Fantastic video, mirrors my thoughts on so many levels. There is so much subtly in both the remake games so far and I just roll my eyes when people miss aspects of the original's themes while simultaneously being so sure that THEIR vision of the remake or even scenes is the correct way of doing things. I love how all the critics are so adamant that they are right then completely ignore the fact that just to their left another critic has a completely different way of looking at how the game should be, it's like these people never matured their teens and early 20s and realized their way is not THE way. People also have a really hard time letting go of their vision of FFVII be it the story, themes, characters, world, anything since it's been over 25 years since the original but that is on you the player to set those expectations in check and be ready and capable to judge what is finally put in front of you. You're also totally right that a lot of these types of reactions are downstream of the theory types on youtube that at the end of the day are just people's interpretations as well and not some kind of gospel. Love how you accurately said that so many theories about rebirth prior to its release were just wrong as well, like at some point people you just need to chill and play what's in front of you and not be so attached to theory crafting. Everybody's a critic nowadays and man most of these people don't have the chops for it.
Agreed. If it didn't come with such hostility and hubris, it wouldn't be a problem. It's healthy and smart to sometimes just say you don't know, or you're just guessing, and to keep the possibility that you're wrong open. If you go into a piece of art with a bad mindset, it's going to affect how you see every aspect of it. That's not to say we all have to go in completely devoid of any concerns, or cynicism, or with a completely chipper attitude. Being over-hyped can be just as problematic in the same ways. I guess the best way to put it is sometimes when you have an immediate reaction to something, it's good to step back for a second and as "Why is that the reaction I had?". Think about how much of it was the content, and how much of it was related to you and outside aspects that are independent from the content.
@@LibraScope Was a very good and well thought out video and I especially like and agree with this comment about just… “Taking a moment to consider things” instead of just throwing out whatever the first thing might be that comes to mind whenever you feel upset or ‘triggered’ by something… if only more people could learn to do so 😌
Overall I like Rebrith a lot minus some disappointing changes (Dyne’s death being the biggest one). Glad they’re not missing the opportunity to put on full display what the Lifestream can do via memories and what not (perceived as a multiverse or whatever). Part Three is gonna be quite something and on top of that we have the FFIX remake coming and probably also a port or remake of FF Tactics!
I absolutely loved Rebirth, got the platinum and everything, but I don't get what everyone is complaining about with the minigames. Compared to the cavalcade of weak minigames in something like KH2, or the frozen nightmare that is Ice Cream Beat, or (to mention since I just bought the new ps5 release) the actual progress blocking minigames in the original Sly Cooper, these ones are both far more forgiving and polished. Honestly, my biggest complaint in Rebirth is that I wish they had more varied optional combat objectives, as I felt they used the pressure, stagger, and time combo too much. It all just feels so weird. You see people complaining for years about cut corners, lack of ambition, no risk taking, etc... ect... (most of which is just people being needlessly miserable, honestly) and then when you have a game like Rebirth, which seems like, for better or worse, it was able to achieve everything it wanted to do, people have to find some way to be negative. Well forget that. If those people want to be miserable, then go ahead, but leave the rest of us alone to enjoy the simpler things... like using the ATB ward Yuffie strat to literally annoy Sephiroth to death! (Yes I used that strategy, and no I'm not sorry. It was absolutely hilarious!)
Pretty much summed it up, lol. And yeah, the optional objectives for the area hunt enemies certainly could've been more varied; maybe more heavily tailored to the specific type of of enemy you're fighting.
I partly do not agree with what was said on the video, regarding the story. The problem with the direction of rebirth, ignoring whispers, and all timeline stuff. is that Cloud is seemingly in denial about Aerith's death. While we do not have part 3 out yet, and it's hard to know what really will happen, we can assume Cloud will realize at some point she really died, and we'll finally get a proper scene for her death and burial. Why is this a problem? Because first of all Aerith's death is central to Cloud's character development, and the party as well. them experiencing it together at the same time, is a big deal. Having cloud join the party later, can potentially be a problem. Leaving that minor detail aside, we already have Cloud being in denial of Zack's death, and it's going to take emotional impact away from that, because well it already happened before, so Zack wil have to take the backseat, in terms of tragic deaths this time. What made it possible for Cloud's mind to block out Zack's death and cloud's whole identity is a mix of multiple things, Trauma for sure plas a role, but we have to remember that Cloud was at his most vulnerable state, Zack was essentially keeping him alive, and suddenly he's gone. He's mako poinsoned, after years spent in a lab, just before seeing everyone he cared about mortally wounded. Zack is the ideal of what Cloud thinks a soldier should be, hero, so coming off seeing himself as a failure, he just stole hi identity and place in his memories, conveniently leaving out his death. None of this is happening with aerith, so it's a it out of place that is happening, and doesnt really make much sense, considering the zack\cloud relationship is one of the most confusing plot points of the OG to this day.
Ugh, I tried to reply to this and RUclips broke. Lemme try again. So it's fair that you feel like there's something missing if Cloud doesn't grieve and experience Aerith's death at the same time as everyone else. But you didn't exactly give a reason. In the original, she dies, and then almost immediately he's so caught up in chasing down Sephiroth (which worries everyone else in response), that he arguably doesn't properly grieve then either. And then an hour and a half later he falls into the Lifestream, and we don't get a single coherent moment with him again until after Tifa and him fall in once more and she helps sort his mind out. What part of that section is integral to his character growth and necessitates he grieves with everyone else, and is therefore incompatible with him grieving separately? As for the Zack stuff, just because FFVII utilizes science fantasy elements like Mako, Sephiroth's influence, and Jenova's Cells to bolster Cloud's mental struggles, doesn't mean these things don't occur in real life. People who go through serious traumas - including the death of loved ones - can compartmentalize them to such a degree that they forget that it happens. And trauma can also cause people to dissociate and develop alternate personalities just like Cloud does, as a way to cope. These issues can also be recurring, if the traumas are recurring. You mention that Cloud is at his most vulnerable when Zack dies. But how is he not equally vulnerable here when Aerith dies. He still has yet to face any of his previous traumas, and he's got a fresh new one to deal with. Sure, he's not currently dealing with severe Mako poisoning. But on top of the trauma of Aerith's death he's now got Jenova's Cells/the Reunion, and Sephiroth's influence pushing him and keeping him emotionally raw and vulnerable. If anything, since Cloud has yet to really face ANY of his previous trauma, I'd argue it's pretty safe to assume that he'd react very similarly to Aerith's death. He's yet to do ANY healing. I also personally think there's a bit of inherent beauty in it being Aerith AND Zack (since they were a couple) that Cloud needs to realize are no longer alive, and start to grieve over... rather than just Zack, who in the original we barely know anything about even AFTER the secret scene with him. That feels intentional.
If the creators don’t want people to think about multiverse nonsense, they should stop putting scenes in the game to lead the audience to think those things. They literally have Seph come out and expose it at the player. It seems like the ending is designed to be a season finale cliffhanger to generate discussion and hype and that’s exactly what’s happening
Developers don't control anyone's thoughts. Plenty of people didn't have the same thoughts the most spitefully negative crowd did. So the problem clearly isn't the developers or the scenes. The problem is the part of the fandom who refuses to think for themselves. And after so many of the supposedly indisputable fan theories were proven wrong, you'd think these people would take a step back and reassess their biases. But instead they succumb to the sunk cost and just dig their heels in deeper. They FORCE the game to contort to exactly what they demand to see..
An enjoyable video! It was nice listening to your takes on the game’s different aspects. Thank you so much again for the shoutout :,) such kind words. I appreciate you giving kudos to the creatives multiple times. It’s so clear that they care and want this to work. EVERYONE’S a critic, but what’s not so easy is the dreaming, planning, and confidence mustering (is that a word? Lol) to actually MAKE something. I was also amused by such a polite roast during your intro as well as your rants afterwards. Had me talking at the TV agreeing with you at certain points lol
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video! As well as thanks again for all of the feedback and help with the channel art stuff!!! I really do think DOING something for a bit can help balance a perspective SO MUCH. Once you've done a bit of work related to the things you're criticizing, you not only start to understand the amount of work and expertise it takes, but also tend to find that you want to learn more about how things like this are put together. And understanding is a quick path to respecting. Hahaha, the original version of this script was a lot more hot-headed. I still wanted to draw a clear line, and stand my ground in relation to things that are genuinely toxic or just plain bad faith. But I'm glad I ultimately kept it more on track than it was originally going to be.
@@LibraScope of course! always happy to help :) And YESSSS agreed. And that’s definitely a more healthy way to be passionate about something as opposed to being a killjoy lol And is that so? Haha now it’s time for the UNCUT VERSIONNN (jk)
I really like your interpretation of the lifestream multiverse as I feel it fits with the ideas present in the original. However, I'm not sure your theory is aboe to explaon why Biggs is able to remember Cloud from the main timeline meaning that he must have crossed over right and so your idea that they are timelines of everything that has or could be but the universes themselves don't overlap doesn't really fit that idea. If yiu have an explanation though I would love to hear it, cuz your theory sounds like a really cool one that I genuinely think wiuld completely and positively recontextualise all the changes that have been made thus far.
That's a good question! But thinking about it a bit, I think I have a good answer. Okay, so at the end of Remake we see Biggs alive, right? At first people assumed that was in the normal timeline, thanks to Wedge briefly living longer than he did in the original. But I think the Biggs we see at the end of Remake is actually the one who talks to Zack a bunch in Rebirth, in one of the alternate timelines. The main timeline Biggs should still be dead. I think the fact that both Zack and Biggs have 'busted internal clocks' in this alternate timeline, and they both remember Cloud in different ways, is an indication that they don't know that the 'real' them is actually dead and they're therefore currently part of the Lifestream. As such, both of them remember aspects of the real Cloud in the main timeline, not the one sitting in Aerith's house in a coma. Honestly, this could also explain why there seem to be so many alternate timelines with different Stamp designs in the first place. It might simply be that these inconsistencies are all symptoms of the fact that they're not the main, real timeline, and therefore aspects of said timelines don't always line up with the true timeline. They're the skewed collective memories of the dead. In fact, the version of Aerith and Cloud that are both unconscious in that house might be representative of the fact that they (through being a Cetra and being attached to Sephiroth/Jenova respectively) have a deeper connection to the Lifestream than the other currently living characters. It's less that they're 'alive' in other timelines, and more so that their spirits can reach and be reached more tangibly in these Lifestream 'dreamworlds' we as players are calling 'alternate timelines'. I wouldn't be surprised if the Aerith in this specific alternate timeline wakes up in the third game, and she then decides to bring together their allies who have died, in order to support everyone in the main timeline. This is just a guess of course, but that could lead to her summoning the Lifestream at the end, like in the original, after Holy fails to protect the planet from Meteor during the ending cutscene. That could also explain why Holy seems dead in the main timeline... because it basically was in the original, insofar as that it failed at its task. Just like in the original, the Lifestream could then save the day. But this time instead of it being the Planet and Aerith allowing it to happen, it's a combination of all of their dead allies, lead by Aerith and the Planet. Hopefully that's clear to understand. It's not a complicated explanation, I just don't know if I explained it well, lol.
@@LibraScope Love that theory, I think if this has been their plan all along it elevates what is already one of my all time favourites games even further (complaints about how Aerith's death is presented aside). If they don't do this and instead do a proper multiverse then you can be rest assured that you had a better idea about how to remake FF7 than the creators did 😂
This video really made me stop and reconsider my feelings on how the Aerith thing was handled. I think you're going to end up being right with how they handle it + Cloud's grief in game three, and I can see the merit in the way they did it now. I always find fascinating things to think about in your videos, and this one really helped me to see Rebirth in a different light! I love original 7 (which I only played for the first time THIS MARCH) and I've looooved Remake since it released, so my expectations were incredibly high coming into this game, which I think ended up making me a little unfair towards it with my complaints and made it difficult to see the merits of some decisions that were made. But you're right - this team seems passionate and purposeful, and I trust them! Also nested materia would be so nice....
Hehehe, thanks a lot for the compliments and kind words! And for taking the time to watch such a long video! I have a friend who's in a similar position, having only just recently gone through the original game, and then Remake/Rebirth. He too was kind of upset about how the Aerith stuff was handled. And as I said in the video, I was taken aback as well. It's certainly a shock to the system. My thoughts and similar ideas from other people could absolutely be wrong, but for me personally, these developers have shown me that they deserve faith. Faith that they have some sort of vision, even if it ultimately doesn't end up being the one I would've had in the end. And as long as that vision is realized... I think that's enough for me. And yeah, I really hope they recognize the tedium of the Materia menu for the next game. Or preferably, in an update that maybe releases for free alongside any DLC chapter they might make for Rebirth. I think just including nested Materia and the Weapon/Arm Materia moving system from the original would be absolutely transformative to the ease of use for that menu.
Thinking about it, maybe not a gambit system, but maybe be able to set the party in various "stances". "Safe" would be blocking all the time or except for when an enemy is staggered. "Aggressive" would use normal attacks to build atb at all costs and "Balanced" that's somewhere in-between.
That's definitely not a bad idea at face value! I'd worry that in order to keep the party dynamics element in play, they'd have to be kind of reckless to some degree, otherwise you run into the same issue of allowing players to get away with simply 'maining' a single character. But, it's certainly a solution that's simple enough that it could probably be balanced around!
Theres nothing better in writing than making a villain lose every single time he fights the main character. That is definitely the best way to make a meaningful, imposing, and scary villain.
...That's the same in the original though... whether it looks like Sephiroth or not, it's ALL Jenova in both versions, and Jenova loses every single time in both versions. Also, it's made abundantly clear through his teasing of Cloud that this is Sephiroth (through Jenova) just toying with Cloud. The context matters, and you don't get to arbitrarily remove it just to make your point :P
@@LibraScope oh yeah. I forgot, every game always ends with you fake beating the bad guy lol. There is a difference between fighting Jenova which was not the ultimate bad guy in the original, and fighting Uber multiverse sephiroth who is the ultimate bad guy in the remake trilogy. This "game" is 3 parts. Each part being an entire full length game. I guess it's peak intellect to have the final boss of each full length game to just be a fake out. That's terrible design. Which is why rebirth sold terribly compared to remake. The original game designers took inspiration from Jaws the movie when designing Sephiroth. Less is more. Yet they added him like crazy in this new series. Why? Because they said "everyone already knows who he is". I don't know what's worse. That doing that was because they were lazy or because it was a blatant cash grab.
@@ericmcmanus5179 You're not fighting 'uber multiverse Sephiroth' dude. You're just making stuff up and ignoring context to make your weak points seem valid, because you NEED to have something to complain about. Go do it somewhere else.
@@LibraScope so the sephiroth you fight at the end of remake and rebirth is not the sephiroth between worlds? I think you may need to replay those games if you didn't know that lol.
Yeah, big creators especially have big targets on their back from these people, purely for not spreading specific narratives, which is just so unacceptable.
Ahhhhh, sorry! I knew I forgot to add something! This video was such an editing nightmare, that finally putting it all together was a bit of a nightmare. I'll get on that right now! Thank you for reminding me!
Disagree about the minigames being fair.. the highscores are a pain in the ass. There is no exploit for the space or motorcycle or the cactuar mini game. I never played yakuza so I cannot compare but it does seem like you are being selectively forgiving with the minigames because you liked them more than the ones in yakuza. But If your not good at them or don't like them that much like myself than they are just as much of pain as yakuza's where to you. Also you are kind of forced to get the high scores in order to get the dark matter for crafting. In order to fight gilgamesh you have get good at gambits and fort condor 4 times each. I spent 8 hours over 2 days just on fort condor, was ridiculous. No Way i'm doing that crap ever again.
I think in regards to the motorcycle or the shmup game, that's fair. I really didn't find them difficult, but there isn't a 'get out of jail free' solution for them as far as I know. The cactuar minigame I think is more arguable, since it's largely using normal combat mechanics, and since that's the central pillar of the game mechanically, I feel like the player should be expected to be able to do decently well at that. Fort Condor and Gears and Gambits though can be completely broken in half by looking up optimal solution guides, which I think was intentionally part of their design. In 2024, it's hard for me to blame a well designed minigame for being really challenging, if it has an easy solution like that for people who don't care. Keep in mind though that I did say it was a mixed bag still. Just kinda mixed in favor of the game. And unlike Yakuza (which did indeed have a fair few minigames that I didn't dislike), it wasn't focused so heavily on randomness and luck. I strongly recommend avoiding ever trying to complete a Yakuza if Rebirth frustrated you this much :)
Its funny how Im only ever seeing FF7 remake/rebirth defenders being the ones who throw adhomenem attacks and name calling at critics. Someone doesn't like your video game and you call them toxic grass defficient and seething critics? You need some help dude.
![BAK Jay - Find Out (For Your Love) [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/10FJO_XBCvY/mqdefault.jpg)
Fantastic video, mirrors my thoughts on so many levels. There is so much subtly in both the remake games so far and I just roll my eyes when people miss aspects of the original's themes while simultaneously being so sure that THEIR vision of the remake or even scenes is the correct way of doing things.
I love how all the critics are so adamant that they are right then completely ignore the fact that just to their left another critic has a completely different way of looking at how the game should be, it's like these people never matured their teens and early 20s and realized their way is not THE way. People also have a really hard time letting go of their vision of FFVII be it the story, themes, characters, world, anything since it's been over 25 years since the original but that is on you the player to set those expectations in check and be ready and capable to judge what is finally put in front of you. You're also totally right that a lot of these types of reactions are downstream of the theory types on youtube that at the end of the day are just people's interpretations as well and not some kind of gospel.
Love how you accurately said that so many theories about rebirth prior to its release were just wrong as well, like at some point people you just need to chill and play what's in front of you and not be so attached to theory crafting.
Everybody's a critic nowadays and man most of these people don't have the chops for it.
Agreed. If it didn't come with such hostility and hubris, it wouldn't be a problem. It's healthy and smart to sometimes just say you don't know, or you're just guessing, and to keep the possibility that you're wrong open. If you go into a piece of art with a bad mindset, it's going to affect how you see every aspect of it. That's not to say we all have to go in completely devoid of any concerns, or cynicism, or with a completely chipper attitude. Being over-hyped can be just as problematic in the same ways.
I guess the best way to put it is sometimes when you have an immediate reaction to something, it's good to step back for a second and as "Why is that the reaction I had?". Think about how much of it was the content, and how much of it was related to you and outside aspects that are independent from the content.
@@LibraScope❤
@@marcusolsen96 :D
@@LibraScope Was a very good and well thought out video and I especially like and agree with this comment about just… “Taking a moment to consider things” instead of just throwing out whatever the first thing might be that comes to mind whenever you feel upset or ‘triggered’ by something… if only more people could learn to do so 😌
@@marcusolsen96 I agree. And it would certainly make discussing media more enjoyable at the very least.
Overall I like Rebrith a lot minus some disappointing changes (Dyne’s death being the biggest one).
Glad they’re not missing the opportunity to put on full display what the Lifestream can do via memories and what not (perceived as a multiverse or whatever).
Part Three is gonna be quite something and on top of that we have the FFIX remake coming and probably also a port or remake of FF Tactics!
Yup, absolutely agree!
I absolutely loved Rebirth, got the platinum and everything, but I don't get what everyone is complaining about with the minigames. Compared to the cavalcade of weak minigames in something like KH2, or the frozen nightmare that is Ice Cream Beat, or (to mention since I just bought the new ps5 release) the actual progress blocking minigames in the original Sly Cooper, these ones are both far more forgiving and polished.
Honestly, my biggest complaint in Rebirth is that I wish they had more varied optional combat objectives, as I felt they used the pressure, stagger, and time combo too much.
It all just feels so weird. You see people complaining for years about cut corners, lack of ambition, no risk taking, etc... ect... (most of which is just people being needlessly miserable, honestly) and then when you have a game like Rebirth, which seems like, for better or worse, it was able to achieve everything it wanted to do, people have to find some way to be negative.
Well forget that.
If those people want to be miserable, then go ahead, but leave the rest of us alone to enjoy the simpler things... like using the ATB ward Yuffie strat to literally annoy Sephiroth to death! (Yes I used that strategy, and no I'm not sorry. It was absolutely hilarious!)
Pretty much summed it up, lol. And yeah, the optional objectives for the area hunt enemies certainly could've been more varied; maybe more heavily tailored to the specific type of of enemy you're fighting.
I partly do not agree with what was said on the video, regarding the story.
The problem with the direction of rebirth, ignoring whispers, and all timeline stuff. is that Cloud is seemingly in denial about Aerith's death.
While we do not have part 3 out yet, and it's hard to know what really will happen, we can assume Cloud will realize at some point she really died, and we'll finally get a proper scene for her death and burial.
Why is this a problem?
Because first of all Aerith's death is central to Cloud's character development, and the party as well. them experiencing it together at the same time, is a big deal. Having cloud join the party later, can potentially be a problem.
Leaving that minor detail aside, we already have Cloud being in denial of Zack's death, and it's going to take emotional impact away from that, because well it already happened before, so Zack wil have to take the backseat, in terms of tragic deaths this time.
What made it possible for Cloud's mind to block out Zack's death and cloud's whole identity is a mix of multiple things, Trauma for sure plas a role, but we have to remember that Cloud was at his most vulnerable state, Zack was essentially keeping him alive, and suddenly he's gone. He's mako poinsoned, after years spent in a lab, just before seeing everyone he cared about mortally wounded.
Zack is the ideal of what Cloud thinks a soldier should be, hero, so coming off seeing himself as a failure, he just stole hi identity and place in his memories, conveniently leaving out his death. None of this is happening with aerith, so it's a it out of place that is happening, and doesnt really make much sense, considering the zack\cloud relationship is one of the most confusing plot points of the OG to this day.
Ugh, I tried to reply to this and RUclips broke. Lemme try again.
So it's fair that you feel like there's something missing if Cloud doesn't grieve and experience Aerith's death at the same time as everyone else. But you didn't exactly give a reason. In the original, she dies, and then almost immediately he's so caught up in chasing down Sephiroth (which worries everyone else in response), that he arguably doesn't properly grieve then either. And then an hour and a half later he falls into the Lifestream, and we don't get a single coherent moment with him again until after Tifa and him fall in once more and she helps sort his mind out. What part of that section is integral to his character growth and necessitates he grieves with everyone else, and is therefore incompatible with him grieving separately?
As for the Zack stuff, just because FFVII utilizes science fantasy elements like Mako, Sephiroth's influence, and Jenova's Cells to bolster Cloud's mental struggles, doesn't mean these things don't occur in real life. People who go through serious traumas - including the death of loved ones - can compartmentalize them to such a degree that they forget that it happens. And trauma can also cause people to dissociate and develop alternate personalities just like Cloud does, as a way to cope. These issues can also be recurring, if the traumas are recurring.
You mention that Cloud is at his most vulnerable when Zack dies. But how is he not equally vulnerable here when Aerith dies. He still has yet to face any of his previous traumas, and he's got a fresh new one to deal with. Sure, he's not currently dealing with severe Mako poisoning. But on top of the trauma of Aerith's death he's now got Jenova's Cells/the Reunion, and Sephiroth's influence pushing him and keeping him emotionally raw and vulnerable. If anything, since Cloud has yet to really face ANY of his previous trauma, I'd argue it's pretty safe to assume that he'd react very similarly to Aerith's death. He's yet to do ANY healing.
I also personally think there's a bit of inherent beauty in it being Aerith AND Zack (since they were a couple) that Cloud needs to realize are no longer alive, and start to grieve over... rather than just Zack, who in the original we barely know anything about even AFTER the secret scene with him. That feels intentional.
Dude I’ve been waiting for a good long form video essay on this game for months now, and this did not disappoint. Truly excellent work, keep it up!
Thanks! Really happy you enjoyed it!
If the creators don’t want people to think about multiverse nonsense, they should stop putting scenes in the game to lead the audience to think those things. They literally have Seph come out and expose it at the player. It seems like the ending is designed to be a season finale cliffhanger to generate discussion and hype and that’s exactly what’s happening
Developers don't control anyone's thoughts. Plenty of people didn't have the same thoughts the most spitefully negative crowd did. So the problem clearly isn't the developers or the scenes. The problem is the part of the fandom who refuses to think for themselves. And after so many of the supposedly indisputable fan theories were proven wrong, you'd think these people would take a step back and reassess their biases. But instead they succumb to the sunk cost and just dig their heels in deeper. They FORCE the game to contort to exactly what they demand to see..
27:28 This is a very deep analysis! I don't think I've ever given writing and stories in games much thought, well done! 👊
Thanks :D
An enjoyable video! It was nice listening to your takes on the game’s different aspects. Thank you so much again for the shoutout :,) such kind words.
I appreciate you giving kudos to the creatives multiple times. It’s so clear that they care and want this to work. EVERYONE’S a critic, but what’s not so easy is the dreaming, planning, and confidence mustering (is that a word? Lol) to actually MAKE something.
I was also amused by such a polite roast during your intro as well as your rants afterwards. Had me talking at the TV agreeing with you at certain points lol
Thanks for taking the time to watch the video! As well as thanks again for all of the feedback and help with the channel art stuff!!!
I really do think DOING something for a bit can help balance a perspective SO MUCH. Once you've done a bit of work related to the things you're criticizing, you not only start to understand the amount of work and expertise it takes, but also tend to find that you want to learn more about how things like this are put together. And understanding is a quick path to respecting.
Hahaha, the original version of this script was a lot more hot-headed. I still wanted to draw a clear line, and stand my ground in relation to things that are genuinely toxic or just plain bad faith. But I'm glad I ultimately kept it more on track than it was originally going to be.
@@LibraScope of course! always happy to help :)
And YESSSS agreed. And that’s definitely a more healthy way to be passionate about something as opposed to being a killjoy lol
And is that so? Haha now it’s time for the UNCUT VERSIONNN (jk)
@@jazzy_okami Lololol, I DO still have that 'uncut' version of the script 🤣
I really like your interpretation of the lifestream multiverse as I feel it fits with the ideas present in the original. However, I'm not sure your theory is aboe to explaon why Biggs is able to remember Cloud from the main timeline meaning that he must have crossed over right and so your idea that they are timelines of everything that has or could be but the universes themselves don't overlap doesn't really fit that idea. If yiu have an explanation though I would love to hear it, cuz your theory sounds like a really cool one that I genuinely think wiuld completely and positively recontextualise all the changes that have been made thus far.
That's a good question! But thinking about it a bit, I think I have a good answer.
Okay, so at the end of Remake we see Biggs alive, right? At first people assumed that was in the normal timeline, thanks to Wedge briefly living longer than he did in the original. But I think the Biggs we see at the end of Remake is actually the one who talks to Zack a bunch in Rebirth, in one of the alternate timelines. The main timeline Biggs should still be dead.
I think the fact that both Zack and Biggs have 'busted internal clocks' in this alternate timeline, and they both remember Cloud in different ways, is an indication that they don't know that the 'real' them is actually dead and they're therefore currently part of the Lifestream. As such, both of them remember aspects of the real Cloud in the main timeline, not the one sitting in Aerith's house in a coma. Honestly, this could also explain why there seem to be so many alternate timelines with different Stamp designs in the first place. It might simply be that these inconsistencies are all symptoms of the fact that they're not the main, real timeline, and therefore aspects of said timelines don't always line up with the true timeline. They're the skewed collective memories of the dead.
In fact, the version of Aerith and Cloud that are both unconscious in that house might be representative of the fact that they (through being a Cetra and being attached to Sephiroth/Jenova respectively) have a deeper connection to the Lifestream than the other currently living characters. It's less that they're 'alive' in other timelines, and more so that their spirits can reach and be reached more tangibly in these Lifestream 'dreamworlds' we as players are calling 'alternate timelines'. I wouldn't be surprised if the Aerith in this specific alternate timeline wakes up in the third game, and she then decides to bring together their allies who have died, in order to support everyone in the main timeline. This is just a guess of course, but that could lead to her summoning the Lifestream at the end, like in the original, after Holy fails to protect the planet from Meteor during the ending cutscene. That could also explain why Holy seems dead in the main timeline... because it basically was in the original, insofar as that it failed at its task. Just like in the original, the Lifestream could then save the day. But this time instead of it being the Planet and Aerith allowing it to happen, it's a combination of all of their dead allies, lead by Aerith and the Planet.
Hopefully that's clear to understand. It's not a complicated explanation, I just don't know if I explained it well, lol.
@@LibraScope Love that theory, I think if this has been their plan all along it elevates what is already one of my all time favourites games even further (complaints about how Aerith's death is presented aside). If they don't do this and instead do a proper multiverse then you can be rest assured that you had a better idea about how to remake FF7 than the creators did 😂
@@samalmond2321 Lololol, thanks. And I appreciate you taking the time to watch through such a long video, and comment!
This video really made me stop and reconsider my feelings on how the Aerith thing was handled. I think you're going to end up being right with how they handle it + Cloud's grief in game three, and I can see the merit in the way they did it now. I always find fascinating things to think about in your videos, and this one really helped me to see Rebirth in a different light! I love original 7 (which I only played for the first time THIS MARCH) and I've looooved Remake since it released, so my expectations were incredibly high coming into this game, which I think ended up making me a little unfair towards it with my complaints and made it difficult to see the merits of some decisions that were made. But you're right - this team seems passionate and purposeful, and I trust them!
Also nested materia would be so nice....
Hehehe, thanks a lot for the compliments and kind words! And for taking the time to watch such a long video! I have a friend who's in a similar position, having only just recently gone through the original game, and then Remake/Rebirth. He too was kind of upset about how the Aerith stuff was handled. And as I said in the video, I was taken aback as well. It's certainly a shock to the system. My thoughts and similar ideas from other people could absolutely be wrong, but for me personally, these developers have shown me that they deserve faith. Faith that they have some sort of vision, even if it ultimately doesn't end up being the one I would've had in the end. And as long as that vision is realized... I think that's enough for me.
And yeah, I really hope they recognize the tedium of the Materia menu for the next game. Or preferably, in an update that maybe releases for free alongside any DLC chapter they might make for Rebirth. I think just including nested Materia and the Weapon/Arm Materia moving system from the original would be absolutely transformative to the ease of use for that menu.
Thinking about it, maybe not a gambit system, but maybe be able to set the party in various "stances". "Safe" would be blocking all the time or except for when an enemy is staggered. "Aggressive" would use normal attacks to build atb at all costs and "Balanced" that's somewhere in-between.
That's definitely not a bad idea at face value! I'd worry that in order to keep the party dynamics element in play, they'd have to be kind of reckless to some degree, otherwise you run into the same issue of allowing players to get away with simply 'maining' a single character. But, it's certainly a solution that's simple enough that it could probably be balanced around!
1:29:35 Agreed this is an excellent quality of life and replayability feature! 😀
1:29:35 🤯 oh god if I were to pick the wrong retry option I would probably cry
Hahaha, yeah it definitely sucked, especially right at the end of the game :D
1:57:38 All very interesting points! ☺️👊
Thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to watch the whole thing!
Theres nothing better in writing than making a villain lose every single time he fights the main character. That is definitely the best way to make a meaningful, imposing, and scary villain.
...That's the same in the original though... whether it looks like Sephiroth or not, it's ALL Jenova in both versions, and Jenova loses every single time in both versions. Also, it's made abundantly clear through his teasing of Cloud that this is Sephiroth (through Jenova) just toying with Cloud. The context matters, and you don't get to arbitrarily remove it just to make your point :P
@@LibraScope oh yeah. I forgot, every game always ends with you fake beating the bad guy lol.
There is a difference between fighting Jenova which was not the ultimate bad guy in the original, and fighting Uber multiverse sephiroth who is the ultimate bad guy in the remake trilogy.
This "game" is 3 parts. Each part being an entire full length game. I guess it's peak intellect to have the final boss of each full length game to just be a fake out. That's terrible design. Which is why rebirth sold terribly compared to remake. The original game designers took inspiration from Jaws the movie when designing Sephiroth. Less is more. Yet they added him like crazy in this new series. Why? Because they said "everyone already knows who he is". I don't know what's worse. That doing that was because they were lazy or because it was a blatant cash grab.
@@ericmcmanus5179 You're not fighting 'uber multiverse Sephiroth' dude. You're just making stuff up and ignoring context to make your weak points seem valid, because you NEED to have something to complain about. Go do it somewhere else.
@@LibraScope so the sephiroth you fight at the end of remake and rebirth is not the sephiroth between worlds? I think you may need to replay those games if you didn't know that lol.
@@LibraScope what context am I ignoring?
1:34:30 Screw really hard mandatory minigames!!!
Agreed! :D
5:43 😂 it's not me but that group sound scary
Yeah, big creators especially have big targets on their back from these people, purely for not spreading specific narratives, which is just so unacceptable.
Can I ask why no chapters mate? 😊
Ahhhhh, sorry! I knew I forgot to add something! This video was such an editing nightmare, that finally putting it all together was a bit of a nightmare. I'll get on that right now! Thank you for reminding me!
Disagree about the minigames being fair.. the highscores are a pain in the ass. There is no exploit for the space or motorcycle or the cactuar mini game. I never played yakuza so I cannot compare but it does seem like you are being selectively forgiving with the minigames because you liked them more than the ones in yakuza. But If your not good at them or don't like them that much like myself than they are just as much of pain as yakuza's where to you. Also you are kind of forced to get the high scores in order to get the dark matter for crafting. In order to fight gilgamesh you have get good at gambits and fort condor 4 times each. I spent 8 hours over 2 days just on fort condor, was ridiculous. No Way i'm doing that crap ever again.
I think in regards to the motorcycle or the shmup game, that's fair. I really didn't find them difficult, but there isn't a 'get out of jail free' solution for them as far as I know. The cactuar minigame I think is more arguable, since it's largely using normal combat mechanics, and since that's the central pillar of the game mechanically, I feel like the player should be expected to be able to do decently well at that.
Fort Condor and Gears and Gambits though can be completely broken in half by looking up optimal solution guides, which I think was intentionally part of their design. In 2024, it's hard for me to blame a well designed minigame for being really challenging, if it has an easy solution like that for people who don't care. Keep in mind though that I did say it was a mixed bag still. Just kinda mixed in favor of the game. And unlike Yakuza (which did indeed have a fair few minigames that I didn't dislike), it wasn't focused so heavily on randomness and luck. I strongly recommend avoiding ever trying to complete a Yakuza if Rebirth frustrated you this much :)
Its funny how Im only ever seeing FF7 remake/rebirth defenders being the ones who throw adhomenem attacks and name calling at critics. Someone doesn't like your video game and you call them toxic grass defficient and seething critics? You need some help dude.
Yeah, okay. You do you, bruh. Thanks for the engagement.
@@LibraScope you are welcome.