exactly what i felt when watching this for the seventh time 😂

[@bandi138138]

Look up Maximiliandood's explanation of ff7 remake. He does a great job explaining each instance of the whispers

[@syahmioziar5290]

In the japanese rebirth trailer, Cloud specifically mention Zack name.

[@un_known5895]

1:04:45 well they kept the honey bee inn, the crossdressing and the hell house in remake so why not the underwear scene? even as a hidden trophy!

[@hian]

So the way I understood the whole plot Caspers thing is that whatever this "new game plus Sephiroth" is doing has already kinda derailed the events of OG FFVII from the very start, which the plot caspers are trying to undo. You'll notice that everything's largely faithful until Cloud sees his first Sephiroth vision post the bombing run and then seems to hang around for a bit too long with Aerith, which is when the whispers appear to put things back on track. Basically, it looks like the world of the remake already tends towards deviation and the whispers are trying to make sure it doesn't. As for what triggered that trend towards deviation, that's the entire mystery I suppose. The prevailing theories atm seem to be 1.) They've expanded on the idea of the powers Sephiroth attained in the lifestream after the Nibelheim incident and he's been given foreknowledge. So now he's being pretty aggressive in trying to alter the course of history. 2.) There's a time-travelling Sephiroth from post Advent Children whose gone back and is trying to fuck with things 3.) This is all tied somehow to Genesis post Dirge of Cerberus and that it's not Sephiroth doing the time-travelling nor the one behind all this crap, but time-travelling Genesis pretending to be Sephiroth. All the theories are dumb imo and I'm not really interested either way, but these seem to be the most likely explanations.

[@CircuitReborn]

The Whispers are actually under Minerva(The Planets) control up til you defeat Harbinger at the end,at which point Sephiroth usurps them. And with everything Sephiroth has implied he wants you to join him...to overthrow Minerva. The fact the whispers exist st all doesnt imply good things. Aerith called freedom terrifying. The implication is that everything that happened in FF7 was all according "The Goddess" Minervas script. Any deviation was corrected by the Whispers. But now Sephiroth has enough power to ignore them and gives you pushes to be able to defy them as well. Like it or not, by defeating Harbinger, the entire group defied Destiny just like Sephiroth asked of Cloud. Let's be clear...the new Sephiroth retains more of himself as The General rather than just Jenovas son. Each time in the series Sephiroth has came back hes been more and more linguistic. He's started as just talking about "Mother". In Advent Children he was actually a bit taunting with Cloud and rather than speaking in absolutes he to Cloud "thats up to you." In the new game, he seems to not be serving Jenova at all, merely using her cells as a puppet for his own ends if I read his character correctly.

[@hian]

@@CircuitReborn Maybe that's the case too. Sounds like a whole mess of compilation retcon gobbledygook in either way XD

[@morgan4574]

@@CircuitReborn this is my theory too, and it's the only way I'll be ok with these convoluted changes. I remember being young and 100%ing Crisis Core on my PSP and I fought Minerva which was really cool. I would like to see her show up in the narrative for real

[@willlovendahl2309]

First remake game to ever create a cliffhanger to start a new trilogy. That’s a milestone in storytelling history

[@Moofmoof]

This man has been scarred from Crisis Core

[@AJValentine]

I still like the theory going into Rebirth; especially from the trailers showing Aerith sleeping in Zacks timetime, that the entire Aerith event will still happen just like in the original game. However she will then "wake up" in Zacks timeline with full knowledge of the timeline Cloud and the others are in leading to them converging come the third game.

[@nightmareyacht4126]

I could be completely wrong (and probably am) but I don't think the final boss fight of FF7R is actually against Sephiroth. I'm pretty sure its just the Whispers' last ditch attempt to fight back against Cloud and the gang - manifesting as Advent Children Sephiroth just as the previous Whisper mini-boss fights were manifestations of the other Advent Children antagonists. I'm pretty sure it was real, OG Sephiroth's goal to destroy the Whispers and 'fate' as a concept all along. and he manipulates the heroes into doing the deed for him. Now that he's no longer destined to be defeated at the hands of Cloud, Sephiroth is free.

[@bradreed4414]

And now, ff7 rebirth will be here later this year for us all. But really can’t wait for you to get to 8. 7 is my fav, 8 is MUCH lower on the list but I still love it lol.

[@MrHoban]

It’s a relief to have someone react the same way I did while playing. I played OG back in the 90s.

[@DevonDaVinci]

I'm assuming what started the domino effect in the beginning to cause the changes was Cloud being aware Sephiroth is back prematurely. Maybe, because he knew Sephiroth is out there, he wasn't as committed to doing another mission and wanted to get out there and find Sephiroth. So for the Reactor 5 missions he asked for more money that Barrett wasn't willing to pay. Or, Cloud didn't bring up working a second mission.

[@Juice_Tortuga]

I just watched you finish ff9 last night, great stream!! Do you think you would be inclined to play ffx-2 after ffx since we still gotta a good amount of time to fill before 16!

[@gameusurper]

46:59 Theory here. Maybe Cloud grabs his arm here because eventually that is the same arm that has the GeoStigma during the events of Advent Children. And we know that the GeoStigma is the way that Sephiroth had influence over people that contracted it.

[@gameusurper]

47:21 Shit, typed the above before I watched this far. Yep, others have the same theory. I think that's got to be it.

[@consumablecorner150]

Never noticed Kyrie was on the train O_O

[@Scurpmun]

I'm not sure if anyone said it, but Reunion is just a straight-up 1 to 1 remaster of og CC. It's there for the people who want to know the original story of Zack and Cloud. Remake is already going down a different path. Right now, we're not entirely sure how much of CC is gonna be carried over (I'm expecting at least some key moments and characters, but that's about it.)

[@vanilla7981]

Really enjoyed seeing you play this all again! You brought up something I was also very scared of, that being the compilation stuff, I think in this part they handle it well by just making little nods here n’ there. But considering certain things like the mention of G type soliders and deep ground straight being a thing forreal now (tho its much better)… I’m cautious about it. Though one thing I disagree abt is how you feel abt OG Aerith, I think OG Aerith was just as compelling as Remake Aerith. Sure Remake has tons more going on now so I could see why you’d prefer Remake over OG Aerith but I feel that discredits her a bit. I feel all the characters has such amazing parts to them, funny enough I’m in the boat that Tifa was one of the least compelling ones in OG. I wish we got to see more of her inner struggles like we did with other characters, cause yes while she is important so much of her writing revolved around Cloud due to him being a big part of what she has left of her home town + childhood. But I dont personally feel like the OG capitalized on it enough due to Cloud being the main focus. Also Idk if it was a joke or not but Aerith actually tells Cloud not to fall in love with her because she knows she is gonna die :p

[@nohemi6899]

I agree. To me, Aerith is indeed a deep character. She's a girl who suffered at the hands of Shinra through experimentation and losing her mother. She was isolated as a child with powers she didn't fully understand. She sees dead people and has a connection to the planet. Despite all this chaos in her life, she's cheerful, playful and so SO full of life. It's easy to brush that off because Aerith doesn't really show it on the surface. It's easy to think she's just childish. But she is strong and willful. With the Remake, I feel it just emphasizes that even more so. Now, she has to struggle with her duties as a Cetra and enjoying so much of her moments being with Cloud and the gang. She has always loved life, but now there's the knowledge that her life will be cut short to boot. For me, too much of Tifa revolved around Cloud. She has some non-Cloud related aspects like the loss of her family, her home. But besides that, there's not much else. Without Cloud, there's not much else to Tifa. Aerith alone as a character stands well on her own without Cloud. It's why Crisis Core annoyed me because it ties her personality to Zack when that's far from the truth! It diminishes her character just as much as it diminishes Tifa's character when it revolves around Cloud. And yes, Aerith tells Cloud not to fall for her because she is aware she will die. Why else would she preface those words with that monologue of DEATH. She sees the Lifestream, prays for the dead, and a black feather floats by her. She KNOWS she will die. She knows how hurt and broken Cloud will be after. So, hearing everything associated with Zack is annoying. That includes Cloud who is NOT Zack. He is emulating Zack's SOLDIER self and what Tifa remembers of him. Cloud put it all together into his own narrative, but he is still Cloud. Otherwise, that would be shit storytelling.

[@funkyfranx]

@@nohemi6899 It's so insulting when people say Tifa is not her own character. Her character does not 'revolve' around Cloud, her story is *entwined* with Cloud's. Neither realise until the lifestream sequence that the other holds the answers they've been looking for. It's 'main character syndrome' isn't it, if Tifa had been made the main character, you wouldn't be saying any of those things because she actually has a great story. She was tied down by her villages traditions, taught herself to fight in spite of it, watched her father and town be slashed down in front of her by Sephiroth, was forced to move to the slums of Midgar where she had to fend for herself, but still managed to buy seventh heaven through years of hard work, and joined an eco-terrorist group to exact revenge against Shinra. If anything, _Cloud's_ story revolves around Tifa; the only reason he wanted to join Soldier was to impress her, he finds the strength to 'kill' Sephiroth in Nibelheim after he sees what he's done to Tifa, he only goes on the bombing mission with Avalanche because Tifa asked him to, he has a mental breakdown after Tifa loses her faith in him, and can only be put back together through Tifa's help. And I don't agree at all that Cloud pre-lifestream sequence is 'still Cloud'. He is brain-damaged Cloud. Everything about him is a facade. He is living in a fantasy and has no idea who he really is. He is not in his right mind. I don’t know why that amounts to ‘shit story-telling’. It’s a story about a guy with severe mental problems overcoming his weaknesses and finding the strength to save the world!

[@nohemi6899]

@@funkyfranx It is stated by Aerith and Barret that Cloud has been Cloud all along. Even with his facade, his thoughts, feelings, and memories are his own even after he becomes his full self. I'm glad you find Tifa so compelling. We all have differing opinions. I'm aware of her story and character. It doesn't change my opinion that Aerith is just does more for me than Tifa and how she's handled in the Remake. Also, Sephiroth didn't just hurt Tifa, he killed Cloud's mother, burned his village. It's not just Tifa being the reason. She is one reason. As a child, Cloud also looked up to Sephiroth and wanted to be just like him as well as impress Tifa. Tifa has her role, nonetheless. Just as Aerith prevents Tifa and Cloud from getting mako poisoning in the Lifestream. I have high hopes for how they develop her.

[@max1311]

The developers placed themselves and their ideas in their own game, that “freedom” line and setting the OG as the bad ending that the bad whispers or fans want to protect not letting them changed this loved story at their whim, you know as they are such geniuses telling and writing new stories as they have shown time and time again.

[@naldimarra]

I’m so happy that you can appreciate how amazing the OG is as a new player and call out how Mid the greater universe is.

[@SeFiRoT200]

thanks for the vid!!!!!

[@jinxx9515]

"7 seconds until the end" Possibly references Aeriths death in the original. It takes exactly 7 seconds from the flash of light until sephiroths blade pierces her.

[@franimal86]

When they show Zach surviving, I think it’s like showing Cloud’s memories. We are seeing the moment where Cloud believes he is Zach. Zach still dies and what they’re showing is Cloud’s memories of ”himself” surviving the attack. That is the moment Cloud and Zach’s memories become one and Cloud starts believing he was the one in SOLDIER all along.

[@willowingwhispers2612]

Fun fact: if you pay attention, everyone except Aerith gets some kind of vision of the future. The only vision Aerith has is of Zack's last stand. If that isn't foreshadowing her fate in this trilogy, I'm a monkeys uncle. I think Stamp is different because it's an alternative timeline. The design is different because the timeline is different.

[@Reshapable]

just 2 and a half minutes in and you've pretty well encapsulated my fears with this project lol. Nothings gone too wrong yet. YET. Every bit of me that can is crossed hoping that holds the whole way through. But even back with the og that level of consistency has not been squeenix's strong suit.

[@gJonii]

FF VII was imperfect masterpiece. I think(sans ending) Remake is bravely going for same "flawed masterpiece" category. Dunno if they pull it off, but the spirit of the original is there, and that to me is the only thing that really matters. It would've been so easy to make a new game that's solid, safe, and really just doing the same thing the first game did. But I wouldn't have really cared about it. Maybe my next FF VII playthrough I'd have done with that version but it wouldn't have mattered. At best, it replaces the original, at worst, it attempts that and fails. Either way, it's nothing new. FF VII Remake is a game that makes me feel like I'm replaying the original the first time. I don't know if it's gonna be good, but I've been enjoying the ride thus far, and things gonna keep happening. I look forward to my next hours with the remake trilogy. And being able to play FFVII for the first time, the second time... That's something. That's an event. Maybe this new FF VII isn't good but that's what happens when you play something new. You just have to play and see.

[@Reshapable]

@@gJonii I agree but there is a difference between something new and something redone. They didn't get the audience they did by making something new, they got it off the back of the original. This doesn't make you wrong, and everything you've said is the correct positive spin on the changes thus far. I too am even more excited at the potential of the remake trilogy than I would have been had they simply updated the original. Because the fear is exciting. The not knowing. But the negative spin is they just couldn't help themselves and started touching everything they didn't need to. And that's an earned reputation, they have done it a lot. ESPECIALLY with 7. So the fear is a bit over potent and very deserved. And 7r was not so flawless in this specific regard as to encourage people to dismiss that fear. All this is to say nobody is wrong to have the reactions they do, positive or negative, because there is potent justification for both.

[@JayJ1095]

I'm only at 19:17, so this may be suggested later in the video, but on the question of the whispers and sephiroth, isn't it possible that it's the planet trying to set things on the course of the original specifically because sephiroth has shown up (and the events of the original were how he was defeated originally)?

[@everly8511]

one thing I noticed is you mentioned a few times about how aerith knew zack for like 5 min, but it is implied they knew each other for a while because of his hair growth. So they did spend some time together.

[@michaelfrey3619]

Remember everyone, this game is a sequel. Not a remake.

[@gameusurper]

57:05 Seven seconds till the end. I think this refers to the amount of time that it takes for Sephiroth to fall from above and impale Aerith at the Ancient City.

[@RetroGhoulHQ]

agree that the majority of aeriths growth in the og game actually came post-event, a huge part of why i love the game is that she impacts the story and characters in such a deep way even though she isnt really in the game that much as a character. Thats one thing im concerned about in part 2- if they try to avoid her death then that really will screw up the entire theme of the original. also 'why would it change' is hilarious, that's a weird thing i find with the whispers, like its not like any external factors get involved that cause changes that forces the ghosts to intervene, seems like things change from the og just because, which imo is kinda unimaginitive writing

[@zacatkinson3926]

It wont screw it up everyone lives this time

[@LC-sc3en]

The theories I like to entertain: 1. This is a separate timeline where things are just different slightly but then get pushed way off course for the presence of two people who know more than they should about the future 2. This is the past that has been knocked off course by the presence of two people who know too much about the future. Lots of little things change as a result. In both cases it seems like the whispers only really interfere to correct any changes that would cause too much deviation. Finding an underground lab is fine until the moment Cloud might remember things prematurely. Why Biggs could live since he gave avalanche a reason to go to the roof since they hadn't been captured by the Turks and broken out during Jenova's extraction. The whispers seem to exist somewhat outside of time which would explain why beating them also allowed Zack to live and in some reality probably both Biggs and Jessie since they were instrumental in making sure they died the first time.

[@mattieg1904]

MAN I am about to go into work -curdkfkgjrkd im watching this the second I get off work

[@chainclaw07]

10:10 - Jessie being in gold saucer would stem from Cloud knowing her backstory because of chapter 4 and during the singularity Cloud controls the power of the arbiter and changes Zacks fate, Jessies dads fate leaving her as the leading act in gold saucer never having returned to midgar. And saving Biggs from the tower collapse in sector 7. He would then have power of the timeline for "7 seconds til the end"

[@FranWest.]

47:01 - As someone who never watched Advent children, but is a huge fan of FF VII and VIIR - I took this part as when Cloud gave Sephiroth the black materia.. I could be wrong ofc.. That's one thing I really love about FFVII RE-Make - depending on your knowledge of FF and FFVII and the other lore around it, you will react differently to each different part and (as of right now) no one is right or wrong about their speculations. I am excited to see what is coming in Rebirth, it may be new, it may be old, but whatever it is, I am here for it.

[@pacobatracio]

You know when sephiroth says he has 7 seconds. It’s 7 seconds from where he appears before he kills aerith

[@loveforkuja]

WHOOHOO! ff8!

[@ItsLazBoi]

I’m pumped!!

[@loveforkuja]

@@ItsLazBoi can't wait for you to play 8 and 9! hard to beat 7 but they're my two favorite games

[@novachikun]

Another thing to keep in mind is that the violet coloring around Sephiroth appears to indicate that this newly-empowered Sephiroth might be utilizing Stagnant Lifestream to directly alter the Lifestream's memories. Stagnant Lifestream energy is made up of hateful souls and memories that have refused to become part of the normal flow of the Lifestream. Stagnant Lifestream is also the same dark energy that Nero uses in Dirge of Cerberus, and it was part of the experiment that resulted in his creation. Finally, Chaos is born from the concentration of Stagnant Lifestream. I wonder if the explosion of Chaos at the end of Dirge resulted in Chaos being dissolved, the concentration of Stagnant Lifestream being dispersed. Without Chaos to command/absorb the Stagnant energy, perhaps this is what allowed Sephiroth's spirit to take control of it instead?

[@itsdantaylor]

18:35 I mean, the concept of the butterfly effect is that swatting a butterfly causes a hurricane across the world, meaning that every action can have almost imperceptable changes. So while the 'domino' effect may not always be obvious (and honestly is a bit of deus ex machina) you can say that Sephiroth appearing to Cloud after the reactor, delaying his meeting with Aerith, and subsequently the whispers involvement to make sure their meeting happened essentially destabilized the timeline. It's why Cloud went to kill Reno in the church for no reason when he didn't before and the whispers had to stop him there which probably caused Aerith to almost fall, and then they had to save her again, Etc. etc.

[@seiflitvig6320]

I think you will really like FF8 and maybe 13. They were some of the games made by the Kitase-led team who also did FF10 and FF7R. 7R has a lot in common with FF13 in particular and feels like an evolution of that game's design. Motomu Toriyama directed both of them (co-director in Remake), so it makes sense. Looking forward to your FF8 video!

[@laileleneirose7966]

I think there are two separate versions of Aerith in this game, the FF7 lifestream OG who knows what is supposed to happen and just spoke to Cloud in his dream, and the Aerith in this timeline who still believes in a person’s ability to defy their fate. I think they are experiencing overlap because Sephiroth is messing with the timeline, and Aerith is too in trying to keep it the way it is meant to be. So the Aerith in this timeline while she doesn’t know the future, I think she is absolutely picking up on whispers vibes, also OG Aerith vibes, and OG Sephiroth vibes because she’s connected to the planet and they are interfering with it from within the Lifestream. But that’s only my theory of course.

[@michaelzedd2540]

I think Sephiroth is the random element trying to change things. Sephiroth has the ability to control any of his clones (puppets). In OG FFVII, Cloud was was likely ignored by Sephiroth for a long while. But after Cloud defeated him at the end of OG, Sephiroth is now focused on Cloud. Thus, Sephiroth sends Cloud visions he didn’t receive the first time. For instance, after the reactor one bombing, Sephiroth gives Cloud a vision of Nibbhiem burning. This delays Cloud getting to Loveless St. The whispers delay Aerith from leaving so that her and Cloud’s meeting take place as normal.

[@neojc128]

Genesis is based on Gackt, which was also an inspiration for Squall in FF8. He's a Jrock turn Jpop singer that was popular in the 90 and early 2000s. First, he was the protagonist of Bujingai, the Forsaken City on PS2 and later he became Genesis, I believe contractually. That's probably why the character is odd, it's based on a personality

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

Let's gooo!!

[@jinxx9515]

I think the biggs that survived is a biggs from zachs timeline where zach is alive.(the zach we see entering midgar)

[@crashwithkirby6708]

4:25 whispers kept aerith in place so she’d meet cloud. Sephy distracted him and made him late to the meet cute. My theory is, they stuck around because she was going to reveal too much to cloud on their first meeting

[@cloudyskiesnow]

34:09 Yes, that is OG7 Aerith that exists in the lifestream. Just like the Sephiroth you encounter through the entire game is OG7 Sephiroth.

[@bradreed4414]

Also fun fact I JUST fuckign realized… cait sith was 31:40 a stand in, that’s almost the same shot they use with Yuffie in intermission……or I’m misremembering and wrong you choose 😂

[@mako3197]

Just watch EZA's Spoiler Modes with Bugenhagen in disguise, Maxdood.

[@Yashirmare]

Man I watched your entire highlights of OG and the Compilation. As a big fan of Crisis Core, your playthrough actually made me see through the nostalgia goggles despite knowing the game has flaws (Even fans of CC dislike Genesis, myself included). 50:10 This comment soured me though, Zack carried Crisis Core. I respect you not liking Zack but you don't have to get at people who do like him. (Someone more articulate than me could give you several paragraphs on why Zack is a good main character but that's not me)

[@dancock]

7 seconds is the time that cloud has to save Aerith

[@CetraMystic]

Also in ff7 fate is the future the planets chose for themselves. And what red and the party are saying about the visions doesn't mean what people think they have no context for what they are seeing and are just assuming things are good or bad and need to be avoided...... And no we didn't destroy fate we didnt kill the planet so the whispers still exist.....one thing we may have done is broken Jenova's hold on sephiroth....When you really look at it all without the whole oh it must be a sequel you can get so many other things from these teases.

[@DaneofHalves]

Remake doesn't refer to the original game being remade. It refers to the decisions of particular characters in this iteration and making changes to their fate. That is essentially what the entirety of chapter 18 is about. But there were many clues in previous chapters. Mainly from Aerith and Sephiroth having extensive knowledge of things before they should have which differs from the OG. Small example: Aerith knowing Cloud was a merc before he told her. And she covered it up real fast by saying she guessed from the Sword. Also, Cloud having flash "forward" visions to events several times in the game. Which we, at first, assume is just Hojo's Jenova tampering with him and Zack like the first game. But those visions we see in Remake didn't happen in OG. These details are scattered throughout. Lots of videos on this out there if your interested.

[@un_known5895]

sorry for all the spam comments but i really do love your reactions to the compilation of FF7 =D i would recommend you look up Maximilian dood and his FF7 theories and facts, he is always so on the mark i guarantee you that his vid's would answer any question you have =) he's even done some discussions with easy allies and itsmejp/cohh, it's worth seeing! =)