|
So I fully expect that Re3 is going to be the game with the most radical changes despite the ending of this game having a valid interpretation of Everything being back on track And the reason I say this is because I genuinely feel most of Disc 2 isn't very good video gaming. Now the Glacier Inn+Northern Crater stuff, almost completely untouched, I feel, but the Huge Materia stuff feels... like the definition of filler? "Look we're just passing time on a main quest you don't even have to succeed at until we can put Cloud back together again and get back to the Northern Crater." I don't think they'll just drop the Huge Materia and like obviously they've shown, quite well, how they can take every minor element from FF7 and make it feel amazing, just for the whole progression/status, I feel like Re3 is where the most is going to 'be different'
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 13:41
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 06:49 |
|
|
Onmi posted:So I fully expect that Re3 is going to be the game with the most radical changes despite the ending of this game having a valid interpretation of Everything being back on track And the reason I say this is because I genuinely feel most of Disc 2 isn't very good video gaming. Now the Glacier Inn+Northern Crater stuff, almost completely untouched, I feel, but the Huge Materia stuff feels... like the definition of filler? "Look we're just passing time on a main quest you don't even have to succeed at until we can put Cloud back together again and get back to the Northern Crater." They actually retconned the Huge Materia in this. The Huge Materia are called Magus Materia now and are the core of a Weapon. So I presume each major HM sequence will involve a Weapon now. Coral will be Ruby, Junon Emerald, Fort Condor probably Sapphire, and Rocket Town Ultima. (Assuming they don't add new ones)
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 16:18
|
|
|
I'm sort of expecting part 3 to have a three act structure, in broad strokes. Act 1 is the lead-up to the Northern Crater, probably expanded to fit a satisfying build-up and payoff into the beginning of a game (rather than being able to just continue directly on from Aerith's death in the original and keep the tension going). Act 2 I think might be a significantly remixed combination of the search for Cloud and the Magnus Materia plot, likely involving Weapons as ImpAtom points out. Act 3 starts with Cloud's mind being restored (maybe with Zack also helping this time?) and continues on until the end. Obviously there's the new elements that will be going on interwoven with all of this, but just in the most big-picture outline that's sort of what I'm expecting.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 16:21
|
|
|
My general assumption is pretty close. I'm assuming the first part is going to be Northern Crater with Icicle Inn being the hub town and Snow Fields basically be integrated into the world map area, with the Crater itself being the big dungeon. The second part I assume to be a combination of the Huge Materia plotline and the Wutai plotline, with Glennphiroth being used to keep the threat of Sephiroth feeling relevant to the plot as Shinra, Wutai and the protagonist group all scrabble for the Magus Materia. Eventually you'll reclaim Wutai from Glennphiroth, reinvade Midgar and stop Hojo, and that'll set up the endgame. The areas I expect to get fleshed out: Wutai, obvious. Rufus is going to get actual focus, probably involving Glennphiroth, and will get just enough redemption to make him being a good guy in Advent Children not feel drastically off the mark. Marlene and Elymria are probably going to get something new since they removed Reeve holding them hostage. Red XIII will probably get a questline about helping the Gi Tribe find peace in a way that isn't nuking the loving planet. If I had to guess this would involve both Deneh and letting Seto finally die for-reals so he can return to the planet. Barrett is going to save Coral so he can complete his own little arc. (Presumably part of the reworked Huge Materia stuff.) The Whispers still are a thing and considering all the buildup what I fully expect is a special post-Seraph Sephiroth battle, during Meterofall, where the party has to stop Sephiroth once and for all. (For maximum fanservice this is where they'd let you use Zack and Aerith in battle one last time.) I would not be 100% shocked if this is where Cloud vs Sephiroth and the Omnislash is worked in. There's also going to pretty bluntly be a Turks plotline at some point, maybe tied into Vincent, and I expect we'll see Cissnei (and maybe the other Before Crisis Turks.) in some fashion. This will also likely involve some redemption for Rude and Reno for Sector 7. ImpAtom fucked around with this message at 16:49 on Mar 3, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 16:35
|
|
|
Ah that's right, I forgot that Wutai's going to have a much bigger plot in part 3 as well. It seems like there's a lot to fit into one more part. After seeing Rebirth I'm confident they can do it but drat I'm curious to see how.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 16:49
|
|
|
Harrow posted:Ah that's right, I forgot that Wutai's going to have a much bigger plot in part 3 as well. It's a lot but I think a lot of it can be dealt with (relatively) quickly. Like to be 100% honest I would not be shocked if Icicle Inn to North Crater is basically the Nibelheim of the game and is 1-2 chapters at most. Just long enough for you to enjoy a taste of Cloud before they kick him into the Lifestream.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 16:55
|
|
|
So, even in Remake, I had a feeling that this series would "tie-up" the Compilation, in the sense that the events of this series would practically wrap everything up so there would be no loose ends remaining afterward, essentially making it so the events of Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children will no longer happen. Does anyone else agree, or do you think the future events will still transpire?
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 18:21
|
|
|
Gologle posted:So, even in Remake, I had a feeling that this series would "tie-up" the Compilation, in the sense that the events of this series would practically wrap everything up so there would be no loose ends remaining afterward, essentially making it so the events of Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children will no longer happen. Does anyone else agree, or do you think the future events will still transpire? Part of me suspects that “defying fate” or whatever is a vehicle to unshackle the story from the (future) Compilation stuff and have a FF7 remake that stands on its own self-contained legs. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if we go back to having an ending where we’re not entirely sure if humanity survived, before Advent Children answered that for us.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 18:31
|
|
|
Gologle posted:So, even in Remake, I had a feeling that this series would "tie-up" the Compilation, in the sense that the events of this series would practically wrap everything up so there would be no loose ends remaining afterward, essentially making it so the events of Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children will no longer happen. Does anyone else agree, or do you think the future events will still transpire? I don’t think that only because all the interviews make it seem like that want to tie everything together as much as possible. Even if they “defy fate” what would that mean other than Aeris and Zack live.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 18:34
|
|
|
Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus have already happened and this is a sequel to them. Kadaj and his bros are literally referenced by the arbiters of fate and they played footage of AC in Remake, right?
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 20:14
|
|
|
VagueRant posted:Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus have already happened and this is a sequel to them. Kadaj and his bros are literally referenced by the arbiters of fate and they played footage of AC in Remake, right? It's not actually clear. The Arbiters of Fate reference them but what that means is kind of vague. It could be as simple as an indication that Sephiroth was in some form of control over them. They've said in interviews that Remake will eventually lead to AC and post-Rebirth there's no huge reason to doubt that.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 21:37
|
|
|
I think it's unclear whether the original and AC have "happened before" or whether it's more like a "the Planet has foreknowledge" thing. Could be either, or both.
|
|
#
?
Mar 3, 2024 22:04
|
|
|
I maintain my stance on Jenova Theory. Jenova Theory is that cells of Jenova will attract one another and be drawn together. So if that works across space why not across time?
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 03:58
|
|
|
So you are saying that this mysterious alien creature who came and tried to eat the planet and was stopped by a plucky sword wielding spikey haired hero may return as some kind of... Time Devourerer? I mean that would require the plot to involve split timelines and strange plot ghosts
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 04:27
|
|
|
ImpAtom posted:So you are saying that this mysterious alien creature who came and tried to eat the planet and was stopped by a plucky sword wielding spikey haired hero may return as some kind of... Time Devourerer? would it also be considered mostly bad and dumb but acknowledged for having good music?
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 04:32
|
|
|
I'm a little baffled at a common interpretation of the ending I keep seeing. It seems like a lot of people believe that the glitches that happen during Aerith's death scene represent jumping between different timelines, but like... we know what that looks like. We can see what traveling between worlds is like because that just happened. It involves traveling through a white void and is a lot more visually dramatic. Meanwhile what we see during Aerith's death scene are the mako-green static effects that have so far always accompanied Cloud's brain glitching. Hell, Sephiroth even outright says his classic "you'll never see the truth through clouded eyes" line. I don't think it could be any clearer that what's going on is that Cloud is not perceiving reality, thanks to the wonderful blend of his PTSD, mako poisoning, and increasingly-active Jenova cells.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 15:45
|
|
|
I mean I think it's deliberately framed in such a way to leave the door open for many interpretations. But it's definitely setting up that Cloud's sense of reality has completely shattered compared to the rest of the party. The only think I'm massively happy about is that They didn't do what so many dumbasses were saying they'd do, where Aerith would 'Sacrifice herself because she has to die. Because that was always the dumbest loving possible reading about that entire set of events.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 15:52
|
|
|
Harrow posted:I'm a little baffled at a common interpretation of the ending I keep seeing. A lot of people watched just the ending
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 15:53
|
|
|
The Aerith he's talking to seems to be the one from the other reality who seems to know A Lot, and seemed to me to be fighting some larger cosmic battle between light whispers and Interdimensional Sephiroth's dark whispers. My interpretation was Sephiroth is blocking out the actual death of that universe's Aerith, but an Interdimensional Aerith is actually communicating with Cloud. Cloud's glitch effect in Remake were also used the two times he foresaw Aerith's death through the timelines, so I don't think they're totally consistent with that being Sephiroth interference. But also it's all some kingdom hearts bullshit and I don't think it's written with answers or any logic or consistency in mind
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 16:18
|
|
|
VagueRant posted:The Aerith he's talking to seems to be the one from the other reality who seems to know A Lot, and seemed to me to be fighting some larger cosmic battle between light whispers and Interdimensional Sephiroth's dark whispers. The Aerith in the other timeline is still 'our' Aerith, the same way Cloud is 'our' Cloud. They ended up in the comatose bodies (seemingly via Mako exposure considering that Barrett thought Cloud was Mako Poisoned). That Aerith knows more because she still has the White Materia. It gets pointed out way earlier that in the main timeline Aerith's White Materia was drained by the Whispers and ever since she lost her weird foreknowledge. However her dialogue makes it very clear she's still the main Aerith because she's talking to main Cloud about things they did together.
|
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 16:49
|
|
|
The implications about mako poisoning if consciousnesses can travel to other realities through (or within) the Lifestream is kind of fascinating. The Lifestream (and by extension mako) is made up of memories and emotions. Mako poisoning happens because all of the memories, sensations, emotions, etc. of the souls within the Lifestream overwhelm you either due to acute mako exposure or long-term exposure, essentially washing away your own memories and identity. It's like mako poisoning turns people into empty vessels and another identity can come along and sort of hijack them. Maybe Cloud and Aerith are doing to their comatose counterparts what Sephiroth does to the Sephiroth clones. My read on the white vs. black Whispers and Sephiroth seemingly appearing in other timelines to kill Aerith there is that they represent the tug-of-war inside the Lifestream between Gaia (represented by/working through Aerith) and Jenova (represented by/working through Sephiroth). We know Jenova's specifically trying to spread her will throughout the Lifestream to corrupt it, and that the other realities are inevitably going to collapse back into the Lifestream sooner or later, so it seems like an extension of that conflict. Harrow fucked around with this message at 16:59 on Mar 4, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 4, 2024 16:54
|
|
|
Is Sephiroth looking at the brief alternative timelines to find the one where he can win and merge that with the real one? The dying one is where Zack and the comatose duo were hiding in for most of the game. Also goddamn the music was awesome in this one and I really enjoyed the remixes in Remake.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:04
|
|
|
Azubah posted:Is Sephiroth looking at the brief alternative timelines to find the one where he can win and merge that with the real one? The dying one is where Zack and the comatose duo were hiding in for most of the game. He wants to do a combination of his original Meteor plan from FF7 and what Ultimecia was trying to do with Time Compression at the end of FF8: bring the entire multiverse together in a single reality and then Meteor the poo poo out of that combined reality and absorb an infinite number of Lifestreams to become Turbo Ultra God II: Arcade Edition Deluxe Featuring Dante From Devil May Cry & Knuckles. Same bullshit, grander scale.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:09
|
|
|
So this time it's Aerith that's abandoned for dead in a flower field instead of Squall, got it.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:20
|
|
|
It's also worth noting a surprising amount of the dialogue is from the original FF7. Like I mentally clock "I won't let you do it! The future is not only yours!" as being something new but nope that's right from FF7.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:24
|
|
|
I was actually getting huge FF8 ending vibes when Zack was aimlessly walking around in the white void.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:29
|
|
|
That white void is in Advent Children too.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:47
|
|
|
Azubah posted:That white void is in Advent Children too. And FFXII, and FFX I think too, maybe. Square is really into white void liminal spaces.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 19:55
|
|
|
Maybe the void is the promised land and this is how all the games tie together lol
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:01
|
|
|
nine-gear crow posted:And FFXII, and FFX I think too, maybe. Square is really into white void liminal spaces. Honestly white dramatic voids appear so often in RPGs in general.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:06
|
|
|
ImpAtom posted:The scene I want to see the reactions most to actually has nothing to do with the ending. Can we also discuss the cursed way Red rides a Chocobo? It's insanely unsettling.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:17
|
|
|
ImpAtom posted:The Aerith in the other timeline is still 'our' Aerith, the same way Cloud is 'our' Cloud. They ended up in the comatose bodies (seemingly via Mako exposure considering that Barrett thought Cloud was Mako Poisoned). That Aerith knows more because she still has the White Materia. It gets pointed out way earlier that in the main timeline Aerith's White Materia was drained by the Whispers and ever since she lost her weird foreknowledge. However her dialogue makes it very clear she's still the main Aerith because she's talking to main Cloud about things they did together. I have a strong suspicion that Aerith is going to be all over Part 3 in one form or another as well. I'd imagine a big part of the plot is going to involve the party eventually being able to see her Lifestream ghost too, not just Cloud, because Red XIII could at the very least sense that she was still around in the ending even if he couldn't see or hear her.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:26
|
|
|
nine-gear crow posted:I have a strong suspicion that Aerith is going to be all over Part 3 in one form or another as well. I'd imagine a big part of the plot is going to involve the party eventually being able to see her Lifestream ghost too, not just Cloud, because Red XIII could at the very least sense that she was still around in the ending even if he couldn't see or hear her. Honestly I kind of suspect the opposite. I think she's just going to be gone-gone (aside from flashbacks and such) until you get to the big final boss fight. They'll split Tifa/Barret/Cait/Yuffie/Cid/Vincent into two 3-man parties, Cloud will get separated (sort of like in Rebirth) and when it seems like Cloud is hosed, Aerith and Zack will step out to be his party members for the final fight against Sephiroth in his mind or something.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:30
|
|
|
I think she'll be around but only Cloud sees her and it unsettles the group as he appears more and more unhinged as the plot goes on. I really like how more crazy he gets too (super rear end in a top hat in the city of ancients, but that more Sephiroth influence than anything else) and how everyone keeps giving him side eye.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:36
|
|
|
Azubah posted:I think she'll be around but only Cloud sees her and it unsettles the group as he appears more and more unhinged as the plot goes on. I felt like the ending was her basically saying goodbye to Cloud so I don't know. That said, uh, nothing stopping Sephiroth from giving Cloud Aerith hallucinations, which would be delightful. (Honestly I feel extra awful for Tifa. Cloud finally mans up, says he likes her, and gives her a kiss and then the very next day he's lost his loving mind and is talking to ghosts and her best friend is dead.)
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:40
|
|
|
I can't wait to see how they handle the Zack in Nibleheim reveal. They did such a good job with Cloud being a headcase.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:41
|
|
|
Azubah posted:I think she'll be around but only Cloud sees her and it unsettles the group as he appears more and more unhinged as the plot goes on. This was actually one of the only things that took me out toward the end. He is such a deranged lunatic toward the end that it feels weird that no one intervened. In particular one line from yuffie during the walk to teh forgotten capitol drove me nuts. Something to the effect of 'how did Sephiroth get the black materia from you, did he beat you up?' She was right there. They all were. Cloud picked it up, Sephiroth appeared and created a weird tentacles bridge. Cloud walked over it to give it to him, aerith stopped him and then he chased her and you all stood there doing nothing. It's like the game doesn't have object permanence for the party. Drove me nuts.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:47
|
|
|
Caros posted:This was actually one of the only things that took me out toward the end. The giant cloud of whispers was blocking everyone from seeing what happened. Tifa was the closest and Sephiroth trapped her in a giant shroud of Whispers. None of them actually saw what happened and when they asked Aerith about it she told them Sephiroth beat the poo poo out of Cloud and took the materia, because she was concerned about Cloud's fragile brainmeats.  Tifa is the only one left who might call shenanigans on that but if you want someone who is prone to not actually talking about Cloud's severe and regular brain issues, it's Tifa. ImpAtom fucked around with this message at 20:55 on Mar 5, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:49
|
|
|
Azubah posted:I think she'll be around but only Cloud sees her and it unsettles the group as he appears more and more unhinged as the plot goes on. I feel like this is where I want it to go, and then the Aerith hallucinations stop after the Tifa/Lifestream sequence. Cloud accepts her as gone, until at least the very end when she asserts her influence one last time to take over the Lifestream and negate Meteor.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 20:52
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 23, 2024 06:49 |
|
|
I'm hyped for whatever synergy attack Zack and Aerith do. The one with Cloud and Zack ruled.
|
|
#
?
Mar 5, 2024 21:17
|
|