What We Cherished (And Hated)

Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth is out now, and we right here at Kotaku have been chewing on its ending for a bit. Now that folk have had time to play the sport and kind out their emotions on it, we needed to take a while to speak in regards to the finale’s deserves, points, and the way it left us feeling after spending dozens of hours with Cloud and firm. Spoilers forward!

Kenneth Shepard, Employees Author: Alright, people. We’re right here to debate Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth’s ending. However earlier than we begin sharing our ideas and even telling the room what we really feel about it, I need somebody to offer me a definitive rationalization of what occurred, supported by the textual content itself. I’ll wait.

Claire Jackson, Employees Author: I’m nonetheless engaged on that one…However the ending’s resistance to easy explanations, I believe, is what makes it lovely.

Jen Glennon, Editor-in-Chief: Let me try this. Cloud follows Aerith into the Forgotten Metropolis, despite the fact that everybody he’s with is aware of he most likely shouldn’t be left alone with Aerith or anybody else. Timeline-overlapping, multi-round boss fights ensue. Cloud groups up with each Aerith and Zack to battle Sephiroth, and wins. However Aerith nonetheless dies. Solely now, she seems as a type of Power ghost to Cloud, who acts weirdly chilly when everybody else is justifiably heartbroken about their pal’s tragic demise. Additionally, Cloud nonetheless has the Black Materia and stays extraordinarily attractive for it, which is new. And there you go, that’s Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth. See you in 5 years!

CJ: Sounds about proper.

KS: I believe one of many ending’s largest issues is about how as a substitute of significant ambiguity it simply falls into deliberate deceptive. Which isn’t even my largest difficulty with the ending, however we’ll put a pin in that. However already right here, you and I, Claire, are most likely probably the most break up on the ending at Kotaku based mostly on conversations we’ve had. We have now the spectrum of “thinks it’s lovely” and “is totally ingesting the haterade.” Jen, the place do you fall?

JG: I don’t hate the alternatives they’ve made right here. However I may have carried out with out the 4 or 5 fakeouts that led me to imagine Aerith was going to make it. The entire recreation, however particularly when you get to the Temple of the Ancients — hints {that a} a lot larger twist is afoot than simply “welp it performs out the identical as earlier than. You possibly can’t battle metropolis corridor.” However I used to be actually hoping for some really wild shit like Cloud killing Aerith, or her coming again due to Zack’s assist. It felt like a little bit of a pulled punch to me.

KS: I genuinely thought up till the second it was clear it wasn’t occurring that they had been going to kill Cloud and make Aerith or Zack the protagonist.

CJ: Whereas I really like this recreation’s conclusion, I’ll foreground just a few issues: I believe it may’ve used one other edit or two to make it a bit leaner, and the whispers are an aesthetic nightmare—they’re a cool narrative idea, however their visible type distracts from many key moments.

I discovered Aerith’s “demise” to be so splendidly carried out. That Cloud witnesses, for a second, different realities wherein he prevents this factor that’s clearly haunting him since Remake solely makes that failure extra impactful for me.

Nevertheless it’s not simply her demise that Rebirth focuses on, however the trauma and tragedy of different characters. We don’t see recreations of sure scenes, like Cloud laying her to relaxation within the lake. As an alternative, we see extra of the opposite characters grieving over her loss.

I believe that’s a reasonably highly effective change. Particularly while you add within the flashbacks that different characters expertise with regard to their previous and the opposite individuals who have died within the story to get to the place we’re. And main as much as Aerith’s demise, we’ve all been questioning since 2020 if she was going to die or not.

JG: I agree that each one the moments of the opposite characters grieving are very transferring. Particularly when Tifa and Crimson are sitting on the bottom crying. Aerith’s simply form of standing behind them, nearly keen them to note her however understanding they’ll’t.

CJ: So even we as gamers witness an alternate actuality the place she survives for a break up second—and it’s taken away from us by Sephiroth but once more. And I’m fairly positive the implication of the ending is that, ought to the get together cease Sephiroth, that may guarantee totally different realities keep separate and Aerith will nonetheless have died. However that’s speculating about half 3 slightly an excessive amount of maybe.

JG: This leads me to a query I had after I rolled credit. Are the stakes for half 3 nonetheless excessive “sufficient” if Aerith lived? Is that this simply one other ‘save the world’ story with out that loss at its middle?

KS: I really feel like they’re attempting to determine new drama with issues like Cloud clearly nonetheless being an unreliable narrator who might have Sephiroth nonetheless controlling him, although with some sand within the microchip like him having the Black Materia nonetheless. At this level, that is likely one of the extra vital diverging factors, as underwhelming as that’s in comparison with the theories folks have been crafting for years.

CJ: I believe that will protect the anxiousness over Cloud’s way of thinking, nevertheless. We haven’t but reached the purpose within the story the place he’s extra coherent about who he’s. He’s nonetheless underneath the spell of Sephiroth, and right here he’s strolling round with one of the harmful objects possible.

JG: I do surprise if there’s something extra to that second within the temple when Aerith tries to say the Black Materia was a faux. There are an entire lot of threads within the final couple hours of Rebirth that they might unspool within the third half. However moreso than Remake, this one left me anxious that they don’t really know learn how to finish this factor. (Or they’re intentionally maintaining it nebulous and planning to resolve later.)

KS: I’m glad y’all suppose there’s something concrete to drag from in these hours that they gained’t probably patch out simply earlier than the third recreation launches. As a result of I’ve no religion in that now.

CJ: Yeah, when it comes to the place it could finish, it does really feel slightly awkward—however it has on this planet of FF7 for some time. Creation Kids is adopted up by Vincent’s recreation, which is form of the final canonical second, however it doesn’t have a conclusion.

KS: So, to go off Jen’s level. When Remake got here out, I wasn’t thrilled with the ending. Not as a result of I used to be a purist who was offended that Sq. “lied” and stated this was a remake when it wasn’t, however as a result of I had little or no religion on this crew to meaningfully study its personal work in the way in which it gave the impression to be positing. I really like metatexual work that examines the impression of one thing earlier than it. The Evangelion Rebuild movies singlehandedly redeemed that total sequence for me. I cherished the Scott Pilgrim anime that Netflix simply put out. Each of those had been initially framed as remakes, however ended up being about the unique textual content as a substitute of uncritical recreations of them.

However with Sq., I misplaced any hope that it may actually grapple with these questions when the Ultimate Fantasy X prolonged universe works undid the arc of that universe to primarily pay tribute to the iconography of the unique recreation. So when Remake was positioned as Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebuild, I used to be skeptical, however thought ending it on the concept characters can be defying destiny and the remainder of the video games could possibly be one thing new was fairly daring.

Then my fears had been confirmed when it grew to become clear they had been reverse engineering the whispers and the thought of defying the “canon” story to make it a multiverse play as a substitute. Rebirth’s ultimate hours turns this undertaking from an Evangelion Rebuild into Spider-Man: No Approach Residence. It appears like purchaser’s regret for the premise Remake ended on, and it’s considerably much less fascinating. Yeah, a part of my difficulty is that the ending is intentionally deceptive in a means that turns Aerith’s demise right into a hat trick, however greater than something, I’m simply bummed that the ending was a lot much less radical than its promise. I used to be ready for this recreation to finish in an unrecognizable place. Now we simply have the identical factor with totally different seasoning.

CJ: How does it flip Aerith’s demise right into a hat trick? It does appear to me to be very a lot in regards to the canon of the unique. That’s what the Whispers do as a story body—as a lot of an eyesore as they’re.

KS: This falls into the deliberate deceptive I discussed earlier. You QTE into blocking Sephiroth’s assault, the sport exhibits his sword miss her, then it’s like “however really, multiverse,” then blood begins showing from a wound that doesn’t exist. It offers you the second of considering you’ve defied the destiny of this second after which is like, “simply kidding…until?”

CJ: I’m undecided that’s essentially what that scene is. She nonetheless dies. The message is that Cloud wasn’t in a position to defy canon. And the unique recreation exhibits Aerith after she dies anyway, so I don’t suppose it’s terribly totally different. Multiverse stuff apart, as I stated earlier than, if something it’s extra tragic as a result of he, and we as gamers, expertise a second of chance the place that demise is prevented, however it nonetheless occurs.

KS: Exhibiting Cloud block the assault and the sword miss her will not be the identical, although. Sure, there are perhaps thematic intentions with what occurs within the ending that may be unpacked, however from a basic storyboarding stage, the ending is deceptive and poorly communicated, all in an effort to make a “gotcha” second. And that gotcha makes Rebirth, and Remake retroactively, a considerably much less radical undertaking than it was positioned as 4 years in the past.

To me, this can be a Star Wars sequel trilogy-esque pivot that, as Jen says, has me now not satisfied Sq. is aware of the place they’re going right here. You even see the bizarre revisionism in them patching traces in Remake simply earlier than Rebirth launched to suit the brand new path. It’s, as pal of the positioning Jesse Vitelli stated in his overview over at Shacknews, writing the sport in pencil to allow them to erase and alter it later.

CJ: How is it deceptive although? I’m undecided its attempting to direct our consideration wherever apart from: the planet is house to a number of timelines, sephiroth desires to mix all of these to cancel them out, and the occasions of this timeline largely observe the occasions of the unique?

KS: You hit the sword away. It’s by no means proven hitting Aerith. It makes a whole shot of displaying us the sword hit the bottom as a substitute. Then Aerith dies anyway. All the way down to the storyboarding, that could be a misdirect that is aware of what it’s implying.

JG: I must rewatch or replay this complete scene as a result of I used to be additionally satisfied my actions had “saved” her a number of occasions over the ultimate battle sequence, and the demise stuff I used to be seeing was the horrible end result that Cloud had managed to stop this time.

CJ: I believe that solely heightens the impression of her demise: That there’s nothing Cloud or any of us may’ve carried out. It’s going to occur and we have to settle for and transfer on from it. Like the entire tragedy and trauma depicted within the recreation.

JG: As a lot as I’m ambivalent in regards to the ending, I do see the argument that having Aerith survive would take away among the stakes of a 3rd recreation. Then once more, I additionally really feel like perhaps we shouldn’t maintain preventing Sephiroth on the finish of each one in all these Remake installments. That’s additionally jumbling up the stakes of the whole lot.

CJ: Nicely if Aerith lived, at that time this can be a essentially totally different story. And sure, I agree: Fixed Sephiroth boss battles have already made the ultimate showdown with him much less impactful.

JG: Which is mainly what they advised us on the finish of Remake. After which pulled again on.

CJ: I believe it was extra of a suggestion on the finish of Remake.

KS: Even when that had been the throughline, that some issues are inevitable and a “canon” occasion, Rebirth isn’t participating with that anymore. We see it flash backwards and forwards between totally different timelines the place she didn’t die. Rebirth makes multiverse performs in probably the most non-commital means as a result of all it does is be like “they’re on the market. Zack is on the market too, most likely” after dropping its “defy destiny” theme. I don’t care that we didn’t save Aerith; I care that Rebirth desires to have its cake and eat it, too.

And yeah, perhaps the stakes wouldn’t have been as excessive if Aerith had survived, however on the very least, it could have been totally different, like they stated it could be. And simply because Aerith survives doesn’t imply they shouldn’t do the rest new. Commerce lives, remix concepts, kill Cloud as a substitute, or one thing. Be keen to discover different prospects, such as you stated you’d.

CJ: I dunno, it’s not like Aerith good points a capability to hop backwards and forwards between timelines. So I believe it’s nonetheless committing to that unique story. Other than the Black Materia nonetheless being in Cloud’s possession, this is identical story principally. And once more, in the event that they cease Sephiroth’s aim of merging timelines, she’s going to keep separate from everybody

JG: The Black Materia is an entire subject unto itself.

KS: Proper, and the truth that it’s the identical story is what sucks. You permit Remake on this daring notice that issues will be totally different now and Rebirth is like “Yeah they are often totally different…in one other universe, perhaps.”

CJ: But when it’s the identical story, isn’t it participating with its unique textual content greater than had it modified stuff?

KS: I’m not satisfied they’ve any curiosity in participating with the unique textual content past reverse engineering the unique idea to recreate it once more. Which is why Rebirth appears like purchaser’s regret.

CJ: Why is {that a} dangerous factor although?

KS: As a result of narrative and theme cohesion are a naked minimal in storytelling. This reads like Sq. is making it up as they go together with no plan. We’re going to spend years speculating about one thing they’ve confirmed they’re keen to undo. Observe by on what you began.

JG: Shifting gears to the Black Materia of all of it — We go away Cloud after the Forgotten Metropolis in a a lot much less sympathetic place than we do within the unique recreation. Like okay, blow off some steam and go snowboarding, bud. However on the finish of Rebirth, he’s stonewalling his associates and clearly as much as no good with the Black Materia. You don’t suppose Tifa or Crimson would really feel slightly higher understanding that Aerith’s spirit is round Cloud on a regular basis, even when they’ll’t see her? Why doesn’t he reassure them not directly?

CJ: Yeah I do discover myself far more paranoid about Cloud. Which once more, jogs my memory of the unique. As Cloud’s layers of storytelling peeled away, who he was grew to become stranger and stranger till the reality was revealed. And within the unique it takes some time. We all know he’s coping with some unusual psychological results with listening to folks discuss to him, blacking out and many others. Then its implied he’s a clone of Sephiroth, then we perceive the reminiscence results of what he’s been by. I used to be usually on the sting of my seat questioning about simply who he’s within the OG, and I’m doing that once more right here.

KS: That makes me suppose Sephiroth nonetheless has him in his clutches. He’s clearly not proper within the head, even for Cloud Strife mid-FF7 requirements. And the way in which he appears so distanced from everyone seems to be clearly acknowledged by Tifa and Barret by the top.

CJ: It places me in a nebulous place now, ready to play as Cloud once more partially three, as a result of I’ll always be anxious that he’s going to do one thing he shouldn’t.

JG: I do recognize that Rebirth establishes that Tifa insists she didn’t see Cloud in Nibelheim a lot earlier on. However as you gesture towards, it does go away him in a bizarre place on the finish of Rebirth. These revelations aren’t making him higher, or hotter. They’re making him worse.

CJ: Yeah, it’s sticking with that theme much more. In any other case it could’ve been “oh, Jenova scrambled my mind. I assume that is who I used to be all alongside.”

KS: Rebirth checked out Cid and stated “I can repair him.” It checked out Cloud and stated “I could make him worse.”

JG: Like proper after Cloud wakes up from the incident on the Temple of the Ancients, Tifa says “Speak to me” if you happen to hear any bizarre voices or “really feel such as you’re not your self.”. And Cloud instantly does the precise reverse for the subsequent a number of hours.

CJ: And a number of other hours it’s…

KS: Oh, talking of that. There are lots of boss fights on this ending, and 1. Sq. Enix is aware of learn how to choreograph an unbelievable battle sequence. 2. I really feel like I’m utterly desensitized to preventing Sephiroth at this level and surprise how they are going to one-up themselves within the third recreation.

Moises Taveras, Employees Author: Leaping in simply to say that if I must battle Sephiroth on the finish of the subsequent recreation, too, I’ll soar within the path of a Chocobo stampede.

CJ: Completely. I felt that means in Remake. Like, give us some extra Jenova variants to battle. Save Sephiroth for the precise conclusion.

KS: It’s been one of many weirder after-effects of creating one recreation into three, is that every of those video games has to have that escalation to a ultimate boss run.

JG: I believe Cloud is turning into the Sephiroth he desires to see on this planet. However I kinda want they’d gone all in with it right here in Rebirth.

CJ: Oh, that’s a extremely fascinating thought. That’s actually friggin scary, really.

JG: I neglect when precisely, sooner or later Cloud says, “I’m not like him. I’ll by no means be like him,” referring to Sephiroth. However he’s not saying it in a defiant means, actually. Extra like he resents it.

CJ: And, to return to these unique themes established within the unique, that was his dream. As he tells Tifa close to the properly, he desires to be the subsequent Sephiroth.

JG: That’s an ideal level. In gentle of that, I’d be curious to rewatch the prologue stuff with Tifa and Sephiroth on the reactor and the way it compares to Cloud shoving her into the mako on the Gongaga reactor. I guess there are some comparable pictures.

CJ: There nearly definitely is. And as I’ve reviewed footage of this recreation since ending it, I’m simply very struck by lots of imagery, when characters are depicted strolling out and in of sunshine, and many others.

KS: Oh talking of that, there may be one particular person we kinda glossed over on this ending we must always most likely speak about. Zack Honest, I’m sorry that they dragged you out of the grave to offer you nothing.

CJ: Zack is a bizarre one. I do suppose that in some methods his ultimate line speaks to his optimistic heroism. One thing about “who’s to say” what can or can not occur.

JG: He appears to have an admirably “glide” perspective towards his multiversal purgatory.

CJ: Whereas Cloud is a rattling doomer.

KS: Yeah he’s the golden retriever to Cloud’s black cat.

CJ: Oh, 100%.

KS: One of the vital damning issues that occurs on this recreation is that Zack’s return on the finish of Remake was such an enormous second, however then the one factor of significance that occurs in his bizarre little Rebirth pocket dimension occurs when he’s not within the room. They also have a setting that allows you to skip his sections solely after you beat the sport. Discuss a bummer for the Zack followers within the viewers. Dodged a bullet this time, but in addition the plot.

CJ: Yeah, a part of me needed extra from these parallel scenes with Zack. That stated, I really feel just like the fragmented nature of how its portrayed feels very applicable. If I’m to imagine one thing as ridiculous as parallel universes/timelines are merging, it ought to be fractured and bewildering, not logical and coherent. I additionally suppose which you can skip Zack’s stuff after the primary recreation to facilitate grinding, because you don’t get something mechanical out of these scenes.

KS: I assume we’re beginning to wind down right here. Any closing ideas on the ending of Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth?

CJ: I believe that its true deserves and flaws might be made most obvious when the story is completed with the third half. And I discover the a number of timelines factor to be the proper mixing of science fiction and fantasy in a means that the unique was. That it’s an epic fantasy story that additionally works with stuff you’ll examine in theoretical physics is a enjoyable evolution of this hybrid style.

JG: I’m excited to maintain selecting this aside over the subsequent few months, to be trustworthy. I believe there’s an entire lot to say about it, and there’s gonna be some wild fan theories about all this. Trying ahead to Darkish Facet Cloud.

KS: To not ship us out on a bummer notice, however the extra I’ve thought of Rebirth’s ending the extra it’s soured me on the sport and the Remake trilogy as an entire. At this level, I’m simply on the experience. I’ll see the place all of it goes, however I’m previous hoping or wanting something from it. Between Remake not being a remake and Rebirth not being a radical remix of it, each video games simply felt like two separate damaged guarantees to me. I actually take pleasure in enjoying them as a result of they’re among the sequence’ finest fight and have probably the most endearing variations of those characters, however it’s a large number I’m caring much less to choose by with every passing day. I hope people take pleasure in concept crafting and in addition hope Sq. doesn’t simply undo elements of this ending to suit no matter it decides to do in 4 years. However I’m utterly emotionally indifferent now. It’s extra of a thought experiment to me than the rest.

Additionally, Cid? Name me.

What did you consider Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth’s finale? Have been you happy? Did you hate it? Do you’ve any large theories for the subsequent recreation? Tell us under!