I’m not gonna lie, I was working on an introductory video to RUclips and it’s about the theme of the Highs, the Lows and the distance between. 7:49 really reflects things I have noticed as well. It’s so cool hearing others see the things you do too.
The 90s were amazing. It was the time where technology was prevalent but we still went outside to play and walked to our friends houses to see if they were home
Meeting with my friends to play Secret of Mana, we were 3 kids, in the same room going on an adventure, then we'd go outside and have fun. It was awesome. Never got that sensation again by playing online with other people. Games like FFVII Remake could easily allow for multiple players, 2 or 3 people in the same room... Never quite understood why coops like Secret of Mana didn't go into more games.
I would say it lasted until 2005. After that it was all about Social Media and Online gaming. The magic of having four wired controllers connected to your N64 or Gamecube. Luckily Nintendo has maintained that local magic while embracing online play to connect Japanese, Europeans and Americans for a truly globalized gaming experience.
@@gnosis_gaming That's why I like FF7 Rebirth too. People say it's empty, but that's just one of many reason's it's a good, faithful remake. The character model's alone are insanely well done. Hard to please everyone, I know.
@@Steph_7d7Eco-terrorists running about, getting in the way, annoying everyone. Religious cult. Scientists screwing with nature and creating unnatural things that harm society. The list continues
@@Steph_7d7 climate change/destruction accelerated by greedy capitalist giants who have hijacked the (numerically) biggest economy's government by means of lobbying and carefully crafting a financial necessity for said giants to operate, maybe? Just a guess.
Learn what. Communism. Socialism. Funny how most of gaming RUclipsrs are big ol commies while making content and there money like capitalists. Oh I’m sure if this guy became super wealthy off of RUclips he would give away all his money so that everyone was equal. Everyone’s a socialist until it comes out of there pocket. Losers.
I have been playing this game for almost 25 years, I have raised 2 kids and introduced them to it. I have watched dozens, maybe even hundreds of analasys videos on the game. This one is one of the best ive seen. The connections and concepts you point out are brilliant and spot on. Well done sir.
How did you feel about remake? I feel like they ruined it. Like they burned me so badly that I don't even care what they do with the next two. Maybe I'll watch on RUclips where I can fast-forward through all the padding but they won't get another dollar out of me for that insult Of ruining one of the greatest games of all time so that they could maximize profit 🤦♂️
@jamesmiller5331 I liked it. They followed some older mods pretty closely.. Deep love for hard-core fans and new ones. I'm hoping we get some big revelations in rebirth. I spent many hours exploring every nook and cranny for every easter egg.
I was 9 when I played FF7 in 1997, by parents also bought me the original guide book.. I fell in love with it and it helped me through a tough time when my grandad died.. I’ve done a playthrough every year since
One point - Aeris didn’t want to die, as confirmed by some dialogue between Tifa and Cloud on the Highwind. One of the strengths of the story is that it isn’t a morbid tale of self-sacrifice; it’s about wanting to live.
Hey, thanks for commenting! The question of 'what Aerith' knew has long been a bit contentious in the FF7 community, though I think we can agree that Aerith selflessly put herself into harm's way to protect her friends, not wanting to make her burden their burden. When I say that Aerith is a Christ-like figure I mean it in this sense of seflessness; not necessarily that Aerith can see the future.
@@gnosis_gaming That would make the comparison even more fitting then. Cause if I remember correctly from my religion lessons, Jesus didn't really want to die neither. There was a point shortly before he got arrested, when Jesus prayed to his father saying he was afraid of what was going to happen and didn't want to die. And he didn't smile during his ordeal or take it like a champ, he did suffer horribly. And that's the point! He still didn't fight it and sacrificed himself in the end, cause in his eyes it was necessary for the people.
The scene in which Red and his cubs passing by an abandoned Midgard city just hits so hard. You know after all these years the characters you love are long gone, maybe they lived happily ever after. You know humanity is probably also long gone since it is rare for human to abandon an entire city unless it becomes inhabitable. I think it is more about protect environment cliche, it just reminds us humanity is nothing but a grain of sand in the history of a planet, a galaxy or even the universe. It also tells us how to deal with death,how we can embrace death of loved ones and let go.
Also, it is possible the city is a nature preserve: a reminder to a thriving, nearby civilization of the hubris of their ancestors. ;) either is possible until canon decides.
I am very glad this video appeared on my recommendations. I've come to realize that smaller channels like this are the unsung heroes of this platform. You fully described the atmosphere and themes of this game perfectly. This game always had a sense of isolation and sadness that brings me into a strange mental space while playing it. It's a work of art that evokes all kinds of feelings through its tone and themes. Great work!
The unique dreadful desolate atmospheric tonality with a gist of loneliness, isolation and despair expressed through the artstyle and soundscape of the original are what the FF7 remake is missing completely on or straightup butchering, the remake just doesn't feel like the FF7 we all were familiar with.
I skipped ahead to core values and that next sentence had me hooked. That was literally my exact initial experience with the Final Fantasy world. From dad being too busy to help, to beating that exact boss the next morning. This video hit home
@@gnosis_gaming The remake is beautiful, highly enjoyable and an incredible enhancement to the original, don't get me wrong, I'm just stating that it appears to be overtly modernized and '2020s typical' to the point that it loses the stylistic sentiments you get from the original in the 90s, obviously to appease the taste of the modern audience. The heart and soul of FF7, the apocalyptic dread and loneliness with a touch of horror like you've pointed out is missing in the remake, which is more "lively" and "cool" in a sense.
I love the high and low thing. I played this game for the first time in 2015 and haven't stopped thinking about it since. It always surprises me how every so often I come across fantastic new observations about things I've always felt but never noticed. Gosh I adore FF7, what a sterling example of human artistry.
I was just thinking to myself “2015, that’s probably when I first played it. That’s what like 5 years ago?” And then I realized nope that’s 9 years ago. Man time really flies (and the pandemic didn’t help with that)
This game was and still is creepy to me. I'm almost 30 but I feel 12 again scared of the Shinra Mansion or The City of The Ancients (yes, that place scares me to death)
@@ericperreault8889 It was hard for me to play this scene alone as a kid. Somehow I found it much more scary compared to some ultraviolent games/films/anime..
I agree. Identifying with Cloud as the main character gives you a feeling of being isolated. The second half of the game is just cloud trying to accept that nothing he believes in makes sense and all the other characters being sympathetic cause there's a bigger issue at play. Good video. Earned a sub.
Nothing he believes in makes sense? Tifa helped him remember who he was. I do remember as a kid on my first play through still not being sure if he's a clone or not 😅 Iv played it multiple times since then
@@ThepurposeofTimeyes! I remember the clone aspect from my play through as being a big part the stuck out to me too when I played it as a teenager in 1997!
@@MegaFinalRound its because of Seph and Hoji repeatedly calling him a puppet 😂 you find out its not true but if you're not paying attention you can easily believe the accepted truth was that he was created. its further confirmed he's not by the Zack flash back on disc 3. I think some people may believe tifa just helped him make up another story 🤣
100% - was 13-3 for me considering the theme of the game is literally the ending of the world and throughout the entire game you use one permanent party member being lightning. This is really a game where you save the world pretty much solo while travelling around solo, with only the assistance of some older characters in minor instances from previous games in the series.
It has some of the best visuals in a game in terms of art design but it is like a road trip alone. It is boring but beautiful. You really have to contemplate life in that mixture of empty space and awe.
it only seems lonely because the game was actually very empty. Not in an artistic or creative way, but in a cheap and lazy way. It was more about time and costs than having a message of loneliness or isolation. ff7 explores these themes intentionally, and 13 was just a shallow experience. Honestly tho, its been at least a decade since I've played that game so maybe I should replay it and reevaluate it.
The loneliest moment for me was when the world map theme changed that was dark and depressing even played whilst controlling the highwind airship. Final fantasy VII taught me so much growing up in the 90's thank you for your video I've learnt new perspectives this game will never cease to amaze me!
I'm 41 years old guy from Indonesia. I'm glad that youtube algorithm accidentally recommended me this video. It's really what I'm searching for. It's a deep, philosophical analysis of perhaps arguably one of the greatest video games (& art-work) ever created in history of mankind. You especially truly highlighted all the deeper & underrated aspects of this complex game, where no one else has ever done. Thank you so much.
Really enjoyed this. Final fantasy 7 changed my life. But sometimes I struggle to ever really know why. Thanks for this perspective it felt fresh and was easy to watch.
Your narration was only the purest perfection describing the true essence of FF7. This was the best video honoring what FF7 truly is. It made me completely forget about EVERYTHING that came afterwards and reminded how it truly stands alone and apart from the other FF games and everything else. Thank you for your unique and very understanding perspective on one of the most greatest ideas ever conceived.
This video is amazing. You put into words so many of my thoughts as a teenager playing this game. The loneliness, the despair... You made truly made a gem of a video, congrats ❤
appreciate people doing content like this without making full feature films that are 1-2 hours long, the few times I've watched super long analysis videos I've always thought that they didn't need to be that long, that the same points could've been made more succinctly
The most memorable game I've ever played, final fantasy 7, will go down as my favorite game of all time, for its messages of life and death. The depth of its story was so captivating to me, such a beautifully sad story that has stayed with me till this day. For myself, FF7 is a 10/10 game, my opinion a masterpiece
Wow. I never realized the point you made about Cosmo Canyon. The name and structure being made that way is so simple yet so beautiful. The point about Sephiroth dropping from the sky too! You’ve touched on so many examples that I’ve never seen brought up in hours and hours of video essays about Seven. You’ve really helped me gain a whole new appreciation of the writing. Incredible video.
Great analysis of Cosmo Canyon. FF7 is really a masterpiece, there's so much to learn about it after all these years, so much there's still left to talk about.
I think most people have only started scratching the surface when it comes to analysing games... We were all much younger when they came out, and now we're grown up and ready to think about them more deeply.
I agree with another commentor here, Aerith did not sacrifice herself. She did not go to the City of the Ancients knowing she would die. There's even a line in the game about this, the while party is on the Highwind and someone mentions that Aerith knew what would happen. Tifa responds by saying she doesn't believe it was true, that Aerith talked about the future more than anyone. The game's writers also have commented publicly about how often death comes suddenly, without warning. Aerith didn't make a choice to die - she was murdered. All that said, this doesn't invalidate any part of your commentary, overall it was very good. :)
I always felt, at the very least, that the way Aerith left the party while she prayed for Holy was a sort of sacrifice, putting herself into harm's way for the greater good, though people online argue whether she had a feeling about what was going to happen 🥲🤔
@@ThepurposeofTime based on everything Aerith said in the game, I don't think she knew she would die. One of her last lines of dialogue to Cloud, in the Sleeping Forest, was that she would see him again. She wasn't a martyr, she didn't predict her own death (though FF7R has retconned this in a very intriguing way - but that's another topic entirely) Aerith's death is one of those things that is so known in popular culture now that it's a given. Like Darth Vader being Luke's father, it's just something you can't un-know, and it's something that many players hear about before ever even playing the game. Even for those of us that didn't know, Aerith's death is such a momentous thing that I think we ascribe meaning to it, seek answers for it. In the same way some will say "it was her time," or that a tragic death is part of "gods plan," I think we just naturally say "Aerith did it for the greater good." When seeking the keystone, Bugenhagen informs Cloud that Holy, if activated, glows green. When Aerith died, during the act, Holy is already green. Her death wasn't a requirement to summon it, and there is no indication that Aerith's death was required to activate the Lifestream against meteor in the end either. If Aerith's death was a sacrifice, what was it for? I think it's just something we collectively tell ourselves, because it's easier to swallow if we think of her as a selfless martyr, and not a girl murdered for no greater purpose.
I think aerith knew, as for meeting cloud again she did ( in the lifestream ). To create holy...a holy sacrifice was required. But instead of dieing aerith ascended to the lifestream to give the party a fighting chance to beat sephiroth ( holy helped but to me aerith being in the lifestream may've partially weakened sephiroth ). I think when cloud and co met aerith there the look on her face was really thanks for everything, I leave the rest to you...goodbye.
@@wesker100000000 there's nothing in the game that indicates that Holy required a sacrifice. And if it did, it seems odd that the planet would somehow employ Sephiroth as the means to this supposedly necessary sacrifice. And if it did require a sacrifice to work, I'm not sure why Sephiroth would have killed her to meet this criteria, as it would go against his own goals. Intriguingly, in the game, I don't think Sephiroth ever speaks to Aerith a single time, certainly not about Holy or her being an ancient. It's not even apparent if he's aware there is living Ancient at all, let alone that she has the Holy materia, or that he's even aware of the Holy materia's existence, for that matter. Sephiroth's entire purpose in this part of the game is to destabilize Cloud's identity, to have Cloud deliver the black materia to Sephiroth and join the Reunion. He doesn't care about Aerith being an ancient, or being alive or dead. He may not even know about Holy. His entire goal is just to keep Cloud focused on him, and Aerith was just a casualty to ensure Cloud wouldn't waiver, and would continue seeking Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. Even when Sephiroth kills her, he doesn't say a single thing about her. No villain speech about stopping Holy, nothing at all. Again I think we want to ascribe higher purpose to her death, because it is cruel to think she was murdered senselessly, just to keep Cloud fixated on Sephiroth. Cloud had been overtaken by Sephiroth once, and had physically beaten Aerith at the Temple of the Ancients. This instability is what prompted her to go, alone, to the City of the Ancients. The beating and her death were both orchestrated by Sephiroth to push Cloud into psychological distress. The entire party would have gone together to the City of the Ancients, and Aerith could have prayed to Holy and lived, if not for Sephiroth's intervention. I'd recommend, the next time you play the original, pay attention to how Aerith speaks. At no point does she indicate she knows what is going to happen. Then play the Remake, where she does know what will happen to her, and notice how dramatic that difference is.
Super happy I was recommended your channel. An awesome analysis of one of the greatest games of all time. I think these themes is what makes this specific game timeless. I have been privileged to be able to introduce this game to my nieces at the age of 12 (they're twins). They swallowed it up and it became one of their favorite games. We talked a lot about the story, the themes, the world, relating it to the world we live in today. It reminds me very much of this video and I can tell (even at their young age) that they have been deeply moved by the story.
ff7 was one of those life-changing games from my childhood. When my uncle died when I was 8, my neighbors asked me what I believed in (searching for a way to comfort me), and I told them that I hoped he was returning to the Lifestream. Even the way I think about the ecosystem and how humans interact with their environment I think of it in terms that ff7 was the spark for. Life is the ebb and flow of energy, or, as Mufasa puts in the Lion King, "when we die we become the grass, the antelope eat the grass, and we eat the antelope." I could use some grass right about now...
What an incredible video. I feel as if you eloquently expressed the things I have deeply understood from playing the game as a 13 year old, yet have never truly dissected and examined. I feel closer to this amazing game and that childhood experience, thanks man, great job!
Great video! I never realized the upper and lower themes. Aerith is killed from above and descends to the bottom of the ocean, near the centre of the planet. The towers of Shinra, the reactors on mountains (like Corel and Nibelhein). I was 10 or 11 when I first played and english is not my first language, so I didn't understand it very well what was written, but even with the visual I could supose what the themes were. I also didn't think about how unique ff7 is when compared with ff8 and 9 specially. I think FF6 has similar themes of doom and hope, but ff7 is definetly more lonely than ff6.
I was 12 when the game came out. My friend and I got out of Midgar after a few days of trading the controller back and forth. We thought the whole game would be in Midgar and the world map blew our little minds. It wasn't either of our first RPGs. Sadly we moved a couple of weeks later, but my dad bought me a PlayStation, but no games. My brother and I rode our bikes an hour to the nearest Family Video one weekend after school to rent FF7. We rented it for two weeks straight, until my mom finally just bought me the game. A lot of the themes and story was lost on me when I was 12. I didn't fully understand Cloud's story and backstory until I played the game when I was older, for years I thought that he was just a failed SOLDIER experiment without a number. Obviously doesn't help that the scene with Cloud and Zack escaping is entirely missable. FF7 and Cowboy Bebop will always be my favorite game and show. I enjoyed them even when I was a teenager when a lot of stuff went over my head, and I enjoy them now, as I play/watch the again every year, and always find something new to appreciate, now that I'm older and have much more experience and knowledge of the real world. Aaaaanyway, I'm excited for Rebirth.
@@gnosis_gaming Lol dude one time we rented Donkey Kong 64 only to find out that we needed an expansion pack to play it, so we had to go back and rent that too.
I'm 39 , i let this game become my entire world because of a traumatic event that left me with only the first disk , so i had to start over , and i was lvl 99 when i got a second copy , i played it every year for the majority of my life , and im a mess of emotions with the remakes , i stopped a quarter the way through remake and just watched a video because i hated they made us the old fans the whispers trying to make the game the same , kindom hearts punch in the face , but i love rebirth im 12 hours in and just cry all the time because its so beautiful, such a love letter. You knocked this video out of the park , i'm blown away , the upper lower theme was wasted on me or you found something that wasnt there but it works , either way , i was lil when i played this too , i could read but i didnt need to be hit with such deep stuff so early. but im so glad i did , going on 40 weeb with a tifa fetish , over 60 final fantasy games physical , i wouldnt change a thing. thank you for making this.
As someone who grew up playing snes and genesis, when I first played this game as a child, it changed how I would see video games forever. It was the first game that had me on edge wanting to stay up and see what happened next. The third disc didn't work so I would replay the first two until they got too scratched up. Finally beat the game on a emulator much later on, if anyone still hasn't played this game (the original not remake) I highly recommend it. Probably the most iconic story in all of FF.
probably the deepest, underrated, & most philosophical analysis I've ever found on this popular game, that most people tend to overlook & never truly understand
Excellent commentary. One of the few thought provoking videos our there in 2024. Thanks for showing me why I love this game, being a reflection of my soul
Great video. Started replaying VII this weekend and you put into words perfectly the feelings I get playing this game. Just subbed my man, glad this popped up for me.
@@gnosis_gaming just beat Remake and wanted to play through OG before Rebirth to refresh myself on how everything plays out originally. So yeah perfect timing with this video lol
I feel like the true lonely final fantasy is X no matter what Tidus is a fish out of water he has no idea how anything works or anyone in spira. He is truly alone and while others become friendly with him they never truly know him.
This is so strange, 7 never felt lonely to me, it was always the most comforting and friendly of the series to me, everyone felt connected and the idea of the lifestream struck hard. I felt like we were all as one. FF9 on the other hand hit me very differently, the idea of loneliness struck me from the openeing to the very end. It genuinely wears loneliness on its sleeve in a way i havent seen other games do so gracefully.
The original ff7 is the greatest game of all time even to this day. Nothing beats it not even the unfaithful demake and debirth. Greatest soundtrack and best combat out of all the final fantasys. I play it at least once a year and it never gets old. Funny how it has no facial animations or voice acting and it conveys so much more emotion than demake and debirth could ever wish to do.
I swear during the Scorpion tank fight cloud shouts to barret to attack with it's tail up. You lock in that attack only for cloud to finish his sentence... 😶
Amongst the best videos I’ve watched on RUclips. You convey so accurately the solipsism and sheer desperation of the world we’re placed in, in the game. It’s a modern epic, as you put it (and what i would agree with) because it transcends its medium and forces us to consider, in parallel, our own philosophical underpinnings. The largely vacuous state of current games is so often pre-disposed to a fetishisation of style over substance and agonising corporate-greed (how prophetic), yet nearly 20 years later there are still philosophical essays on this epic that ran on a 32 bit console. That is true mastery of storytelling. Wonderful video.
great content bro! what a fresh take on a game that has been dissected every which way. excellent editing and very very interesting and engaging. got a new sub
Your FFVII / FFVIII / FFIX videos are extremely nostalgic, they've reminded me of so many niche things I've forgotten. Really enjoy your videos, thank you.
_"Lonely"_ is not the right word, in my opinion, or not the word I'd use, more like, maybe, _"gloomy"_ , with strong hints of _"desperate"_ and _"forlorn"_ aftertaste.
I played FF7 OG for the first time this year at 30. After a lifetime of gaming and without any nostalgia blinders, I can still say it's one of the best games I've played. There's something so haunting about the overall setting, I think you nailed it by classifying it as horror. It's amusing you compared it to a literary epic as I was explaining it to a friend as Shakespearian at times - the gut wrenching backstory of Barrett immediately followed by the trip the wonderous Golden Saucer is a fantastic moment that serves to show the many juxtapositions throughout the world. I also think it's what's missing from the remake, which I finished soon after. It loses this haunting, dismal feeling when you spend 20 minutes searching for cats throughout the slums. The goofy moment's help accentuate how dark the overall world is in the original while it's the opposite in the remake. Great video!
People don’t know this yet. But FFVII is our Iliad, is our bible, our epic of Gilgamesh. Humanity will just need a few hundred years to realize that…and it too will be christened into the annual of history among the same ranks as these previous epics. We milleniels are truly blessed to be alive while this great human achievement was born…FFVII is a masterpiece of humanity. Such works only come along every few thousand years. What a gift we all share!!!
I think you definitely hit the nail on the head with how Modern FF7 feels, even now. The world of FF7 feels so big in part because it is so lonely. It's so overwhelming to constantly enter even crowded spaces where everyone is just going in their own directions while everything crumbles around you, while ostentatious wealth and power hovers over you and horrible poverty is right around the corner. The original FF7 felt real.
I've played this game maybe 35 times in my life, and you mentioned some themes I never really noticed but was still aware of on some level, which is really great as a diehard fan to still find a video that can take me to school one more time on a subject I love. Thanks, man
Yo bro. Your the only other person whose played this game at 6 years old I’ve found. I’m only 16, close to 17, but ff7 is my mums favourite game, and it’s the first game I ever played. My mum made me play it, she bought it me on my iPad. And we both have basically the same expierience. I didn’t really understand what was going on. To this day the greatest game ever.
I can’t really be bothered to re convey my points, but this game is really special. I actually made a Reddit post about it last week, I don’t think I’m allowed to share links on RUclips, but if you search up, Do young people even play OG ff7 anymore, you will find my post. It gained a lot of comments. Really interesting to read the comments and how the game effects people. Obviously I’m not forcing nothing but if you wanna check it out feel free, it includes stuff about ff8, chrono trigger, ff6 ect ect. New to this channel but I love it bro Quick question: if you read my Reddit post what are your opinions on it and also What is your favourite game of all time? And favourite final fantasy game
@@Vanaolla I’m glad that young people are still getting into the original FF7. Did you play Remake and Rebirth as well? I’ll check out your Reddit post. My favorite FF is… hard to pick between 7 and 9. I think FF7 as a game may have a better structure, but I really have a soft spot for FF9’s world and a characters.
@@gnosis_gaming yeah I’ve played both. I think my opinions on them remain on the post. As someone who played the original first, they are tough to love, but I think they are great games ( especially rebirth ) they just can’t capture the magic of the original for me fully. I think I called them 7/10 for remake and 8 or 9/10 for rebirth. I got half way through 9 and it got taken off ps+, I have to finish it some day, I was loving it. I would say my second fav is 8, but I got a lot of jrpgs I like more. Persona 5,4,3 all are in my top 10 fav games. Chrono triggers a classic. 6 has the best villain in gaming. Lots to love in this series.
@@Vanaolla I had similar feelings about Remake. Enjoyed myself (the combat is great) but the story got a little cringey. I’m going to try Rebirth soon!
I'm 49 years old. I've played FF7 from the very beginning. I have had countless discussions about this story's themes with friends. I have scoured through endless message boards, devouring and contemplating every interpretation and bit of information I could read. I have watched every video about the game on youtube I could find, and I say with confidence that this is hands-down the absolute best analysis of FF7 I have ever seen. That being said, it's MidgAr, not Midgrrr.
Really well done! Your personal experience with the game is so similar to mine. My older brother had the game on his ps1 and I played the mess out of it as a kid, and then as a teen, and still revisit it every so often. Something about playing Rebirth has made the high low distinction that exists in the game even more stark and apparent for me. Funny to see someone else (and apparently tons of others!) keying in on those same themes in the original. I have a lot of love for FF8 especially, as well as the other games, but I feel like FF7 stands apart as a truly unique piece of media/art. Your comparison of it to a literary epic rings so true. It truly is something special.
amazing video! I knew as much about the climate based themes but hadn't examined the imagery the way have. Thank you for the unique perspective and insights, I'll keep these in mind as I play rebirth now!
This video is great. You managed to show me even more things to love about my favorite game ever!!! I'd love to see you make videos on some of the other final fantasy games and the ff7 remake series
@@gnosis_gamingI get that, and I know that the way you worded it was technically correct, I’m just clarifying for gullible people who haven’t played the game, really.
It wasn’t a mistake for your parents to let you rent those games! People weren’t so soft in the 90s and helicopter parenting wasn’t really a thing yet.
Yeah! We rode our bikes around the whole city in elementary school and our parents, who had no way to contact us relied on the street lights to tell us "hey it's time to go home"
Helicopter parenting was very prevalent in the 90’s, even before that too. It also was not because people were not soft back then, it was ignorance. Gnosis even mentioned that his parents’ perception on video games/animation is that they were all for kids. My parents didn’t mind until video games got more realistic and video game violence became a hot topic after Columbine.
amazing analysis and video essay, this is one of my favorite rpgs, but i never truly noticed the top to bottom motif the game clearly has. That takes some good observation
Ugh.... Blaming Capitalism, something that isn't even in the game, for the game's moral problems.... Typical of horrid research. Which is what I expect from content creators.
Game has class stratification, obvious eco-terrorism support, and an East India Company-like that rules half the planet for the purpose of benefiting its executives most of all. I don’t understand how someone like you gets through life being this aggressively blind and ignorant.
Brilliant. Well done. I was 12 when it came out and played it at 13, the perfect age at the perfect time in my life. This work of art has had more impact on me than any other. I’ve played it every year I’ve been alive (40 now) to remind myself of what’s important. But I’ve never made this connection of high and low. Again, brilliant sir. Well done.
Great video and deep insight. The mylusic reminded me of opening scene from Uncut Gems. I bought ff7 when I was 12 and it capitivatdd me. I have so much nostalgia for this game. It takes me back to simpler times in my life when all that needed to be done for the day was to do school work and the rest of my time was free time to enjoy. Now at 38, everything seems to be about being productive in the adult world, a bit draining and sad sometimes, its the people that keep me going.
I was in 5th grade when I first played ff7, and remember saying, "this game is such a lonely world." This video captures my feelings and desires of what I want to connect with through the game so well. Thank you!
I discovered your channel with this video, i'm glad someone can depict OG FF7's poetry and sense of loneliness so well, can't wait to see more of your videos
One thing that always struck me was that in VII, a lot of the characters berate Cloud (Barret/Cid/a lot of random NPCS) but in VIII, a lot of the characters really push to engage with squall and like him. I remember feeling that kind of loneliness when I first played those games.
Your account of becoming addicted reminds me of how I got hooked. It was FF2 on snes and I had no idea about anything, but this one person in this one town kept turning my into a Piggy and jumping out the window. The battles perplexed me, the music captivated me, it was amazing.
From someone who is currently replaying, and falling back in love with FFVII, this is such a good video. Honestly, a perfect game in a lot of ways, and this is such an easily digestible video. Great work!
One of the things that drew me to this game back when I was 12 or so was that I felt misunderstood and lonely, like Cloud did. I felt like he had compassion and justice but in a sort of brash, arrogant manner. I still listen to the soundtrack often.
As soon as I saw the thumbnail. I had to come to say... One of the most lonely, even haunting, parts... Are when you're in the slums under the Gold Saucer after the Dyne stuff. It was put something like, it doesn't need fences because you'll never escape the desert. And no matter how many screens you run away from the camera, you never actually get anywhere. And being barely a teenager at the time, of course I was going to see if I could escape via that route anyway. Of course it's just repeating the same pre-rendered background as you exit the previous screen. But it felt both so open, yet also you felt confined and completely on your own. I guess there wasn't really a way they could replicate it in rebirth... But it's a shame because it just captured it so perfectly. It's the one way having a world map at a different scale to the location maps really helped build that atmosphere.
I have a very weird sensation with older games... There isn't a word for it, but it's essentially a feeling of, "when the hype has long died off and you know for sure you cannot convince anyone around you to even try to play this game, you're just in this artificial loneliness and cannot even share your real emotions to others outside of it." --- Mouthful I know, but that's a real sinking feeling I have. For example. I'm 37 and played FFX back in 2001 when it came out (I was 14). I got really teared up about the story, the graphics, the characters, the gameplay... Hell, I entirely met and dated a great girl in Junior High entirely because we both loved the game and that was great! But all these feelings don't matter at all today because trying to convince someone, "no really this story is fantastic, you should play it" falls on deaf ears of modern Call of Duty people who have zero attention span and no interest or care that stories can be told WITHOUT bleeding edge graphics, if they care for stories at all. It's a very weird and specific feeling of loneliness...Like you missed the one train that already left the one train stop in at the quietest prairie you've ever seen and you know for sure there isn't another train coming to pick you up ever again.
in my years of watching analyses of ff7 (my favorite game of all time), this one is brief yet very very insightful. keep making videos! you have me at your back.
0:00 intro
1:00 core values
2:31 the game’s world
3:30 upper and lower motif
4:13 finding balance
5:05 lonely landscapes
6:28 fmv analysis
7:47 double-edged sword
8:45 aerith vs sephiroth
9:50 modern epic
12:21 outro
Love this. But honestly? No need for it. Amazing intro, sucked me into the video.
I’m not gonna lie, I was working on an introductory video to RUclips and it’s about the theme of the Highs, the Lows and the distance between. 7:49 really reflects things I have noticed as well. It’s so cool hearing others see the things you do too.
Oh, please drop the link here when it's done!@@JaredTVW
Buddy - Its 'Mankind.'
@@gnosis_gamingwe need a retrospective on rebirth! What do you think about rebirth
the loneliest feeling I get is when the world theme music changes to anxiety near the end game
Same with ff6 World of Ruin, that is before the airship there, and "Searching for Friends."
@@erikofskullisland3987searching for friends was like coming up gor air; beautiful track
Not when you enter the highwind
The 90s were amazing. It was the time where technology was prevalent but we still went outside to play and walked to our friends houses to see if they were home
Yeah it was special
Meeting with my friends to play Secret of Mana, we were 3 kids, in the same room going on an adventure, then we'd go outside and have fun. It was awesome. Never got that sensation again by playing online with other people. Games like FFVII Remake could easily allow for multiple players, 2 or 3 people in the same room... Never quite understood why coops like Secret of Mana didn't go into more games.
A truly great time for gaming
I would say it lasted until 2005. After that it was all about Social Media and Online gaming. The magic of having four wired controllers connected to your N64 or Gamecube. Luckily Nintendo has maintained that local magic while embracing online play to connect Japanese, Europeans and Americans for a truly globalized gaming experience.
it was almost perfect ❤
I loved the emptiness of old games. I grew up in the country and it didn't seem out of the ordinary to not see people all the time except my family.
Same here. FF7's world is mostly pretty quiet
@@gnosis_gaming That's why I like FF7 Rebirth too. People say it's empty, but that's just one of many reason's it's a good, faithful remake. The character model's alone are insanely well done. Hard to please everyone, I know.
Somehow the themes of this 1997 game become more relevant by the day.
Time to heed the warnings of FF7 😅
Your right. Look at Metal Gear Solid.
In what way?
@@Steph_7d7Eco-terrorists running about, getting in the way, annoying everyone. Religious cult. Scientists screwing with nature and creating unnatural things that harm society.
The list continues
@@Steph_7d7 climate change/destruction accelerated by greedy capitalist giants who have hijacked the (numerically) biggest economy's government by means of lobbying and carefully crafting a financial necessity for said giants to operate, maybe?
Just a guess.
I love that even after all these years, we can still learn so much from Final Fantasy 7
Like all classics, it's an inexhaustible story.
FF7 and Suikoden 2 are the best games ever made
Learn what. Communism. Socialism. Funny how most of gaming RUclipsrs are big ol commies while making content and there money like capitalists. Oh I’m sure if this guy became super wealthy off of RUclips he would give away all his money so that everyone was equal. Everyone’s a socialist until it comes out of there pocket. Losers.
Good art is timeless. When something is good it will never suddenly become not good, realistically speaking.
Always
I have been playing this game for almost 25 years, I have raised 2 kids and introduced them to it. I have watched dozens, maybe even hundreds of analasys videos on the game. This one is one of the best ive seen. The connections and concepts you point out are brilliant and spot on. Well done sir.
Thanks for clicking! That's huge praise and I'm glad you enjoyed watching. It's big motivation for me to work hard on my next video!
u play the same game for 25 years?
@@fodedordegatas1081 several, if you want to be really, really, REALLY good at something, never, EVER stop doing it.
How did you feel about remake? I feel like they ruined it. Like they burned me so badly that I don't even care what they do with the next two. Maybe I'll watch on RUclips where I can fast-forward through all the padding but they won't get another dollar out of me for that insult Of ruining one of the greatest games of all time so that they could maximize profit 🤦♂️
@jamesmiller5331 I liked it. They followed some older mods pretty closely.. Deep love for hard-core fans and new ones. I'm hoping we get some big revelations in rebirth.
I spent many hours exploring every nook and cranny for every easter egg.
I was 9 when I played FF7 in 1997, by parents also bought me the original guide book.. I fell in love with it and it helped me through a tough time when my grandad died.. I’ve done a playthrough every year since
I got this game as a christmas gift in 1997. After all these years i still remember that christmas day when i first played this game.
What an epic christmas gift in retrospect!
One point - Aeris didn’t want to die, as confirmed by some dialogue between Tifa and Cloud on the Highwind. One of the strengths of the story is that it isn’t a morbid tale of self-sacrifice; it’s about wanting to live.
Hey, thanks for commenting!
The question of 'what Aerith' knew has long been a bit contentious in the FF7 community, though I think we can agree that Aerith selflessly put herself into harm's way to protect her friends, not wanting to make her burden their burden.
When I say that Aerith is a Christ-like figure I mean it in this sense of seflessness; not necessarily that Aerith can see the future.
@@gnosis_gaming That would make the comparison even more fitting then. Cause if I remember correctly from my religion lessons, Jesus didn't really want to die neither.
There was a point shortly before he got arrested, when Jesus prayed to his father saying he was afraid of what was going to happen and didn't want to die. And he didn't smile during his ordeal or take it like a champ, he did suffer horribly. And that's the point!
He still didn't fight it and sacrificed himself in the end, cause in his eyes it was necessary for the people.
I don't think she wanted to die, but she was willing to. Big difference.
The scene in which Red and his cubs passing by an abandoned Midgard city just hits so hard. You know after all these years the characters you love are long gone, maybe they lived happily ever after. You know humanity is probably also long gone since it is rare for human to abandon an entire city unless it becomes inhabitable. I think it is more about protect environment cliche, it just reminds us humanity is nothing but a grain of sand in the history of a planet, a galaxy or even the universe. It also tells us how to deal with death,how we can embrace death of loved ones and let go.
Also, it is possible the city is a nature preserve: a reminder to a thriving, nearby civilization of the hubris of their ancestors. ;) either is possible until canon decides.
I am very glad this video appeared on my recommendations. I've come to realize that smaller channels like this are the unsung heroes of this platform. You fully described the atmosphere and themes of this game perfectly. This game always had a sense of isolation and sadness that brings me into a strange mental space while playing it. It's a work of art that evokes all kinds of feelings through its tone and themes. Great work!
Thanks for clicking! I'm really happy to see that so many people liked it.
The unique dreadful desolate atmospheric tonality with a gist of loneliness, isolation and despair expressed through the artstyle and soundscape of the original are what the FF7 remake is missing completely on or straightup butchering, the remake just doesn't feel like the FF7 we all were familiar with.
I skipped ahead to core values and that next sentence had me hooked. That was literally my exact initial experience with the Final Fantasy world. From dad being too busy to help, to beating that exact boss the next morning. This video hit home
I only started playing the remake the other day. How did you feel about it as a whole?@@Waterbug1591
@@gnosis_gaming The remake is beautiful, highly enjoyable and an incredible enhancement to the original, don't get me wrong, I'm just stating that it appears to be overtly modernized and '2020s typical' to the point that it loses the stylistic sentiments you get from the original in the 90s, obviously to appease the taste of the modern audience.
The heart and soul of FF7, the apocalyptic dread and loneliness with a touch of horror like you've pointed out is missing in the remake, which is more "lively" and "cool" in a sense.
I love the high and low thing. I played this game for the first time in 2015 and haven't stopped thinking about it since. It always surprises me how every so often I come across fantastic new observations about things I've always felt but never noticed. Gosh I adore FF7, what a sterling example of human artistry.
I was just thinking to myself “2015, that’s probably when I first played it. That’s what like 5 years ago?” And then I realized nope that’s 9 years ago. Man time really flies (and the pandemic didn’t help with that)
I also just realized his name is this:
Cloud
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Strife
This game was and still is creepy to me. I'm almost 30 but I feel 12 again scared of the Shinra Mansion or The City of The Ancients (yes, that place scares me to death)
It's creepy for sure
True im 32 and its creepy as hell still 😄
The music in the forgotten capital though... Ooph. I'll eat it up all day
or in the shinra building when you have to follow the trail of blood left by sephiroth...and that music
@@ericperreault8889 It was hard for me to play this scene alone as a kid. Somehow I found it much more scary compared to some ultraviolent games/films/anime..
I agree. Identifying with Cloud as the main character gives you a feeling of being isolated. The second half of the game is just cloud trying to accept that nothing he believes in makes sense and all the other characters being sympathetic cause there's a bigger issue at play.
Good video. Earned a sub.
I love how the game turns inward in the second half instead of expanding outward politically.
Nothing he believes in makes sense? Tifa helped him remember who he was. I do remember as a kid on my first play through still not being sure if he's a clone or not 😅 Iv played it multiple times since then
@@ThepurposeofTimeyes! I remember the clone aspect from my play through as being a big part the stuck out to me too when I played it as a teenager in 1997!
@@MegaFinalRound its because of Seph and Hoji repeatedly calling him a puppet 😂 you find out its not true but if you're not paying attention you can easily believe the accepted truth was that he was created.
its further confirmed he's not by the Zack flash back on disc 3. I think some people may believe tifa just helped him make up another story 🤣
@@ThepurposeofTime ah ok I was mistaken by that then.
He's not a puppet but still a poser for stealing Zack's thunder.
Midgar imo is the coolest intro location of maybe every game ive ever played
personally i feel the loneliest was 13 due to it's lack of towns and humans outside of cocoon . truly felt like an intentionally isolating experience.
I still love wandering Oerba. Such an incredible example of environmental isolation
I agree, the characters are forced to split up multiple times and have to run from everyone as well.
100% - was 13-3 for me considering the theme of the game is literally the ending of the world and throughout the entire game you use one permanent party member being lightning.
This is really a game where you save the world pretty much solo while travelling around solo, with only the assistance of some older characters in minor instances from previous games in the series.
It has some of the best visuals in a game in terms of art design but it is like a road trip alone. It is boring but beautiful. You really have to contemplate life in that mixture of empty space and awe.
it only seems lonely because the game was actually very empty. Not in an artistic or creative way, but in a cheap and lazy way. It was more about time and costs than having a message of loneliness or isolation. ff7 explores these themes intentionally, and 13 was just a shallow experience.
Honestly tho, its been at least a decade since I've played that game so maybe I should replay it and reevaluate it.
The loneliest moment for me was when the world map theme changed that was dark and depressing even played whilst controlling the highwind airship.
Final fantasy VII taught me so much growing up in the 90's thank you for your video I've learnt new perspectives this game will never cease to amaze me!
I'm 41 years old guy from Indonesia. I'm glad that youtube algorithm accidentally recommended me this video. It's really what I'm searching for. It's a deep, philosophical analysis of perhaps arguably one of the greatest video games (& art-work) ever created in history of mankind. You especially truly highlighted all the deeper & underrated aspects of this complex game, where no one else has ever done. Thank you so much.
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Really enjoyed this. Final fantasy 7 changed my life. But sometimes I struggle to ever really know why. Thanks for this perspective it felt fresh and was easy to watch.
Your narration was only the purest perfection describing the true essence of FF7. This was the best video honoring what FF7 truly is. It made me completely forget about EVERYTHING that came afterwards and reminded how it truly stands alone and apart from the other FF games and everything else. Thank you for your unique and very understanding perspective on one of the most greatest ideas ever conceived.
Thanks for the high praise!
You speak as if none of the other FF games matter
This video is amazing. You put into words so many of my thoughts as a teenager playing this game. The loneliness, the despair... You made truly made a gem of a video, congrats ❤
Thanks for clicking! I put a lot of effort into it 🤣
appreciate people doing content like this without making full feature films that are 1-2 hours long, the few times I've watched super long analysis videos I've always thought that they didn't need to be that long, that the same points could've been made more succinctly
Haha, I wish I could make such a long video! I'm always amazed people have the energy for that.
This is actually one of the best RUclips videos I’ve ever seen. So well explained. Awesome music too!
Thanks! That's very high praise.
The most memorable game I've ever played, final fantasy 7, will go down as my favorite game of all time, for its messages of life and death. The depth of its story was so captivating to me, such a beautifully sad story that has stayed with me till this day. For myself, FF7 is a 10/10 game, my opinion a masterpiece
A masterpiece.The greatest game experience I ever had
Wow. I never realized the point you made about Cosmo Canyon. The name and structure being made that way is so simple yet so beautiful. The point about Sephiroth dropping from the sky too!
You’ve touched on so many examples that I’ve never seen brought up in hours and hours of video essays about Seven. You’ve really helped me gain a whole new appreciation of the writing.
Incredible video.
I feel the same! This guy has incredible potential
I was 26 when this game came out and it made me a gamer
Great analysis of Cosmo Canyon. FF7 is really a masterpiece, there's so much to learn about it after all these years, so much there's still left to talk about.
I think most people have only started scratching the surface when it comes to analysing games... We were all much younger when they came out, and now we're grown up and ready to think about them more deeply.
I agree with another commentor here, Aerith did not sacrifice herself. She did not go to the City of the Ancients knowing she would die.
There's even a line in the game about this, the while party is on the Highwind and someone mentions that Aerith knew what would happen. Tifa responds by saying she doesn't believe it was true, that Aerith talked about the future more than anyone. The game's writers also have commented publicly about how often death comes suddenly, without warning. Aerith didn't make a choice to die - she was murdered.
All that said, this doesn't invalidate any part of your commentary, overall it was very good. :)
I always felt, at the very least, that the way Aerith left the party while she prayed for Holy was a sort of sacrifice, putting herself into harm's way for the greater good, though people online argue whether she had a feeling about what was going to happen 🥲🤔
I think she had a feeling it was a 50/50 chance of death but went there anyway
@@ThepurposeofTime based on everything Aerith said in the game, I don't think she knew she would die. One of her last lines of dialogue to Cloud, in the Sleeping Forest, was that she would see him again. She wasn't a martyr, she didn't predict her own death (though FF7R has retconned this in a very intriguing way - but that's another topic entirely)
Aerith's death is one of those things that is so known in popular culture now that it's a given. Like Darth Vader being Luke's father, it's just something you can't un-know, and it's something that many players hear about before ever even playing the game. Even for those of us that didn't know, Aerith's death is such a momentous thing that I think we ascribe meaning to it, seek answers for it.
In the same way some will say "it was her time," or that a tragic death is part of "gods plan," I think we just naturally say "Aerith did it for the greater good."
When seeking the keystone, Bugenhagen informs Cloud that Holy, if activated, glows green. When Aerith died, during the act, Holy is already green. Her death wasn't a requirement to summon it, and there is no indication that Aerith's death was required to activate the Lifestream against meteor in the end either.
If Aerith's death was a sacrifice, what was it for? I think it's just something we collectively tell ourselves, because it's easier to swallow if we think of her as a selfless martyr, and not a girl murdered for no greater purpose.
I think aerith knew, as for meeting cloud again she did ( in the lifestream ). To create holy...a holy sacrifice was required. But instead of dieing aerith ascended to the lifestream to give the party a fighting chance to beat sephiroth ( holy helped but to me aerith being in the lifestream may've partially weakened sephiroth ).
I think when cloud and co met aerith there the look on her face was really thanks for everything, I leave the rest to you...goodbye.
@@wesker100000000 there's nothing in the game that indicates that Holy required a sacrifice. And if it did, it seems odd that the planet would somehow employ Sephiroth as the means to this supposedly necessary sacrifice. And if it did require a sacrifice to work, I'm not sure why Sephiroth would have killed her to meet this criteria, as it would go against his own goals.
Intriguingly, in the game, I don't think Sephiroth ever speaks to Aerith a single time, certainly not about Holy or her being an ancient. It's not even apparent if he's aware there is living Ancient at all, let alone that she has the Holy materia, or that he's even aware of the Holy materia's existence, for that matter.
Sephiroth's entire purpose in this part of the game is to destabilize Cloud's identity, to have Cloud deliver the black materia to Sephiroth and join the Reunion. He doesn't care about Aerith being an ancient, or being alive or dead. He may not even know about Holy. His entire goal is just to keep Cloud focused on him, and Aerith was just a casualty to ensure Cloud wouldn't waiver, and would continue seeking Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. Even when Sephiroth kills her, he doesn't say a single thing about her. No villain speech about stopping Holy, nothing at all.
Again I think we want to ascribe higher purpose to her death, because it is cruel to think she was murdered senselessly, just to keep Cloud fixated on Sephiroth. Cloud had been overtaken by Sephiroth once, and had physically beaten Aerith at the Temple of the Ancients. This instability is what prompted her to go, alone, to the City of the Ancients. The beating and her death were both orchestrated by Sephiroth to push Cloud into psychological distress. The entire party would have gone together to the City of the Ancients, and Aerith could have prayed to Holy and lived, if not for Sephiroth's intervention.
I'd recommend, the next time you play the original, pay attention to how Aerith speaks. At no point does she indicate she knows what is going to happen. Then play the Remake, where she does know what will happen to her, and notice how dramatic that difference is.
Super happy I was recommended your channel. An awesome analysis of one of the greatest games of all time. I think these themes is what makes this specific game timeless. I have been privileged to be able to introduce this game to my nieces at the age of 12 (they're twins). They swallowed it up and it became one of their favorite games. We talked a lot about the story, the themes, the world, relating it to the world we live in today. It reminds me very much of this video and I can tell (even at their young age) that they have been deeply moved by the story.
Thanks for commenting and welcome to the channel!
You sound like a good uncle and I like your two nieces taste, very wholesome story - thanks for sharing
ff7 was one of those life-changing games from my childhood. When my uncle died when I was 8, my neighbors asked me what I believed in (searching for a way to comfort me), and I told them that I hoped he was returning to the Lifestream. Even the way I think about the ecosystem and how humans interact with their environment I think of it in terms that ff7 was the spark for. Life is the ebb and flow of energy, or, as Mufasa puts in the Lion King, "when we die we become the grass, the antelope eat the grass, and we eat the antelope." I could use some grass right about now...
Love seeing other small creators recommended to me. Good stuff.
Thanks for clicking!
What an incredible video. I feel as if you eloquently expressed the things I have deeply understood from playing the game as a 13 year old, yet have never truly dissected and examined. I feel closer to this amazing game and that childhood experience, thanks man, great job!
Great video! I never realized the upper and lower themes. Aerith is killed from above and descends to the bottom of the ocean, near the centre of the planet. The towers of Shinra, the reactors on mountains (like Corel and Nibelhein). I was 10 or 11 when I first played and english is not my first language, so I didn't understand it very well what was written, but even with the visual I could supose what the themes were.
I also didn't think about how unique ff7 is when compared with ff8 and 9 specially. I think FF6 has similar themes of doom and hope, but ff7 is definetly more lonely than ff6.
7, 8, and 9 all have something very psychological about them, but it's definitely most prevalent in 7!
Super well written script and analysis. Great work deconstructing some of my favorite childhood games! Keep 'em coming
I was 12 when the game came out. My friend and I got out of Midgar after a few days of trading the controller back and forth. We thought the whole game would be in Midgar and the world map blew our little minds. It wasn't either of our first RPGs. Sadly we moved a couple of weeks later, but my dad bought me a PlayStation, but no games. My brother and I rode our bikes an hour to the nearest Family Video one weekend after school to rent FF7. We rented it for two weeks straight, until my mom finally just bought me the game.
A lot of the themes and story was lost on me when I was 12. I didn't fully understand Cloud's story and backstory until I played the game when I was older, for years I thought that he was just a failed SOLDIER experiment without a number. Obviously doesn't help that the scene with Cloud and Zack escaping is entirely missable.
FF7 and Cowboy Bebop will always be my favorite game and show. I enjoyed them even when I was a teenager when a lot of stuff went over my head, and I enjoy them now, as I play/watch the again every year, and always find something new to appreciate, now that I'm older and have much more experience and knowledge of the real world.
Aaaaanyway, I'm excited for Rebirth.
Lots of nostalgia! Renting games back in the day definitely made them feel special.
@@gnosis_gaming Lol dude one time we rented Donkey Kong 64 only to find out that we needed an expansion pack to play it, so we had to go back and rent that too.
Man I miss video game stores
Great essay you wrote here. Perfect timing and made me think of thinks I haven't really thought about it, albeit I was aware of them. Great Work dude.
this video feels like those game forums from the early 2000s where everyone talked about their favorite games it's a good vibe
I'm 39 , i let this game become my entire world because of a traumatic event that left me with only the first disk , so i had to start over , and i was lvl 99 when i got a second copy , i played it every year for the majority of my life , and im a mess of emotions with the remakes , i stopped a quarter the way through remake and just watched a video because i hated they made us the old fans the whispers trying to make the game the same , kindom hearts punch in the face , but i love rebirth im 12 hours in and just cry all the time because its so beautiful, such a love letter. You knocked this video out of the park , i'm blown away , the upper lower theme was wasted on me or you found something that wasnt there but it works , either way , i was lil when i played this too , i could read but i didnt need to be hit with such deep stuff so early. but im so glad i did , going on 40 weeb with a tifa fetish , over 60 final fantasy games physical , i wouldnt change a thing. thank you for making this.
As someone who grew up playing snes and genesis, when I first played this game as a child, it changed how I would see video games forever. It was the first game that had me on edge wanting to stay up and see what happened next. The third disc didn't work so I would replay the first two until they got too scratched up. Finally beat the game on a emulator much later on, if anyone still hasn't played this game (the original not remake) I highly recommend it. Probably the most iconic story in all of FF.
That's sad about your third disc! It must have felt terrible not to continue.
Amazing video essay! Really crystallizes alot of my thoughts and feelings on this special game
probably the deepest, underrated, & most philosophical analysis I've ever found on this popular game, that most people tend to overlook & never truly understand
Excellent commentary. One of the few thought provoking videos our there in 2024. Thanks for showing me why I love this game, being a reflection of my soul
Thanks for clicking!
The beginning of the game looks towards the cosmos, searching for the cry of Gaia, and settles on Aerith.
Love your take on the motif!
Great video. Started replaying VII this weekend and you put into words perfectly the feelings I get playing this game. Just subbed my man, glad this popped up for me.
Nice! What inspired you to do another playthrough?
@@gnosis_gaming just beat Remake and wanted to play through OG before Rebirth to refresh myself on how everything plays out originally. So yeah perfect timing with this video lol
I still haven't played the remake. How did you enjoy it? @@nickrispoli2532
I feel like the true lonely final fantasy is X no matter what Tidus is a fish out of water he has no idea how anything works or anyone in spira. He is truly alone and while others become friendly with him they never truly know him.
Awesome video and a great analysis of the only game I've dreamt about. Thank you
This is so strange, 7 never felt lonely to me, it was always the most comforting and friendly of the series to me, everyone felt connected and the idea of the lifestream struck hard. I felt like we were all as one. FF9 on the other hand hit me very differently, the idea of loneliness struck me from the openeing to the very end. It genuinely wears loneliness on its sleeve in a way i havent seen other games do so gracefully.
9 is my favorite because it's a game that always made me feel happy and comforted by the presence of friends.
FFX always felt the most lonely to me. It was the first final fantasy game I played alone, without my older sister.
The original ff7 is the greatest game of all time even to this day. Nothing beats it not even the unfaithful demake and debirth. Greatest soundtrack and best combat out of all the final fantasys. I play it at least once a year and it never gets old. Funny how it has no facial animations or voice acting and it conveys so much more emotion than demake and debirth could ever wish to do.
This made me love my favourite game even more, great video ❤
Thanks for clicking, and I'm glad I could do that for you!
Great essay dude. Your point about Midgar looking like a blemish/wound on the planet really hit hard. Excellent job.
I swear during the Scorpion tank fight cloud shouts to barret to attack with it's tail up. You lock in that attack only for cloud to finish his sentence... 😶
This is why I found it difficult as a kid. “Attack when the tail is up huh? Got it”
@@Smecksee Just poor translation work, the game is 99% fine in English but there's a couple of lines that have been butchered
Amongst the best videos I’ve watched on RUclips. You convey so accurately the solipsism and sheer desperation of the world we’re placed in, in the game. It’s a modern epic, as you put it (and what i would agree with) because it transcends its medium and forces us to consider, in parallel, our own philosophical underpinnings. The largely vacuous state of current games is so often pre-disposed to a fetishisation of style over substance and agonising corporate-greed (how prophetic), yet nearly 20 years later there are still philosophical essays on this epic that ran on a 32 bit console. That is true mastery of storytelling. Wonderful video.
great content bro! what a fresh take on a game that has been dissected every which way. excellent editing and very very interesting and engaging. got a new sub
Your FFVII / FFVIII / FFIX videos are extremely nostalgic, they've reminded me of so many niche things I've forgotten. Really enjoy your videos, thank you.
Thank you! Welcome to the channel
_"Lonely"_ is not the right word, in my opinion, or not the word I'd use, more like, maybe, _"gloomy"_ , with strong hints of _"desperate"_ and _"forlorn"_ aftertaste.
I played FF7 OG for the first time this year at 30. After a lifetime of gaming and without any nostalgia blinders, I can still say it's one of the best games I've played. There's something so haunting about the overall setting, I think you nailed it by classifying it as horror. It's amusing you compared it to a literary epic as I was explaining it to a friend as Shakespearian at times - the gut wrenching backstory of Barrett immediately followed by the trip the wonderous Golden Saucer is a fantastic moment that serves to show the many juxtapositions throughout the world. I also think it's what's missing from the remake, which I finished soon after. It loses this haunting, dismal feeling when you spend 20 minutes searching for cats throughout the slums. The goofy moment's help accentuate how dark the overall world is in the original while it's the opposite in the remake.
Great video!
Great video. Even as a child the atmosphere blew my mind and my appreciation has just increased all the time for this game.
Great video. Keep em coming
Thanks for watching!
This video is beautiful. Like you, I was lucky enough to play FFVII as a seven year old, and it changed my life
Haha, I remember bringing the strategy guide to elementary school and reading it for mandatory 'silent reading' time 🤣
Good job, sad to see you have a criminally low amount of subs. I wish I could sub many times over. Looking forward to future videos 👍
Lol, I appreciate the sentiment!
What a masterful video you've created. Thank you for sharing with us all. This game will truly stand the test of time, forever.
FF9 was an existential crisis in the form of vibrant kiddie game
Lol yes
I didn't realise how deep it was and how much existential crisis was going on, until I replayed it when I was older
People don’t know this yet. But FFVII is our Iliad, is our bible, our epic of Gilgamesh. Humanity will just need a few hundred years to realize that…and it too will be christened into the annual of history among the same ranks as these previous epics. We milleniels are truly blessed to be alive while this great human achievement was born…FFVII is a masterpiece of humanity. Such works only come along every few thousand years. What a gift we all share!!!
I think you definitely hit the nail on the head with how Modern FF7 feels, even now. The world of FF7 feels so big in part because it is so lonely. It's so overwhelming to constantly enter even crowded spaces where everyone is just going in their own directions while everything crumbles around you, while ostentatious wealth and power hovers over you and horrible poverty is right around the corner. The original FF7 felt real.
I've played this game maybe 35 times in my life, and you mentioned some themes I never really noticed but was still aware of on some level, which is really great as a diehard fan to still find a video that can take me to school one more time on a subject I love.
Thanks, man
That's the first time in my life I've heard it pronounced "Mid ger"
Yo bro. Your the only other person whose played this game at 6 years old I’ve found. I’m only 16, close to 17, but ff7 is my mums favourite game, and it’s the first game I ever played. My mum made me play it, she bought it me on my iPad. And we both have basically the same expierience. I didn’t really understand what was going on. To this day the greatest game ever.
I can’t really be bothered to re convey my points, but this game is really special.
I actually made a Reddit post about it last week, I don’t think I’m allowed to share links on RUclips, but if you search up,
Do young people even play OG ff7 anymore, you will find my post. It gained a lot of comments. Really interesting to read the comments and how the game effects people. Obviously I’m not forcing nothing but if you wanna check it out feel free, it includes stuff about ff8, chrono trigger, ff6 ect ect.
New to this channel but I love it bro
Quick question: if you read my Reddit post what are your opinions on it and also
What is your favourite game of all time?
And favourite final fantasy game
@@Vanaolla I’m glad that young people are still getting into the original FF7. Did you play Remake and Rebirth as well? I’ll check out your Reddit post.
My favorite FF is… hard to pick between 7 and 9. I think FF7 as a game may have a better structure, but I really have a soft spot for FF9’s world and a characters.
@@gnosis_gaming yeah I’ve played both. I think my opinions on them remain on the post. As someone who played the original first, they are tough to love, but I think they are great games ( especially rebirth ) they just can’t capture the magic of the original for me fully. I think I called them 7/10 for remake and 8 or 9/10 for rebirth.
I got half way through 9 and it got taken off ps+, I have to finish it some day, I was loving it. I would say my second fav is 8, but I got a lot of jrpgs I like more. Persona 5,4,3 all are in my top 10 fav games. Chrono triggers a classic. 6 has the best villain in gaming. Lots to love in this series.
@@Vanaolla I had similar feelings about Remake. Enjoyed myself (the combat is great) but the story got a little cringey. I’m going to try Rebirth soon!
I'm 49 years old. I've played FF7 from the very beginning.
I have had countless discussions about this story's themes with friends.
I have scoured through endless message boards, devouring and contemplating every interpretation and bit of information I could read.
I have watched every video about the game on youtube I could find, and I say with confidence that this is hands-down the absolute best analysis of FF7 I have ever seen.
That being said, it's MidgAr, not Midgrrr.
Thanks for the high praise! I only started playing the Remake the other day, so I had no idea had to say Midgar lol
Really well done! Your personal experience with the game is so similar to mine. My older brother had the game on his ps1 and I played the mess out of it as a kid, and then as a teen, and still revisit it every so often.
Something about playing Rebirth has made the high low distinction that exists in the game even more stark and apparent for me. Funny to see someone else (and apparently tons of others!) keying in on those same themes in the original.
I have a lot of love for FF8 especially, as well as the other games, but I feel like FF7 stands apart as a truly unique piece of media/art. Your comparison of it to a literary epic rings so true. It truly is something special.
Couldn’t help but hear and see biblical references and seeing prophecies in the game being applied in rl
amazing video! I knew as much about the climate based themes but hadn't examined the imagery the way have. Thank you for the unique perspective and insights, I'll keep these in mind as I play rebirth now!
The "A" in your pronunciation of Midgar is the loneliest
😢
This video is great. You managed to show me even more things to love about my favorite game ever!!! I'd love to see you make videos on some of the other final fantasy games and the ff7 remake series
Thanks! I plan to.
Cloud isn’t a crossdresser, he crossdresses one time to infiltrate Don Corneo’s mansion to save the girl he has a crush on. That’s all.
Just a joke 🤣
@@gnosis_gamingI get that, and I know that the way you worded it was technically correct, I’m just clarifying for gullible people who haven’t played the game, really.
that was greate man! gonna show this video to the people who always say "videogames are for kids" or " are a waste of time"
🤣 Let's show them!
It wasn’t a mistake for your parents to let you rent those games! People weren’t so soft in the 90s and helicopter parenting wasn’t really a thing yet.
Yeah! We rode our bikes around the whole city in elementary school and our parents, who had no way to contact us relied on the street lights to tell us "hey it's time to go home"
Insert childhood anecdotes here
Helicopter parenting was very prevalent in the 90’s, even before that too.
It also was not because people were not soft back then, it was ignorance. Gnosis even mentioned that his parents’ perception on video games/animation is that they were all for kids. My parents didn’t mind until video games got more realistic and video game violence became a hot topic after Columbine.
amazing analysis and video essay, this is one of my favorite rpgs, but i never truly noticed the top to bottom motif the game clearly has. That takes some good observation
Ugh.... Blaming Capitalism, something that isn't even in the game, for the game's moral problems.... Typical of horrid research. Which is what I expect from content creators.
Game has class stratification, obvious eco-terrorism support, and an East India Company-like that rules half the planet for the purpose of benefiting its executives most of all.
I don’t understand how someone like you gets through life being this aggressively blind and ignorant.
Brilliant. Well done. I was 12 when it came out and played it at 13, the perfect age at the perfect time in my life. This work of art has had more impact on me than any other. I’ve played it every year I’ve been alive (40 now) to remind myself of what’s important. But I’ve never made this connection of high and low. Again, brilliant sir. Well done.
@@HuntSp19 I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Great video and deep insight. The mylusic reminded me of opening scene from Uncut Gems. I bought ff7 when I was 12 and it capitivatdd me. I have so much nostalgia for this game. It takes me back to simpler times in my life when all that needed to be done for the day was to do school work and the rest of my time was free time to enjoy. Now at 38, everything seems to be about being productive in the adult world, a bit draining and sad sometimes, its the people that keep me going.
Loved this. Great take on what makes FF7 feel so unique - that sad, lonely tone.
I was in 5th grade when I first played ff7, and remember saying, "this game is such a lonely world." This video captures my feelings and desires of what I want to connect with through the game so well. Thank you!
Thanks for clicking!
i like these "film analysis" style breakdowns of games' stories. nicely done
@@etheric_dissonance Thank you!
I discovered your channel with this video, i'm glad someone can depict OG FF7's poetry and sense of loneliness so well, can't wait to see more of your videos
Thanks for watching! Welcome to the channel.
This game will forever be special to me and millions of other people, FF7 is one of those games that goes beyond the medium, it touches your soul ❤
Excellent video. Points well stated, emotional and honest message. Just, fantastic. Thanks a bunch.
One thing that always struck me was that in VII, a lot of the characters berate Cloud (Barret/Cid/a lot of random NPCS) but in VIII, a lot of the characters really push to engage with squall and like him. I remember feeling that kind of loneliness when I first played those games.
Yeah, the FF8 party is really invested in breaking Squall's shell.
I really enjoyed you talking about ur childhood experience of the game.
Thanks! Maybe I'll make some more videos focusing on how it used to feel playing these games.
Your account of becoming addicted reminds me of how I got hooked. It was FF2 on snes and I had no idea about anything, but this one person in this one town kept turning my into a Piggy and jumping out the window. The battles perplexed me, the music captivated me, it was amazing.
From someone who is currently replaying, and falling back in love with FFVII, this is such a good video. Honestly, a perfect game in a lot of ways, and this is such an easily digestible video. Great work!
One of the things that drew me to this game back when I was 12 or so was that I felt misunderstood and lonely, like Cloud did. I felt like he had compassion and justice but in a sort of brash, arrogant manner. I still listen to the soundtrack often.
I think he is a very likeable protagonist, all things considered.
As soon as I saw the thumbnail. I had to come to say... One of the most lonely, even haunting, parts... Are when you're in the slums under the Gold Saucer after the Dyne stuff. It was put something like, it doesn't need fences because you'll never escape the desert. And no matter how many screens you run away from the camera, you never actually get anywhere. And being barely a teenager at the time, of course I was going to see if I could escape via that route anyway. Of course it's just repeating the same pre-rendered background as you exit the previous screen. But it felt both so open, yet also you felt confined and completely on your own. I guess there wasn't really a way they could replicate it in rebirth... But it's a shame because it just captured it so perfectly. It's the one way having a world map at a different scale to the location maps really helped build that atmosphere.
great video! i had a very similar experience with this game and you talk about it in such a beautiful way, thank you for this
This is a great video, hope you get much much bigger :)
Thanks for clicking!
I have a very weird sensation with older games... There isn't a word for it, but it's essentially a feeling of, "when the hype has long died off and you know for sure you cannot convince anyone around you to even try to play this game, you're just in this artificial loneliness and cannot even share your real emotions to others outside of it." --- Mouthful I know, but that's a real sinking feeling I have.
For example. I'm 37 and played FFX back in 2001 when it came out (I was 14). I got really teared up about the story, the graphics, the characters, the gameplay... Hell, I entirely met and dated a great girl in Junior High entirely because we both loved the game and that was great! But all these feelings don't matter at all today because trying to convince someone, "no really this story is fantastic, you should play it" falls on deaf ears of modern Call of Duty people who have zero attention span and no interest or care that stories can be told WITHOUT bleeding edge graphics, if they care for stories at all.
It's a very weird and specific feeling of loneliness...Like you missed the one train that already left the one train stop in at the quietest prairie you've ever seen and you know for sure there isn't another train coming to pick you up ever again.
in my years of watching analyses of ff7 (my favorite game of all time), this one is brief yet very very insightful. keep making videos! you have me at your back.
Thanks for clicking! Glad to have your sub!
Excellent video, FF7 is my favourite game and you explained very well the feeling around the plot. Well done
Thanks!
Rather interesting points of view on this game, but when you explain them, a lot makes sense. Glad I got this video on my recommended page.