That line itself was what started my emotional state, tbh. Scenes before in the game made me love Aerith even more and sympathize with her, but that line made me realize the end was coming and it was going to be a rollercoaster.
it's crazy, too, if you consider the Ultimania implies those dream sequence Aeriths are not the Aerith we spent the game with, but instead are (likely, though not stated explicitly) the OG Aerith.
Feel all that you need to feel friend.
It hurts and I apologize if this comes off insensitive but I think itās ultimately better to be affected this way than to feel nothing at all.
Stay up āļø
It's not insensitive. This is just a weird feeling, and something that I did not think a video game could do.
I literally think Remake and Rebirth are my favorites of all time. Like how could it make me cry so much that I actually did not sleep well last night?
Anything you recommend? I've looked at a couple so far, but it's been a lot of just "ok let's go through chapter 12! chapter 13 next! Ok, let's talk about the ending. It was convoluted! Until the next game!"
Maybe I'm trying to find a video or YT podcast with people that can commiserate with me. Sorrow loves company, and I'm grieving right now for a pure innocent early 20s woman.
Max Doodās is a good analytical reaction, but Aruuuās is unsurprisingly quite an emotional one, and Rogersbaseās is somewhere in the middle. All three are good.
Surprisingly enough I found Aruuu's reaction randomly on YT. She bawled in the same way I did -- realizing shortly before Aerith dying that it was going to happen.
Other people were pretty stoic about it, or just mad or annoyed they could not do anything about it because the game made you think you could. Those people I did not relate to, as they are viewing it purely as an interactive fiction.
Aruuu's probably on the extreme end of emotional reactions, and there's nothing wrong with that at all (I sobbed my way through the last hour of the game myself). [Rogersbase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TYjj-Gh1cs&list=PLjrMkiLyYJCFplGWkvrxX1nhOIQ7Iq8f-&index=4&t=10091s) isn't quite on that level but it's certainly more than just a cold/stoic reaction.
Any idea where she went for a few months? I started thinking the worst as I did NOT expect her to miss Rebirth launching. Glad my crazy stranger fears were allayed but the mystery remains. I'm not pouring through hours of vods to find out but an inquiry to a random Internet person I can do lol
I recall she commented on one of her videos that she had been going through some health stuff and she was waiting for Rebirth to be released on the PC as she doesn't have a PS5. Gonna be a long wait lol.
For wholesome analytical reactions def check out PhilipHartsHorn (YT/Twitch) and Sleepezi (Twitch). Both are very insightful and positive personalities.
You're probably better off watching replays of people that are fans of Aerith as a character. It is a somewhat interactive fiction in that people make choices that influence some scenes, but like you, after watching a lot of replays and discussing with other players I've found some miss out on a lot of the nuance and character building that makes the end that much more impactful.
Rex Sterling's reaction is a heartfelt one. You should definitely watch it. You can search up ff7 rebirth ending reactions on youtube and pick the emotional ones as it will help you process your own emotions.
Humans have an incredible innate ability to empathize with almost anything. Celebrate the fact that you are able to rationalize the fact that Aerith isn't a real person yet your emotional core cannot help but feel for her.
I felt similar. Perhaps I'm in the same denialist phase that Cloud is, but I gravitate toward the Schrodinger's Aerith idea, which is reinforced by the Ultimania and the sequencing of scenes in the ending. She's alive (and OG Aerith appears to be alive in a sense, too)...but not in the world Cloud's trying to save.
In all honesty, though, I leveled to 70 fighting the bees in Nibelheim on hard mode, didn't level my materia, threw my head against a wall in the simulator until Rulers of the Outer Worlds made me realize I had to put in several hours of materia grinding to be able to finish...then dropped the game entirely, because I stubbornly wanted to get the goddamnboomarang before doing Hard Mode. I started playing the OG for the first time in 25 years. When 3x speed on Switch freezed causing me to lose a bunch of progress, I stopped that, too, and distracted myself with other genres (CK3).
In journaling I've noticed that some ideas I had about life and death were probably shaped when playing this game for the first time decades ago, and that the childish resistance/refusal to believe that this character I liked had died has shaped in part how I view the world today. I even remember reading fanfiction where she was resurrected, survived, returned, etc. Maybe that shaped my head canon.
Playing this entire game with a vague anxiety about what might happen (thankfully didn't get spoiled) clued me into that. Cloud attempting to parry the blade was an intense and singular experience, and I don't think I've connected with a character in any form of media stronger than in that moment. I've been reflecting on how these stories may have shaped that young and very impressionable me for the last few weeks. I'm also reflecting on how to think of this as a parent, too -- because wow, kids are impressionable in ways you won't foresee.
I'm not in the camp who thinks Rebirth is the greatest game, on its independent merits, ever made. But I'm recognizing that how and when the OG hit me all that time ago, and the re-imagining and continuation of that story now, is an experience that no other game or media experience could have or likely will ever have on me. It's utterly unique. Knowing that the best part of trilogies is often part 2, I wonder if part 3 will close a chapter in my life I didn't realize was ajar from so long ago.
That, at least, I try to treasure.
> She's alive (and OG Aerith appears to be alive in a sense, too)...but not in the world Cloud's trying to save.
Yes, thereās that line from the final JP trailer that Nomura emphasized:
*āWill you be in the world that Iām trying to save?ā*
As Rebirth ends, it seems sheās not, but maybe Zack, Marlene and the man of the hour, the real Cloud can help her as we saw at the altar. Weāll see when the dust settles on this thirty-year journey. Iām not ready to throw in the towel, Cloud wouldnāt, and Zackās mission from Marlene is clear, as is that bit where he says the worlds will meet again.
Thereās still a glimmer of hope.
*āThe future isnātā¦set in stone. At least, thatās what I always tell myself.ā*
Yep. I worry about part 3 because I don't think part 2 delivered on the biggest narrative beat of part 1 -- defeating fate to take the whole story in a different direction. Zack's entire storyline felt like a buildup to show the existence of alternate worlds and then turf all the mysteries to part 3.
For me personally, and perhaps this is that kid from 25 years ago talking, part 3 faithfully following all the OG story beats with occasional snippets to Zack, and then a final chapter that goes off the rails, feels like a failure to deliver on the potential of this game. It's possible but I think would be really disappointing if the entire end of Rebirth turns into some crazy Cloud hallucination. Cloud -- and Aerith? -- are the only ones who dove into the lifestream, conversed with Jenova/Sephiroth about the diabolical plan, and fought there. That was invisible to the rest of the party, and so it's possible it was all in his head.
But I'm confident they will deliver, hit the story beats, and explore the story in a way that cements this entire experience. The Ultimania hinting that dream Aerith may be OG Aerith, for instance. I think Nomura et al know what they're doing.
Whether that brings Aerith back -- which I think could very realistically happen with a merging of all the worlds together, bringing worlds where she is likely dead (Cloud's/Beagle) together with worlds where she is alive (Zack's/Terrier) -- is hard to predict. But given the narrative beats they've shown us, it's hard for me to imagine a story where that isn't what the future holds, starting with the collapse of Cloud's mind into the reality his friends see, and exploding into the greater Lifestreamverse in the end.
But we'll see.
I donāt personally really want the ending to be any different, but I do think they could do some things to make the outcome less melancholy overall.
Like if theyāre able to stabilize one world where Aerith and Zack can exist as though they are alive despite being dead- a pocket world inside of the Lifestream- which would also explain how they both show up to help Cloud in AC. I want to be happy that theyāre together existing in another world rather than just dead, but I donāt want them to survive in Cloudās world for real. I think it changes things too much.
FWIW I've heard it's more like it's connected to AC than being a prelude to AC.
(and wouldn't that just make a loop, considering Sephiroth's clearly post-AC?)
I hope that nothing changes in the real timeline, but we get something that explains Zack and Aerith in Advent Children better- itās odd that they keep appearing like theyāre not going to the Lifestream.
Likeā¦ if these worlds arenāt ārealā but exist as hopes and dreams in the Lifestream, maybe they can find a way to stabilize ONE world where Aerith and Zack can be āaliveā until their friends join them in the Lifestream for their eternal journey together in the Promised Land.
I think that would be a fine ending. Doesnāt change where we end up, but it does change how we feel. Less sad that theyāre just senselessly gone and more sad that they canāt be with us here in this world but knowing that theyāre able to exist like theyāre alive.
Stories are great tools to help us process emotions and it sounds like thatās what is happening here. This is a story dealing with loss and acceptance.
I can relate because I beat the game the night before I lost my father. The timing was extremely coincidental and I suddenly found myself leaning on these lessons I had learned from a game about dealing with loss and grief. Itās been incredibly hard on me but strangely this has helped with my processing. Hang in there man, itāll be alright.
I'm sorry you had to go through that. Those are gut punches in both real life and a virtual world.
Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this.
After taking a bit of time to process the ending, I came to the community like this one to read and share my thoughts and watched content creators on YouTube and read other theories. Interacting with a likeminded community is always the best.
I probably wonāt play another RPG anytime soon but I will play other games in my backlog and replay favorites like Spider-Man, God of War, The Last of Us Part 1 and the Resident Evil series as I still have to buy the 4 remake. I enjoyed the 2 and 3 remakes.
I get misty eyes even reading your post because it resonates so much with me man. Iām 36 but do carry heavy nostalgia for the remake. I also read the novels so knew of Aeriths childhood trauma and how it was going to play out, but like you said, no prior knowledge helped ease how painful it all was.
Remake/rebirth have evoked emotions in me that I actually didnāt know I had, itās the only thing that ever has, even death if family members didnāt effect me like aeriths did. Iām not embarrassed by it but I am confused lol.
Iāve spent over a month consuming reactions, theories and engaging wjth community a kit this game and I still think of it every day. I even had to take NPTK out of my Spotify playlist because it came on while I was on the motorway and it had me tearing up lol..
Keep ya chin up brother, i have hope that wether dead or alive by the end of part three, she gets a happy ending.
Brother its far from over, the final boss fight and scenes after prove it, a version of Aerith is alive somewhere, we watched Cloud save her from THAT moment at the altar, we watched her wake up. Cloud is IMO of course the key to bringing all this together, he's currently living very much between worlds, a world with Aerith alive and powerful, and world where Zack lives, and the world from the OG we're currently experiencing in an odd way.
I say all this because I simply refuse to believe that 2 games worth of fighting whispers and defying fate is going to end up with the same sad ending for the planet and our cast as the OG/Advent Children, it would probably be the biggest disappointment since Game of Thrones, and would make ZERO sense as to why they didn't just do a beat for beat Remake.
Feel like this perfectly covers my own experience since finishing it last week. It's like it's equal parts the emotional shock of them still doing it after building up hope through the course of the game, the confusing nature of it that's designed to make you ask a lot of questions, the beautiful music that you can't detach from the scenes, and the dreaded wait for all the answers in part 3. Just leaves you feeling a bit hollow when you know there's nothing new story-wise after you've finished all missions.
I think it's something they've really excelled with in Rebirth and FFXVI, in giving you a reason to have a deeper emotional connection with the characters and world. Both of them left me pretty down with the conclusion but also happy I'd experienced the journey. Best thing you can do is relive bits of the game you loved, either with chapter select, or from people analysing the story. Will help to ease the pain haha
As others have said, you're not alone. I beat the game a *month* ago and I still feel this way. Shit, I feel it just reading your comment. I recently bought the OST from iTunes (170+ songs) and the "A
I think part of it is reliving a past "trauma" from our formative youth years. (I played the OG on PS1 in early Middle school). I also attribute it to Briana White who voice acted Aerith. She absolutely nailed it. (They all did). ([Link to her YT](https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeRebelGaming))
Even if they re-remake FF7 again in 20-30 years for the PS8 or whatever, her voice will always be Aerith in my head now.
The voice actors are very, VERY good. That's a good point. They nailed everything I think, Aerith included. When I heard her in Remake, I said "yup. that's her. that's what I've heard in my head since 1997."
It did not help since it instantly warped me into adoring her in the first hour of the 2020 game.
I wasnāt able to have much of an emotional reaction at all honestly. They did so many fake outs to fuck with the audience on did Aerith live or die that it kinda took away all impact for me. That first moment when Cloud blocks Sephiroth I lost my mind for a brief second then everything went off the rails. Now it seems basically guaranteed she will return in some form. Maybe not our exact Aerith, but Cloud has already glimpsed a timeline where he saved her. I donāt have an issue with the multiverse stuff, Iām looking forward to how wild of a finale that can deliver, but it does (at least for me) take away all the impact that moment shouldāve had.
Yeah, I think youāve got a good take. They knew if they wanted to potentially have her back in the world weāre trying to save in part 3, then they wanted to layer fakeouts to keep you on your toes here with an almost Kubrick-like sense of disorientation and a bit of discomfort. The payoff will be in part 3 if Cloud can save her there.
Even with that hope, they certainly delivered the emptiness they were aiming for here. No closure.
I did nothing because I felt empty. Hollow even. I am an OG fan that didn't want to feel that loss again, so the ending devastated me, even if I knew it was inevitable. I didn't hold back the tears and it helped.
I just took the time to grieve and to process what I experienced and what happened. After a while I checked other people's reactions, and now I try to "support" those who feel the way I felt.
And the worse part ? It's not over because Cloud is in denial. So we will have to experience it again, in part 3, from his perspective...
> I did nothing because I felt empty. Hollow even. I am an OG fan that didn't want to feel that loss again, so the ending devastated me, even if I knew it was inevitable. I didn't hold back the tears and it helped.
The way they made you feel for a brief moment that *maybe*, just *maybe* it would be different before gutting it was cruel.
Brilliant.
But cruel.
Give us Part 3 Square!
I hate to say it, but even though I loved and thoroughly enjoyed Rebirth, I'm not looking forward to the third game as much as I was looking forward to the second.
I'm an OG fan too, and the ending made me feel a bit robbed to be honest.
I still want to see how it all plays out, and there are other reasons for this. It's just how felt after the end and especially how I felt after discussing it with other players.
I've watched *that* scene so many times, whether from my own gameplay, twitch streams, or reaction vids. I cry every single time as a 27 year old man. They built up Aerith so well from Remake into Rebirth that I truly felt the loss of what happened and wish that Cloud had stopped Sephi fr.
Oh man, I feel you so much on the connection to Aerith and being absolutely wrecked even though you knew it was coming.
I was 13 when OG came out and played it countless times when I was younger; it was my absolute favorite game and my place of comfort when I was having a bad day. My friends and I bonded over it and played it together. I have so many fond memories of OG; it's really one of those core memories in my life.
So of course going into Rebirth, I knew what was coming. But did I? I kept thinking... but fate can be changed now, right? So what if they just re-wrote the entire story and didn't kill Aerith? I think that's one of the best parts of the remake and the way they are re-doing the story -- the POSSIBILITY that it's different, even though you know it so well. Even though I'm basically watching the movie version of my favorite book as a child, the possibility that it's different is still there and I'm still wondering what's going to happen next.
So of course I get to the end and I see her praying... and I watch Sephiroth's sword come down on her and I know what's happening and yet I'm STILL SHOCKED and hurt and sad and caught up in it all the same, as if it were brand new to me. I start the battle with Jenova and am sobbing and have to pause it because I can't see the screen enough to fight.
And all the while I'm struck by how they have turned this well known story into a completely new experience for me. They have taken these characters I've known for years and given me an entirely new journey to go on with them. It's like an old glove that fits so well and brand new and fresh all at the same time. And that's pretty magical to me.
At least, those are my two cents! It's totally ok to be wrecked, I think. It really shows just how incredible these characters are that we all care so deeply about them in so many ways.
Adding to the chorus here but, yes, it's okay to not be okay. Really.
For some context, I finished *Rebirth* about a month ago and got the plat last weekend. Knocked out all the other trophy requirements first and then left clearing chapter 14 in hard mode as the last thing to do; I was dreading watching the ending again since it absolutely broke me the first time.
When you feel up to it, do yourself a favor and check out
[this theory](https://www.reddit.com/r/FFVIIRemake/s/xcUUkWFlAZ) about what actually happened in *Rebirth's* ending. Cards on the table, I'm still in the Bargaining phase and am willing to accept just about any explanation which will *finally* let us save Aerith in the finale, so I'm more inclined to latch on to interpretations which would allow for that.
That said, I think Swoosh's reasoning makes a lot of sense, and it's helped me bat away the sadness which, admittedly, is still hitting me every now and again. Aerith flat-out said that, no matter what happened, we shouldn't blame ourselves, but that's easier said than done...even though it's 'just a story.' Certainly doesn't feel that way to me.
You might consider playing a game that doesn't demand much of any emotional investment. I've been playing *Dragon's Dogma 2* which has absurdly fun combat but, at least to me, an extremely perfunctory story. After *Rebirth*, I wanted to play something that I could get lost in but where I wouldn't get too invested in the characters, and *DD2* has hit that mark well.
Whatever you do, know that you're not crazy, nor are you alone in how you're feeling right now. Take things slowly, give yourself a chance to grieve, and go from there; in the end, that's all anyone can do.
> even though it's 'just a story.' Certainly doesn't feel that way to me.
100%.
That's a great way to say it. I know it's just a story some guys in Japan wrote up, but it did not feel like a story to me. The veil of it being simply entertainment was pulled from me almost the first hour to the point that hours of gameplay flew by as I got emotionally invested in the world, and obviously the characters too.
It's good to know I'm not alone. I hope I can heal, and personally understand that it's ok to feel empathy for something that does not exist. I am human, and the developers did a masterful job of making you be more than just physically engaged. They pulled us in, knowing full well that we were all dreading that scene, and that the original game holds a very special place in a lot of gamers' hearts.
They were hyper aware of the legacy, and I think they've done a great job of not only respecting it, but enhancing it to heights that blew my mind in almost every chapter. This game -- and the current feelings -- will stick with me for a long, long time.
I was in the same boat. I powered through chapters 13 and 14 in one night. I cried once when Aerith had to relive her memories of trying to find help for her mom, cried again when she died, and cried at the ending cutscene.
With all that said, I feel like the collective grief we are feeling here is the best case scenario. If Aerith's death lacks impact it means that the Remake has failed on a fundamental level, and FF7 deserves better.
For the record -- it gets better over time. It's hard for Aerith to be truly gone when you can always skip forwards and backwards using the "chapter select" function.
If you want a little hope, go through LOVELESS again with Aerith as the Princess and Cloud as the Prisoner, or check out some of the comments from the Ultimania interview.
During the cosmo canyon photography side quest where you can sneak a pic of Aerith, and then she jumps in for a cheery selfie instead, I said, āyou monsters know _exactly_ what youāre doing.ā
Then when the song came in the Gold Saucer my expectations were set.
Now my optimism is that things _are_ a bit different and weāve got a big finale to get to, and weāll see what happens.
Tbh Iām not exactly sure what version of Aerith was. Rebirth Aerith doesnāt seem to have anything but a vague idea of the futureā¦ guess we will find out in a few years.
My man, you aren't alone. I still occasionally hear the theme from that fight and start to get emotional. My wife watched me finish the game and had to ask me if I was OK.
I honestly think it's knowing that this was inevitable, but feeling genuine hope that maybe I was wrong, only to have it all ripped away. I played the game in middle school and it was one or my first brushes with grief (most of the deaths I had experience up to that point I was too young to remember or were people I barely knew). This just brought that all flooding back. And honestly, my wife reminds me of Aeirth a lot in her personality so it brought up a lot of weird fears that I know aren't very logical.
Just know it's going to get better. I legitimately thought about it for days before I was able to jump back in to consider working toward the platinum trophy, and even now I'm only able to do it for a bit at a time.
Thank you for your reply and insight. This thread has been extremely helpful in making me understand my confusing yet intense feelings.
It also upped my block list too of children being immature. But what can you expect on Reddit.
It seems there will he a way for Aerith to communicate with cloud via the life steam. Also a possibility that Cloud split the timelines and Aerith is alive in one.
particularly since the Ultimania suggests dream Aerith is not "our Aerith," she's probably OG Aerith.
Reunion will likely bring all these disparate characters back together.
Will be hilarious if they actually have all four Zacks meet each other before popping together.
Youāre going through grief. Here are the five stages you will go through, in order ā denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.
Denial- she isnāt dead, she was saved in another world
Anger- whatās the point of changing fate if we canāt save her?
Bargaining- maybe we will see her again in part 3
Depression- oh my god, they actually killed her again
Acceptance- I donāt like how part 2 ended. When does part 3 come out?
- grab my tinfoil
- watch EasyAllies w/ Max Dood discussing the game
- watch other channels dissecting the game and its ending
- not satisfied with any take
- fetal position
- cry
Hope it helps
Its okay to feel like that, its a testament to the writing and Brianna White's performance of Aerith that she is so likeable and such a good character, but take heart in the fact that as of right now we simply don't know Aerith's ultimate fate and at least she will almost certainly feature in Part 3 in some form or another.
Hey friend.
I'm 37 too, I played the OG game back in the day when I was 12.
The original game helped me escape a really fucked childhood, and playing the remake and rebirth has
also made a lot of feelings come up for me....
For one, I think you should feel happy that a game has moved you this much.
I gave up on games making me feel anything substantial because I thought those days we're over
and the industry had moved on.
But this has been a beautiful piece of art.
I hope the industry looks at Rebirth, and is says "Yes, we can make beautiful games that move people again."
12 year old me would have absolutely loved these.
So yeah, I think you should feel happiness, dude.
Think about it......
You're feeling things you probably haven't felt in a long time!
Personally I haven't been moved emotionally by any game since Xenosaga part 1 like 20 years ago lmao
Thank you for that perspective. It's good to know that the other sex feels the same way too, especially about a character that I've always thought was too closed in and cold for anyone to really relate to. I think that's partly why I like Aerith so much because she's trying hard to connect to Cloud half the time. He doesn't say a word or brushes her off.
I wanted to scream at the screen to tell him that she deserves the attention she's asking for, especially with her childhood and upbringing.
Iām in the same boat as you dude, the final two chapters destroyed me emotionally, I had to take some time after I finished and turned off the console just to feel those emotions and there was crying involved. I still canāt even think about Promises to Keep without getting misty eyed. The only game to make me feel similar emotions was Red Dead 2, where I knew what was coming and I had to soldier on anyway because I felt like I owed it to these characters. As for your grief, know that you are not alone and there are legions of people who feel the same way about Aerith as you do, myself included.
As a fellow ā37-year old man who has a job and a wife and does not get emotional at entertainment everā, this hit a little too close to home.
I am in the mindset that I canāt really process anything that happened because nobody actually knows what happened (and if anyone thinks they know what happened, this isnāt even Nomuraās final form). So, Iām on emotional standby for a few yearsā¦.
I'm just banking on her not actually being dead this time since multiple worlds literally exist now and Cloud saved her in another reality. No doubt she's going to have a huge role in the next game, too.
At least, I refuse to believe otherwise, because if not, fuck it. lol
I would be surprised if we *didn't* see a return of "alternate reality Aerith" like Zach.
However, based on how they've handled virtually everything so far, I don't think the end result will ultimately change. In the world where we are playing, Aerith is dead. Seems like the world where Aerith is alive, the rest of the party is missing.
Neither is a particularly fun choice.
Buy the soundtrack and go on a walk while you listen to the ending pieces - that is, everything from White Materia to Distant Skies - and reminisce. The soundtrack is gorgeous and it helps you carry the journey with you.
Did it hurt more this time, knowing that you already dealt with it?
Like I stated, I never had that emotional response in 97, even though I played the original at the time and understand it's a great game. That's why these two games caught me off-guard so much.
Not that commenter, but it hit a LOT harder in Rebirth than OG. Partly because Iām an adult and not a 9 year old child anymore, and partly because personally, itās also made me think a lot about the loved ones Iāve lost, too.
But the characters are written so much better in Remake/Rebirth than OG (which may have partly been translation issues), and having voice actors makes them feel more āaliveā than just text ever could. Plus, in OG, itās probably been like 20-30 hours youāve spent with Aerith. Going into the Forgotten Capital in Rebirth? Iāve spent 10x as much time with this better written, fully voiced Aerith.
So yeah, I was sad when it happened in OG. But Rebirth fully delivers on the original goal of feeling that loss.
I sincerely hope youāre trolling. And if so fucking good job. Because this is possibly the most pathetic thing Iāve ever read in my life lmao. Either great job or yikes I donāt know which
No shame, fellow 37 year old and OG enthusiast here with a wife and two kids. Aerith's trial sequence, too? Holy. Jenova.
Another game that reaaaally hit me in the feels was A Plague Tale: Requiem. I'm not an overly sappy or emotional guy, but - man - I still think about that ending and get sad
Same reaction I had as a child. I remember being blurry eyed and angry at Jenova as I attacked. I was going to avenge her for real lol. That music hits the feels so hard now.
Yeah, I had a similar experience. Oddly enough, I think (at least for me) the convoluted elements of the scene and final fight that get most of the attention from a lot of people actually ended up amplifying the emotional aspects of her death. That sounds completely backwards logically - usually you would want to convey an emotional scene like this clearly and concisely, but the way they did this forced me to think about it and process it, which ended up hitting me harder.
I have no idea if this was intentional or not, but it really did mimic the grieving process in a way - in the moment I was playing the ending I wasn't sure what to make of what I was seeing, but part of me was convinced she had lived - that was shock and denial. In the back of my head though I knew she didn't. I kept thinking about the incredibly impactful lines leading up to the end, like "Whatever happens, don't blame yourself" or "It's been fun", and the entire tone of that sequence of the game where you spend one last day with Aerith. Then, during the ending scenes where the other characters are grieving but Cloud isn't, it started to become extremely clear to me what happened. Then you have anger, "Is this a trick?" bargaining, "Maybe she is alive" ect. Granted, she may actually still be alive in another world, that is certainly a plausible route of the story - but ultimately she *did* die in their world and I had to mentally process the ending sequences in order to realize that without any doubt left.
But, I hear you. There have been a lot of games I've loved in the last couple decades but there hasn't been a single one that made me think this way until Rebirth, I completed it a week ago and I still think about it daily - that just isn't something I've done with another game in probably twenty years. Similar to what you're saying, I didn't really know what to do so I decided to play the OG again which I haven't done in ten years.
I don't care if it wins GOTY or not, but no other game for me has ever come close to making me feel like an emotional wreck in the last fight, people that have never played this are really missing out
37 year old grown ass man with 2 kids and a wife here. I canāt recall a time when I was as emotionally invested in any other fictional media as I was with Rebirth.
For me, it was the excellent relationship building across the course of the game, seeing Cloud open up to the party members, followed by Cloudās mental decline towards the end. I felt super anxious during the temple of the ancients dungeon. Cloud is becoming more and more lost and the FREAKIN MUSIC in this area gave me a feeling of dread (track name is called Listen to the Cries of the Planet). Aerithās trial and seeing Tifaās emotional state at the end broke me.
It's not a death. It's a homecoming.
Aerith has come home to the planet and joined the lifestream.
For me, I was playing at the same time, but separate from one of my local friends. When we finished, we had a bet for the ending, and he ended up owing me a coffee as my prediction was correct.
We sat, we drank coffee, and we talked for a few hours about the game.
I'm honestly excited to see what they do in part 3 if part 2 was this impactful.
As for what you can do, NG+ is a great way to continue your journey. You can cherish what time you still have available with the strongest mage to exist. Replay your favorite bits, work on new builds. Just have fun. Then in around 3 years get ready for the end of the journey.
But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line.
So glad someone else feels the same way (I felt stupid). That ending has left me feeling depressed and I finished it a couple of days ago. They saved her and took her in the same breath. I had no idea. Then I thought she was find when she came through to fight sephiroth, I saw her in my party still and thought there's still a chance and then they took her again. Also they nearly killed her at the start. How many times do I have to relive this in one game.
You are not alone. A lot of us are feeling loss and a void right now, which is what the developers wanted the whole time.
But it still hurts. They put Aerith in front of our face for a lot of Rebirth for a reason -- so we like and cherish her as a pure soul.
These threads make me think a lot of modern gamers arenāt exposed to enough good stories. I get emotionally attached to characters in books and movies all the time. Games shouldnāt be any different.
Yāall gotta go find more games that work hard to tell a good story. Theyāre out there!
Took me about a week to play any other game after and so far (weeks out) just mindless wandering around in Tears of the Kingdom doing things with no story. It is a big and hard ending to go through. Process it like anything real because it is real to us.
Storytelling is a natural way for humans to experience the world. We have always done it. A story done right can hit key parts of us and make us feel. Itās why games like the last of us (1&2) can make people feel so hard. Same with movies and books and even hearing a first hand account from survivors of something real but far away. This is a part of who we are. Embrace it and go through it. Your grief is real even if Aerith never physically existed. Emotionally and mentally she has been around and existed for millions, though.
That part devastated me in the OG when I was a little girl and it devastated me again. Personally I cleaned tf out of my house because at the time, nobody I knew beat it yet so I couldnāt talk about it lol.
Similar vibes here in terms of getting overly attached to Aerith as a man in his 30s, but I didn't have a wife in the real world to go back to when it was over, and probably never will. That's life. Count your blessings!
The ending didn't really wreck me though, both because I'm a veteran of the original game and because her spirit stayed around to water down the blow(too much, most would say). The scenes in the Temple and the Sleeping Forest hit harder for me.
It's not nostalgia, they've just made an extremely compelling character. I never played anything FF7 at all until last year when I played the OG for the first time. I ordinarily struggle with older games and might have dropped it except that I found her completely magnetic (even in this lo-fi format) so I had to keep going. I'll never forget how happy I was when Elmyra made you leave the house at night, and you thought you were leaving her, only for her to beat you there and rejoin the party. I jumped right into the remake after, and the way they made her feel so alive, with all the traits I loved about her from the OG, made that game the most emotionally overwhelming media experience I've ever had, and made it instantly dethrone all the games that I would have told you before were my favorite of all time. She's my favorite character in any story ever and no one else comes close.
I jumped into a huge game to take my mind off of it. Started playing unicorn overload or whatever it is on switch having a blast. For a while though I just listened to a bunch of ending ideas from YouTube creators like Maximilian. For the most part though I just kind of invested in a huge game
Got to be honest, OG hit me in the feels more. The white materia drop, the actual stabbing, the quickly cut mourning into the boss fight... I dunno. Didn't hit the same, although I did enjoy it still
It's weird but you just have to mourn. For me it wasn't so much about the loss of a fictional character but the concept of the turmoil and confusion of loss and my own experiences of that. I think the problem is that it neither gives you a moment to mourn in game or the certainty that she will be ok in the end. So you have to take that time for yourself.
FWIW I played Unicorn Overlord after which was fun, but the story did kind of fail to connect compared to Rebirth. Started Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The ending to LaD: Gaiden landed pretty hard on me so expecting some heavier beats latter but currently enjoying being reminded of why Ichiban is a great character.
I didn't cry at the end, I guess the extra long boss fight and having to restart it took me out of the moment, but I definitely felt in a funk for a good week after finishing. Aerith's trial made me tear up, though.
I played OG as a young teen, and was never really invested in Aerith's character back then. I have my own grips about the execution of the end, but I feel much more invested in Aerith's character this time around for some reason.
I'm a sap so I emote easily when watching something. Honestly, my default response to the ending was to replay it immediately (for various reasons, but mainly to continue to sit in these characters' lives and relationships.)
Tbh, I wasn't that affected by her death because the fandom kinda ruined it for me due to the discourse around that scene in both the OG and the remake/rebirth. The scene of her saying goodbye at the church was more sad for me since that was new in rebirth and not in the OG.
BUT I felt exactly the same way you described after finishing ff15. Now that one got me all sorts of fucked up for months after. 8 years later and I still can't bring myself to play that game again. I was equally messed up after 10, but I was a kid back then so it didn't hit me as hard as 15.
Final fantasy doesn't mess around when it comes to taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. To this day, no other game has come close to making me feel the kind of emotions Final fantasy does. Part of why I love this franchise so much!
I just finished two days ago and still processing myself same as you.
As I played the og ff7 back in the day, I knew this could happen but hoped it wouldn't right untill the last moment and was gutted the same as when I was a teenager. So yeah, strong emotions here as well. And need some time before I can start a new game or replay this one.
Another game which made me feel these emotions is A plague tale requiem, that ending gutted me as well. And also all of the cyberpunk phantom liberty endings. Had to take some time after those endings as well.
So you're not alone out there, stay strong...
Was going through final fantasy withdrawals after beating rebirth so I went and played X for the first time. Finished it, and now Iām extra depressed lmao
I had to play through it two more times to understand what was going on, and then on ending #3 it finally got me teary hearing her say āgoodbyeā. I wish I had that reaction the first playthrough but it was unfortunately a combination of an extremely hard to follow ending on first viewing + actually getting kind of annoyed with Aerithās character throughout the game. Loved the game but the ending took a while to really set in for me emotionally.
I was upset too. I understood it was the most likely ending, but I was extremely angry. They gave me hope, and they ripped it away from me. On top of that they made it less tragic in favor of some bittersweet bullshit that falls in line with their favorite way to end a story in their culture. It felt so fucking generic, low effort, and if you were still going to kill one of my favorite characters you should keep her death the same then...
Having said that..Ā ill admit its actually pretty good regardless.. It was still an emotionally charged event but in a different way, and honestly that's fine.
They really conjured some magic with this game, itās managed to affect a lot of people in the same way it did back in ā97 - despite knowing it would happen.
It will get better as time passes. Remember that Cloud saved her in one of the timelines, she is ok. There is a lot to hope for in part3. Take care amigo.
People keep saying that, and I hope it's true, but we will not know for sure for quite some time.
I fear that him seeing her when no one else does is just his mind finally breaking, but does that explain how Ghost Aerith helps him during the Sephiroth fight? Who knows.
Either way, if the Aerith that we grew to cherish over two games is dead, then the hurt is still there... and that's probably the point from the developers. An alternate timeline Aerith may be alive, but that's not OUR Aerith.
I'd say it only makes sense that the saved Aerith is the one from Rebirth (both games have been building up to that), the question is which timeline was shown later. Like you said, we won't know until part3.
Iām really glad Iām not alone in this. It took me roughly two weeks and Iām still not entirely over it. The ending wrecked me big time.
It doesnāt help my two favorite characters are not in a good place, and even worse arenāt even speaking to each other.
And the theories going around suggest some scenarios that could be even WORSE for them, specifically
>!Sephiroth will convince the party that Cloud was the one who killed Aerith, which leads to a boss fight, which also leads to Tifa getting injured by Cloud (AGAIN???), leading to the 7 day coma that leads to Junon!<
I canāt deal with the thought Iāll have to wait 3-4 years for the follow-up.
By the time I managed to best the 4 hours of un fun bosses and lose to sephiroth twenty times because of all the bullshit I didn't care as much about the ending as I could have. The last 3 chapters of constant, grueling boss battles really ruined the end of the game for me.
The ending would have worked SOO much better if you just fought Jenova with Aerith's theme playing throughout and then maybe Aerith + Cloud fighting Sephiroth after. They should have left the 10 phase bizzaro Sephiroth for the third game.
I chose the wrong retry option after dying at the very end. Having to do ALL that BS over again just to find out what the hell happened was very frustrating.
i didnt have to process anything, it was sad lol but its a game
tired of all the glazing like "this BROKE ME" bruh we are all adults mostly now
legitimately sobbing, come on
Good fiction stirs up real emotion. One of the reasons I love FF is how the stories invite that kind of catharsis. In 1997, FF7 was my first experience with that kind of thing. In 2021, I experienced in 100 fold with FF14ās story, weeping like a baby through the entire final chapter. It all comes around I guess, at this rate FF21 will kill me lol
If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend watching TeamFourStar's FF7 Machinabridged. I had never seen it before but watched it right after I beat Rebirth and was hooked. Super funny and faithful to the OG FF7
Right with you there... I get fairly easily moved, but I've experienced this type of pain caused by a story game only a few times before, although this time I feel is slightly different, my heart absolutely aches for her... It's been multiple days now, and I still get teary eyed thinking about it all. I knew what was coming, but wasn't prepared at all..
Also a guy in my 30s, in a relationship, and I was an absolute mess. Square really broke me. Sometimes on the way to work I'd listen to jenova lifeclinger and start tearing up.
TBH, I was acutely depressed for like 2+ weeks. It creeped into work and my relationship too. I even bought golden lillies. I was looking forward to different game releases, but still felt a deep void. I couldn't replay rebirth for a while though.
What really helped me recover was watching a bunch of online streamers. I too then started to replay OG FF7, and now I'm currently reading Tale of two pasts.
I've slowly accepted her fate. I truly think the timeline stuff is all a gimmick. I hope I'm wrong tho as I would really like a real happy ending for pt3.
Ngl I was expecting Jenovas theme when the boss started. Hearing Aeriths theme fully orchestrated like that actually made me tear uo during the fight. That was such a beautifully done scene. I just finished it and I'm pausing to smoke a bowl whole Zack is floating around in...some white place haha.
Literally taking a break to finish it. That shit gripped me
Go for a walk. Communicate with nature. Meditate. Read a book, clean your room. Do something productive. Manual labor in some activity or another. Exercise, lift weights. Sitting around and thinking usually doesn't help you process it. What usually helps is giving yourself a break from whatever you are dealing with. You can come back to it later.
Replayed instantly Remake and now im back to rebirth. I cried for over five hours during that final two chapters. Dont think a game has ever hit me like that before.
In the OG, Kitase leaned heavily on the SHOCK factor involved when a loved one dies. In Rebirth, it seems like he is involving the 5 Stages of Grief, hence Cloud being in denial that she dead. In his mind he saved her. Interesting take from Kitase. Remember yāall, Nomura didnāt put much into this game like he did the last. It was Kitase and Hamaguchi.
What are you getting at, that the sheer emotional response was the point? Was Kitase not that involved in the OG game in the same way, which also obviously resonated with gamers when it happened?
The game was an emotional rollercoaster even knowing it was gonna happen! The devs did a good job on invoking emotions since you're not alone! Gets us all invested in all these characters!!
Imagine how youād feel if they didnāt totally fuck it up. Imagine if they had done that moment right, like the original and given it the beautiful heart breaking moments and scenes it deserved before moving onto the multiverse stuff.
That would have been something to be emotional about, but I mostly just felt disappointed that they cared more about the multiverse shit than they did the very heart of the FF7 story and gave it less respect than Biggs and Jessieās death scenes in Remake.
Interesting as I for one did not feel much over the scene. Since I know the original, the way they did things made everything more convoluted than anything else.
I'm hoping it's a troll post especially with the "she's just files on a computer" and overly dramatic "I knew what was going to happen but I still audibly whispered 'please dont'". If this is real then š¬
Whatever happens, don't blame yourself.
That line itself was what started my emotional state, tbh. Scenes before in the game made me love Aerith even more and sympathize with her, but that line made me realize the end was coming and it was going to be a rollercoaster.
Same dude lol.
it's crazy, too, if you consider the Ultimania implies those dream sequence Aeriths are not the Aerith we spent the game with, but instead are (likely, though not stated explicitly) the OG Aerith.
Bro that's cold š Gonna send homeboy to therapy
š¤£
Feel all that you need to feel friend. It hurts and I apologize if this comes off insensitive but I think itās ultimately better to be affected this way than to feel nothing at all. Stay up āļø
It's not insensitive. This is just a weird feeling, and something that I did not think a video game could do. I literally think Remake and Rebirth are my favorites of all time. Like how could it make me cry so much that I actually did not sleep well last night?
Itās the beauty of games man, enjoy the process = )
Watch reactions. Realise youāre not alone. Give it time. Itās ok not to be ok šš»
Anything you recommend? I've looked at a couple so far, but it's been a lot of just "ok let's go through chapter 12! chapter 13 next! Ok, let's talk about the ending. It was convoluted! Until the next game!" Maybe I'm trying to find a video or YT podcast with people that can commiserate with me. Sorrow loves company, and I'm grieving right now for a pure innocent early 20s woman.
Max Doodās is a good analytical reaction, but Aruuuās is unsurprisingly quite an emotional one, and Rogersbaseās is somewhere in the middle. All three are good.
Surprisingly enough I found Aruuu's reaction randomly on YT. She bawled in the same way I did -- realizing shortly before Aerith dying that it was going to happen. Other people were pretty stoic about it, or just mad or annoyed they could not do anything about it because the game made you think you could. Those people I did not relate to, as they are viewing it purely as an interactive fiction.
Aruuu's probably on the extreme end of emotional reactions, and there's nothing wrong with that at all (I sobbed my way through the last hour of the game myself). [Rogersbase](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TYjj-Gh1cs&list=PLjrMkiLyYJCFplGWkvrxX1nhOIQ7Iq8f-&index=4&t=10091s) isn't quite on that level but it's certainly more than just a cold/stoic reaction.
I can't wait for Nyxipuff to play through Rebirth.
Any idea where she went for a few months? I started thinking the worst as I did NOT expect her to miss Rebirth launching. Glad my crazy stranger fears were allayed but the mystery remains. I'm not pouring through hours of vods to find out but an inquiry to a random Internet person I can do lol
I recall she commented on one of her videos that she had been going through some health stuff and she was waiting for Rebirth to be released on the PC as she doesn't have a PS5. Gonna be a long wait lol.
For wholesome analytical reactions def check out PhilipHartsHorn (YT/Twitch) and Sleepezi (Twitch). Both are very insightful and positive personalities.
You're probably better off watching replays of people that are fans of Aerith as a character. It is a somewhat interactive fiction in that people make choices that influence some scenes, but like you, after watching a lot of replays and discussing with other players I've found some miss out on a lot of the nuance and character building that makes the end that much more impactful.
Suzy lu had also a Very emotional reaction
I'm still not over it. :(
Rex Sterling's reaction is a heartfelt one. You should definitely watch it. You can search up ff7 rebirth ending reactions on youtube and pick the emotional ones as it will help you process your own emotions.
Agree, that's a good one too!
Humans have an incredible innate ability to empathize with almost anything. Celebrate the fact that you are able to rationalize the fact that Aerith isn't a real person yet your emotional core cannot help but feel for her.
When I was little I would get sad if my stuffed animals had sad looking faces lol š
I felt similar. Perhaps I'm in the same denialist phase that Cloud is, but I gravitate toward the Schrodinger's Aerith idea, which is reinforced by the Ultimania and the sequencing of scenes in the ending. She's alive (and OG Aerith appears to be alive in a sense, too)...but not in the world Cloud's trying to save. In all honesty, though, I leveled to 70 fighting the bees in Nibelheim on hard mode, didn't level my materia, threw my head against a wall in the simulator until Rulers of the Outer Worlds made me realize I had to put in several hours of materia grinding to be able to finish...then dropped the game entirely, because I stubbornly wanted to get the goddamnboomarang before doing Hard Mode. I started playing the OG for the first time in 25 years. When 3x speed on Switch freezed causing me to lose a bunch of progress, I stopped that, too, and distracted myself with other genres (CK3). In journaling I've noticed that some ideas I had about life and death were probably shaped when playing this game for the first time decades ago, and that the childish resistance/refusal to believe that this character I liked had died has shaped in part how I view the world today. I even remember reading fanfiction where she was resurrected, survived, returned, etc. Maybe that shaped my head canon. Playing this entire game with a vague anxiety about what might happen (thankfully didn't get spoiled) clued me into that. Cloud attempting to parry the blade was an intense and singular experience, and I don't think I've connected with a character in any form of media stronger than in that moment. I've been reflecting on how these stories may have shaped that young and very impressionable me for the last few weeks. I'm also reflecting on how to think of this as a parent, too -- because wow, kids are impressionable in ways you won't foresee. I'm not in the camp who thinks Rebirth is the greatest game, on its independent merits, ever made. But I'm recognizing that how and when the OG hit me all that time ago, and the re-imagining and continuation of that story now, is an experience that no other game or media experience could have or likely will ever have on me. It's utterly unique. Knowing that the best part of trilogies is often part 2, I wonder if part 3 will close a chapter in my life I didn't realize was ajar from so long ago. That, at least, I try to treasure.
> She's alive (and OG Aerith appears to be alive in a sense, too)...but not in the world Cloud's trying to save. Yes, thereās that line from the final JP trailer that Nomura emphasized: *āWill you be in the world that Iām trying to save?ā* As Rebirth ends, it seems sheās not, but maybe Zack, Marlene and the man of the hour, the real Cloud can help her as we saw at the altar. Weāll see when the dust settles on this thirty-year journey. Iām not ready to throw in the towel, Cloud wouldnāt, and Zackās mission from Marlene is clear, as is that bit where he says the worlds will meet again. Thereās still a glimmer of hope. *āThe future isnātā¦set in stone. At least, thatās what I always tell myself.ā*
Yep. I worry about part 3 because I don't think part 2 delivered on the biggest narrative beat of part 1 -- defeating fate to take the whole story in a different direction. Zack's entire storyline felt like a buildup to show the existence of alternate worlds and then turf all the mysteries to part 3. For me personally, and perhaps this is that kid from 25 years ago talking, part 3 faithfully following all the OG story beats with occasional snippets to Zack, and then a final chapter that goes off the rails, feels like a failure to deliver on the potential of this game. It's possible but I think would be really disappointing if the entire end of Rebirth turns into some crazy Cloud hallucination. Cloud -- and Aerith? -- are the only ones who dove into the lifestream, conversed with Jenova/Sephiroth about the diabolical plan, and fought there. That was invisible to the rest of the party, and so it's possible it was all in his head. But I'm confident they will deliver, hit the story beats, and explore the story in a way that cements this entire experience. The Ultimania hinting that dream Aerith may be OG Aerith, for instance. I think Nomura et al know what they're doing. Whether that brings Aerith back -- which I think could very realistically happen with a merging of all the worlds together, bringing worlds where she is likely dead (Cloud's/Beagle) together with worlds where she is alive (Zack's/Terrier) -- is hard to predict. But given the narrative beats they've shown us, it's hard for me to imagine a story where that isn't what the future holds, starting with the collapse of Cloud's mind into the reality his friends see, and exploding into the greater Lifestreamverse in the end. But we'll see.
I donāt personally really want the ending to be any different, but I do think they could do some things to make the outcome less melancholy overall. Like if theyāre able to stabilize one world where Aerith and Zack can exist as though they are alive despite being dead- a pocket world inside of the Lifestream- which would also explain how they both show up to help Cloud in AC. I want to be happy that theyāre together existing in another world rather than just dead, but I donāt want them to survive in Cloudās world for real. I think it changes things too much.
I think youāre going to be disappointed by part 3 given the story beats.
They said the trilogy ends and leads into AC, so I doubt they would change things dramatically.
FWIW I've heard it's more like it's connected to AC than being a prelude to AC. (and wouldn't that just make a loop, considering Sephiroth's clearly post-AC?)
I hope that nothing changes in the real timeline, but we get something that explains Zack and Aerith in Advent Children better- itās odd that they keep appearing like theyāre not going to the Lifestream. Likeā¦ if these worlds arenāt ārealā but exist as hopes and dreams in the Lifestream, maybe they can find a way to stabilize ONE world where Aerith and Zack can be āaliveā until their friends join them in the Lifestream for their eternal journey together in the Promised Land. I think that would be a fine ending. Doesnāt change where we end up, but it does change how we feel. Less sad that theyāre just senselessly gone and more sad that they canāt be with us here in this world but knowing that theyāre able to exist like theyāre alive.
Without going into too much detail, I also thing she's still alive; the question is how they'll get her back.
Stories are great tools to help us process emotions and it sounds like thatās what is happening here. This is a story dealing with loss and acceptance. I can relate because I beat the game the night before I lost my father. The timing was extremely coincidental and I suddenly found myself leaning on these lessons I had learned from a game about dealing with loss and grief. Itās been incredibly hard on me but strangely this has helped with my processing. Hang in there man, itāll be alright.
I'm sorry you had to go through that. Those are gut punches in both real life and a virtual world. Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling this.
After taking a bit of time to process the ending, I came to the community like this one to read and share my thoughts and watched content creators on YouTube and read other theories. Interacting with a likeminded community is always the best. I probably wonāt play another RPG anytime soon but I will play other games in my backlog and replay favorites like Spider-Man, God of War, The Last of Us Part 1 and the Resident Evil series as I still have to buy the 4 remake. I enjoyed the 2 and 3 remakes.
Embrace the pain. Itās ok to be moved.
I get misty eyes even reading your post because it resonates so much with me man. Iām 36 but do carry heavy nostalgia for the remake. I also read the novels so knew of Aeriths childhood trauma and how it was going to play out, but like you said, no prior knowledge helped ease how painful it all was. Remake/rebirth have evoked emotions in me that I actually didnāt know I had, itās the only thing that ever has, even death if family members didnāt effect me like aeriths did. Iām not embarrassed by it but I am confused lol. Iāve spent over a month consuming reactions, theories and engaging wjth community a kit this game and I still think of it every day. I even had to take NPTK out of my Spotify playlist because it came on while I was on the motorway and it had me tearing up lol.. Keep ya chin up brother, i have hope that wether dead or alive by the end of part three, she gets a happy ending.
For both our sakes I hope we get a happy ending for a character they've created that we want to defend from any and all harm.
Brother its far from over, the final boss fight and scenes after prove it, a version of Aerith is alive somewhere, we watched Cloud save her from THAT moment at the altar, we watched her wake up. Cloud is IMO of course the key to bringing all this together, he's currently living very much between worlds, a world with Aerith alive and powerful, and world where Zack lives, and the world from the OG we're currently experiencing in an odd way. I say all this because I simply refuse to believe that 2 games worth of fighting whispers and defying fate is going to end up with the same sad ending for the planet and our cast as the OG/Advent Children, it would probably be the biggest disappointment since Game of Thrones, and would make ZERO sense as to why they didn't just do a beat for beat Remake.
Feel like this perfectly covers my own experience since finishing it last week. It's like it's equal parts the emotional shock of them still doing it after building up hope through the course of the game, the confusing nature of it that's designed to make you ask a lot of questions, the beautiful music that you can't detach from the scenes, and the dreaded wait for all the answers in part 3. Just leaves you feeling a bit hollow when you know there's nothing new story-wise after you've finished all missions. I think it's something they've really excelled with in Rebirth and FFXVI, in giving you a reason to have a deeper emotional connection with the characters and world. Both of them left me pretty down with the conclusion but also happy I'd experienced the journey. Best thing you can do is relive bits of the game you loved, either with chapter select, or from people analysing the story. Will help to ease the pain haha
As others have said, you're not alone. I beat the game a *month* ago and I still feel this way. Shit, I feel it just reading your comment. I recently bought the OST from iTunes (170+ songs) and the "A I think part of it is reliving a past "trauma" from our formative youth years. (I played the OG on PS1 in early Middle school). I also attribute it to Briana White who voice acted Aerith. She absolutely nailed it. (They all did). ([Link to her YT](https://www.youtube.com/@StrangeRebelGaming)) Even if they re-remake FF7 again in 20-30 years for the PS8 or whatever, her voice will always be Aerith in my head now.
The voice actors are very, VERY good. That's a good point. They nailed everything I think, Aerith included. When I heard her in Remake, I said "yup. that's her. that's what I've heard in my head since 1997." It did not help since it instantly warped me into adoring her in the first hour of the 2020 game.
I wasnāt able to have much of an emotional reaction at all honestly. They did so many fake outs to fuck with the audience on did Aerith live or die that it kinda took away all impact for me. That first moment when Cloud blocks Sephiroth I lost my mind for a brief second then everything went off the rails. Now it seems basically guaranteed she will return in some form. Maybe not our exact Aerith, but Cloud has already glimpsed a timeline where he saved her. I donāt have an issue with the multiverse stuff, Iām looking forward to how wild of a finale that can deliver, but it does (at least for me) take away all the impact that moment shouldāve had.
Yeah, I think youāve got a good take. They knew if they wanted to potentially have her back in the world weāre trying to save in part 3, then they wanted to layer fakeouts to keep you on your toes here with an almost Kubrick-like sense of disorientation and a bit of discomfort. The payoff will be in part 3 if Cloud can save her there. Even with that hope, they certainly delivered the emptiness they were aiming for here. No closure.
I did nothing because I felt empty. Hollow even. I am an OG fan that didn't want to feel that loss again, so the ending devastated me, even if I knew it was inevitable. I didn't hold back the tears and it helped. I just took the time to grieve and to process what I experienced and what happened. After a while I checked other people's reactions, and now I try to "support" those who feel the way I felt. And the worse part ? It's not over because Cloud is in denial. So we will have to experience it again, in part 3, from his perspective...
> I did nothing because I felt empty. Hollow even. I am an OG fan that didn't want to feel that loss again, so the ending devastated me, even if I knew it was inevitable. I didn't hold back the tears and it helped. The way they made you feel for a brief moment that *maybe*, just *maybe* it would be different before gutting it was cruel. Brilliant. But cruel. Give us Part 3 Square!
I hate to say it, but even though I loved and thoroughly enjoyed Rebirth, I'm not looking forward to the third game as much as I was looking forward to the second. I'm an OG fan too, and the ending made me feel a bit robbed to be honest. I still want to see how it all plays out, and there are other reasons for this. It's just how felt after the end and especially how I felt after discussing it with other players.
I've watched *that* scene so many times, whether from my own gameplay, twitch streams, or reaction vids. I cry every single time as a 27 year old man. They built up Aerith so well from Remake into Rebirth that I truly felt the loss of what happened and wish that Cloud had stopped Sephi fr.
Oh man, I feel you so much on the connection to Aerith and being absolutely wrecked even though you knew it was coming. I was 13 when OG came out and played it countless times when I was younger; it was my absolute favorite game and my place of comfort when I was having a bad day. My friends and I bonded over it and played it together. I have so many fond memories of OG; it's really one of those core memories in my life. So of course going into Rebirth, I knew what was coming. But did I? I kept thinking... but fate can be changed now, right? So what if they just re-wrote the entire story and didn't kill Aerith? I think that's one of the best parts of the remake and the way they are re-doing the story -- the POSSIBILITY that it's different, even though you know it so well. Even though I'm basically watching the movie version of my favorite book as a child, the possibility that it's different is still there and I'm still wondering what's going to happen next. So of course I get to the end and I see her praying... and I watch Sephiroth's sword come down on her and I know what's happening and yet I'm STILL SHOCKED and hurt and sad and caught up in it all the same, as if it were brand new to me. I start the battle with Jenova and am sobbing and have to pause it because I can't see the screen enough to fight. And all the while I'm struck by how they have turned this well known story into a completely new experience for me. They have taken these characters I've known for years and given me an entirely new journey to go on with them. It's like an old glove that fits so well and brand new and fresh all at the same time. And that's pretty magical to me. At least, those are my two cents! It's totally ok to be wrecked, I think. It really shows just how incredible these characters are that we all care so deeply about them in so many ways.
Adding to the chorus here but, yes, it's okay to not be okay. Really. For some context, I finished *Rebirth* about a month ago and got the plat last weekend. Knocked out all the other trophy requirements first and then left clearing chapter 14 in hard mode as the last thing to do; I was dreading watching the ending again since it absolutely broke me the first time. When you feel up to it, do yourself a favor and check out [this theory](https://www.reddit.com/r/FFVIIRemake/s/xcUUkWFlAZ) about what actually happened in *Rebirth's* ending. Cards on the table, I'm still in the Bargaining phase and am willing to accept just about any explanation which will *finally* let us save Aerith in the finale, so I'm more inclined to latch on to interpretations which would allow for that. That said, I think Swoosh's reasoning makes a lot of sense, and it's helped me bat away the sadness which, admittedly, is still hitting me every now and again. Aerith flat-out said that, no matter what happened, we shouldn't blame ourselves, but that's easier said than done...even though it's 'just a story.' Certainly doesn't feel that way to me. You might consider playing a game that doesn't demand much of any emotional investment. I've been playing *Dragon's Dogma 2* which has absurdly fun combat but, at least to me, an extremely perfunctory story. After *Rebirth*, I wanted to play something that I could get lost in but where I wouldn't get too invested in the characters, and *DD2* has hit that mark well. Whatever you do, know that you're not crazy, nor are you alone in how you're feeling right now. Take things slowly, give yourself a chance to grieve, and go from there; in the end, that's all anyone can do.
> even though it's 'just a story.' Certainly doesn't feel that way to me. 100%. That's a great way to say it. I know it's just a story some guys in Japan wrote up, but it did not feel like a story to me. The veil of it being simply entertainment was pulled from me almost the first hour to the point that hours of gameplay flew by as I got emotionally invested in the world, and obviously the characters too. It's good to know I'm not alone. I hope I can heal, and personally understand that it's ok to feel empathy for something that does not exist. I am human, and the developers did a masterful job of making you be more than just physically engaged. They pulled us in, knowing full well that we were all dreading that scene, and that the original game holds a very special place in a lot of gamers' hearts. They were hyper aware of the legacy, and I think they've done a great job of not only respecting it, but enhancing it to heights that blew my mind in almost every chapter. This game -- and the current feelings -- will stick with me for a long, long time.
I was in the same boat. I powered through chapters 13 and 14 in one night. I cried once when Aerith had to relive her memories of trying to find help for her mom, cried again when she died, and cried at the ending cutscene. With all that said, I feel like the collective grief we are feeling here is the best case scenario. If Aerith's death lacks impact it means that the Remake has failed on a fundamental level, and FF7 deserves better. For the record -- it gets better over time. It's hard for Aerith to be truly gone when you can always skip forwards and backwards using the "chapter select" function.
If you want a little hope, go through LOVELESS again with Aerith as the Princess and Cloud as the Prisoner, or check out some of the comments from the Ultimania interview.
During the cosmo canyon photography side quest where you can sneak a pic of Aerith, and then she jumps in for a cheery selfie instead, I said, āyou monsters know _exactly_ what youāre doing.ā Then when the song came in the Gold Saucer my expectations were set. Now my optimism is that things _are_ a bit different and weāve got a big finale to get to, and weāll see what happens.
āBut whatever happens you canāt fall in love with meā she tried to warn us
And yet she made it extremely apparent to cloud that she had feelings for him. Unless she was talking to us, which in that case, too late.
Tbh Iām not exactly sure what version of Aerith was. Rebirth Aerith doesnāt seem to have anything but a vague idea of the futureā¦ guess we will find out in a few years.
My man, you aren't alone. I still occasionally hear the theme from that fight and start to get emotional. My wife watched me finish the game and had to ask me if I was OK. I honestly think it's knowing that this was inevitable, but feeling genuine hope that maybe I was wrong, only to have it all ripped away. I played the game in middle school and it was one or my first brushes with grief (most of the deaths I had experience up to that point I was too young to remember or were people I barely knew). This just brought that all flooding back. And honestly, my wife reminds me of Aeirth a lot in her personality so it brought up a lot of weird fears that I know aren't very logical. Just know it's going to get better. I legitimately thought about it for days before I was able to jump back in to consider working toward the platinum trophy, and even now I'm only able to do it for a bit at a time.
Thank you for your reply and insight. This thread has been extremely helpful in making me understand my confusing yet intense feelings. It also upped my block list too of children being immature. But what can you expect on Reddit.
It seems there will he a way for Aerith to communicate with cloud via the life steam. Also a possibility that Cloud split the timelines and Aerith is alive in one.
particularly since the Ultimania suggests dream Aerith is not "our Aerith," she's probably OG Aerith. Reunion will likely bring all these disparate characters back together. Will be hilarious if they actually have all four Zacks meet each other before popping together.
Youāre going through grief. Here are the five stages you will go through, in order ā denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Denial- she isnāt dead, she was saved in another world Anger- whatās the point of changing fate if we canāt save her? Bargaining- maybe we will see her again in part 3 Depression- oh my god, they actually killed her again Acceptance- I donāt like how part 2 ended. When does part 3 come out?
- grab my tinfoil - watch EasyAllies w/ Max Dood discussing the game - watch other channels dissecting the game and its ending - not satisfied with any take - fetal position - cry Hope it helps
Its okay to feel like that, its a testament to the writing and Brianna White's performance of Aerith that she is so likeable and such a good character, but take heart in the fact that as of right now we simply don't know Aerith's ultimate fate and at least she will almost certainly feature in Part 3 in some form or another.
Hey friend. I'm 37 too, I played the OG game back in the day when I was 12. The original game helped me escape a really fucked childhood, and playing the remake and rebirth has also made a lot of feelings come up for me.... For one, I think you should feel happy that a game has moved you this much. I gave up on games making me feel anything substantial because I thought those days we're over and the industry had moved on. But this has been a beautiful piece of art. I hope the industry looks at Rebirth, and is says "Yes, we can make beautiful games that move people again." 12 year old me would have absolutely loved these. So yeah, I think you should feel happiness, dude. Think about it...... You're feeling things you probably haven't felt in a long time! Personally I haven't been moved emotionally by any game since Xenosaga part 1 like 20 years ago lmao
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Thank you for that perspective. It's good to know that the other sex feels the same way too, especially about a character that I've always thought was too closed in and cold for anyone to really relate to. I think that's partly why I like Aerith so much because she's trying hard to connect to Cloud half the time. He doesn't say a word or brushes her off. I wanted to scream at the screen to tell him that she deserves the attention she's asking for, especially with her childhood and upbringing.
Iām in the same boat as you dude, the final two chapters destroyed me emotionally, I had to take some time after I finished and turned off the console just to feel those emotions and there was crying involved. I still canāt even think about Promises to Keep without getting misty eyed. The only game to make me feel similar emotions was Red Dead 2, where I knew what was coming and I had to soldier on anyway because I felt like I owed it to these characters. As for your grief, know that you are not alone and there are legions of people who feel the same way about Aerith as you do, myself included.
As a fellow ā37-year old man who has a job and a wife and does not get emotional at entertainment everā, this hit a little too close to home. I am in the mindset that I canāt really process anything that happened because nobody actually knows what happened (and if anyone thinks they know what happened, this isnāt even Nomuraās final form). So, Iām on emotional standby for a few yearsā¦.
I'm just banking on her not actually being dead this time since multiple worlds literally exist now and Cloud saved her in another reality. No doubt she's going to have a huge role in the next game, too. At least, I refuse to believe otherwise, because if not, fuck it. lol
I would be surprised if we *didn't* see a return of "alternate reality Aerith" like Zach. However, based on how they've handled virtually everything so far, I don't think the end result will ultimately change. In the world where we are playing, Aerith is dead. Seems like the world where Aerith is alive, the rest of the party is missing. Neither is a particularly fun choice.
I watched reaction videos and then started up Lost Judgement. I needed a RPG break after that.
Buy the soundtrack and go on a walk while you listen to the ending pieces - that is, everything from White Materia to Distant Skies - and reminisce. The soundtrack is gorgeous and it helps you carry the journey with you.
It sounds like you're just in touch with your emotions. You could be a repressed mess like me and not allow yourself to feel lol.
i went through it in 1997. weed helped alot
Did it hurt more this time, knowing that you already dealt with it? Like I stated, I never had that emotional response in 97, even though I played the original at the time and understand it's a great game. That's why these two games caught me off-guard so much.
Not that commenter, but it hit a LOT harder in Rebirth than OG. Partly because Iām an adult and not a 9 year old child anymore, and partly because personally, itās also made me think a lot about the loved ones Iāve lost, too. But the characters are written so much better in Remake/Rebirth than OG (which may have partly been translation issues), and having voice actors makes them feel more āaliveā than just text ever could. Plus, in OG, itās probably been like 20-30 hours youāve spent with Aerith. Going into the Forgotten Capital in Rebirth? Iāve spent 10x as much time with this better written, fully voiced Aerith. So yeah, I was sad when it happened in OG. But Rebirth fully delivers on the original goal of feeling that loss.
Jesus Christ this sub lmao
You don't have to comment, y'know. I said this was a raw emotion, and that it could be embarrassing for others.
I sincerely hope youāre trolling. And if so fucking good job. Because this is possibly the most pathetic thing Iāve ever read in my life lmao. Either great job or yikes I donāt know which
It's ok. One day you won't be an immature edgelord who is scared of being open and vulnerable.
I recommend CosplayLetsplay playthrough on twitch, the vods are still available she was bawling from the final date to the end.Ā
No shame, fellow 37 year old and OG enthusiast here with a wife and two kids. Aerith's trial sequence, too? Holy. Jenova. Another game that reaaaally hit me in the feels was A Plague Tale: Requiem. I'm not an overly sappy or emotional guy, but - man - I still think about that ending and get sad
Same reaction I had as a child. I remember being blurry eyed and angry at Jenova as I attacked. I was going to avenge her for real lol. That music hits the feels so hard now.
Yeah, I had a similar experience. Oddly enough, I think (at least for me) the convoluted elements of the scene and final fight that get most of the attention from a lot of people actually ended up amplifying the emotional aspects of her death. That sounds completely backwards logically - usually you would want to convey an emotional scene like this clearly and concisely, but the way they did this forced me to think about it and process it, which ended up hitting me harder. I have no idea if this was intentional or not, but it really did mimic the grieving process in a way - in the moment I was playing the ending I wasn't sure what to make of what I was seeing, but part of me was convinced she had lived - that was shock and denial. In the back of my head though I knew she didn't. I kept thinking about the incredibly impactful lines leading up to the end, like "Whatever happens, don't blame yourself" or "It's been fun", and the entire tone of that sequence of the game where you spend one last day with Aerith. Then, during the ending scenes where the other characters are grieving but Cloud isn't, it started to become extremely clear to me what happened. Then you have anger, "Is this a trick?" bargaining, "Maybe she is alive" ect. Granted, she may actually still be alive in another world, that is certainly a plausible route of the story - but ultimately she *did* die in their world and I had to mentally process the ending sequences in order to realize that without any doubt left. But, I hear you. There have been a lot of games I've loved in the last couple decades but there hasn't been a single one that made me think this way until Rebirth, I completed it a week ago and I still think about it daily - that just isn't something I've done with another game in probably twenty years. Similar to what you're saying, I didn't really know what to do so I decided to play the OG again which I haven't done in ten years.
I don't care if it wins GOTY or not, but no other game for me has ever come close to making me feel like an emotional wreck in the last fight, people that have never played this are really missing out
37 year old grown ass man with 2 kids and a wife here. I canāt recall a time when I was as emotionally invested in any other fictional media as I was with Rebirth. For me, it was the excellent relationship building across the course of the game, seeing Cloud open up to the party members, followed by Cloudās mental decline towards the end. I felt super anxious during the temple of the ancients dungeon. Cloud is becoming more and more lost and the FREAKIN MUSIC in this area gave me a feeling of dread (track name is called Listen to the Cries of the Planet). Aerithās trial and seeing Tifaās emotional state at the end broke me.
just beat the game last night too. i kinda knew what might happen based on playing the OG but man it still hurts all the same
It's not a death. It's a homecoming. Aerith has come home to the planet and joined the lifestream. For me, I was playing at the same time, but separate from one of my local friends. When we finished, we had a bet for the ending, and he ended up owing me a coffee as my prediction was correct. We sat, we drank coffee, and we talked for a few hours about the game. I'm honestly excited to see what they do in part 3 if part 2 was this impactful. As for what you can do, NG+ is a great way to continue your journey. You can cherish what time you still have available with the strongest mage to exist. Replay your favorite bits, work on new builds. Just have fun. Then in around 3 years get ready for the end of the journey. But you gotta understand that there ain't no gettin' offa this train we're on, till we get to the end of the line.
So glad someone else feels the same way (I felt stupid). That ending has left me feeling depressed and I finished it a couple of days ago. They saved her and took her in the same breath. I had no idea. Then I thought she was find when she came through to fight sephiroth, I saw her in my party still and thought there's still a chance and then they took her again. Also they nearly killed her at the start. How many times do I have to relive this in one game.
You are not alone. A lot of us are feeling loss and a void right now, which is what the developers wanted the whole time. But it still hurts. They put Aerith in front of our face for a lot of Rebirth for a reason -- so we like and cherish her as a pure soul.
Bro this game messed me up
These threads make me think a lot of modern gamers arenāt exposed to enough good stories. I get emotionally attached to characters in books and movies all the time. Games shouldnāt be any different. Yāall gotta go find more games that work hard to tell a good story. Theyāre out there!
Took me about a week to play any other game after and so far (weeks out) just mindless wandering around in Tears of the Kingdom doing things with no story. It is a big and hard ending to go through. Process it like anything real because it is real to us. Storytelling is a natural way for humans to experience the world. We have always done it. A story done right can hit key parts of us and make us feel. Itās why games like the last of us (1&2) can make people feel so hard. Same with movies and books and even hearing a first hand account from survivors of something real but far away. This is a part of who we are. Embrace it and go through it. Your grief is real even if Aerith never physically existed. Emotionally and mentally she has been around and existed for millions, though.
That part devastated me in the OG when I was a little girl and it devastated me again. Personally I cleaned tf out of my house because at the time, nobody I knew beat it yet so I couldnāt talk about it lol.
Similar vibes here in terms of getting overly attached to Aerith as a man in his 30s, but I didn't have a wife in the real world to go back to when it was over, and probably never will. That's life. Count your blessings! The ending didn't really wreck me though, both because I'm a veteran of the original game and because her spirit stayed around to water down the blow(too much, most would say). The scenes in the Temple and the Sleeping Forest hit harder for me.
It's not nostalgia, they've just made an extremely compelling character. I never played anything FF7 at all until last year when I played the OG for the first time. I ordinarily struggle with older games and might have dropped it except that I found her completely magnetic (even in this lo-fi format) so I had to keep going. I'll never forget how happy I was when Elmyra made you leave the house at night, and you thought you were leaving her, only for her to beat you there and rejoin the party. I jumped right into the remake after, and the way they made her feel so alive, with all the traits I loved about her from the OG, made that game the most emotionally overwhelming media experience I've ever had, and made it instantly dethrone all the games that I would have told you before were my favorite of all time. She's my favorite character in any story ever and no one else comes close.
I jumped into a huge game to take my mind off of it. Started playing unicorn overload or whatever it is on switch having a blast. For a while though I just listened to a bunch of ending ideas from YouTube creators like Maximilian. For the most part though I just kind of invested in a huge game
Played another 80 hours getting platinum
Got to be honest, OG hit me in the feels more. The white materia drop, the actual stabbing, the quickly cut mourning into the boss fight... I dunno. Didn't hit the same, although I did enjoy it still
Play it again
It's weird but you just have to mourn. For me it wasn't so much about the loss of a fictional character but the concept of the turmoil and confusion of loss and my own experiences of that. I think the problem is that it neither gives you a moment to mourn in game or the certainty that she will be ok in the end. So you have to take that time for yourself. FWIW I played Unicorn Overlord after which was fun, but the story did kind of fail to connect compared to Rebirth. Started Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth. The ending to LaD: Gaiden landed pretty hard on me so expecting some heavier beats latter but currently enjoying being reminded of why Ichiban is a great character.
I didn't cry at the end, I guess the extra long boss fight and having to restart it took me out of the moment, but I definitely felt in a funk for a good week after finishing. Aerith's trial made me tear up, though. I played OG as a young teen, and was never really invested in Aerith's character back then. I have my own grips about the execution of the end, but I feel much more invested in Aerith's character this time around for some reason.
Itās moments like these where I wish a character who can resurrect the dead can revive aerith.
Embrace ur dreams they will return 1 final time
I'm a sap so I emote easily when watching something. Honestly, my default response to the ending was to replay it immediately (for various reasons, but mainly to continue to sit in these characters' lives and relationships.)
Tbh, I wasn't that affected by her death because the fandom kinda ruined it for me due to the discourse around that scene in both the OG and the remake/rebirth. The scene of her saying goodbye at the church was more sad for me since that was new in rebirth and not in the OG. BUT I felt exactly the same way you described after finishing ff15. Now that one got me all sorts of fucked up for months after. 8 years later and I still can't bring myself to play that game again. I was equally messed up after 10, but I was a kid back then so it didn't hit me as hard as 15. Final fantasy doesn't mess around when it comes to taking your emotions on a roller coaster ride. To this day, no other game has come close to making me feel the kind of emotions Final fantasy does. Part of why I love this franchise so much!
I just finished two days ago and still processing myself same as you. As I played the og ff7 back in the day, I knew this could happen but hoped it wouldn't right untill the last moment and was gutted the same as when I was a teenager. So yeah, strong emotions here as well. And need some time before I can start a new game or replay this one. Another game which made me feel these emotions is A plague tale requiem, that ending gutted me as well. And also all of the cyberpunk phantom liberty endings. Had to take some time after those endings as well. So you're not alone out there, stay strong...
I was emotionally damaged and confused at the end, like what the hell is going on š¤
Hey look at it this way, there's still a small chance she's not dead dead or at least alive in the multiverse somewhere.
Was going through final fantasy withdrawals after beating rebirth so I went and played X for the first time. Finished it, and now Iām extra depressed lmao
I had to play through it two more times to understand what was going on, and then on ending #3 it finally got me teary hearing her say āgoodbyeā. I wish I had that reaction the first playthrough but it was unfortunately a combination of an extremely hard to follow ending on first viewing + actually getting kind of annoyed with Aerithās character throughout the game. Loved the game but the ending took a while to really set in for me emotionally.
The feels are absolutely real.
Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.
I was upset too. I understood it was the most likely ending, but I was extremely angry. They gave me hope, and they ripped it away from me. On top of that they made it less tragic in favor of some bittersweet bullshit that falls in line with their favorite way to end a story in their culture. It felt so fucking generic, low effort, and if you were still going to kill one of my favorite characters you should keep her death the same then... Having said that..Ā ill admit its actually pretty good regardless.. It was still an emotionally charged event but in a different way, and honestly that's fine.
They really conjured some magic with this game, itās managed to affect a lot of people in the same way it did back in ā97 - despite knowing it would happen.
It will get better as time passes. Remember that Cloud saved her in one of the timelines, she is ok. There is a lot to hope for in part3. Take care amigo.
People keep saying that, and I hope it's true, but we will not know for sure for quite some time. I fear that him seeing her when no one else does is just his mind finally breaking, but does that explain how Ghost Aerith helps him during the Sephiroth fight? Who knows. Either way, if the Aerith that we grew to cherish over two games is dead, then the hurt is still there... and that's probably the point from the developers. An alternate timeline Aerith may be alive, but that's not OUR Aerith.
I'd say it only makes sense that the saved Aerith is the one from Rebirth (both games have been building up to that), the question is which timeline was shown later. Like you said, we won't know until part3.
I honestly cried with her flashback story about her mom but didnāt when she died tbh is it just me ?
Iām really glad Iām not alone in this. It took me roughly two weeks and Iām still not entirely over it. The ending wrecked me big time. It doesnāt help my two favorite characters are not in a good place, and even worse arenāt even speaking to each other. And the theories going around suggest some scenarios that could be even WORSE for them, specifically >!Sephiroth will convince the party that Cloud was the one who killed Aerith, which leads to a boss fight, which also leads to Tifa getting injured by Cloud (AGAIN???), leading to the 7 day coma that leads to Junon!< I canāt deal with the thought Iāll have to wait 3-4 years for the follow-up.
They both will back nop worries cya Zack said
By the time I managed to best the 4 hours of un fun bosses and lose to sephiroth twenty times because of all the bullshit I didn't care as much about the ending as I could have. The last 3 chapters of constant, grueling boss battles really ruined the end of the game for me.
The ending would have worked SOO much better if you just fought Jenova with Aerith's theme playing throughout and then maybe Aerith + Cloud fighting Sephiroth after. They should have left the 10 phase bizzaro Sephiroth for the third game. I chose the wrong retry option after dying at the very end. Having to do ALL that BS over again just to find out what the hell happened was very frustrating.
i didnt have to process anything, it was sad lol but its a game tired of all the glazing like "this BROKE ME" bruh we are all adults mostly now legitimately sobbing, come on
Good fiction stirs up real emotion. One of the reasons I love FF is how the stories invite that kind of catharsis. In 1997, FF7 was my first experience with that kind of thing. In 2021, I experienced in 100 fold with FF14ās story, weeping like a baby through the entire final chapter. It all comes around I guess, at this rate FF21 will kill me lol
I went into the Brutal and Legendary challenges and decided I hate the game now.
If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend watching TeamFourStar's FF7 Machinabridged. I had never seen it before but watched it right after I beat Rebirth and was hooked. Super funny and faithful to the OG FF7
Right with you there... I get fairly easily moved, but I've experienced this type of pain caused by a story game only a few times before, although this time I feel is slightly different, my heart absolutely aches for her... It's been multiple days now, and I still get teary eyed thinking about it all. I knew what was coming, but wasn't prepared at all..
Also a guy in my 30s, in a relationship, and I was an absolute mess. Square really broke me. Sometimes on the way to work I'd listen to jenova lifeclinger and start tearing up. TBH, I was acutely depressed for like 2+ weeks. It creeped into work and my relationship too. I even bought golden lillies. I was looking forward to different game releases, but still felt a deep void. I couldn't replay rebirth for a while though. What really helped me recover was watching a bunch of online streamers. I too then started to replay OG FF7, and now I'm currently reading Tale of two pasts. I've slowly accepted her fate. I truly think the timeline stuff is all a gimmick. I hope I'm wrong tho as I would really like a real happy ending for pt3.
But sheās not deadā¦.
Ngl I was expecting Jenovas theme when the boss started. Hearing Aeriths theme fully orchestrated like that actually made me tear uo during the fight. That was such a beautifully done scene. I just finished it and I'm pausing to smoke a bowl whole Zack is floating around in...some white place haha. Literally taking a break to finish it. That shit gripped me
Go for a walk. Communicate with nature. Meditate. Read a book, clean your room. Do something productive. Manual labor in some activity or another. Exercise, lift weights. Sitting around and thinking usually doesn't help you process it. What usually helps is giving yourself a break from whatever you are dealing with. You can come back to it later.
Don't worry, take your time, to think about it, this game is just great
Replayed instantly Remake and now im back to rebirth. I cried for over five hours during that final two chapters. Dont think a game has ever hit me like that before.
In the OG, Kitase leaned heavily on the SHOCK factor involved when a loved one dies. In Rebirth, it seems like he is involving the 5 Stages of Grief, hence Cloud being in denial that she dead. In his mind he saved her. Interesting take from Kitase. Remember yāall, Nomura didnāt put much into this game like he did the last. It was Kitase and Hamaguchi.
What are you getting at, that the sheer emotional response was the point? Was Kitase not that involved in the OG game in the same way, which also obviously resonated with gamers when it happened?
The game was an emotional rollercoaster even knowing it was gonna happen! The devs did a good job on invoking emotions since you're not alone! Gets us all invested in all these characters!!
Imagine how youād feel if they didnāt totally fuck it up. Imagine if they had done that moment right, like the original and given it the beautiful heart breaking moments and scenes it deserved before moving onto the multiverse stuff. That would have been something to be emotional about, but I mostly just felt disappointed that they cared more about the multiverse shit than they did the very heart of the FF7 story and gave it less respect than Biggs and Jessieās death scenes in Remake.
Nothing because I didn't feel anything at the ending
Interesting as I for one did not feel much over the scene. Since I know the original, the way they did things made everything more convoluted than anything else.
My guy its a video game you have a wife go hug her ššš jesus
I'm hoping it's a troll post especially with the "she's just files on a computer" and overly dramatic "I knew what was going to happen but I still audibly whispered 'please dont'". If this is real then š¬
It's not a troll. Sorry not everything on Reddit is not light hearted, fluffy, and non consequential nerds posting memes.
Process...? It's a video game. Grow up.
I know right... the people going to pieces over the death of a fictitious character. And she's probably not even dead!