I love FF7, but I honestly barely knew WTF the story was at the time

[Karamaru]

Thats true enough. I replayed FF9 a while back and they outright tell you at some point late in the story its set in the real world. You think you are in an ancient cathedral and its really a crashed spaceship prototype from terra/earth so far in the future humans died out and tasked artificial humans called homunculi with restoring them and the plan they settled on was using the lifa tree to collect all of a planet called gaias souls to store -somehow its FF i guess- and use human souls to replace them with.


They already started the process by keeping the world in a state of medieval warfare for centuries which is why some humans exist like steiner but if you look at the world itself theres burmecians, Qu's, lots of animal people and the horned human like summoner species native to gaia but normal humans are a relative minority/newcomer on gaia that just rose to noteworthy positions because of a talent for magic and warefare others lacked which was desired in a world now engineered for war 24/7 to feed souls to the lifa tree.

The entire fame is far future sci-fi on an alien planet where humanities left over slave creations are trying to bioform it into a new earth but unless you pay attention it looks like another cutesy fantasy rpg, and i love it for doing such a great bait and switch.

FF9 really had a good story except for the whole switcheroo at the end of the game Garland was a great character in that game also now that I think about it FF9's story is really similar to the plot of Megaman Legends except without the planet hopping.

[Selastan]

I haven't played it in over 15 years (Jesus Christ!....) But one thing I remember being confused about was the identity of Cloud. Was he meant to be a clone of Sephiroth? Or just a regular dude who assumed Zack's identity after he was killed? Because I'm pretty sure at different parts of the game he's described as both. Though in hind sight I just assumed the "clone" part was a mistranslation/simplification.

The clone part confused me as well, but it makes sense if you don't think of it as a literal clone. Its more of an attempt to recreate Sephiroth's power as opposed to an attempt to recreate Sephiroth. Basically, Sephiroth was the prototype, Cloud and all the numbered guys in black cloaks are the mass produced numbers. The "Reunion" so frequently mentioned was the convergence of all the clones, recreating Genova when all the cells fused with the clones reunited.

(Speculation time) I think its also how Sephiroth appeared in Advent Children. The Jenova cells merged with Khadaj's body, allowing Sephiroth to morph and control him from the Lifestream, like he did with Genova's full body in the games. It's also why Sephiroth doesn't take his more powerful Bizzaro and Safer forms, because it isn't the real Sephiroth fighting Cloud, just Khadaj made into another Sephiroth puppet. Notice how Sephiroth doesn't die in the end, he vanishes when Khadaj suffers a fatal wound, ditching the body as it was no use to him.

Or more likely he already accomplished something we don't know yet. The cool thing about Sephiroth is that he doesn't really let us know his plans. We don't know why he does what he does, but we know it isn't random. Great writing on Square's part, its really hard to do that with a character. Why does he want to become a god in FFVII? Why did he join SOLDIER? Why did he want to become like JENOVA in Advent Children? Why does he shampoo his hair 9 times a day when he is asexual? IS he asexual? Did he have a girlfriend? What kind of car did he drive? What's the story behind Masamune? What was his life like? WE DON'T KNOW! And he still doesn't come across as a 2 dimensional character!

[Zyster]

The biggest thing that amuses me is how many people, to this day, think Sephiroth is some amazing badass when he's not in the majority of the game. Many don't realize that most of the game "Sephiroth" is actually JENOVA and even when you face him in the crater, it's arguably still not the same Sephiroth that entered Nibelheim years ago.

I think most of us were a bit confused at parts due to the not-great English translation. I've heard there are fan translated versions of the game that are much better. Hopefully they tie up loose ends and better clarify things with the remake in a single, cohesive storyline.

He isn't a badass because of his appearance in the game. He is a badass because of his story. Because of this when he becomes evil he becomes an evil badass, and one of the most evil characters to ever exist in any game because of this. We can like or hate him, but doesn't change his story.

- - - Updated - - -

Cloud was originally just a kid from Nibelheim who wanted to be a SOLDIER (e.g. Mako-infused kill-machine working for the Shinra Power Company) but failed out and just became a grunt. He accompanied Zack and Sephiroth to Nibelheim as part of a security squad to support their mission, but in the ensuring wacky hijinks was imprisoned and experimented on by Professor Hojo in the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim. Infusions of Mako and Jenova cells caused him to lose most of his memory, and the mimetic power of Jenova cells caused him to absorb a dying Zack's memories and personality (in part) - although he remained a separate person, his memories became Zack's as though they'd happened to him instead.

In the events of FF7 he discovers he didn't actually do most of the things he remembered, but he still retains Zack's knowledge in the way of fighting skills and many of his emotions (e.g. his feelings toward Aerith, who was actually Zack's love-interest), as well as the strength of a SOLDIER due to his Mako and Jenova alterations.

I'm still somewhat confused by this, but isn't one reason he was experimented on was his capability to actually damage Sephrioth? So Hojo saw interest in him. Is there some back story on him of some hidden powers? Seems odd to be a failure that randomly had the capabilities to take on Sephiroth before being experimented on.

[Doomchicken]

The main thing I remembered from FF7 first time around when it first came out Is that Sephiroth had the coolest fucking sword ever. I replayed it a couple of years ago for funsies and came to the realization that while it would be impossible to use considering the size of it, Sephroth still had the coolest fucking sword ever. Just imo anyway

[Aucald]

I'm still somewhat confused by this, but isn't one reason he was experimented on was his capability to actually damage Sephrioth? So Hojo saw interest in him. Is there some back story on him of some hidden powers? Seems odd to be a failure that randomly had the capabilities to take on Sephiroth before being experimented on.

Cloud had the tenacity and force of will to stop Sephiroth from killing Tifa, yes - qualities Hojo was looking for his Jenova Reunion hypothesis. But then Hojo would probably experiment on anything that was still alive in Nibelheim, he does the same to Zack when he finds him (and Zack was already a SOLDIER first class at the time).

[Selastan]

Cloud had the tenacity and force of will to stop Sephiroth from killing Tifa, yes - qualities Hojo was looking for his Jenova Reunion hypothesis. But then Hojo would probably experiment on anything that was still alive in Nibelheim, he does the same to Zack when he finds him (and Zack was already a SOLDIER first class at the time).

Don't forge it was a sneak attack on a very exhausted Sephiroth.

[Aucald]

Don't forge it was a sneak attack on a very exhausted Sephiroth.

I still think it was exceedingly brave of him to even try, especially given that he had already been impaled with the Masamune at that point. Using his own body as a lever to throw Sephiroth off the reactor platform and down into the depths - that takes serious strength and tenacity regardless of Sephiroth's state at the time.

[Selastan]

I still think it was exceedingly brave of him to even try, especially given that he had already been impaled with the Masamune at that point. Using his own body as a lever to throw Sephiroth off the reactor platform and down into the depths - that takes serious strength and tenacity regardless of Sephiroth's state at the time.

Very true. One of the few moments we get to see what makes Cloud special, since through 70% of the game he isn't really himself, and he is in the middle of a bad depression in Advent Children.

[Selastan]

I always loved that - for the most part - the characters in FF7 "fell into" each other mostly by chance, but we still got to experience stories unique to each of them.

Other games seemed to get lazy about that point sometimes.

Heroes brought together by fate is the laziest cliché there is. (Especially when 'reincarnations' are involved, LOOKING AT YOU, NARUTO)

FFVII does great in that regard. No one is destined to save the world, they all have their own reasons for doing what they do and grow to be a team over time rather than being forced into it by plot.

[Netherspark]

Playing the prequels, spinoff, reading the guide and watching the movie help to explain the overall story, though it does get a little weird (Omega Weapon, Genesis, Jenova etc)

I haven't played it in over 15 years (Jesus Christ!....) But one thing I remember being confused about was the identity of Cloud. Was he meant to be a clone of Sephiroth? Or just a regular dude who assumed Zack's identity after he was killed? Because I'm pretty sure at different parts of the game he's described as both. Though in hind sight I just assumed the "clone" part was a mistranslation/simplification.

Yeah, if you did follow the story it became clear that Cloud was not an actual "clone". That was just a poor translation - basically it's just copying someone's traits and abilities into another person. Crisis Core used the word copy, but that is also midly confusing. I don't think there's an exact english translation.

The biggest thing that amuses me is how many people, to this day, think Sephiroth is some amazing badass when he's not in the majority of the game. Many don't realize that most of the game "Sephiroth" is actually JENOVA and even when you face him in the crater, it's arguably still not the same Sephiroth that entered Nibelheim years ago.

Despite playing many times and follwing the story closely, I didn't even find that out until I read that official story guide that came out a few years ago. I always assumed that Septhiroth was travelling with Jenova.

[RampageBW1]

Despite playing many times and follwing the story closely, I didn't even find that out until I read that official story guide that came out a few years ago. I always assumed that Septhiroth was travelling with Jenova.

It should have been obvious, but some reason it wasn't. Jenova, that whacky shapeshifter! I wouldn't be surprised if Jenova does something like this whenever it reaches a planet with intelligent life; take the form of someone with notoriety and use that form to kill the inhabitants while draining the lifestream. Sephiroth being born with Jenova Cells was a big bonus.

Even in Advent Children, Cloud isn't fighting Sephiroth, just Jenova overwriting Kodaj's physical form with Sephiroth's.

[TheMediator]

Heroes brought together by fate is the laziest cliché there is. (Especially when 'reincarnations' are involved, LOOKING AT YOU, NARUTO)

FFVII does great in that regard. No one is destined to save the world, they all have their own reasons for doing what they do and grow to be a team over time rather than being forced into it by plot.

Cloud falling from his apparent death directly into a church where his dead friend-whose-identity-he-stole-sorta's girl friend was hanging out isn't fate? Like, out of all the possibilities, that happened? Also, his girlfriend is an alien or something who has Deus Ex Machina in her hair and she's genetically related to the main baddie who is also the same alien species, or something, who ultimately kills her to motivate the hero to action.

Nope, no fate going on. Yes, some of the other characters were a bit better, Red XIII and Cid are only tangentially related to all this Sephiroth business at best, but otherwise it's the fated hero and his gang of friendly eco-terrorists fulfilling their destiny to save the battle from the evil corporation and then Demon Jesus.

[RampageBW1]

Cloud falling from his apparent death directly into a church where his dead friend-whose-identity-he-stole-sorta's girl friend was hanging out isn't fate? Like, out of all the possibilities, that happened? Also, his girlfriend is an alien or something who has Deus Ex Machina in her hair and she's genetically related to the main baddie who is also the same alien species, or something, who ultimately kills her to motivate the hero to action.

Nope, no fate going on. Yes, some of the other characters were a bit better, Red XIII and Cid are only tangentially related to all this Sephiroth business at best, but otherwise it's the fated hero and his gang of friendly eco-terrorists fulfilling their destiny to save the battle from the evil corporation and then Demon Jesus.

Wasn't it revealed later that the "ancients" and Jenova weren't actually related? I don't have a TV that I connect my PS2 (for PSX backwards compatibility) to, but I clearly remember that it was only one of the Shinra scientists that made the assumption that Ancients and Jenova were related, and his name was Hojo, someone Sephiroth (I think in that Nibelheim flashback) referred to as a moron IIRC.

But yes, I agree that is was fate that Cloud met Aeris.

[Selastan]

Cloud falling from his apparent death directly into a church where his dead friend-whose-identity-he-stole-sorta's girl friend was hanging out isn't fate? Like, out of all the possibilities, that happened? Also, his girlfriend is an alien or something who has Deus Ex Machina in her hair and she's genetically related to the main baddie who is also the same alien species, or something, who ultimately kills her to motivate the hero to action.

Nope, no fate going on. Yes, some of the other characters were a bit better, Red XIII and Cid are only tangentially related to all this Sephiroth business at best, but otherwise it's the fated hero and his gang of friendly eco-terrorists fulfilling their destiny to save the battle from the evil corporation and then Demon Jesus.

Even without Aerith, the story would continue to the point of the Attack on Shinra HQ, although for different reasons. Revenge for collapsing the Plate, perhaps? Everything after that is normal, Cloud and co. still chase Sephiroth to the Temple of the Ancients, learn about the Black and White Materia, and still meet Aerith when they try to track it down. Then the game gets back on track.

[TheMediator]

Wasn't it revealed later that the "ancients" and Jenova weren't actually related? I don't have a TV that I connect my PS2 (for PSX backwards compatibility) to, but I clearly remember that it was only one of the Shinra scientists that made the assumption that Ancients and Jenova were related, and his name was Hojo, someone Sephiroth (I think in that Nibelheim flashback) referred to as a moron IIRC.

But yes, I agree that is was fate that Cloud met Aeris.

The "original" Sephiroth is an ancient IIRC. That's simply what I meant.

[Treno]

The biggest thing that amuses me is how many people, to this day, think Sephiroth is some amazing badass when he's not in the majority of the game. Many don't realize that most of the game "Sephiroth" is actually JENOVA and even when you face him in the crater, it's arguably still not the same Sephiroth that entered Nibelheim years ago.

I think most of us were a bit confused at parts due to the not-great English translation. I've heard there are fan translated versions of the game that are much better. Hopefully they tie up loose ends and better clarify things with the remake in a single, cohesive storyline.

Indeed. I played the game for the first time in ~1998-1999 (about 12-13 years old) and completely missed that it wasn't Sephiroth the whole time. Granted I wasn't really a big fan of his anyway. To each their own but I prefer Kefka.

[Selastan]

The "original" Sephiroth is an ancient IIRC. That's simply what I meant.

Nope. He thought he was, because Hojo originally believed Jenova to be an ancient, and Sephiroth was told that she was his mother. So when he read journals about Jenova (still believed to be an ancient when written), he thought he was an ancient as well. He learned the truth after Nibelhiem, Jenova wasn't an Ancient, it was a terrible alien monstrosity that POSED as an ancient to kill them. She wasn't his mother, Lucrezia was, and she was injected with Jenova cells during her pregnancy. Hojo lied, because he was a pretty terrible father.

[Treno]

I wouldn't be surprised if Jenova does something like this whenever it reaches a planet with intelligent life; take the form of someone with notoriety and use that form to kill the inhabitants while draining the lifestream.

Actually, I think there was a reference to Jenova shapeshifting into other beings' forms and it's part of how she nearly destroyed the Cetra.

[Zafire]

I beat the game for the first time when I was 12. I even remember everything I did the day I beat it, too.

I didn't understand the story completely, but I grasped about 80% of it my first playthrough. When I played it through a few years later I understood it perfectly.

Some parts of the story are still somewhat bland to me though, like all the various Sephiroths.

[Al Gorefiend]

Emo dude butthurt he was experimented on.
god complex get!
wimpy shit gets tricked into thinkin he da best there ever was, literally steals another person's life
girl stab.
amnesia because what a unique plot point
monster spawn
evil corporation is evil and loses
turns out bad guy was just alien monster in disguise most of game
bad guy hide in mountain
team go get him, much hero
bad guy dead.

best game ever 11/10. surely deserving thousand game of the years and best games sever made. definitely not the most overrated game ever made.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Real talk though: The story was absolutely fucking terrible. Even 8 had a better story and it had asinine time travel. Sephiroth might be the most overrated character that has ever been created in the video game genre.

8 did not have asinine time travel? It had playable flashbacks, but uh drawing a blank on where there was time travel. Honesty haven't touched final fantasy anything since 2002ish with F10.

Also do these games tie into eachother at all in any way? I know location is different but is there anything that ties them all together? Is 8 connected to 10? (Only 2 I ever played and care to)