The Final Fantasy VII Retrospective

[@AndrewBluett]

EDIT: The Advent Children Bonus Video is now available for $5+ patrons: www.patreon.com/posts/105707395?pr=true The Advent Children patreon video has been delayed to later this week. Gotta decompress a little bit after going scrimblo on this edit in only 3 weeks. Thanks for your understanding.

[@JohnDoe-uf3lj]

You’ve earned it! Have a good rest 😌

[@caleharriet8147]

Take a good long rest!

[@mbe102]

It only took you three weeks to edit four and a half hours?! Decompress no doubt! Wow.

[@GalekC]

omg....

[@zenone9698]

Did you know Xenoblade series villains are inspired by Sepiroth and are closer remnant to him.

[@userlandia]

I just wanted to give you a thumbs up for having the decency to provide actual captions that were formatted by a human being. This effort doesn't go unnoticed-it takes me several hours to properly time and caption a thirty minute video. So seeing them done properly in a four-plus hour video deserves some commendation. Thank you for having Kaylyn Saucedo provide real, human readable captions.

[@seppucrows]

seconding this! i was ready to have to sit through auto-generated captions and got so immediately happy seeing there were actual ones ready

[@mattshu]

thirding!!

[@Fenrirs_teeth37]

I really appreciate it being hard of hearing and all thanks

[@lapislazuli9465]

I played FFVII in the immediate wake of the 2 worst things that ever happened to me. Without going into detail, I was in a very powerless state of mind and being. I was not doing great, and I just bought it on PC on a whim in 2016, when I was 19. I was feeling the magic, even all those years later. It's my favorite game of all time. It gave me hope and a sense of power at a time where I felt like I had none. It's a game about broken people learning to trust each other, and take back their broken world together. I think it's beautiful.

[@ericjohnson8662]

I bought this game in 1997 when I was 18. Aerith's death shook me so hard, I couldn't see through my tears in the following Jenova battle, and I got a game over.. I had to come back days later, and go through it again. To this day, this is my favorite game ever made, and this was a brilliant documentary. Thank you

[@Zman82]

I'm doing a play through at this moment and I literally cried at Cosmo Canyon just over Red 13s story. Lol

[@Luinta]

I was 11 and latched onto Aerith as a big sis role model. This game was my first big confrontation with the reality of Death, of what it means for someone to no longer be a part of the world in the same way; when all that is left are memories. I am very happy that she still influences the kind of person I want to be to this day, and this game, this story, remains a core part of who I am and who I choose to be going forward.

[@joebeast15]

@@Zman82Setos reveal is heart rending to say the least. The soundtrack is so stellar in this game that when that Great Warrior track comes on it’ just hits hard. Love that scene

[@theeleman]

I'm still crying brother ... she promised us all dates

[@luske2]

Something I have to say about Barrett is that while he does match some stereotypes, he also refreshingly breaks the stereotype of the deadbeat black father. Here we have a black man who's a dedicated, loving father. A single father even. Who makes sure his daughter is always cared for even if he can't be there with her at all times. I think that's a wonderful thing that's rarely depicted in gaming.

[@twosadcows4549]

Yea most games meow a days go for realism

[@vanguze]

He was one of the characters I loved. People are crazy.

[@andrewtregoning]

He's also a crazy environmentalist leftist, definitely not a stereotype 😂

[@Megidolaon999]

@@andrewtregoninglike everyone in FFVII…? Because that’s a major theme of the game…?

[@Yurikon3]

Angry black dude might be a stereotype, but this angry black dude is very angry for very solid reasons.

[@TarvouldsQuest]

I can barely find the mental patience to sit through a standard 2 hour movie. But give me a 5 hour Andrew Bluett Final Fantasy retrospective and I'm watching it at least once a week.

[@joshshrum2764]

Plus you can pace it.

[@Onts123]

Or 5 times a day 👌

[@rifdimashq208]

Martin Scorsese can go kick rocks if he thinks I’m sitting down to watch this Irishman BS. But I’ll listen to these retrospectives all day.

[@richardrooney2189]

😅😅 brilliant comment 😅

[@B.Fontray]

Hi Tarvould How's your quest going

[@moogs5992]

This is legitimately my favorite KZbin series of all time I think

[@jjcoola998]

Same

[@Hankler_fish]

The part around 1:47:00 about Cid's apology to Shera (or lack thereof) reminds me of a video by Aini called "Why Asian Parents Never Say I Love You." It's an interesting discussion of the differences between western and eastern expressions of love and apologies, especially in older generations. I think it would be a good watch to maybe get a better understanding of why Cid's apology is so understated compared to how we as westerners might expect it to be.

[@EnochBP]

This is the most well researched, pace, structered and most thorough FF7 retrospective I've ever seen. I have spent an embaressingly amount of time watching FF7 retrospectives.

[@Winters_Fate]

Amen 🙏🏼 totally agree. Already Waiting (like it’s Christmas) for ff9

[@Lxx00Jxx00]

this is the best channel on youtube for ff retrospectives by far far far far far

[@koolaidmanextra2840]

dont forget ludiscere, but he posts mad slow tho

[@jjcoola998]

👏

[@LazerzZ]

This whole video, as every one you make, is fantastic. Specifically though, the analysis of Aerith's death was truly beautiful. In a world post FF7, with the compilation and remakes, hearing someone talk about the end of disc 1 in the context it existed in 1997, with all the weight and intent, is so cathartic and resonant. You kill it every single time, easily one of the best to ever do it.

[@jjcoola998]

You really articulated a lot of what makes this series of retrospectives so brilliant, especially this one.

[@steckondeck]

Seems like Vincent’s scrapped backstory was reimagined as a side quest in Rebirth once you meet him towards the end of the game.

[@AirshipOverWater]

I just beat Rebirth and completely missed this. Do you happen to remember the name of the quest?

[@whichcache2517]

@@AirshipOverWater Part of his backstory is that he’s a detective who’s asked to investigate Hojo’s research, the reason being that every other investigator would decline because of the horrifying screams coming from Hojo’s lab. The screams turn out to be the animals Hojo experimented on in their dying throes. In Rebirth, there’s a sidequest where there’s a rumored “ghost” haunting the manor’s basement because of what sounds like a woman’s singing. When Cloud and co. (and Vincent) investigate, it turns out that it’s actually just an experiment whose voice is implied to mimic whoever that experiment used to be. And so she’s put to rest.

[@Cloudrim]

One step closer to IX. Gonna get a nice drink and settle in for this one.

[@kamenriderravager7667]

For me it one step closer to 16 which is currently my favorite. I had played other final fantasy games besides 16

[@herbacious]

Lemme guess, steak dinner for IX?

[@RaineyDaysStudio]

Potatoes and pumpkin bombs! Don’t put the oglop in!

[@barlazyjj7872]

I'm looking forward to FF Tactics. I KNOW it's gonna be good!

[@twooty2148]

@@kamenriderravager7667 ACCEPT THE TRUTH

[@Riena_punx]

While I haven't really got into ff7, this video made me cry because of your exploration of the themes of the game. It's emotionally strong game. So thanks for this video.

[@SyndicateProjectFan1]

Ive only seen the first half hour, but your section on the developmental background and cukutral context was phenomenal. I watch a lot of video essays and that was one of the best paced sections like it I've ever seen. Not a sentence wasted.

[@AshuraKojiro]

Between you and Majulaar, I feel like I've stumbled upon a retrospective gold mine. Absolutely loving this series thus far, fantastic work.

[@ManiacalMoogle]

Considering you say you've never lost a close friend, your grasp of the gravity of it is pretty powerful. As someone who has suddenly lost their best friend, as well as several other close friends, sometimes violently, consider yourself extremely lucky. Great video(s). Keep up the good work.

[@fattypros82]

I never noticed Cloud’s personality change, great video. My friend at the time of its release took a week off school to play it. It wasn’t supposed to be a week, but it became an extended absence due to a required mourning period for Aeris (This was in the U.S, we didn’t know about the Aerith name then).

[@jjcoola998]

I remember there was a VHS that was sent out in the mail that had cloud in the box along with some other PSX game characters as well. A couple other kids at school got it in the mail as well and it got us even more hyped for the release. So many memories of playing the game over at different childhood friends house as well that this video brought back as well

[@charaznable8072]

Dude if you actually do complete the entire mainline series you will become a FF Retrospective God.

[@eiravaeinworks8627]

Ultima Andrew

[@ForgetfulPretzel]

He's already there.

[@jmh8817]

For years I wondered how come everyone joked about "this guy are sick" but I didn't remember the line. Turns out, it was absent from the PC version! Now everything makes sense. Good luck on the climb to 50k!

[@pitongus]

These videos are fckn greatm.i've watched hundreds of FFVII covering all sort of opinions, and yet, here i am watching a 4 hour long video. Good job. I personally appreciate the time you take to make content of the upmost quality.

[@laciep837]

The game dev history and contemporaneous game industry context is my favorite part of these vids. I could watch that stuff all day honestly

[@acerimmer8338]

I learned so much about the final score One Winged Angel, thank you for that. Man, FF would never have reached its epic heights without Uematsu. Man's a modern Bach.

[@Kihambo]

Wow, it's amazing how I just discovered this channel through the Kingdom Hearts Retrospective, and now the FF7 retrospective is ready to watch, too. Thanks for making this! 🙏

[@wowhorde7775]

Amazing video. How you handled the death of Aerith section was exceptionally well made. You really have some insane talent

[@Fronswath]

EVERYONE NEEDS TO SUPPORT TIMBLEY. We should all be asking where is Timbley when he isn't on screen. He is a cool little dude and needs our support

[@musiikkimies9241]

New fall-asleep-to vid for Vinny

[@joshshrum2764]

I bet he just went ohhhh son of a bitch here i go again, but he really needs to restream the original with his better setup though like after the final remake when he’s mid 40’s.

[@captainpep3]

I feel happy knowing I originally suggested him to watch the FF6 retrospective, will try to notify him about this one on his Sunday stream! (If others don’t first)

[@ThwipThwipBoom]

These videos are so freaking good. Seriously thank you so much for making them. Like you even go the extra mile and include subtitles that aren't auto generated. That helps me a lot with retaining all of the information you're giving.

[@SweetyMiki]

Nice retrospective as usual Andrew! As far as I believe, I do think you added so much to conversation when it comes to covering this game. I'm actually watching it again because it was amazing! Your section on Cloud's revelation also hit the point on why I love Cloud so much, because his story of accepting and being yourself is something so relatable that it likely resonated with so many people. Actually, you pointed out some stuff in here that made me realize that some stuff from the development of the original was used in Rebirth a bit. Yuffie's chasing for the bounty and the inn stuff was somewhat retooled for her introduction in Junon. Also, the original reason for Vincent going to Shinra Manor (the screams coming from manor) was actually used for in the "Lament of the Damned" side quest in the Nibel region, which includes Vincent as a NPC companion. Correct me if I misunderstand during the localization portion, but it seems you mentioned that Barret's name may have been mistranslated in the localization. While Barret's name in Japanese is spelled the same as Bullet (バレット), it is still an alternative way to spell Barret in katakana, which is his name in official Japanese material. My original JPN version copy even uses Barett in the manual. The name was likely picked by the team for the play on words with the katakana. An excellent example is actually done in FFVI with one of Setzer's attacks, Prismatic Flash, which is Seven Flash/Flush (セブンフラッシュ), referring to the attack's rainbow flashing light and Setzer's Gambler job. So yeah, it's not a mistranslation, but it is a common thought by many not familiar with the alternate spellings used in katakana.

[@LV94bigguard]

The Celes theme - Aerith theme link is CRAZY. Never hace i ever thought about it

[@Rakka5]

Astonishing work as always. I'm frankly shocked how you are able to push out these extremely detailed, well construced and narrarated, borderline documentary-level videos in a relatively short timeframe, but you deserve all the respect and a million+ subs. Keep 'em coming.

[@damiannova5207]

Holy shit, this retrospective is legitimately my favorite series on KZbin. The thought of you applying your detailed, thought-provoking analysis to the remake trilogy is incredibly enticing. Hope you hit 50k soon, and I love your work!

[@atlijorund8791]

A criminally underrated channel! Thank you for all the work you put into these videos.

[@knight1256]

This is the first game you've covered that I haven't played it really inspired me to download and finally try it after being hesitant for years great video can't wait for more

[@fartzuckerberg4219]

Idk why this got recommended to me, but you're going to blow up if you keep up this quality. Great video and please keep grinding!

[@quazzon1]

He said June 1st and he delivered! Praise be the Bluett!

[@basiliskman1]

Excellent video as always, Andrew. Your retrospective of this series has been nothing short of a breath of fresh air to me. Don't over exert yourself now like most other content creators or KZbinrs would tend to do. Rest is important after all. That being said, keep up the good work, and have a good day.

[@kayare7]

Great work. I'm also glad someone FINALLY pointed out how the opening to One Winged Angel is similar to the score from Psycho. This alone was totally worth the Patreon donation and am looking forward to all the rest!

[@jjcoola998]

Yes, the whole section with all the musical inspirations was amazing! I feel silly having not recognized them.

[@GonGonRe]

Thank You. Final Fantasy VII is one of my Favorite Video Games and i Played it over and over Again. On some Points of Your Video i got Tears in my eyes. I could an still can Relate to some of the Character und you explaind them very well. I love all of your Final Fantasy Videos but this one is personal for me. Thank You. ❤‍🔥

[@tonyballou]

One thing I find thats a constant with your videos is that despite how much I may feel I know about each entry already, I will still learn even more from your tireless research. Excellent job!

[@andrewlavigne44]

Same, I had no idea about the alternate Yuffie concept of her being a cold blooded killer and the dynasty in-fighting etc.

[@ShyBug42]

Only 65k views in 3 weeks is absolutely CRIMINAL You made a fucking *amazing* video, I cannot begin to imagine the amount of hours it took just to meticulously research its development, let alone playing and writing and editing this behemoth This video and the kh videos (haven’t seen the rest YET!) are premium KZbin and you deserve so much more than you’ve gotten thus far As soon as my money’s good I’ll be hitting up your patreon, never done that before but you well and truly deserve it, please keep up the phenomenal work I sincerely hope it remains viable to do so.

[@ZERODIS0]

This game changed everything for me, my 1st rpg, the first time I realized games can be more than just a game. Also I know how harsh being a gamer was in the late 90 to early 00s.

[@ZidaneA]

I listened to this at my job, and it totally works just with audio. Amazing video! The hours passed like nothing! I hope that your videos on VIII and IX etc will be atleast as long as this one.

[@flyaroundyourfire]

A 4 hour commentary on my favourite game/story ever. Thank you for your service 👍🏽

[@acerimmer8338]

You presented Aerith's death scene beautifully, with all the reverence it deserved.

[@benabaxter]

4:40:05 to 4:40:45 Andrew casually describing his Chrono Trigger take. :) Seriously, that's a game worth marinating in.

[@Phoenix_SMT]

Final Fantasy VII is one of my favorite games of all time, even though I played it only 3 years ago, without the nostalgia goggles. I didn't expect to love it so much, but here we are.

[@aaronfrantz25]

Just beat it myself yesterday, had a whole month to indulge in the game and lore. Loved the 70 hrs I put in. Now going to remake rn

[@aa-tx7th]

you two are just two of thousands of people that prove that the love ff7 enjoys has nothing to do with nostalgia its still the greatest story told through a video game and one of the greatest stories told ever.

[@aaronfrantz25]

@aa-tx7th loved every minute of it, remake, and rebirth, these games did something to me this year fr

[@nesoukkefka1741]

​@@aa-tx7thBeyond story it's also just a very well crafted video game in general, I still have fun playing it today.

[@ssoo8338]

Entered this fully ready, learned about Nojima taking a bit of inspo from the girl who leapt through time from the 80s, went to watch it, and then came back here Great video

[@jacobgray3112]

i was so looking forward to this video after binging the rest of your retrospective series. Thank you for making this.

[@duckhive]

My attention span is really bad, especially now that I'm a bit older. But whenever I play FF7, I can't stop. There's something "immediate" about this game that is hard to express in words, but you managed to do a great job. Thanks!!!

[@KisekiFox]

We really are lucky to have you doing this series, thank you for your work dude. FF VII is the most important game in the world to me, being the one I grew up with, I learned how to read, how to appreciate stories because of this game as a child. The entire reason I love video games as an interactive story telling medium is because of this game. Your video on this, and the others before it, have been nothing short of outstanding. I can't think of anyone that's made better paced, more informative looks into these games, and the way you so expertly describe just what makes each one special, especially this one, really makes me happy dude. Thank you, your work is super appreciated, and I hope more and more people catch on to just how great your work is.

[@Shua-56]

This was an amazing video covering one of my favourite games of all time. All I can say is well done, you did this masterpiece justice

[@arrivalofdoom7449]

Very well done , Andrew , in giving your considered analysis amongst all the Remake and Rebirth (and Reunion to come) fervor to concentrate on the original - after the excellent 4,5 & 6 vids. Defo one for the playlist 🎉

[@JCREDFANG]

Back with another one! You definitely have the best FF retrospective videos on KZbin, Salute to you dude

[@jefffarmer3957]

This is excellent. Thank-you for making my 12 hour work day great. I'm definitely replaying this game

[@pondsmelts]

I’ve really enjoyed this series. I was born in ‘95, and was a Nintendo kid so my only exposure to a mainline FF game was my friend letting me play her copy of FFXII once (and I did have FF 4 Heroes of Light on the DS but could never beat it.) Even as an adult I had never felt a desire to play any of the games in the series. But then last year I bought my first PC and started playing FFXIV and I’ve wanted to know more about the other games so I could understand the origins of the names and terminology in FFXIV. That’s how I stumbled on your series. I wasn’t expecting to learn more than just the basic stories of each game, but the fact that you’ve gone into detail about the people who made the games, the cultural context, and the state of the games industry in each video has given me a major appreciation that a series like Final Fantasy exists. I probably won’t play most of them even now, but a couple have stuck out as games I would like to experience for myself at some point. And I can’t wait to watch future videos in this series!!

[@mandoloriansoju3841]

10/10 video! Thank you so much! This is my favorite game of all time and I enjoyed every second of this. Excited for 8 and hopefully, one day, Xenogears

[@Thompat314]

Thanks for continuously pumping out the best FF retrospectives on KZbin

[@albatrossfm]

Idk how you crank these out so regularly man but it’s greatly appreciated

[@climber6500]

This was a great retrospective and I gained a lot of knowledge, not only on the history and themes of the game, but on the lore and characters as well. I really appreciate you sticking to the original game and the facts found within it.

[@forcestealer3]

Thanks for this retrospective. It filled in so much of what i didnt understand about the story. I'll be 50 this year and im glad to have experienced FF7 in its true form. Aeris's death still hits like a truck. Great job! And thanks again.

[@Guraw]

I really appreciate the level of detail in your video. Insane work. I never knew these details about the PlayStations development! The back story around terror attacks and it relation to the inspiration of plot. 20 mins in this is the best video on FF7 I've seen. Can't give you enough praise!

[@joshshrum2764]

It’s actually just lore i know because of did you know gaming, and the like.

[@AP-xs2tq]

The gold standard for retrospective videos IMO, love the detail spent on the development of the game and the release. Will watch this soon!

[@michael5472]

What a wonderful thing to wake up to. I know what I'm doing after work today.

[@Luinta]

3:54:45 Something I never see anyone talk about is how the Bizzaro Sephiroth form looks very similar to the effigy in front of Jenova in Mt Nibel that Sephiroth tears down to reveal Jenova's body. Both have wings with a lower body that has a large circular design instead of legs. The main difference being that Sephiroth appears to be riding atop the Bizzaro main body. Otherwise it would appear that this proto-god form is an intentional effort by Sephiroth to emulate his mother, Jenova.

[@acerimmer8338]

In regards to mods, one of the best things is for those of us that's played the game nearly 30 years now, it adds a fresh coat of paint, helping renew our love for the original. But I'm with you on loving the blocky characters. They ooze charm.

[@Golbarx]

Thank you for this :D I'm so excited. The wait was certainly worth it to see your take on this game

[@creativeed6788]

How lucky that I've just started watching your whole series the other day and you happened to drop this meanwhile :) Loving these so far!

[@Krystoh_]

You really did a great job encapsulating how much this game meant to you, and by extension, meant to me too. This game literally changed my life means the world to me, thank you for making this video. I watched the whole thing and loved every moment.

[@fresh2182]

Hey man, amazing video! I'm a huge fan of yours; your content is really important. Video games are an art form, and your videos take the time necessary to fully absorb the impact of the interactive medium. Keep it up 💯

[@seatea4142]

I've seen a lot of FFVII retrospectives/documentaries/video essays in my day, but I gotta say. This is one I've enjoyed the most. Instant-sub and I've been going through and watching your other retrospectives on the channel! So much quality and so in-depth.

[@joeykornegay4587]

Aerith’s death saddens me more and more as I grow older. It had already caught me off guard back when I was a 7 year old playing it right after it came out, but now I’m in my 30s and it nearly brought me to tears.

[@logangagnepain7154]

Wonderful video. Ive tried to play the game twice, once when i was 12 over 11 years ago and again when the remaster was released for ps4. Its just dawning on me that in both games, what i thought was the halfway point of the game was only 1/4 of the game. Its dawning on me just how much i missed, but damn... im hungry to bust out my old ps2 and try the original copy and see if it still works. Thanks for reminding me of this amazing game and franchise.

[@orllyfools14X8]

I watch every FF7 retrospective that gets uploaded to KZbin. Thank you for making another one for all of us.

[@Dark_shikari]

BABE WAKE UP ANDREW BLUETT DROPPED ANOTHER BANGER

[@jjcoola998]

🫨🫨

[@ArloKnox]

The original concept of Vincent being a detective/reporter that investigated things that go bump in the night made me think of Kolchak: The Night Stalker, a series that Chris Carter has said inspired The X-Files. It looks like the series was released in Japan on laserdisc, but my limited research couldn't find a release date.

[@OverratedGames]

So excited for this, i've absolutely adored every video in this series so far!

[@Predatornc1]

You deserve far more than just 50,000 subscribers. The contact you made is deserving of 1 million.

[@jeanking4686]

return of the king

[@MaitreMechant]

the amount of work you put in these videos is incredible, you deserve so much more subs

[@dcloud8992]

for the love of the Ancient, Your Retrospective is finally here

[@jimmayus3211]

Agree 100% with the comments about mods. I just can never really enjoy modders ideas about what visual "improvement" looks like for these older games.

[@BooksfromaBiGuy]

I subbed last week after discovering your channel and binged most of your FF/your KH video while cooking and then grinding in XIII-2 and now this drops… we WON

[@michaelcabello9664]

The one we’ve been waiting for!

[@jhymeliv]

Andrew your takes on these retrospectives are always superb.

[@jrbowler84]

I have been looking forward to this so hard. I’m so stoked man. Thank you!

[@MadmanImpersonator]

I have been waiting for this day, you sir are a legend among legends with these retrospectives.

[@7emeRace]

Your dedication to this gaming retrospective thing is inspiring. The delivery is spot on, and the research you bring on obscure facts is a delight. Keep going brotha. What you do is amazing.

[@pdpMASTERP]

Excellent work! Love the dev history as always

[@Lxx00Jxx00]

On Rebirth, i learned to love Barret. They've went above and beyond on flashing him out in every regard and it shown respect and courage. great character

[@stinghouseproductions8502]

I love that I am old enough to have got this when it first came out and experience it new. Hate that enough time as passed that I am watching a retrospective on it...

[@jjcoola998]

Yeah, I’m sitting here having some crazy memories of playing the game over at friends houses, and freaking out a bit of how it feels like such a different world now

[@DMetaMonty]

These videos are so good dude. I'm here for anymore you do! Great work!

[@TheSincioco]

Really good video. I watched all of it. I hope you make more! I appreciate the time, effort, love and passion it took you to put this video together. 🤗❤️

[@techhonors8091]

You are truly at the best at these kinds of videos and it's not even close. Trust me when I say that everyone you are making these for absolutely loves them. Thank you 🙏

[@StarsAndSticks]

Oh perfect a 4 hour bluett video, I have material for my lunch breaks for a few days now

[@overdose0074]

What nobody ever seems to talk about is that HOLY decided that humans were bad for the planet and was actually HELPING meteor.

[@BerserkerKong02]

Every Andrew upload is a holiday, this'll be a great one!

[@smilinglooksgood77]

Really enjoy these videos! I'm so glad it's up!

[@karmotrineYT]

Over the past week or so, I've been listening to your various FF retrospectives (as someone who's played a few titles in the series but yet to ever actually finish one), and I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed your content, and am wholeheartedly looking forward to your future videos on the series. Consider a subscription more than earned from me.

[@danbobdickson]

It's like you knew I was in dire need of a 4+ hour video for my workday