So it finally happened. Final Fantasy VII’s remake has been announced, while there’s no release date yet, it is a step in the right direction. This of course comes with its own host of problems such as trying to deliver a product that can live up to the momentum this hype train is going to produce. It will almost be reminiscent of the spectacle and eventual implosion that was final fantasy XIII.
While it’s true that XIII spawned two sequels that sounded like an incredibly epic tale in theory. It failed miserably in their execution. To be completely fair here, living up to the legacy of Final Fantasy VII at this point is an almost insurmountable task, even for the series itself. Given that the creators have made it well known that aspects of the story will be changed as well as the battle system; I don’t see this going over very well.
I along with many other people took this to mean only one thing. Aerith is going to either survive her shanking or that part of the game will be changed all together. I know a lot of people wished she could have lived at the time and there are probably people losing their minds over the prospect of having Aerith live to see the journey through to its end.
But is this really what people want? Please consider the following.
Would Cloud have ever bothered pursuing Sephiroth, had he not murdered Aerith?
Short answer: Probably not. Not because he’s a sociopath but because at his core he is not an ambitious individual. This coupled with his ability to detach himself from even the strongest pulls of emotion culminate to one thing. Not givin’ a FUCK, It’s what Cloud does best. Here was a kid (17 at the time of the games story) who walked away from a loving home and the perfect example of the girl next door who is completely devoted to him. Only to become a soldier, now call me un-Patriotic if you want, but under no circumstances am I ever going to accept that as being rational behavior. While that previous fact may contradict the point I’m making here, just stick with me here to the end and I promise this will all pay off.
When we first meet cloud during a raid on one of the reactors that powers Midgar he comes off as a complete dick that only cares about his own wellbeing. The concept of Eco-terrorism is completely lost on me at this point mind you; I had no idea that for a time you were technically the bad guy. Fuckin' Avalanche.
I know this is a short post but trust me. Over the next few weeks I think you’ll agree with me when I tell you that Cloud was actually the true evil in Final Fantasy VII and the only thing that turned him around was the death of Aerith. If you don't believe me or think i'm insane, just stick around.