Why I Love the Train Graveyard : FINAL FANTASY VII LECTURE SERIES
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2024
- #finalfantasyviirebirth #ffviirebirth #playthrough
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In the second episode of the Final Fantasy VII Lecture Series, we tackle one of the most criticized parts of Final Fantasy VII Remake: the Train Graveyard! Using my research in religious theology and myth, I offer a lens to speculate how this chapter's inclusion is the biggest clue we have to Sephiroth's ultimate plan in FF7 Rebirth.
**Note: This is a SPOILER-FILLED video for Final Fantasy VII and FFVII Remake.**
0:00 -- Intro
1:35 -- Life and Death in FFVII
3:17 -- Bugenhagen
5:30 -- Thin Places
7:26 -- Aerith's Childhood
9:48 -- The Lesser Key of Solomon
10:56 -- Eligor
13:05 -- Sephiroth's Endgame
15:51 -- Speculations
17:42 -- Closing Remarks
CLASS MATERIALS:
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-Interview cited comes from the October 1997 issue of Computer and Video Games.
-L.W. de Laurence. The Lesser Key of Solomon amzn.to/3wKMWYr
-Koch, Kevin. _The Thin Places_. amzn.to/3wKjfXy
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Music ("Ghoulish Symphony,” “Promised Land - Cycle of Souls," "Train Graveyard," "Aerith's Theme - Memories," "Ghoul," and "Hollow Skies" from Final Fantasy VII Remake. Also featuring clips (Various scenes from Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII, and Crisis Core-Final Fantasy VII-Reunion, and Advent Children) taken in compliance with the Square Enix Materials Usage Policies. © Square Enix :
(www.square-enix-games.com/en_...) - Ігри
I thought I was the only person in the whole damn world who thought this chapter was more than padding. The black wind taking people away, tornadoes, a large entity formed by a collection of spirits. They all echo things seen in the final chapter!
Yeah!! *shakes hands*
It’s actually alot deeper then that. They’re the fractal images of the previous timelines. If you’ve reviewed the entire series thus far, you can fill in most of the first timeline’s events. (Although we haven’t seen it yet outside of context hints)
@@johnkyl123 I think of the planet’s will (and divine will) as almost a basketball tournament bracket of choices and potentialities. The lifestream contains memories of all of those. And while it has a preferred will, it isn’t necessarily the way things will happen, given free will. So, yes, in this respect, it’s the memories and fragmented pieces of these potential timelines.
@@profnoctis Well see, the truth is hidden between all the games. It’s sorta like that, but it’s more like the overall concept of the force in Star Wars. It is a living entity, but the earth is solely one planet in resonance with the universe. Essentially, every planet would be it’s own living entity. Every planet would have thus have it’s own lifestream, earth is our only concern however obviously lol.
The context is already fully established for the lifestream. Time however, is what more people haven’t looked at correctly.
The passage of time, exists as fate itself within ff7’s verse. Which in the remake (Which aren’t remakes, they’re continuations) We have direct confirmation that in this restart of the timeline; sephiroth aimed completely to destroy the wraith’s that control earth’s personal fate.
Thus setting him free to walk through time completely. As in, the events can now be changed to his liking. And Aerith cannot intervene as she does always to stop the next phase of his plan.
There was an original timeline. Supplement zack with cloud completely in ff7 original. *Remove all the context about Aerith having experienced the same events already.*
Which is the dead giveaway that Aerith the entire events of the “original ff7” knew the entire time, because she is an ancient. She is woven into the time stream let’s call it, where as sephiroth is too due to being fully ancient. She can recall the last timeline, the same as sephiroth.
She acts clueless the entire game.
Sephiroth also gives it away the entire game.
They both seemingly know exactly where to go, exactly when to show up, exactly what to say, exactly what to do.
But it’s far too coincidental in the way it’s performed.
And that is where looking back (as the player is meant to do) it comes full circle to establish that sephiroth has already time jumped three, now four times. Aerith cannot stop him without dying. Zack, also cannot survive. This is where cloud comes into play, because he’s the only able to destroy sephiroth.
*Advent children gives us confirmation that sephiroth can rebirth into anyone that possesses enough jenova cells and this is the real reason that sephiroth will not kill cloud/wants to keep cloud alive as a horcrux.*
Even from a simple explanation, you can see there is leagues and bounds that only 1% of the community has even bothered to put together lol.
@@johnkyl123kind of. I understand the point, and I might have initially thought it. As I explained in my first lecture about the Whispers, I think it’s more of a contained reimagining than a sequel/continuation with regard to the foreknowledge/predestination dynamic. I think some of this time-stuff is rooted in the game, but a lot of it is pulling from other similar media. It’s the simplest explanation, and does help satisfy the curiosities of the fan base. I just don’t think there’s enough in-Remake evidence for it just yet. Perhaps rebirth will clear it up!
i never looked at the train graveyard part in this way. in fact i never understood what they were trying to convey at all. this video was a bomb shell for me. thanks for making it.
Justin thank YOU for watching! You’re too kind
This was so good. That scene with young aerith with the ghosts always gets me. Didn't know that monster in the graveyard was actually based on a demon. I've been obsessed with the lesser key of Solomon for a while. It's just really interesting stuff
Thank you so so much for watching. This was a fun one to do
Man, this is some of the best FF content out there. I'm utterly speechless! I'm looking forward to so much more! I would love for you to cover some Shadowbringers and Endwalker themes in the future too. This is so good!
Oh man, I would LOVE to do some FF14 videos. That’s like a bucket list project lol
@@profnoctis You have no idea how happy hearing that made me! 😄
Great video. Remake definitely has quite a few examples of the Cycle of Souls being clogged or interrupted in some way - Jessie's father in a coma, Eligor and the ghosts of the train graveyard, even Nero pulling his victims into Darkness.
Definitely makes me wonder how Rebirth will continue with this theme. One question I have is - is Seto "dead"? Does being turned to stone mean your soul is trapped, unable to rejoin the Lifestream? And, of course, the big question on everyone's mind: is Zack stuck in some kind of Lifestream purgatory?
I'm sure Rebirth will leave us with more questions than answers.
Oh I didn’t even THINK about Seto! Holy crap
Wow. I can and will watch this another ten times - it brought tears to my eyes.
I am absolutely floored by this and the previous one about Providence/Governance. Educational and highly intriguing - I didn’t think it was possible for me to appreciate Remake even more but you’ve done it. What’s more surprising however, is that you’ve made me appreciate the vastness of theology and the concepts within it.
Excellent work honestly, please don’t stop making these. Subscribed.
I appreciate it. Look forward to sharing the final one with you
FINALLY… somebody talks about Chapter 11 without complaining that it’s ‘padding’. It’s THE character development chapter for Aerith in Remake.
So much good stuff here. Great job!
I thought you were doing 6 of these… did you cut down to 3?
HA! No the plan was 3, but then I do about 6 weeks of long form “lecture plays” every Tuesday and Thursday
I know that a ton of creators, and commenters, in various videos talked about Chapter 11 just being a pace killer.
But, since my first playthrough of Remake, I've been of the opinion that it really gives you a good bit of narrative calm between the peaks of Wall Market and the Sector 7 Plate drop.
We really needed a contemplative section for Tifa, especially, to really feel the anxiety-well, properly, fear; since anxiety is an irrational fear by definition-of the potential annihilation of her home and the people she cared for.
It's also, as you remarked, the perfect place to flesh out Aerith's history of loneliness as the last Cetra. And, Eligor really serves as a good point of character growth where she begins taking the steps that later allow her to deny the planet's plan in the face of an unknown, unplanned for, existential threat.
@@gogauze I think we absolutely get that sequence for tifa in rebirth.
Your fleshing out of moments in remake like the train graveyard breaths new air into moments of the game that seem like story padding! Really makes Nomura’s detailing even more impressive.
(Also drawing the Lesser Key Of Solomon to FF is such an awesome concept!)
Yeah it’s easy to see it as padding, but I really think it was super intentional and well done
It bothers me that people would think that certain chapters are fillers. The team of ff7 especially works really hard on making sure everything sends a message. They aren’t fluff creators.
@@Sarafara7 I think on first glance, it can kind of come across that way. This section may have felt it at first. But the more you look at it, it really comes across well
I had never thought about it. Aerith already spoke to ghosts when she was a child? I thought that the scene showed Aerith playing with living children but who had forgotten her voluntarily or not during the game. But given that we see the children as ghosts, including in the version with Aerith as a child, this made more meaning...
Yeah, the canon book, traces of two pasts, goes deeper into this. It’s the way I interpret this chapter, at least!
This video was amazing! The content, length, and video editing were perfect. Looking forward to more content formatted just like this!
Super appreciated. Thanks! I’m excited for you to see the next.
Huh, fascinating! One thing that I can't help but notice is this concept of "blocking" the Lifestream's cycle seems oddly similar to Seymour's plan in FFX to turn everyone into Unsent, souls that don't move on to the Farplane (that game's afterlife). One of the early talking points of this chapter in Remake was how it seemed to add credence to VII and X sharing a universe. The ghosts were accompanied by what looked suspiciously like pyreflies, and the boss theme seeming to feature a few brief notes from the "Hymn of the Fayth". I'm not saying that some grand VII/X crossover is the dev's end goal here but it's still interesting to think about!
That IS interesting to think about.
Great video! Thanks for making me think of the expanded Train Graveyard differently.
Also fantastic editing and narration!
Thanks so much. Gosh I love this section
well this is likely the single best FF7R video I've ever seen
Ahh that means a ton to me. Thank you! Look forward to sharing the final one with you
Thank you for keeping this up!
Thank you for watching it! It’s great to see the response
This video was incredible start to finish thank you!
I really appreciate you saying that!
Excellent video! Well done @ProfNoctis !
Thank you!!!
Another fantastic video, man! I did a piece on Eligor a while back and it's great to hear your take on his role. Also... that wink made my pants fly off!
Lmao I’m so glad I kept that in!! Oh snap, DM me your work on Eligor!!!
@@profnoctis will do
Thank you so much. I always felt like I was one of the only people who felt there was more to the Graveyard than padding. This chapter actually broke me when I first played it. But I also got the impression that this is one of the areas where the Devs were showing to what lengths the Planet, through the whispers would go to to keep events in line with the OG. Like no matter how hard the party tried to get to Sector 7 and warn everybody they would tharwted at every turn.
EXACTLY! It’s a pacing issue but one that the whispers cause in a lot of ways
😁lol they're just like Gremlins @@profnoctis
Great video professor. I love this concept of "Thin places" and u made me cry. Very emotional, thanks.
Listen, I teared up making it so, I’m glad it landed with you too. Thanks for watching
Great Video. Very good use of the music pared with your tonality, to emphisis on the dramatic enlightment. Keep this deep content on
Glad you liked it. I def wanted to match the intensity of the words with the music. “Ghoul” felt appropriate
Great video! ❤️
Thanks!
Great video as always my brother!
Thank you!
This video was awesome! I'd never think about the train graveyard like that. Thank you so much for sharing this theory!
Hey thanks for watching!
What a video! I never really knew what Eligor was based off of and he’s so much more interesting now. I loved the The Train Graveyard area and seeing/hearing a child like that makes me tear up every time. Thank you for the AMAZING video again.
DUSTMAN! Thank you so so much. Yeah it changes the whole vibe of it, huh?
Dude, this video series is awesome and right up my alley. I really appreciate looking at the story and lore of FFVII through the lens of spirituality.
So glad you liked it!
Another INCREDIBLE VIDEO! Gah! I eat this up!! Your work is amazing my dude
thank you so much for watching!
Super amazing video, The train graveyard was of my fav parts in remake you made me love it more!
That is awesome to hear
Nicely done!
Thank you for watching!
They messed up. Arieth isn't supposed to have that bow for her hair yet
Oooo
I always thought it was a side quest for character development, but you just blew my mind! Next your going to say that reuniting Betty with her cats was alluding to Jenova and Sephiroth😂. Jokes aside great work.
Hahaha that’d be a crazy video about Betty! Thanks so much for watching!
Damnit you’re good at these. Excited for all of the break downs for Rebirth.
Preciate you!
Wow! What an absolutely amazing video! A final battle vs Sephiroth on two different planes of existence sounds so badass, and I can definitely see it coming to fruition. Can't wait to play Rebirth!
Great video! Always love seeing interpretations of the deeper meanings within FF7. I bet the creators would love that you’ve understood this so well, any thoughts on the sewer section (seeing as it’s also often called ‘padding’)?
Some. I did a playthrough Tuesday night of the sewers and we talked about how the sewers are often a symbol of deep, negative emotions in psychology and dream interpretation. And chapter 10 is very focused on characters and their traumas. Meanwhile, the later sewer chapter is Leslie’s, and I think we will see him struggle with life and death, if his fiance really is gone.
Great video!
Thanks. If it cooked at all, I credit Chefiroth
The best video I have seen covering this specific topic. Will check out others, and most likely will keep you on a list of reliable theory crafters, as most are just throwing stuff at the wall.
My only thing is... I don't think this was Sephiroth's plan. This was Jenova's plan before, and now.. Sephiroth seems to be rebelling from that.
Thank you! I may be totally wrong, but trying to make some sense of things :)
@@profnoctis I think you are mostly accurate here. I would argue ever so slightly if not for Marlene specifically mentioning the black wing. An interesting thing to give you that may help in any additional videos is something little known. It's been explained why Sephiroth has a wing in the compilation, and why he wasn't given one until the end in the OG... The Sephiroth often seen in the OG isn't Sephiroth, but often cloaked figures powered by a Jenova body part appearing in the most idealized image. Jenova-Sephiroths do not need a wing to fly; they aren't really Sephiroth clones in the first place, but a fraction of the embodiment of an alien LifeStream/lifeform, the Omega Weapon of another planet meant to colonize and restore life to its own planet by colonizing a barren rock. It is believed to have tried and failed several times (think FF the Spirits Within).
Anyway, the important takeaway is this... Only the real Sephiroth can sprout a wing, much like only the real Genesis could; imitations cannot. Those in the Shinra building, like Nomura's written Ultimania Omega, are Jenova freeing herself. Jenova Sephiroth uses Watashi to address herself. It's highly formal, it is used by dieties, it is used regardless of gender.. Sephiroth, at least in the past, uses Oure right up until his 5 year nap. If the one we see is Advent Children's Sephiroth, he must say Cloud's name as he does many times. Except he doesn't in the Shinra building. In fact no names or recognition at all. No wing. Impossible sword angle when stabbing, almost like sprouting a tendril... Jenova can brush the whispers aside.
In the compilation, Jenova wins even as Sephiroth loses time and time again...
The arbiters spawn defenses in the form of Sephiroth's attempts to materialize his spirit, but with zero trace of Sephiroth in them .. the Arbiter mirrors Jenova's true face, with the same purple eye on the same side and encased inside is Sephiroth, trapped, in its chest.
He is then unbound. And from his chest in the following fight he spawns his own whispers. Specifically four whispers at any given time. Like the four around Zack, or the four that tell Cloud to sleep in Sephiroth's voice actor's voice in every single language, like the four that surround him and only him in the key art for remake... The four that harass Aerith, while the others do not. The four that fight the party, while the others do not.
@@Koniving this is the kind of stuff I hope they make crystal clear in rebirth. I like the lore, but I need it to be explained in the game without need for an Ultimania or dev interview stuff. That said, yeah I think there’s still a lot we gotta learn about all these Sephiroth clones and Jenova mimics! Great insight
@@profnoctis You're welcome, and while I agree, it came up as a question for a developer as to why he only has a wing in the compilation and not the end. There's also a lot of things explained in the original game that didn't get translated, or that got cut entirely from the English version. For example, Sephiroth appearing in seventh heaven. Look up ff7 cut content, and you'll see Sephiroth's first appearance is not unlike remake's first appearance, in that Sephiroth appears in Cloud's head while he rides the elevator, and awakens to find the whole avalanche crew above him.
A lot of the original game was simplified, as it had a single translator, no communication, and many liberties were taken.
I hate its progression system, but Ever Crisis is working to fix many of these....issues, while soon providing the entire compilation.
This said, Jenova's traits are already on display. Cloud is an introvert who can't dance. When pressured, all he can come up with are Zack's weapon poses. When next to a professional, he passively steals the moves as they happen.
When racing the motorcycle the first time, his move set is pretty limited. In the Shinra building, he copies Roche's move to deal with a circle of enemies exactly, right down to Roche's posture if you remove the maniacal laughter.
The games are working to show us things...if we look for ourselves. We see Jenova Sephiroth fly without a wing, and Sephiroth fly with one. We see Jenova Sephiroth destroy a bridge but when we return the bridge is intact... We see Jenova-Sephiroth pull off an impossible stab... It's showing us. It's up to us to notice. Kind of like how remake doesn't actually mention Jessie's line about creeps on the train, but in the first ride and the ride Yuffie does, they hint it all over without ever saying it.
Hojo even mentions "Oh yes, that one, why didn't I think about it before?" While basically nearing Red's specimen cell. The game works in what it wants us to know even around censorship, if we know what to look for or overanalyze.
I believe we see how the Stagnant Lifestream feels/looks in Sonon's case as well (Intermission) after Nero defeats him. Nero's function is to basically absorb the person's spirit to leave them an empty shell of themselves. A popular fan-theory is that Sonon could use Sonon like a puppet (since he's clearly not done with his body). Might this be further detail on what Sephiroth intends to do with all life, and possibly Cloud, when it comes to the concept of Stagnant Lifestream? As a reminder, Nero is born of Stagnant (or corrupt/dark) Lifestream. Your comment on how Sephiroth intends to use this to his advantage brought this to mind.
That is such a great implication of this idea. I love it. Can’t wait to see how it comes together
I think you freaking nailed it brother!
Thank you!!
@@profnoctis any time dude.
Honestly I don't know many people who like the Train Graveyard but it is one of my favourite areas, especially in Remake where it really brings out the true story behind it, why its haunted, what is causing it, the struggles of what Aerith went through as a child and what she sees and hears that others don't.
I've always loved the idea of Thinner Places, what is actually causing them and how they impact our world. Like you said, it happens in many areas where monuments or temples are built upon them and it adds credence to the idea of stone tape theory, where the building itself records moments of the past absorbing the energies that pass through it and replaying them as possible ghosts or spirits of those long gone. Is it because of the material they are built from or is it due to the lines between our reality and something more spiritual or divine is taking place. Areas where magnetic fields may be more distorted etc. Its something that I loved in both Final Fantasy VII and X, having those parallels with life after death. The Zanarkand Blitzball stadium absorbing the moments of the past and showing it to those who pass through, and the Sector 5 Church. (which could add more to the idea that VII and X are in the same Universe outside of Shinra being in X-2 and in Remake)
People always used to tell that when you go back to Midgar with the Key and you enter the Church, that the Aerith you see is just there as a glitch. But I always saw it as the Church being on one of these spots, both highly connected to the Life Stream itself and blurring the lines between life and death. The Church itself recording Aerith and playing moments of her tending to the flowers over and over, because that is what she did on a daily basis for years.
It really is heartbreaking, especially at this point of her Mum being dead. She has an understand of her powers, but without her Mum to guide her its not the true grasp of what she would have learned if she were alive. She's incredibly lonely and isolated as the last remaining Ancient. I completely understand how Aerith feels with that loneliness when I was completely alone, the world came crashing down on me and nearly ended my life back in 2022, its a section of the game that always makes me emotional and stands out when I play remake because of that.
Even in the original Eligor always stood out compared to the other enemies in the Train Graveyard, like we had the ghosts, the smaller bug/rodent type enemies but Eligor wasn't like that and he fits perfectly there. But in Remake, he really stands out because his appearance there really brings about that blockage in the cycle of souls. These children cannot return to the planet, probably because he feeds off them for years, and children will always want to go check it out to see if its true. One of those stories you hear on the school playground, 'did you hear about the black winds in the train graveyard? We should go check it out' but this story turns out to be true, leading to the death of these Children and their souls left to wander the graveyard forever.
I love the analogy of the black winds and Sephiroth because you're right. Souls could have been trapped in there, Sephiroth absorbed the Whispers and now in Rebirth they are still with him. There souls are stuck in the in between, not being able to return to the lifestream. His speech in the Temple of the Ancients really stands out and it definitely feels like something that is going to be heavily focused on in Rebirth, as the planet tries to stop it. The Life Stream reaching out to Tifa when she falls in at Gongaga, learning about the Weapons, having them wake up earlier than expected because they feel his threat looming already before his will reaches the Temple of the Ancients and his eventual awakening in Northern Crater due to Cloud.
Apologies for the essay, there is so much here that really got me thinking. Phenomenal work Professor!
Dude I appreciate the response! And yes, I always thought the same about that glitch in the church! It’s such a powerful thing to me, even if it’s a glitch. So many great comments in your response. Thank you for the points! I really appreciate you
@@profnoctis Dude exactly! It may have been a glitch, but it just has so much weight to it. The way she fades way flashing to signify she's dispersing, she doesn't just vanish instantly as you get close. It makes me feel like it was intentional to be like 'even though she is not in your party anymore, even though you experienced so much loss. Aerith is still there with you. Tending to the flowers even in death' which she was but at the time you don't know.
@@TheeDrewGamer gosh, yes. Just so great
@@TheeDrewGamer As I read your words about the glitch where Aerith appears breifly in the church, it gave me chills for a second. I have to admit, the thought of Aerith crossing through the lifestream into our world to affect the original FF7 code gives me vibes of modern sci-fi folklore. Sounds like the type of thing the other Kojima (Hideo Kojima) would do lol.
This could open a can of worms in regards to the sending ritual in FFX, but that’s another story
Ain’t that the truth! Gosh I love that game
The Solomon Ring was also an item in Final Fantasy VIII. It could be used to obtain the GF Doomtrain, which may or may not have been the Phantom Train that appeared in VI (the one that carried the spirits of the dead to their resting place.) Interesting bit of trivia.
Yeah it was! I was too young to realize what it was the first time I played it the first time. I love how full of allusions these games are
What a video well worth the wait, great insight and although not sure it will head in that direction, be exciting if it did.
Hey thanks! Even if it’s just the lens to see the Eligor chapter, it’d be super interesting if it WAS foreshadowing. No way to tell!
This video is amazing! Just got me even more excited for the eventual reveal of sephiroths plans in rebirth.
Also, which theme was used for the intro? Sounded epic!
It’s “ghoulish symphony” from FF7R soundtrack plus!
Was just replaying the remake. I love that cutscene in the Shinra building explaining the ancients and plans for Neo Midgar. I hope they make a game based in the time of the Cetra
It is sooooo refreshing to watch videos like this with such a well grounded theory supported by FF7 original history and Remake. So well put together, and really look forward to future content from you! ❤
Thanks SO much for watching
@@profnoctisI’ve shared this to some FF Facebook groups. Your channel and videos deserve waaaay more appreciation. Thank you for creating some amazing content!
@@JDVoiceover I appreciate you saying that! We’re just getting started :)
Very interesting video!! Keep it up 🔝🔝👏👏
Hey thanks for watching!
Wow , I just stumbled on this video, and you really got my gears turning. I always knew there was significance to the train graveyard chapter but struggled to understand it. Blew my mind! Got a sub from me. I look forward to binging your video library on FF7R. I'm so excited for Rebirth! February 29th can't get here fast enough!
I’m so glad you liked it. Look forward to the next one!
Wow! This was an absolutely great interpretation and one I’ve never heard. Really enjoyed listening to the video.
Hey thanks! If you liked it, you might be interested in my first video, on the Whispers. Thanks for watching :)
I’ve been waiting for this
Right on
Between you & Michael Bustamante's theories around the Stagnant Lifestream, I'm starting to come around to the idea of some kind of Lifestream existence in between life & death. A purgatory of sorts. There are still questions for me as to how it would allow seemingly alive people to be a part of it such as Elmyra and Marlene, but I've also thought about potential solutions for that such as existences conjured by their memories (although that feels a bit too loosey goosey for my liking). I suppose it could be because of what happened within the Whisper dome in Midgar, hence Marlene and Elmyra getting caught up in it.
Regardless of the mechanics, there are a couple of reasons I'm coming around to it:
1) It lets the story explore Zack's world through lens of life & death, which was a major theme of OG FF7. Multiple living realities/timelines/whatever would be more of a new thought.
2) It would link not only to what you found in the Train Graveyard, but also what Biggs said about Jesse's dad in Chapter 4. It's been a couple of days since I watched the video so I can't remember if you mentioned that, but it's another thing I can't imagine they included for no real reason. I initially thought it was to setup the effect of Mako poisoning on Cloud later in the story, but it seems to be more of a setup to how we see Aerith and Cloud in Zack's world from the trailers.
Anyway, just a miraculous job of making me actually like Chapter 11.
100%. I don’t yet know what’s up with elmyra and Marlene and Kyrie. But, it could be memories. But I think it’s gotta be something like this stasis or stagnant lifestream thing. Either way, not long now!
I always loved the train graveyard, even in the OG. Glad to see more people appreciate it :)
I wasn't very excited for Rebirth until I watched your videos. The story is the most important part of these games and a retelling of the original just didn't have me excited. I played them a bunch of times through already, and I didn't fully grasp what the changes in Remake meant for the story going forward. I'm going to pay a lot more attention to the story now. Thank you!
That’s awesome to hear! Yeah, this world is FULL of cool lore like this!
Profnoctis taking us to FF7 church!! 🤣🤣 I love it!
Lol church with a lot of different traditions apparently!
Thoroughly enjoyed this, love the inclusion of thin places. Thank you!
Originally, I was just going to talk about thin places and save a lot of this for another video. But I think it worked!
I think so too!
I had to watch the video again because its that good 🔥🔥
Oh snap thank you lol
Fantastic video! I never put much thought into what the child Aerith being abandoned by the ghosts scene meant in Remake. This has explained that perfectly and adds so much to that scene! Thank you for that. Brilliant stuff!!!
But the implication that Zack's 'plane of existence' (lets call it) is full of trapped souls would surely mean that Elmyra, Marlene, and Kyrie are active in both the living world and this one? Unless you are saying they all died after Cloud and co left Midgar? But that seems extremely unlikely... unless this trailer footage is taken from near the end of the game and something big happens in this game, totally diverging from the original, and killing all of them, and also transporting Kyrie back to Midgar? We see Kyrie talking to Zack in a Rebirth trailer. We also see Kyrie giving a side quest to Cloud in a Rebirth gameplay screenshot, which also shows Red XIII (who it seems has been shown to be dead in the 'plane of existence' where Kyrie should be)... Doesn't quite add up.
Also, the events we've seen with Zack's death originally took place before the events of FF7, but if Elmyra, Marlene, and Kyrie are all already dead, he is arriving back to Midgar seemingly after the events of Remake (when he should be arriving before all of that). So time would have to work very differently in this stagnant lifestream too (which is possible, but does give us yet another hoop to jump through to make any of it make sense).
And it seems that the Biggs who Zack is talking to in the trailer was fighting alongside the main Avalanche team and saw them all die? Why would any of that be happening at all in a stagnant lifestream? These illusions are all put in place by the lifestream to prevent anyone from realizing they died or something? Why? Just seems too convenient and like terrible storytelling to me. Doesn't add up either.
Then there is the overlap with Zack - From what we've seen, he survived (or if the implication from this video is true, only believes he survived) his 'last stand'. However, we know he didn't die at that moment in the original/Crisis Core canon. He had a decent enough chunk of time after this scene to be able to have a fairly lengthy conversation with Cloud and give him the buster sword. So there is a big overlap where he would have totally forgotten or been unaware of everything that happened for the last 10 minutes or so of his life, and mentally been transported back to the 'Was that all of them?' moment?
This seems like a big plot hole which, again, can't be explained away (well) by saying "This is just the way the lifestream works, it erases your memories up to the point where the fatal injuries occurred and then invents the rest of everything you see for every person individually to make it make sense to them ~ except for logos on random packets of chips, those sometimes change" or something. Not impossible, just very unlikely and absolutely horrible storytelling if they choose to go that route (which is mainly why I don't think they will).
What you said about Sephiroth's end game does make a ton of sense! I'm fully on board with that, I think its the best endgame theory I've heard and it will end up being that or something like that ~ He is attempting some form of lifeform/spirit energy manipulation. But there's too many other elements that would require jumping through a ton of hoops for Zack's whole current existence to be in the lifestream for me. Time will tell though (well, unless they choose to keep everything ambiguous for the whole trilogy and keep the debates going for another 20 years 😅).
Hey thanks for the thoughtful response! And the Aerith stuff- yeah that’s huge for me too.
The Zack stuff is speculation, as a potential foreshadowing from Eligor. But I do want to clarify. It’s not necessarily that he’s dead but that he’s not really alive. It’s more like he exists as a memory, a fragment of himself- hollow. And it’s potentially due to the idea that in chapter 18, a seam is made in the veil between existence and omnitemporality, likely just in and around midgar. Now if this idea like the stagnant lifestream memory of the planet, those memories would also involve all characters who exist in midgar. I think. Because it’s kind of not a real world. But instead, a false world made up of the spirit energy-memories of all existence of sorts? Again, the latest trailer of Zack saying he feels every bullet gives credence to the idea that Zack may be dead or something else. Either way, I’m not sure we have the evidence necessary to make a call just yet.
And the Seph stuff- right?! I’m so glad you liked that part. It especially hyped me up while making it.
@@profnoctis Very good thinking. It's also interesting that they say Jessie believes her comatose father's "soul is suspended between life and death". That certainly adds some credence (though he became comatose long before the events of the game/the events of chapter 18). It does seem like an unnecessary detail for them to add though, if it's not relevant to the overall plot at all. Must be some relevance.
I still can't get my head around any possible satisfactory explanation for several characters (especially Kyrie) being present and consciously acting/speaking in both places/planes at once though. And that damn Stamp logo haha. Zack forgetting/illusioning over the last bit of his life.
Also, Sephiroth specifically mentions that the reunion is the "merging of worlds" in a Rebirth trailer, which seems like a weird way to say "I'm going to absorb an omni-temporal plane which is a bit like it's own world in a way sort of" (but I guess it could be what he means).
But if this is the original timeline from the OG, how can both Sephiroth and Aerith be acting so differently, and seem to have so much more knowledge than before? If there is a set path and 'destiny', what could have caused such a huge divergence if none of this had happened before? Why would the events of the original be playing out in 'flash forwards' if none of it has taken place already? None of this can really make sense if all that's going on is we are seeing this omni-temporal plane in this story, which they didn't show us in the original (but presumably was always taking place in the background). The party 'destroyed destiny'. That definitely didn't happen in the original, which makes me think theres already 2 timelines (unless the original is no longer canon) ~ So from that, it's not such a leap to say that Zack is in a third.
@@DJChamber yeah, I tend to lean into the “not sequel” camp, and that this telling makes the OG will make the original unnecessary to understand the Remake story (though it’ll ALWAYS be a great game and worth playing!). From my first lecture vid, I tend to think Aerith and Sephiroth have gained the foreknowledge of the planet from the lifestream, not from living it before. Who knows, though. At this point I don’t think we have enough info to make a judgment on those other characters, but I’d be willing to bet it has something to do with the affected memories of the planet.
Didn’t get a chance to comment when I watched this. Fantastic video!
thank you so much! It was a fun lens to think about, especially regarding implications
No idea why the UA-cam algorithm thought I was good enough to hear this, but I’m very glad I found it. As others have said, this is top quality content and am now subbed and aboard the hype train to Rebirth!
(Seriously, great video!)
Must’ve been the whispers haha. Either way, thanks so much for watching and the kind words!
What a fantastic video. Great job.
Thank you so so much for watching
@@profnoctis I’m glad you responded. It reminded me that I forgot to sub.
@@joshuacarroll4805 oh good! Glad I did too then lol
I love this thanks!
I have so many thoughts that I'd wind up authoring an entire paper in these comments if I tried to express them all.
But, to keep it at a manageable length, I'd just like to say that these ideas throw the Intermission DLC-along with the antagonist source material found in Dirge-into very sharp relief.
The way that Nero can take a person into his darkness-especially when they're weakened at the precipice of death-then bring them back out to do his bidding at dominated puppets.. That sounds an awful lot like Elegor's power to block the spirits of the dead from returning to the planet.
Instead, Nero seemingly controls that process inside his psychic realm of darkness. Which, may even operate like a twisted version of the lifestream-judging by the way Shelke was running out of time inside of it and beginning to disassociate (if I remember correctly).
It definitely seems like a microcosm of accomplishing what you've presented here. If I'm correct, the people that do die in that dark realm are prevented from returning to the lifestream; dissolving into their component memories, or vengeful wraiths that only contain the corrupting emotions they had in life. Which would explain why hes become such a powerful entity over time; he'd be given access to everything from their memories to their life force.
If this speculation is on point, I'd even wager that it's the reason he's as mad as a hatter. He'd likely be in some constant state that resembles mako poisoning, due to his imperfect command over this art.
Very cool stuff. And, I'm very interested to see and hear more.
Dannnng, YES! The Nero stuff is spectacularly relevant here!!!
I've also had the impression that Nero's darkness could have a close relation to what we see in the train graveyard. More recently, I think both might be tied to the 'negative lifestream' since hearing Sleepezi's video digging deeper into it's existence.
@@profnoctis thanks! I've gone back to do a little bit of reading on Nero this evening.
What I discovered is that his suit is basically a Mako infusion device. And, when he isn't out on mission, he's bound and contained within the core of Mako Reactor 0.
That, in and of itself, lends credence to the idea that he possesses a sort of spiritual/memetic metabolism. And, even if we didn't see him for the rest of the trilogy (and, we absolutely will as payoff for Yuffie and Vincent), I think that the power that enables this violation of the natural order resides with the interaction that Jenova's material creates when it interacts with the lifestream.
It's confirmed that Nero gained his darkness powers after further experimentation, involving an infusion of pristine Jenova cells and just a ton of Mako. He was also the only survivor of this type of experiment.
So, in Nero, we see a rich amount of lifestream stuff interacting with Jenova cells to produce a negative lifestream effect that can be manipulated by the host.
That's very similar to Sephiroth's ability to summon the negative lifestream in Advent Children; which I'd never really gotten an intuitive grip on until right now. And, has a very similar mechanism that's already codified within the Compilation's canon.
Thanks for doing this series, as I feel like I'm getting a better grip on what the Re trilogy has in store for us. Even if this turns out to be wrong, I doubt it'll turn out to be 100% wrong. And, that's something to celebrate.
Cheers!
@@gogauze it’s just fun to speculate through these specific lenses. I think it’s cool to think about. Thanks for watching!
Top quality content!!❤
I REALLY appreciate you thinking so!
I hope you're right, this would be so much more interesting than alternate timelines. It would actually tie in with the themes of the original. The existence of this purgatory-like world where Zack is would better motivate Aerith's decision to pray for Holy and accept her death, something that isn't all too fleshed out in the original. That being said, you can see Marle and Marlene interacting with Zack in the trailers, not to mention the comatose party in his world, so unless there's some mechanism for how they're in that world, I'm not sure how it would work. Still, they can come up with anything to make it work if that's the kind of theme they want to convey.
Yeah I’ve thought of that. I think it’s not really dead or alive but the existence of memories of the planet, thrown into a stasis of sorts. So they all exist there, including Marlene and those . But those that “defy fate” are asleep, just as they are the only ones who see the whispers, perhaps?
@@profnoctis These are the same people who made Kingdom Hearts Dream Drop Distance, which had sleeping worlds that relived their memories of their inhabitants. Anything is possible.
@@coolguychecker7329 ain’t that the truth
Holy shit this video is nicely put together good job OP! You won a sub from me :3
Hey thanks for watching!
I can’t wait any longer for Rebirth😭
Same!
Another great video, loved this! Great timing too, because my nephew just got to the train graveyard in Remake and I can't wait to show him this when he finishes it.
Quick note:
In the past, I've heard some confusion expressed about whether Hironobu Sakaguchi was mistranslated when he mentioned the death of his mother influencing him to incorporate the 'theme of life' in Final Fantasy VII. It's from a Playstation Underground video interview and I've always assumed the translation was correct. Here's the interview from the PS Underground disc, and this topic starts at 4:21 - ua-cam.com/video/sJKAiSDMSFE/v-deo.htmlsi=PMvjXV4PjDEWPBUw&t=260
Ah! Amazing reference! Thanks for that. I also have heard the discourse on it. Mainly, many dispute it because she died so many years earlier. But I think grief lasts a long time. It makes sense to me he would still have the emotion to think about death like that by the time 7 rolled around.
@@profnoctis Really glad to hear you've heard the same discourse.
That particular PS Underground was one of the first PS1 discs I ever owned and I remember watching that interview many times in anticipation for FF7. The version of the FF7 demo on the other disc let you try out about half a dozen summons during the bombing mission including Bahamut Neo and Ifrit (but the top of the summon menu was blank and you had to scroll down to find where they were hiding.) I remember showing it to people and seeing them react like, "I did not think this was possible on a Playstation!"
@@drumjod I’ll never forget that first time seeing it. What a step forward in tech
Great video, professor. I've always been of the conviction that the train graveyard naysayers are way too fast and loose in their dismissal, and you've really put a lot of meat on the bone here in a short lecture. Thank you. And just in terms of plain storycraft 101, I think it qualifies as a plenty interesting complication as our heroes pursue a more pressing goal. I think it's really well-done, but it seems that small-minded conceptions about "pacing" in games so often predominate and then just get passed on uncritically. It's what "they say" after all. It's also cool that Eligor shows up as a less common random encounter in the original game. Like the Hell House before him, another normal encounter made into a much more involved boss monster.
Totally agree. The fact they expanded a common enemy into this is SO cool
I was on board so hard with Part 1 but was still skeptical going into this one. Now I'm leaving feeling like I just had the whole trilogy spoiled for me. I hate it and love it at the same time. 😂 Can't wait for the next part.
Haha I’m sure the first cutscene of Rebirth will debunk all my speculation
This was a great analysis and has made me reconsider my thoughts on what Zack’s world might be. It would be cool if we could see what Aerith does in the lifestream to combat meteor.
But, If Zack’s world is a purgatory, then why would Marlene & Kyrie be there? And what of Aerith’s unconscious body?
Great question! So I’m not TOTALLY convinced it’s purgatory. Because it seems to be the very existence of many outcomes… not just necessarily the dead, but the continuance of memories of the planet. So it’s omnitemporal and that respect. Additionally, I think it’s possible we see marlene as someone who is able to have a dual consciousness (?), perhaps because of Aerith. At this point, I’m not sure we have enough evidence to know anything for sure there
@@profnoctisIf it is an omnitemporal space it does make speculating difficult because of the sheer possibilities of the ‘future’.
I’m also wondering what the rift in the sky could be. A way to transfer spirit energy between the worlds? A sign of the worlds eventual merging? A countdown to that world’s destruction ?
@@profnoctis I have heard fringe theories of Marlene being an Ancient being peddled around since even before the remake, perhaps Marlene really is an ancient and Aerith knew.
@@Papyrus6769-wp1sm boy I can’t wait to find out
@@richardl.jenkins6091 I think meteor destroying the entirety of one world is how the worlds merge. Living go into the stasis.
This kind of video is why I watch ff7 theories
Aw thanks
Bravo!
Thank you!
I was not expecting that. Great video… sadly I was (wrongly) expecting a sh.tfest. -clearly I read too much of the dribble on the FF7Remake sub.
Some great points and explanations. Look forward to to the third.
I don’t see this ending in any way other than Cloud (not in lieu of Aerith) having to die to free the world from Sephiroth. So long as Cloud lives, Sephiroth does too.
Oh THAT is a fascinating idea about cloud. Phew. Thanks for your kind words. I’m glad the video surprised you and didn’t suck lol
@@profnoctis No, thank you… some seriously interesting and original stuff!
yeah
Dang you got me crying again with Aerith in the train graveyard 😢. I also thought the ghosts and Eligor were a parallel to the Whispers and Sephiorth, but even outside of that significance I liked the chapter just because of how much it focused on Aerith and her loneliness growing up. Like to me it wasn’t padding because it naturally developed her character more in a way that felt like how I imagined her childhood. I’m actually working on my own video series and will be focusing on Aerith a lot in it too, she is such a well written character!
I have a lot of your same idea about the Whispers and the world that Zack is in, but I didn’t think of the idea that Zack could be a Whisper observing the party in the corporeal world! Nice one! It makes me think of that Whisper in Chapter 17 that heals Barret and kinda lingers around. It felt like it knew who he was. Maybe it was Myrna? Would be super interesting if that speculation turns out true!
Right? We know the whispers defy fate to preserve their existence (from ch 18), so it makes me wonder if they will show the world from THEIR perspective
Sounds like Gaia needs summoners like Yuna to preform a sending to return the lingering souls to the farplane aka lifestream
It’s kinda similar! Not really dead, but not really alive. Something in between.
Sepheroth would get his ass handed to him by melania the blade of miquella for a thousand straight times in a row before he even found out she had a phaze 2
Probably why he wants to absorb her soul in the lifestream
15:03 there aren't enough words to describe how bad that would be if that's his true end game 💀
Yeah kinda scary. He takes the place of the planet as a god? Phew.
@@profnoctis more like he will become the planet's center and will have com0leate control of the past present, future and evetyrhign that goes with it including the lives of the main party since he's clearly shown that he can create alternate universe just by changing the past
@@e-pearlm yeah that would be wild. We might be there at the end of rebirth
Best ff Channel out there
What a nice thing to say. Thanks for watching!
ProfNoctis: the dead
Cloud 2: 😅
Lol, yeah that’s kind of why I say it’s a stasis sort of situation. Not really dead but not fully alive either
@@profnoctis good vid but that particular instance is on shaky grounds. It could be the case it really is the dead (farplane physics) but the cloud he's carrying is more in his psychy and never animates is more of a shadow he's carrying (similar to how alive cloud is carrying Zack)
I hope it's a bit more complex than that, it's fine but I would prefer not to understand it so easily 😂
@@ThepurposeofTime yeah actually agree. It’s kind of like the farplane, but not exactly. Instead, their existence is both alive but also “hollow.” I think it probably has something more to do with Sephiroth and/or the whisper event creating a rift in and around midgar, causing some kind of preventative stasis for the people in the city- and it’s a singularity of possibilities for those characters. They are living memories of the planet, even if they are still alive in the real world. I think Bugenhagen is going to blow our minds with this explanation.
Oh shoot that could explain why Zach is alive. Sephrioth wants to stop him and others going to life Stream.
Right?? Could be a really interesting dynamic
I'm actually starting to wonder if Marlene may actually be a cetra too.
Yes, life and death debates will eternally go on as long as we exist, but I do believe that evidence is coming to light that there is life after death. Your knowledge of the lesser keys of Solomon shows you know your stuff. That knowledge can be very dangerous to someone who takes it lightly. there is also a greater keys of solomon.
Your theories on worlds between is interesting, but I think they are simply different timelines created, but I could be wrong.
At this point, it’s just fun to speculate. I fully expect the first scene of Rebirth to refute any ideas I’ve had! But, I like looking at the game through these lenses.
Yeah, I debated talking about the Lesser Key stuff. But, that’s a source for Eligor. I tried to handle it appropriately and with information without making it seem enticing.
That world stuff would be nuts, right? And to think that the merging of worlds depends on the complete death of one or the other.
@@profnoctis Another game that used the worlds which mean the decline of one meant the ascension of the other was Tales of Symphonia with the two separate worlds Tethealaha and Sylverant which referred to the flow of mana. When one side gets more the other declines, but not quite the same because they were actually two different worlds meaning different lands and people not like two of the same worlds with different circumstances.
Yea those books can really be dangerous for people who get curious and want to try to use them. As someone who has messed with the occult in the past (which I don't anymore) it can really cause a lot of bad things to happen.
@@TravaillesDuChanson thanks for your cautionary warning, because that can really mess with someone’s head.
Also I FORGOT Tales of Symphonia did that!
aight let this man cook
Chefiroth be cooking something
will there be a battle between Cloud, Sephiroth, & Elfe at the Forgotten City in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Possible!
Your theory, of Sephiroth's plan as a fanboy of his... I fully endorse. Sephiroth for God 20xx?? Whenever remake trilogy finishes 😂
Lmao we need more “Sephiroth for God” campaign sponsors
@@profnoctis Jokes aside, really well, explained, and narrated video. I can't, but walk away from like. Shit, he may be onto something!
@@hirowinglessangel gosh thank you so much. That means a ton.
Im sorry but you have it. You have the answer omg. 😱 he want to take the place of the planet.
What do you believe happens when we die?
Hey Kevin! So, as an academic, I don’t think we can ever really know with certainty, but also, as a religious person, I believe we can face death in hope by believing there is some existence of life beyond death. I like all three of the items I mentioned- rebirth through reincarnation, afterlife, and legacy. My tradition leans more into the idea of an afterlife, and that we are reborn in a perfected world where pain, suffering, and such no longer have the last word. And, most importantly, God is knowable, fully. Ultimately, I don’t know, but that’s what I hope for. In the end, my favorite phrase on this is the hope that “The worst thing is never the last thing.”
@@profnoctis thank you for your response. Keep up the good work. I'll be continuing to follow you. You put out very good quality videos. Can't wait for rebirth to come out.
@@KT1459 thanks! Will do
👏
Thank ya!
Tetsuya Nomura is the real villain of the new FF7 trilogy
From what I hear, he’s actually been trying to keep things the same a lot!
@@profnoctishe was literally the director of remake so nothing went through him that he didn’t want.
@@ItsSVO yet there are other things that Nomura wanted that Kitase didn’t. I’m just saying, it’s a give and take.
@@profnoctis give and take absolutely but the final word is with Nomura so as I said, everything in the game was with Nomura’s blessing as he had final veto given his job title much like sakaguchi did in the original game.
Bro figured out ff7
*shrug*
Where is part 3 ?
Sorry! I delayed it because I received some new tech to figure out. It’ll be out NEXT weekend! Look forward to it!
@@profnoctis Appreciate . I love ur lecture. It’s really reflect ur love for the game and the effort you put working on the vid. Keep going strong!!
Latest lecture released yesterday! Go get it :)
But that's not how the live stream works when you die and you go to the live stream eventually your Consciousness Fades away so you kind of die twice
Kind of! You reabsorb into the lifestream, but then reemerge as a new life form. Unless there’s a stasis, in which case you would be trapped.
Wait... How did we jump from "Eligor is in the game" to "Maybe Sephiroth will absorb the entire lifestream" and what does it all have to do with the filler chapter?
The speculation is strong here and there's no logical flow of ideas. Just crazy conjectures.
We jumped because, according to the OG, that’s kind of what Sephiroth does. Eligor’s capture of souls may be a foreshadowing microcosm of what Seph is doing with souls like Zack. It’s conjecture, but it’s rooted in a bunch of evidence
You look like cloud ❤
Now there’s a Cosplay idea
ff7 got it largely right but the souls doesnt return to the planet it either returns to where it was before that life or it returns directly to god/source and thats not exacly a place its outside of space and time.
you cant realy say that youre soul is in youre brain or in youre hand or heart its sort of compleetly infused in every cell,when it leaves it goes to other dimensions and learns from this life and sets a new course maybe it wil deside to just come back again.
FF7 definitely riffs on real world philosophies. It’s a really remarkable combination of them that makes a compelling fiction.
I wouldnt agree with unncessary padding but it def is filler content, you had an urgency to return to the pilars FAST in og ff7, and the sewers alone was 1+ hours of content, slow as well, and then this, the tempo of the original ff7 is a roller coaster of non stop events, bam bam bam bam stuff happends non stop, good stuff. But in this we literally go on a ghost story adventure after spending an hour in the sewers. It could have been placed somewhere else in the story. OR the sewers could have been removed all together.
I do feel like this could have been an awesome side quest, teased as you race through this area for the first time
Sephiroth is not the big bad. Unless they changed it from OG
Perhaps. Though he’s certainly the final boss of the OG and the mastermind alongside Jenova.
@@profnoctis I respectfully disagree. He was concocted by an evil corporation and manipulated at birth by an sadistical father/scientist. He was driven mad by his lineage and only sought for acceptance even if he did it by force. As an adult I understand taking responsibility for your action but could you fault someone that was basically trap in the situation he was in? He’s as much a victim as he is a perpetrator.
@@miguelrodriguez9908 yeah, you can definitely take the sympathetic villain approach. Hojo IS the inciting catalyst. But, he’s still a penultimate boss to defeat. UNLESS they go the full Weiss route in this trilogy and end with Dirge of Cerberus. Could be!
I always thought the hate the train graveyard gets is out of pocket. I totally get why people think it feels like padding, the party should be making a beeline for the pillar and it feels like it hurts the pacing a bit. I have 3 thoughts on this:
1. This section really doesn’t take that long if you just sprint through it. I’d imagine that if your town and all of your friends and neighbors were at risk of being crushed by the plate, you wouldn’t spend any time exploring or looking for treasure. You would just sprint through it. Don’t complain about padding if you yourself create the padding, leave all the extra stuff for a second playthrough.
2. Given the way they expanded all of the maps in Remake, the train graveyard is represented very well imo. Compared to sections of Midgar, the train graveyard in OG is a bigger zone, if only by an extra screen or two. That being said, it makes sense this area would be a little longer than some areas of Midgar we see in Remake.
3. One of the bosses should’ve been a side quest. Probably Eligor. The specter is guarding the control panel which you need to access to progress so it makes sense to fight him there. Eligor should’ve been optional, providing some extra lore for Aerith as well as her steal-able staff. Plus it’s right outside of the sector 7 station so he’d be easily accessible when navigating the rubble.
Great video man, as always. This series has been super informative and entertaining🤙🏼
I think the Eligor quest would’ve been such a cool side quest tbh. Rich but not necessarily essential. Plus it would make people say “this was a side quest?!”
@@profnoctisyeah, exactly! I mean I love what it represents as is, and you did a great job breaking it down in your video, but it is a bit odd that this chapter has 2 back to back bosses when most chapters don’t, and it’s one of the only chapters where a time crunch is involved lol
@@mindxfuneral incredibly true. The more I think about it, this would’ve been an extremely cool side quest. Totally would’ve reversed the “side quests are bad” take I sometimes see
@@profnoctisI really didn’t think any of the side quests were that bad. Even the one in sector 7 when you’re searching for Betty’s cats. The beauty of that quest to me is that you see (and share) Cloud’s frustration, and you feel it when he says it sucks. All of the cats are afraid of Cloud at first. But later, after platefall, after you rescue Wedge, Cloud has a moment of understanding with Wedge’s cats. It’s like they know they’re on the same side now. It’s just a subtle way to show Cloud’s growth as a person and as a character, and no one talks about it. The way remake shows us stuff like that is mind blowing and I can’t wait to see how they handle the side quests in Rebirth since they’re taking so much inspiration from games like The Witcher 3!
@@mindxfuneral I don’t think they’re bad either. But other people are pretty vocal.
It's 2024 and it's in 720p60fps .....
I know I know lol. I’m still new at this and fixing it for my next video :)
Thanks for checking it out despite my amateur level of quality :)