@@holy9781yeah we should have waited through a 15 year development cycle(maybe more) and gotten a single 200 hour 600 GB game, genius. That sounds like a very smart cost effective thing for a game developer to do
I started watching every video of this Final Fantasy Retrospective back in 2020. It did help me recover from all that trauma I had from that same year. This retrospective also made me become a Final Fantasy Fan, not just 7 or 10, but Final Fantasy in general. Before I only knew some of the games and heard the history behind them (Like how 7 became a PS1 exclusive after Square realized that it's impossible to include FMV Cutscenes on a N64, or how 4 & 6 were just called 2 & 3 due to 2 3 & 5 initally being Japanese exclusives, before being rereleased on later consoles), now I know the history behind all of the numbered enteries, got the chance to play the first six enteries via the Pixel Remasters, bought 5 Final Fantasy games on my PS4 & PS5, and I even got the chance to show it to my dad. I'd say that, I agree with you that the Retrospective's great, I'm happy that Clement sort of made me become a Final Fantasy fan.
And he's finally brought up the bane of artists everywhere. Microtransactions, fake as hell scarcity, a useless gimmick (web3), and potential character assassinations up the ass. He says the highs are so high, the lows don't matter. But after KH and a series of bad plays like those, it's such a perfect way to leave the series on such a high note. This feels like a perfect way to lay this series to rest and part ways with the franchise he loved. I parted with Sonic the Hedgehog on such a sour note I still am resentful about it to this day.
Actually, there's one part about the ending cutscene from the original which Yoshinori Kitase confirmed, which is that at that time, humanity went extinct. It makes sense now since I'm sure THAT is what Red XIII saw in the vision and was worried about, not the bit about him being a father. Clement did admit in his Final Fantasy XIV video that he is an idiot.
Actually, it was confirmed by Yoshinori Kitase that the time the '500 years later' cutscene rolled around, humanity went extinct. So maybe in Remake's finale, they can have a new future where humans and nature coexist
That's exactly what I think. Holy is mentioned as a lesser meteor, a power of great destruction. It essentially is a self defense mechanism which seeks to purge that which endangers the planet. Die to geostigma it seems like humanity is targeted as threats, and over time are wiped out. At the end of remake we see sephiroth win over clouds mind in exact reverse outcome as ff7 OG. I think we need to defeat sephiroth, and the will of the planet which seeks to destroy humanity (perhaps embodied by Minerva). That will cause the planet to never seek to exterminate humanity. In doing this I think we will be able to stop Meteor without Holy somehow. Just some thoughts, have yourself a good day!
Are you sure, because after that cutscene, it fades to the Final Fantasy 7 logo, and we hear human children giggeling. So humans still exists in the 500 years later cutscene
As a huge Sephiroth fan, I personally love the ending because it shows that he is willing to ANYTHING to succeed. Even if that means resetting the timeline. This man found a way to cheat destiny and reset the universe so things will lead to him winning. That is peak Sephiroth. And the fact that he went this far will make it all the more satisfying when Cloud and the gang defeat him again. Also, congrats on finishing this retrospective, Clement! It's been a long journey but was worth every minute! Excited to see whatever you have planned next!
Congrats Clement, I’ve absolutely loved this series from beginning to end. When you first started this series, I was a young guy who knew next to nothing about final fantasy and was thinking about trying ff15 as my first game. This series introduced me to why the FF series is as loved as it is and what makes it so great, and honesty made me an actual fan of the series! Thanks Clement
5 Years. And it ends. I'm so glad I was here for this long journey of nostalgia and love for a franchise. Clement, I started watching back when you were doing the mega man LPs and seeing all of these videos (which I have seen hundreds of times now because I love this series) shows everyone that these games have merit and aren't boring or just something from Japan. This retrospective has reinvigorated my love for this series. Thank you, Clement and I can't wait to see where this journey goes next. No matter what series, style or trope. We are all here.
Clement at the end of his OG FF7 video back in 2017: "I may cover the remake after I do 15's video... in the year *2022* because this game so isn't coming out anytine soon." BOY DID THAT AGED WELL. If that's not a coincidence, that's a damn prophecy.
End of an era, have enjoyed these so much and they are so well made and interesting. Look forward to you being able to do more what you want and not feel obligated to these giant series, but no rush
Man I remember when you started this series all those years ago. It's been great seeing how much you've grown and improved over all this time, and all the retrospective videos have aged really well in my opinion. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you.
"Don't you hear the planet cryin' out in pain?! I know you can!" "You really hear that?" "Damn straight I do!" "Get help." I spat out my drink first time I heard that. The delivery on both sides is perfect.
I'm going to miss these reviews man! I only discovered them about 2 years ago with the start of the pandemic but they've certainly been something I keep coming back to in a moment of nostalgia and comfort
I’m one of those people who’s first experience of FF7’s story came from this game. Pretty much exactly how you put it in the video: greatly enjoyed the game except when it came to everything about the whispers and Sephiroth. It felt like the game was going “oh hahaha original fan of FF7, the story you’re expecting is going to be much different, you have to let go of the past and be open to this new experience!” And I’m like dude, I just got here, what the hell are you on about?
I could be wrong about this, but some of the Voice Actors from this game have never experienced OG FFVII before, and I know Aerith's VA played the remake live on stream, can't imagine how she felt about this whole thing. Btw, off-topic, but great choice of pfp my dude. Bionicle forever! I also like Gradius, too.
I kept thinking about players like you when I was playing this game. I wanted it to be the game I could recommend to people who have never played the original, because I do think the original is dated and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to people anymore, which is a great shame. But I can’t recommend the remake either because without the context of the original it must be such a confusing mess.
>be me >never played the original until after the remake came out >knows barely anything about it >never played a FF game before And yet somehow this game's story bothered me. I dunno dude, if you wanted to tell a different story within the same universe, just give it a different name
And that is this game's biggest failing. It assumes that people have played the original, which yes, is one of the most popular games of all time, but is still a game that's 25 years old by now. The early 3D era was one defined by jank, an inescapable element that dates almost every game within the time frame even more than the 16-bit classics that came before them. People wanted a Final Fantasy VII remake because it has been, more than any other game in the series, destroyed by the passage of time. Most people who would check this game out nowadays don't want to play a PS1 jank-fest just to get the plot of the latest shiny new RPG that everyone's talking about, especially when it says "Remake" on the front cover.
This has been a fantastic series to watch & listen too. Thanks a lot Clement for the entertainment & your views on the series While I did have a slight trouble getting used to the Remake (voice cast change, story changes, only stopping at Midgar) I went on to love it. During that crazy COVID lockdown, this was a saviour even if my special edition took a few days extra to arrive (avoided the internet like a plague to dodge spoilers) My backlog is long enough but I am overdue for a replay of Remake I’m looking forward to Remake part/episode 2 but am a little worried it may end up going somewhere wrong…
If there's one more thing to praise about the visuals, it's the spot on sky boxes. My first playthrough, I legit thought they were fully modeled beyond where you could go until I was climbing the destroyed sector 7 plate and REALLY looked around.
So honestly, the only thing I disagree with in this is the thoughts on the ending. I loved it a ton because of how it challenges what it means to be a remake, as well as finally give me something I always wanted: a proper fight with Sephiroth. Because the only times you actually fight mama's boy himself are in a big fancy God angel mode, or as a single hit death apparition in clouds mind. It's great to get what feels like a proper duel with the guy. Still, I'm glad to see this series through. It's a time and has gotten me through the most tedious times at work.
I agree with the Sephiroth fight. I also found it weird that you never fight him normally and the remake makes this happen. This still leaves room for the Safer Sephiroth fight to happen in part 3 or 4, while everyone that has been waiting for the remake doesn't leave disappointed that they never saw the main villain in part 1 and will have to wait even longer before he gets finally revealed.
@@rawrdino7046 Well that's the beauty of it: It doesn't require you to. It enhances the experience sure to compare and contrast, but the game is more then enjoyable without playing the original. Angry Joe and Doug Walker are two examples that come to mind of people with no FF experience playing and enjoying the game on its own merits.
IT'S HERE. And on the 25th anniversary of the original no less! As Ansem in KH3 would say, "What a journey you and I have had." It's been a fun ride, Clement. These videos were my comfort media during the pandemic and I've thoroughly enjoyed them since. Thank you for sharing your FF experience with all of us.
This has been a wonderful retrospective, Clement. It's been so long that I can't remember if I was there from the start, or if I started watching with FF3 or 4, but learning about your history and experience with a series with which I, at the time, had little more than a passing familiarity with via Kingdom Hearts was equal parts entertaining and insightful. Your videos gave me the push I needed to finally jump into the series myself, from the beginning, and learn as much as I can about these games, their development, the cultural context in which they were produced and released, ports and remakes, and their lasting legacy. And I've begun making videos about my own experience with the series as a newcomer, aiming to educate others about these games' place in the culture and what went into them as well. It's a monumental project, but seeing you get through it all is inspiring. Thanks for taking me and so many others on this journey with you, and thank you for inadvertently helping to bring me into the Final Fantasy fold.
I never finished this game. Dropped it after 28 hours. The new combat system was confusing to me. I wiped against random encounters more than bosses. I just couldn't grasp what I was getting wrong. I was really hoping for a turn-based option. "Classic" mode isn't exactly what I had in mind either. For me, FFX has the best combat system of any FF game. (Followed by FFTA) While FFXVI looks good story-wise, the Devil May Cry style combat looks floaty/busy/messy. At least FF7R attacks have weight behind them. Still, my current favorite game series is the Soulsborne games. I've beaten all of them. The slow deliberate combat is my cup of tea. FF7R and the newer FF games in general feel too hectic to me. It isn't adrenaline pumping fast-paced action to me, it's anxiety-inducing and triggers my OCD. If I want frenetic gameplay, I'll play a shooter. Even in those games I prefer to camp my ass off in a corner. Anyway, this is a rant at this point. I'll just say, I think the modern game industry isn't catering to me anymore and that's been a bit of a bummer.
Wow! No wonder The Great Clement loves Final Fantasy 7! The Remake is so incredible and awesome! 😎 And what a way to end The Final Fantasy Retrospective! Congratulations Great Clement! 💖 You've finished all of the iconic retrospectives, Final Fantasy, Megaman, and of course Sonic! The sky's the limit now!
Me ha encantado el video, Clement. Gracias por continuar subiendo tanto buen contenido De verdad que se siente la pasion en ellos y siempre me alegra verlos. Cuidese mucho, y espero que siguas en lo tuyo.
It has been a long and an amazing journey Your retrospective legit helped me reignite my love for final fantasy throughout the years,I rewatched each video countless times and by the time i got into 14,i felt like my love for final fantasy has returned Amazing videos coming from the heart and I cant praise your amazing work enough man. I mean it when I say this is the best final fantasy retrospective series I ever saw on youtube Keep up the great work clement,looking forward to what you have in store for the future ^_^
I love the idea of the whispers, it took the story in a very interesting place, theres no reason to tell the same story twice, and with them gone the story can change for better or worse and its made me super excited
It may sound silly to gush this hard about a series of youtube videos about a series of video games, but I cannot stress how important this retrospective has been for me. I can associate very distinct periods of my life with each video, and I feel like somehow these retrospectives almost mean more to me than the games themselves. That is all to say, thank you for the incredible videos, Clement. You're one hell of a content-creator.
damn,, been watching this retrospective from late 2016 when it started.. been a lon journey since then, for me and my life... thank you for this, ill never forget it
IT’S TIME. Still need to beat remake, but man, as someone who got into the series about 2 years ago and has beaten 7, 9, and 10…..I really wish turn-based would come back to the main series. Either way, can’t wait to watch this! Clement, thank you for this series.
I like the idea of the whispers trying to make sure things go as they are meant to and failing sometimes so some events are altered. Like Jessie not being on the train to set up the fake id’s. It’s mostly following original events with slight twists. I mean… it’s all pretty on brand for final fantasy. So the “remake” is not really a remake, but a self aware retelling of the classic story in a way. …with Sephiroth trying to remake his own fate. The whispers are trying to keep things on track. All the beats from the original are there with some just slightly altered. It’s not a remake of the original story. It’s an alternate telling of it, with the characters we know going through all the same events but on another timeline. I think it is faithful enough for nostalgia. I was 17 when it first came out. Top 5 favorite game ever. This new one is up there, but it is different and I like it. Mostly. It’s a little too corny and goofy anime for me in some areas but the combat is really fun and I do like how the story is going. I Like the actors. And the pull up contest in the gym on pro level is the hardest part of the whole game.
Absolutely fantastic retrospective Clement! Honestly kind of shocked when you said it had been 5 years since you stared this, but it was a great ride all the same. Can't wait for what's next!
Thanks so much for this retrospective series. I only found it earlier this year when I was looking for FF videos to have on in the background while cooking dinner or killing time playing games, and all of the videos have been awesome. It’s even spurred me to try and finally complete all the mainline FFs myself (I’m up to 5 now). I’m kinda sad that the series is over, but at least there’s tons of great content to revisit.
POGGERS Clement has finished the FF series retrospective. He has reached GIGACHAD levels of God Mode 😎💪 Tifa is Top Tier Waifu and I Love how Thirsty Jessie was in the Remake 😆 I will also say Madam M was the Best new character imo She's Hot 🥵
Holy Shit what a journey. This retrospective was one hell of a time. From 2016 to 2022 I enjoyed every video more than the last. It was absolutely worth it. I cant wait till I sit down and binge the whole thing once again.
To note: Advent Children happens after the books, which makes it clear that stopping Meteor basically caused an apocalypse. Children and people are dying everywhere. The group splits up almost as quickly as it came together, and Tifa, Barret and Cloud are trying to figure out what to do after the fighting is over. They're basically soldiers coming home from combat and having difficulty adapting to trying to live a 'normal' life again, on top of which there's an incurable disease going around. Nanaki saves and raises some Nibi bears, only for them to be killed because their tails contain an ingredient used in a stimulant that helps ease the pain of Geostigma. Nanaki and Vincent have to deal with the fact that they'll outlive everyone they know. Cid probably fairs the best, getting back to building an airship, trying to use oil energy, and keeping his chin up. But Shera is sick. Rufus gets kidnapped so much that he's kidnapped while already being kidnapped, and eventually ends up sick while stuck at the bottom of a cave. He seems to manage to keep himself together the most along with Cid. Also, Rufus meets his little brother, but Reno seems to care more about that than him. I'm hoping we see Evan somewhere in the Remake, even if he's just in the background (because there wouldn't be much for him to actually do). Basically, there are reasons why the characters are at where they're at in Advent Children. The game didn't end and everything was good. Sephiroth begins corrupting the lifestream. People all over the place are dropping dead - there's no mercy, not even with little kids. The movie doesn't really show everything. Especially when it first came out - the complete edition is a lot better. But you can consider the characters as being soldiers from war coming back with PSTD. Cloud and Tifa live together for a while, but the adjustment to 'normal life' with kids isn't easy. It's actually Cloud's delivery service that ends up messing things up, because they're never off on the same days anymore and they stop having time to spend together.
I should also note, Sephiroth's plan in the book is to return via Cloud's memories. He can only come back because of Cloud. That's probably what's happening in the Remake. As long as Cloud remembers him he can return. We'll just have to see where it goes from there.
Congratulations Clement. I became a subscriber of this channel thanks to two things -- the Mega Man franchise and the Final Fantasy retrospective. It's been an honor to have followed you on this six-year-long journey.
By the way, when you asked why Shinra would blow up one of their own reactors, a reason is later given before the Airbuster fight at Reactor 5: So that they can blame these incidents on Wutai and make massive profits off of sparking a war with them. Though I won’t deny that it does take away some of the characters’ moral grayness. Thank you so much for making this retrospective, and I look forward to seeing whatever you make next!
It’s also just a stupid reasoning. They already had something similar with that with sector 7’s plate it’s was blaming avalanche to get people to be indoctrinated into their fascism and think those trying to resist them are purely the bad guys. It was pr painting shinra as the morally white instead of black and avalanche as black instead of gray. This is just a case of fuckin why. Wutai is completely conquered and is a tourist trap. That’s like America bombing fort Polk as an excuse to invade and steal resources from Hawaii.
1:28:28 - Clement, I strongly suggest that you see Kitase's interviews. If you saw his interviews, you'd understand WHY Red XIII said that's the 'bad ending'. Also note that this is clearly the Sephiroth from Advent Children (he has the black wing instead of the white one he has at the end of the original FFVII). That is why he has all of this foreknowledge. He somehow traveled back in time to try and change history.
When talking about the parts that long overstay their welcome I'm surprised you didn't mention the train graveyard, say what you will about the sewers and the drum but at least they didn't clash so horribly with the plot as the train graveyard did, having to watch Aerith frollick around with ghost children as Shinra is about to drop the plate on Sector 7 while the rest of AVALANCHE are fighting for their lives. Your Final Fantasy retrospective videos have been some of the most informative, fairly balanced and genuinely hilarious reviews on the entirety of UA-cam, and I say that with no hyperbole. I'm gonna miss this series but I'll look forward to the next video once either FF16 or FF7R part 2 drops. Thanks for everything Clement!
Climbing through the slums with Aerith was a really special moment in a game, it’s so sweet. And her red dress reveal is stunning. Tifa is just stunning throughout as well, it’s such a pretty game
This game was my jump into Final Fantasy. Playing through this, I got the original and fell in love with it. Final Fantasy will now have a special place in my heart thanks to the Remake.
I do love this game a lot, but it will always be marred by that ending. It didn’t ruin the game for me, but it casts doubt about the entire project and what FFVII will eventually become. It’s no longer something that they “better get right” because it’s so important, it’s now something that they’ll change however they see fit. And while I don’t think the game subverting expectations was an inherently bad decision, here it effectively leaves an actual remake of the original game (and those who still want it) left hanging. Especially if the future entries are largely successful. Who knows how long they would have to wait to consider remaking the game again only to hope that they’ll be more faithful this time around? Worst of all to me however, is that the ending turned this game into something me and my brothers loved into a game that they want nothing to do with beyond joking about how much it will spiral out of control. So I can’t even talk to them about it anymore in a primarily positive way.
I completely agree with you about what the other FF7 sans Crisis Core has done to Cloud and the rest of the cast. Honestly, it’s because of Advent Children and so forth, Cloud is constantly accused of being emo, especially those not familiar with FF7’s story. FF7 is such a breath of fresh air…..Cloud actually emotes, Aerith is actually spunky and not some tranquil princess, they actually remembered that Tifa is supposed to be the shy one, Barret having great one-liners, etc. I hope they continue with this characterization from not just the later parts of FF7 remake but future FF content in general. Thank you for this look back on a stellar remake, Clement!
After 5 & a half years it’s done. This series has been great & every Video was really well made. My personal favourite was the original 7 retrospective as it was nice hearing you talk so passionately about the story. The 13 video video as also a favourite, I remember watching the vlog review of it from years ago & to see a well produced video analysing why it was bad was great. I’m looking forward to see what’s up next, I’m kind of hoping for some kind of look back at the Sonic 06 review as it’s turning 10 years old later this year, whether it be a review of project 06 or just seeing what’s changed in your opinions on that game, but whatever’s next I’ll give it a watch
Personally, I wouldn't have minded Square veering off from the original plot-line, and I still don't. But man, those ghosts put a really, really bad taste in my mouth. None of this destiny or meta-commentary crap was needed. It's why I can only be cautiously optimistic about the future of this sub-series. I feel like Sephiroth could've been the sole catalyst for the change in the timeline, considering he's already a chaotic character.
I just rewatched this whole series and love it from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see if we get another clement FF video after FF16 releases later this year.
Really happy seeing you loved seeing this game. Just like me! Loved this game, was my favorite game on the last decade, even! I loved so much about this game. I'm super excited about the future of this untold story! I welcome it. Only 2 things I disagree with, sector 7th destruction was done really went, and took it's time, letting us see everyone reaction. I've seen people cry and get really emotional, I don't think at all it was done to fast. The air combat, part I agree with you on. But seeing as you didn't talk about it in this video, Yuffie's air combat is MUCH better. It's better already and being worked on for everyone. And everyone having a counter as well just like Cloud does in future parts. A great but very long journey. Been here from FF1 and now at the end
Clement you do know that in FF7 Original Humanity dies at the end right? Yoshinori Kitase confirmed after the 500 year ending Humanity is gone and dead and Red13 and his species are one of the only intelligent life forms on the planet right? Thats the one aspect a lot of people had a problem with. And even with the compilation Humanity STILL DIES because Kitase said that anything can happen within those 500 years to kill humanity. It's the reason why FF7 Original is so unique to the FF franchise, it's the only game in the franchise where it's a bad ending for humanity and only the Planet Gaia gets a good ending.
I'm glad you talked in length about the sidequests. The way they do the sidequests is exactly why I don't think the sidequests are shitty in this game. There's not much you can do in terms of gameplay to make sidequests interesting, so the only two things that can make sidequests worth it are equipment rewards and story content. Giving you a decent side story or giving you more character interactions/more story is what makes sidequests interesting to me and want to do them, and FFVII Remake delivers on that perfectly. Like, if a sidequest is the exact same with the exact same rewards (hunt 3 specific enemies and you can get this piece of equipment) but one version is just a generic "go get rid of these monsters" and another version of it has you learn that these monsters were simply protecting their territory and going crazy because a week ago their mother was mercilessly killed for sport, leaving the quest clear feeling bittersweet...which one would you be more inclined to clear, leaves a bigger impact?
Ok but Yakuza has been doing them since 2005. And has been doing them with actual tact pacing and good writing since generally 2006 (though admittedly 1 had good ones 2 just had bad ones be the outlier). So I don’t see the excuse for them to be a chore and the award is something you can get from a UA-cam. There’s a reason the good game this one is a bad remake of gave you TWO party members and equipment options for its side quests because Mario sunshine taught us that shit like that is the nft’s of video game rewards.
Thank you so much, Clement! I've been watching this retrospective since the very beginning and have stuck with it until the end. I love Final Fantasy so much and you reminded me over the last few years as to why I love this series. Thanks again and now enjoy your rest.
You were complaining about JENOVA's blood, and this is an example of SE having their hands tied. See, CERO wouldn't let them have that without it bumping the age rating a LOT. It's also why they had to get rid of her eye nipple, and had to be very careful to not expose her too much. Back in 97 age ratings were more lenient - not to mention the graphics were much less sophisticated. At some point I'll respond to some of your other complaints, like the notion of fighting fate (which has been a thing since the very beginning of FF).
34:15 - Seriously though. Tifa so far is a HUGE upgrade from the original. When Cloud brought up the 'promise' and Tifa responded by saying that this wasn't what she had in mind when they said that, that's the moment I knew that improvements were being made to her character. I've written near-essays on how awful her character is in the original, but someone must've seen one of them, because this is literally one of the changes I suggested.
I mean, I literally check his twitter on a daily basis (don't have an account, nor plan on creating one), so I knew this was coming out, but it was still a pleasant surprise when I saw this on my feed. He even said he was going to delete the channel if it wasn't out by Saturday, which is hilarious and totally wasn't a "threat" he used before for a previous CRFF video.
The end of an era. What a run, congrats on reaching the end (for now!). As somebody who had never been a big FFVII guy, I think Remake is exactly what it needed to be, because where VII changed video games, Remake is poised to change video game _remakes._ We're finally reaching that era where the folks that grew up with a game are the ones working on that series, and just like in film and television, that means that these folks can create their own version of a known property, rather than blindly copying and pasting. It won't always work out, but it's a good step for the industry to take. Sure, there's an argument that new players could end up confused, but the thing about VII is that it absolutely transcends the usual video game fanbase. Aerith dying is the Vader-is-Luke's-father moment; if you play games, at some point you're going to find out about it, and nowadays it's almost certainly going to be before you've played VII. That sort of moment can't happen again easily, not without getting leaked and pissing off so many people - we saw that the very same year that VII Remake dropped. I had a buddy who hates RPGs, who's not a huge gamer, that knew about Aerith dying - and he played and loved Remake to the point that he's invested in the story now. Now every single FFVII player is just as in the dark as those newcomers, and remaking VII should never have been just about 1:1 recreating the game to me, but recreating the _feeling_ the game gave, the impact it had on players. Barret dying as a fake-out, even momentarily, was an Aerith moment to the VII veterans, and now that Zack's around to send Cloud into his unreliable narrator spiral even sooner? Now that there's no definite roadmap of what's to come? They could straight-up kill Aerith again, and it'll be just as shocking in that moment as it was in 1997. They could kill _Cloud_ even. And if they can get us like that again, 25-30+ years after the original? They deserve their flowers, all the flowers, even if in the same breath it's certainly going to piss off the folks that want VII original-but-pretty. Now that said, I also 100% expect VII Part 2 to be some absolute Kingdom Hearts tier mess of a story, especially after Intergrade. That way I'll be pleasantly surprised if it somehow actually works out. But they got me, they hooked me, they got me invested. Damn them.
But I want to experience that story for myself. I haven't played the original FF7. I know that a *lot* of people haven't. Instead, I'm not allowed to have an awesome remaster or remake so I can experience that story first hand, just some weird sequel thing. No thanks, don't like that.
I squealed in happiness when I saw you uploaded this video. DAMN. The whole main series! This was one hell of a journey! Also I realized that the synopsis was almost told word for word from the OG ff7 vid. (Not that I'm complaining. It's perfect) Also will you make a top 10 video on the mainline games far into the future?
If Gensis does somehow come back in Remake part 2 or 3, then I will literally call bullshit. He wasn't even an interesting villain in Crisis Core, so bringing those idiots back in Yuffie's DLC all to bring that idiot back is just going to be stupid because he is NOT a big threat. Same with the whispers as I never liked them in the remake as well as Sephiroth popping up all the damn time! But I will give the remake this:the gameplay is better then 15, the quests actually made me give a shit about the people, side characters are better fleshed out including Biggs, Wedge and Jessie and I love the main cast, especially Yuffie from her DLC. I still don't like the episodic nature that this new timeline will hold, but hey at least we finally got the remake and this video. Great job with every single one Clement and I really loved watching these as they came out!
The trop you mentioned, Defying The Will of The Gods, I have a feeling that will be the main drive for a story for quite a while. After all, that's been a story element since The Oddesy.
For me, it's just kinda funny as a Xenoblade fan: Xenoblade 1 was all about defying destiny, "the future isn't set in stone", etc. and the Xeno series started as a rejected pitch for Final Fantasy VII. It's like the whole thing's just come full circle
I Hate how they turned Remake into a sequel and made stupid changes Iike Biggs and Wedge and to many from Sector 7 surviving and Sephirorh appearing to much.
I played the original FF7 very recently as my first game in the series and i absolutely love the story! Which makes me worried about all that whisper stuff they did with the Remake but well, i can't do much other than wait and see, i just hope they don't mess it up
This retrospective was quite the journey. VII Remake is my favorite modern Final Fantasy game. That might change when XVI gets released, but that has yet to be seen.
buddy, i was late to the party, started at 1, and P O W E R E D through all of these (plus XVI) and let me tell you, i enjoyed my journey. So cheers man. will eagerly await your review on rebirth (only 4 more days)
Remake part 1's story is gonna age as well as The Force Awakens. Trying to be a remake and a sequel at the same time is impossible long term because you need to satisfy those two audience that want something fundamentally different. At least we know FF7R2 and FF16's gameplay will be great so I'll buy both regardless of story complaints. Thanks for making this video Clement.
7 seconds till the end is a reference to the time taken for Sephiroth to impale Aerith in the OG death scene from when the camera pans on him. so Sephiroth is basically saying can you change her fate. plus the music is literally a remix of the city of the ancients just to hammer that home
It actually has nothing to do with Aerith. The chapter summary says that that that the edge of creation where Sephiroth and Cloud have their final showdown is a place frozen in time 7 seconds before the end of the world. That's what the 7 seconds refers to. So by the end of this, Cloud is going to have to make a choice that will determine the fate of the world, and he'll only have seven seconds to act.
Great to see this series finished! As for Remake being a sequel... yes, it is. The Sephiroth from Remake is the Sephiroth from Advent Children, so he knows everything that happened in the original game already. He's trying to mess with the timeline so Cloud and the gang don't rise up to fight him (the real him, from this timeline, that's still unconscious in the Northern Crater in Remake).
I'm not going to lie, when you started to talk about the Whispers my heart started to sink. That is legit the absolute worst thing I can imagine happening to a remake's story. There's a popular image of a post going around social media right now that talks about how a lot of people see characters as if they "deserve" good or bad endings and how that rules their experiences with media, over what contributes to the themes or story or what builds the most narratively satisfying moments. The pull between Aerith "deserving" to live versus the narrative beauty and impact from the moment of her death. And Final Fantasy 7 Remake feels like it's pulling back on those beautiful and bold moments, to instead make everyone feel good and wrap every story up with a perfect little bow. That legit scares me. Slow pacing is one thing, but that just targets my absolute personal weakness when it comes to storytelling.
I was there for the first video on New Ywar's Eve 2016, and I must say this was quite the journey! Congrats on finally finishing this amazing Final Fantasy project! Whatever you want to focus on next, know this: you'll always have people like us excited to hear what you have to say! Thank you, Clement. Now take you're rest; you've more than earned it!
First I wanna say, thank you so much Clement for your retrospective, it has helped me through a lot of tough times and I love watching these videos. I'm looking forward to what you have planned ahead and I wish you the best! Now about FF7 remake One of the best RPGs that have come out in a long damn time. How the whispers soured the overall experience for me. I'm not angry just tired and apathetic and that's not something you want fans to feel when expecting a follow up. When I think of the whispers of fate keeping things "the same". I always think of all the charcters added from other pieces of multimedia for FF7. Leslie and Kyrie for example were from a different piece of media and we will def be seeing them and many other novel and multimedia exclusive characters. They weren't in the original so why aren't the whispers stopping them? That's what bothers me the most about that new element, that they are willing to expand the game on what came after but won't respect what had to happen to get there. Why did the whispers have to be there, why not just have the characters do different things and that a multitude of small things that you did led up to big changes. That if you kept your playthru like the original it would end like that. I am nervous as all heck about what will come after, I love Zack to death but seeing him alive gives me feelings of apprehension, worry and dread. I can't trust square to make something competent, I don't have that faith in them and this is coming from someone who's favorite FF game is 13-2. Like clearly my standards aren't high but if you got me worried about story direction, there's something wrong. I don't even have nostalgia towards the original 7 like most people do, but I connected to it's story and it's themes in ways other final fantasy's weren't able to accomplish. Heck I can empathize more with the original games themes and messages after losing someone important in my life fairly recently. With the implementation of the whispers I truly think the game needed another year which is so weird to say when the game in all other aspects feels so polished. But clearly they didn't really know what they truly wanted. I know we will see the results of these wishes in the future but as you said, I hope they don't lose track of the emotional themes and messages that are prevalent throughout this world and series. The game has clearly showed they care about interactions between the cast but when ideas and concepts get grander the "smaller things" tend to slip thru the cracks especially with square enix's track record. Regardless of how I feel about the changes, I think that if they wanted people to play the original they should have added it to the remake So that people can actually get that comparison and experience. Add in a bunch of features to allow newbies to see all the original had to offer, hold their hand through it even if an indivual wants that, because clearly ff7remake is a sequel to Advent Children and crisis core for better and worse.
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO. I have unfortunately haven't got myself to play this game yet (screw you PS5 stocks), but once I do. Oooohhh boy. Congratulations on finally catching up on your retrospective. I'm excited to see what you have next up your sleeve
What an incredible journey it's been these last 6 years. Dont be sad its over folks, be happy it came to be in the first place.
Incredible?to get bits and pieces of a sequal?no reason ff7 r was split into just midgar
@@holy9781
He was talking about clement’s retrospective on final fantasy.
@@holy9781 The reason was told to you.
I’ll be sad it’s over
@@holy9781yeah we should have waited through a 15 year development cycle(maybe more) and gotten a single 200 hour 600 GB game, genius. That sounds like a very smart cost effective thing for a game developer to do
Started this back in Dec 31, 2016 and now it ends today. It's been great watching this final fantasy retrospective.
I started watching every video of this Final Fantasy Retrospective back in 2020. It did help me recover from all that trauma I had from that same year. This retrospective also made me become a Final Fantasy Fan, not just 7 or 10, but Final Fantasy in general. Before I only knew some of the games and heard the history behind them (Like how 7 became a PS1 exclusive after Square realized that it's impossible to include FMV Cutscenes on a N64, or how 4 & 6 were just called 2 & 3 due to 2 3 & 5 initally being Japanese exclusives, before being rereleased on later consoles), now I know the history behind all of the numbered enteries, got the chance to play the first six enteries via the Pixel Remasters, bought 5 Final Fantasy games on my PS4 & PS5, and I even got the chance to show it to my dad. I'd say that, I agree with you that the Retrospective's great, I'm happy that Clement sort of made me become a Final Fantasy fan.
By god he's only gone and done it, The whole series.
Congrats Clement!
And he's finally brought up the bane of artists everywhere. Microtransactions, fake as hell scarcity, a useless gimmick (web3), and potential character assassinations up the ass. He says the highs are so high, the lows don't matter. But after KH and a series of bad plays like those, it's such a perfect way to leave the series on such a high note. This feels like a perfect way to lay this series to rest and part ways with the franchise he loved. I parted with Sonic the Hedgehog on such a sour note I still am resentful about it to this day.
"Was Red XIII just upset that he was going to be a father?"
Well, given what we know about HIS father...
Actually, there's one part about the ending cutscene from the original which Yoshinori Kitase confirmed, which is that at that time, humanity went extinct. It makes sense now since I'm sure THAT is what Red XIII saw in the vision and was worried about, not the bit about him being a father. Clement did admit in his Final Fantasy XIV video that he is an idiot.
Actually, it was confirmed by Yoshinori Kitase that the time the '500 years later' cutscene rolled around, humanity went extinct. So maybe in Remake's finale, they can have a new future where humans and nature coexist
That's exactly what I think. Holy is mentioned as a lesser meteor, a power of great destruction. It essentially is a self defense mechanism which seeks to purge that which endangers the planet. Die to geostigma it seems like humanity is targeted as threats, and over time are wiped out. At the end of remake we see sephiroth win over clouds mind in exact reverse outcome as ff7 OG. I think we need to defeat sephiroth, and the will of the planet which seeks to destroy humanity (perhaps embodied by Minerva). That will cause the planet to never seek to exterminate humanity. In doing this I think we will be able to stop Meteor without Holy somehow. Just some thoughts, have yourself a good day!
@@malpercio123 nice to see a guy who loves the worldbuilding and universe of FF7 just as much as I do
@@DaBlueJay2001 It's a heck of a story! Soon the unknown journey will continue!
Well the remake is perfectly good at taking a shit on the original creators intent so that seems like the logical conclusion
Are you sure, because after that cutscene, it fades to the Final Fantasy 7 logo, and we hear human children giggeling. So humans still exists in the 500 years later cutscene
Clement at the end of the FF7 video: "I may eventually cover the remake after I do 15's video. In the year 2022"
My god. He actually predicted it...
Or he knows his work-flow so well he knew that's about when he'd land.
His estimations more on point than SE triple A release plans
@@sh1yo7
*Cue the SupahHotFire 'OHHH!!!' sound bit here.*
THE MAIN MAN CLEMENT !!!!!!!
MAN IVE BEEN WATCHING YOU SINCE AT LEAST 2008.
THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES DUDE.
As a huge Sephiroth fan, I personally love the ending because it shows that he is willing to ANYTHING to succeed. Even if that means resetting the timeline. This man found a way to cheat destiny and reset the universe so things will lead to him winning. That is peak Sephiroth. And the fact that he went this far will make it all the more satisfying when Cloud and the gang defeat him again.
Also, congrats on finishing this retrospective, Clement! It's been a long journey but was worth every minute! Excited to see whatever you have planned next!
Congrats Clement, I’ve absolutely loved this series from beginning to end. When you first started this series, I was a young guy who knew next to nothing about final fantasy and was thinking about trying ff15 as my first game. This series introduced me to why the FF series is as loved as it is and what makes it so great, and honesty made me an actual fan of the series! Thanks Clement
5 Years. And it ends. I'm so glad I was here for this long journey of nostalgia and love for a franchise. Clement, I started watching back when you were doing the mega man LPs and seeing all of these videos (which I have seen hundreds of times now because I love this series) shows everyone that these games have merit and aren't boring or just something from Japan. This retrospective has reinvigorated my love for this series.
Thank you, Clement and I can't wait to see where this journey goes next. No matter what series, style or trope. We are all here.
Clement at the end of his OG FF7 video back in 2017:
"I may cover the remake after I do 15's video... in the year *2022* because this game so isn't coming out anytine soon."
BOY DID THAT AGED WELL. If that's not a coincidence, that's a damn prophecy.
I know right?
Lol maybe it was
Destiny....
Bleh. Square Enix is sooooo pretentious
End of an era, have enjoyed these so much and they are so well made and interesting. Look forward to you being able to do more what you want and not feel obligated to these giant series, but no rush
I just found your channel and binge watched almost all of the videos in this series. Thank you for the hard work and the fantastic videos
Man I remember when you started this series all those years ago. It's been great seeing how much you've grown and improved over all this time, and all the retrospective videos have aged really well in my opinion. I can't wait to see what the future has in store for you.
So awesome to see you uploading again, man! Also thank you for many many fun hours of watching your let's plays over the last 12 years, man!
"Don't you hear the planet cryin' out in pain?! I know you can!"
"You really hear that?"
"Damn straight I do!"
"Get help."
I spat out my drink first time I heard that. The delivery on both sides is perfect.
I'm going to miss these reviews man! I only discovered them about 2 years ago with the start of the pandemic but they've certainly been something I keep coming back to in a moment of nostalgia and comfort
I’m one of those people who’s first experience of FF7’s story came from this game. Pretty much exactly how you put it in the video: greatly enjoyed the game except when it came to everything about the whispers and Sephiroth. It felt like the game was going “oh hahaha original fan of FF7, the story you’re expecting is going to be much different, you have to let go of the past and be open to this new experience!”
And I’m like dude, I just got here, what the hell are you on about?
I could be wrong about this, but some of the Voice Actors from this game have never experienced OG FFVII before, and I know Aerith's VA played the remake live on stream, can't imagine how she felt about this whole thing.
Btw, off-topic, but great choice of pfp my dude. Bionicle forever!
I also like Gradius, too.
I kept thinking about players like you when I was playing this game. I wanted it to be the game I could recommend to people who have never played the original, because I do think the original is dated and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to people anymore, which is a great shame. But I can’t recommend the remake either because without the context of the original it must be such a confusing mess.
>be me
>never played the original until after the remake came out
>knows barely anything about it
>never played a FF game before
And yet somehow this game's story bothered me. I dunno dude, if you wanted to tell a different story within the same universe, just give it a different name
@@theabsolutetrashman3708 we did that it’s called 13 and it sucked. Thrice.
And that is this game's biggest failing. It assumes that people have played the original, which yes, is one of the most popular games of all time, but is still a game that's 25 years old by now. The early 3D era was one defined by jank, an inescapable element that dates almost every game within the time frame even more than the 16-bit classics that came before them. People wanted a Final Fantasy VII remake because it has been, more than any other game in the series, destroyed by the passage of time. Most people who would check this game out nowadays don't want to play a PS1 jank-fest just to get the plot of the latest shiny new RPG that everyone's talking about, especially when it says "Remake" on the front cover.
This has been a fantastic series to watch & listen too. Thanks a lot Clement for the entertainment & your views on the series
While I did have a slight trouble getting used to the Remake (voice cast change, story changes, only stopping at Midgar) I went on to love it. During that crazy COVID lockdown, this was a saviour even if my special edition took a few days extra to arrive (avoided the internet like a plague to dodge spoilers) My backlog is long enough but I am overdue for a replay of Remake
I’m looking forward to Remake part/episode 2 but am a little worried it may end up going somewhere wrong…
Thank you. From the bottom of my heart. Thank you for this series.
If there's one more thing to praise about the visuals, it's the spot on sky boxes. My first playthrough, I legit thought they were fully modeled beyond where you could go until I was climbing the destroyed sector 7 plate and REALLY looked around.
So honestly, the only thing I disagree with in this is the thoughts on the ending. I loved it a ton because of how it challenges what it means to be a remake, as well as finally give me something I always wanted: a proper fight with Sephiroth. Because the only times you actually fight mama's boy himself are in a big fancy God angel mode, or as a single hit death apparition in clouds mind. It's great to get what feels like a proper duel with the guy.
Still, I'm glad to see this series through. It's a time and has gotten me through the most tedious times at work.
I agree with the Sephiroth fight. I also found it weird that you never fight him normally and the remake makes this happen. This still leaves room for the Safer Sephiroth fight to happen in part 3 or 4, while everyone that has been waiting for the remake doesn't leave disappointed that they never saw the main villain in part 1 and will have to wait even longer before he gets finally revealed.
The resident evil ones do it better, a Remake shouldn't require me to replay the original especially since it's gotten more relevant now.
@@rawrdino7046 Well that's the beauty of it: It doesn't require you to. It enhances the experience sure to compare and contrast, but the game is more then enjoyable without playing the original. Angry Joe and Doug Walker are two examples that come to mind of people with no FF experience playing and enjoying the game on its own merits.
IT'S HERE. And on the 25th anniversary of the original no less! As Ansem in KH3 would say, "What a journey you and I have had." It's been a fun ride, Clement. These videos were my comfort media during the pandemic and I've thoroughly enjoyed them since. Thank you for sharing your FF experience with all of us.
As usual, this was a brilliant watch, thank you Clement for not only getting me into Final Fantasy but entertaining me for years!
I have loved this series since day one. Thanks for the fantastic content Clement.
This has been a wonderful retrospective, Clement. It's been so long that I can't remember if I was there from the start, or if I started watching with FF3 or 4, but learning about your history and experience with a series with which I, at the time, had little more than a passing familiarity with via Kingdom Hearts was equal parts entertaining and insightful.
Your videos gave me the push I needed to finally jump into the series myself, from the beginning, and learn as much as I can about these games, their development, the cultural context in which they were produced and released, ports and remakes, and their lasting legacy. And I've begun making videos about my own experience with the series as a newcomer, aiming to educate others about these games' place in the culture and what went into them as well. It's a monumental project, but seeing you get through it all is inspiring.
Thanks for taking me and so many others on this journey with you, and thank you for inadvertently helping to bring me into the Final Fantasy fold.
This series has been fantastic. I’m about ready to just go back and watch them all again. Excellent work.
I never finished this game. Dropped it after 28 hours. The new combat system was confusing to me. I wiped against random encounters more than bosses. I just couldn't grasp what I was getting wrong.
I was really hoping for a turn-based option. "Classic" mode isn't exactly what I had in mind either. For me, FFX has the best combat system of any FF game. (Followed by FFTA)
While FFXVI looks good story-wise, the Devil May Cry style combat looks floaty/busy/messy. At least FF7R attacks have weight behind them. Still, my current favorite game series is the Soulsborne games. I've beaten all of them. The slow deliberate combat is my cup of tea.
FF7R and the newer FF games in general feel too hectic to me. It isn't adrenaline pumping fast-paced action to me, it's anxiety-inducing and triggers my OCD. If I want frenetic gameplay, I'll play a shooter. Even in those games I prefer to camp my ass off in a corner.
Anyway, this is a rant at this point. I'll just say, I think the modern game industry isn't catering to me anymore and that's been a bit of a bummer.
This game made me love the Final Fantasy Games. Just incredible
Wow! No wonder The Great Clement loves Final Fantasy 7! The Remake is so incredible and awesome! 😎 And what a way to end The Final Fantasy Retrospective! Congratulations Great Clement! 💖 You've finished all of the iconic retrospectives, Final Fantasy, Megaman, and of course Sonic! The sky's the limit now!
Excited to see Clement Remembers Final Fantasy! (XVI) when it comes out
Me ha encantado el video, Clement.
Gracias por continuar subiendo tanto buen contenido
De verdad que se siente la pasion en ellos y siempre me alegra verlos.
Cuidese mucho, y espero que siguas en lo tuyo.
It has been a long and an amazing journey
Your retrospective legit helped me reignite my love for final fantasy throughout the years,I rewatched each video countless times and by the time i got into 14,i felt like my love for final fantasy has returned
Amazing videos coming from the heart and I cant praise your amazing work enough man.
I mean it when I say this is the best final fantasy retrospective series I ever saw on youtube
Keep up the great work clement,looking forward to what you have in store for the future ^_^
I love the idea of the whispers, it took the story in a very interesting place, theres no reason to tell the same story twice, and with them gone the story can change for better or worse and its made me super excited
It may sound silly to gush this hard about a series of youtube videos about a series of video games, but I cannot stress how important this retrospective has been for me. I can associate very distinct periods of my life with each video, and I feel like somehow these retrospectives almost mean more to me than the games themselves.
That is all to say, thank you for the incredible videos, Clement. You're one hell of a content-creator.
damn,, been watching this retrospective from late 2016 when it started.. been a lon journey since then, for me and my life... thank you for this, ill never forget it
It’s been fun, Clement. Loved the content. Excited for more in the future, whatever it may be.
IT’S TIME.
Still need to beat remake, but man, as someone who got into the series about 2 years ago and has beaten 7, 9, and 10…..I really wish turn-based would come back to the main series. Either way, can’t wait to watch this! Clement, thank you for this series.
I like the idea of the whispers trying to make sure things go as they are meant to and failing sometimes so some events are altered. Like Jessie not being on the train to set up the fake id’s. It’s mostly following original events with slight twists. I mean… it’s all pretty on brand for final fantasy. So the “remake” is not really a remake, but a self aware retelling of the classic story in a way. …with Sephiroth trying to remake his own fate. The whispers are trying to keep things on track. All the beats from the original are there with some just slightly altered. It’s not a remake of the original story. It’s an alternate telling of it, with the characters we know going through all the same events but on another timeline. I think it is faithful enough for nostalgia. I was 17 when it first came out. Top 5 favorite game ever. This new one is up there, but it is different and I like it. Mostly. It’s a little too corny and goofy anime for me in some areas but the combat is really fun and I do like how the story is going. I Like the actors. And the pull up contest in the gym on pro level is the hardest part of the whole game.
FF7R is one of the best modern jrpg's ever mad, it's already one of my fave games of all time ♡
Absolutely fantastic retrospective Clement! Honestly kind of shocked when you said it had been 5 years since you stared
this, but it was a great ride all the same. Can't wait for what's next!
Loved every second of the hours and hours of the final fantasy retrospective! Cannot wait to see your responses to future titles
Literally just looked up whether this had been uploaded haha! Been so excited to see this!
Thanks so much for this retrospective series. I only found it earlier this year when I was looking for FF videos to have on in the background while cooking dinner or killing time playing games, and all of the videos have been awesome. It’s even spurred me to try and finally complete all the mainline FFs myself (I’m up to 5 now). I’m kinda sad that the series is over, but at least there’s tons of great content to revisit.
The Retrospective Was Great Man, Thank You!!!
You know nothing of editing
POGGERS Clement has finished the FF series retrospective. He has reached GIGACHAD levels of God Mode 😎💪 Tifa is Top Tier Waifu and I Love how Thirsty Jessie was in the Remake 😆 I will also say Madam M was the Best new character imo She's Hot 🥵
ff7r ends with the cast going into something fresh and new.
this retrospective ends with clement going into something fresh and new.
Today I finally got some free time to enjoy the grand finale of the retrospective! Thanks for everything you do, Clement!
Holy Shit what a journey.
This retrospective was one hell of a time. From 2016 to 2022 I enjoyed every video more than the last. It was absolutely worth it.
I cant wait till I sit down and binge the whole thing once again.
He did it! Thanks for this incredible Journey Clement, you're the reason I checked out Final Fantasy in the first place!
These have been a wonderful love letter to the entire series, thank you for all the hard work!
The first retrospective feels like yesterday. What a journey! Thank you!
To note: Advent Children happens after the books, which makes it clear that stopping Meteor basically caused an apocalypse. Children and people are dying everywhere. The group splits up almost as quickly as it came together, and Tifa, Barret and Cloud are trying to figure out what to do after the fighting is over. They're basically soldiers coming home from combat and having difficulty adapting to trying to live a 'normal' life again, on top of which there's an incurable disease going around.
Nanaki saves and raises some Nibi bears, only for them to be killed because their tails contain an ingredient used in a stimulant that helps ease the pain of Geostigma. Nanaki and Vincent have to deal with the fact that they'll outlive everyone they know. Cid probably fairs the best, getting back to building an airship, trying to use oil energy, and keeping his chin up. But Shera is sick.
Rufus gets kidnapped so much that he's kidnapped while already being kidnapped, and eventually ends up sick while stuck at the bottom of a cave. He seems to manage to keep himself together the most along with Cid.
Also, Rufus meets his little brother, but Reno seems to care more about that than him. I'm hoping we see Evan somewhere in the Remake, even if he's just in the background (because there wouldn't be much for him to actually do).
Basically, there are reasons why the characters are at where they're at in Advent Children. The game didn't end and everything was good. Sephiroth begins corrupting the lifestream. People all over the place are dropping dead - there's no mercy, not even with little kids.
The movie doesn't really show everything. Especially when it first came out - the complete edition is a lot better. But you can consider the characters as being soldiers from war coming back with PSTD. Cloud and Tifa live together for a while, but the adjustment to 'normal life' with kids isn't easy. It's actually Cloud's delivery service that ends up messing things up, because they're never off on the same days anymore and they stop having time to spend together.
I should also note, Sephiroth's plan in the book is to return via Cloud's memories. He can only come back because of Cloud. That's probably what's happening in the Remake. As long as Cloud remembers him he can return.
We'll just have to see where it goes from there.
Congratulations Clement. I became a subscriber of this channel thanks to two things -- the Mega Man franchise and the Final Fantasy retrospective. It's been an honor to have followed you on this six-year-long journey.
By the way, when you asked why Shinra would blow up one of their own reactors, a reason is later given before the Airbuster fight at Reactor 5: So that they can blame these incidents on Wutai and make massive profits off of sparking a war with them. Though I won’t deny that it does take away some of the characters’ moral grayness.
Thank you so much for making this retrospective, and I look forward to seeing whatever you make next!
It’s also just a stupid reasoning. They already had something similar with that with sector 7’s plate it’s was blaming avalanche to get people to be indoctrinated into their fascism and think those trying to resist them are purely the bad guys. It was pr painting shinra as the morally white instead of black and avalanche as black instead of gray. This is just a case of fuckin why. Wutai is completely conquered and is a tourist trap. That’s like America bombing fort Polk as an excuse to invade and steal resources from Hawaii.
You’re a legend, Clement. Thanks for all the great work you put into your content! ✌🏼
1:28:28 - Clement, I strongly suggest that you see Kitase's interviews. If you saw his interviews, you'd understand WHY Red XIII said that's the 'bad ending'. Also note that this is clearly the Sephiroth from Advent Children (he has the black wing instead of the white one he has at the end of the original FFVII). That is why he has all of this foreknowledge. He somehow traveled back in time to try and change history.
When talking about the parts that long overstay their welcome I'm surprised you didn't mention the train graveyard, say what you will about the sewers and the drum but at least they didn't clash so horribly with the plot as the train graveyard did, having to watch Aerith frollick around with ghost children as Shinra is about to drop the plate on Sector 7 while the rest of AVALANCHE are fighting for their lives.
Your Final Fantasy retrospective videos have been some of the most informative, fairly balanced and genuinely hilarious reviews on the entirety of UA-cam, and I say that with no hyperbole. I'm gonna miss this series but I'll look forward to the next video once either FF16 or FF7R part 2 drops. Thanks for everything Clement!
Congrats on this milestone Clement! This ff remembers has been amazing to follow all these years.
The journey is complete and what a magical journey it was the journey to our final fantasy
Climbing through the slums with Aerith was a really special moment in a game, it’s so sweet. And her red dress reveal is stunning. Tifa is just stunning throughout as well, it’s such a pretty game
This game was my jump into Final Fantasy. Playing through this, I got the original and fell in love with it. Final Fantasy will now have a special place in my heart thanks to the Remake.
This was my first real final fantasy game and yup now ima fan
This is one of two final fantasy games I own(the other one being the 10 and 10 2 compilation),definitely can’t wait to play it whenever I can.
I do love this game a lot, but it will always be marred by that ending. It didn’t ruin the game for me, but it casts doubt about the entire project and what FFVII will eventually become. It’s no longer something that they “better get right” because it’s so important, it’s now something that they’ll change however they see fit.
And while I don’t think the game subverting expectations was an inherently bad decision, here it effectively leaves an actual remake of the original game (and those who still want it) left hanging. Especially if the future entries are largely successful. Who knows how long they would have to wait to consider remaking the game again only to hope that they’ll be more faithful this time around?
Worst of all to me however, is that the ending turned this game into something me and my brothers loved into a game that they want nothing to do with beyond joking about how much it will spiral out of control. So I can’t even talk to them about it anymore in a primarily positive way.
Been a wild ride sir ^^ lookin' forward to whatever you bring us next!
I guess this is it. It doesn’t feel like a multi-year retrospective, but hey at least things didn’t take so long. Congrats, Clement!
I completely agree with you about what the other FF7 sans Crisis Core has done to Cloud and the rest of the cast. Honestly, it’s because of Advent Children and so forth, Cloud is constantly accused of being emo, especially those not familiar with FF7’s story. FF7 is such a breath of fresh air…..Cloud actually emotes, Aerith is actually spunky and not some tranquil princess, they actually remembered that Tifa is supposed to be the shy one, Barret having great one-liners, etc. I hope they continue with this characterization from not just the later parts of FF7 remake but future FF content in general. Thank you for this look back on a stellar remake, Clement!
After 5 & a half years it’s done. This series has been great & every Video was really well made. My personal favourite was the original 7 retrospective as it was nice hearing you talk so passionately about the story. The 13 video video as also a favourite, I remember watching the vlog review of it from years ago & to see a well produced video analysing why it was bad was great. I’m looking forward to see what’s up next, I’m kind of hoping for some kind of look back at the Sonic 06 review as it’s turning 10 years old later this year, whether it be a review of project 06 or just seeing what’s changed in your opinions on that game, but whatever’s next I’ll give it a watch
Personally, I wouldn't have minded Square veering off from the original plot-line, and I still don't. But man, those ghosts put a really, really bad taste in my mouth. None of this destiny or meta-commentary crap was needed. It's why I can only be cautiously optimistic about the future of this sub-series. I feel like Sephiroth could've been the sole catalyst for the change in the timeline, considering he's already a chaotic character.
I just rewatched this whole series and love it from beginning to end. I can’t wait to see if we get another clement FF video after FF16 releases later this year.
Really happy seeing you loved seeing this game. Just like me! Loved this game, was my favorite game on the last decade, even!
I loved so much about this game.
I'm super excited about the future of this untold story! I welcome it.
Only 2 things I disagree with, sector 7th destruction was done really went, and took it's time, letting us see everyone reaction. I've seen people cry and get really emotional, I don't think at all it was done to fast.
The air combat, part I agree with you on. But seeing as you didn't talk about it in this video, Yuffie's air combat is MUCH better. It's better already and being worked on for everyone. And everyone having a counter as well just like Cloud does in future parts.
A great but very long journey. Been here from FF1 and now at the end
57:43 i rewatched this 5 times. Excellent stuff
Clement you do know that in FF7 Original Humanity dies at the end right? Yoshinori Kitase confirmed after the 500 year ending Humanity is gone and dead and Red13 and his species are one of the only intelligent life forms on the planet right? Thats the one aspect a lot of people had a problem with. And even with the compilation Humanity STILL DIES because Kitase said that anything can happen within those 500 years to kill humanity. It's the reason why FF7 Original is so unique to the FF franchise, it's the only game in the franchise where it's a bad ending for humanity and only the Planet Gaia gets a good ending.
I'm glad you talked in length about the sidequests. The way they do the sidequests is exactly why I don't think the sidequests are shitty in this game. There's not much you can do in terms of gameplay to make sidequests interesting, so the only two things that can make sidequests worth it are equipment rewards and story content. Giving you a decent side story or giving you more character interactions/more story is what makes sidequests interesting to me and want to do them, and FFVII Remake delivers on that perfectly.
Like, if a sidequest is the exact same with the exact same rewards (hunt 3 specific enemies and you can get this piece of equipment) but one version is just a generic "go get rid of these monsters" and another version of it has you learn that these monsters were simply protecting their territory and going crazy because a week ago their mother was mercilessly killed for sport, leaving the quest clear feeling bittersweet...which one would you be more inclined to clear, leaves a bigger impact?
Ok but Yakuza has been doing them since 2005. And has been doing them with actual tact pacing and good writing since generally 2006 (though admittedly 1 had good ones 2 just had bad ones be the outlier). So I don’t see the excuse for them to be a chore and the award is something you can get from a UA-cam. There’s a reason the good game this one is a bad remake of gave you TWO party members and equipment options for its side quests because Mario sunshine taught us that shit like that is the nft’s of video game rewards.
Thank you so much, Clement! I've been watching this retrospective since the very beginning and have stuck with it until the end. I love Final Fantasy so much and you reminded me over the last few years as to why I love this series. Thanks again and now enjoy your rest.
You were complaining about JENOVA's blood, and this is an example of SE having their hands tied.
See, CERO wouldn't let them have that without it bumping the age rating a LOT. It's also why they had to get rid of her eye nipple, and had to be very careful to not expose her too much.
Back in 97 age ratings were more lenient - not to mention the graphics were much less sophisticated.
At some point I'll respond to some of your other complaints, like the notion of fighting fate (which has been a thing since the very beginning of FF).
34:15 - Seriously though. Tifa so far is a HUGE upgrade from the original. When Cloud brought up the 'promise' and Tifa responded by saying that this wasn't what she had in mind when they said that, that's the moment I knew that improvements were being made to her character. I've written near-essays on how awful her character is in the original, but someone must've seen one of them, because this is literally one of the changes I suggested.
I was just thinking "man, I haven't heard of clement in a while, I wonder what he is doing".
And boom, FF7R.
Did the same yesterday and here it is...
I mean, I literally check his twitter on a daily basis (don't have an account, nor plan on creating one), so I knew this was coming out, but it was still a pleasant surprise when I saw this on my feed. He even said he was going to delete the channel if it wasn't out by Saturday, which is hilarious and totally wasn't a "threat" he used before for a previous CRFF video.
In 2015 FFVII Remake was announced and Cloud got released in SSB4
In 2020 FFVII Remake came out and Sephiroth got released in SSBU
The end of an era. What a run, congrats on reaching the end (for now!).
As somebody who had never been a big FFVII guy, I think Remake is exactly what it needed to be, because where VII changed video games, Remake is poised to change video game _remakes._ We're finally reaching that era where the folks that grew up with a game are the ones working on that series, and just like in film and television, that means that these folks can create their own version of a known property, rather than blindly copying and pasting. It won't always work out, but it's a good step for the industry to take.
Sure, there's an argument that new players could end up confused, but the thing about VII is that it absolutely transcends the usual video game fanbase. Aerith dying is the Vader-is-Luke's-father moment; if you play games, at some point you're going to find out about it, and nowadays it's almost certainly going to be before you've played VII. That sort of moment can't happen again easily, not without getting leaked and pissing off so many people - we saw that the very same year that VII Remake dropped. I had a buddy who hates RPGs, who's not a huge gamer, that knew about Aerith dying - and he played and loved Remake to the point that he's invested in the story now. Now every single FFVII player is just as in the dark as those newcomers, and remaking VII should never have been just about 1:1 recreating the game to me, but recreating the _feeling_ the game gave, the impact it had on players. Barret dying as a fake-out, even momentarily, was an Aerith moment to the VII veterans, and now that Zack's around to send Cloud into his unreliable narrator spiral even sooner? Now that there's no definite roadmap of what's to come? They could straight-up kill Aerith again, and it'll be just as shocking in that moment as it was in 1997. They could kill _Cloud_ even. And if they can get us like that again, 25-30+ years after the original? They deserve their flowers, all the flowers, even if in the same breath it's certainly going to piss off the folks that want VII original-but-pretty.
Now that said, I also 100% expect VII Part 2 to be some absolute Kingdom Hearts tier mess of a story, especially after Intergrade. That way I'll be pleasantly surprised if it somehow actually works out. But they got me, they hooked me, they got me invested. Damn them.
But I want to experience that story for myself. I haven't played the original FF7. I know that a *lot* of people haven't. Instead, I'm not allowed to have an awesome remaster or remake so I can experience that story first hand, just some weird sequel thing. No thanks, don't like that.
I squealed in happiness when I saw you uploaded this video.
DAMN. The whole main series! This was one hell of a journey!
Also I realized that the synopsis was almost told word for word from the OG ff7 vid. (Not that I'm complaining. It's perfect)
Also will you make a top 10 video on the mainline games far into the future?
If Gensis does somehow come back in Remake part 2 or 3, then I will literally call bullshit. He wasn't even an interesting villain in Crisis Core, so bringing those idiots back in Yuffie's DLC all to bring that idiot back is just going to be stupid because he is NOT a big threat. Same with the whispers as I never liked them in the remake as well as Sephiroth popping up all the damn time! But I will give the remake this:the gameplay is better then 15, the quests actually made me give a shit about the people, side characters are better fleshed out including Biggs, Wedge and Jessie and I love the main cast, especially Yuffie from her DLC. I still don't like the episodic nature that this new timeline will hold, but hey at least we finally got the remake and this video. Great job with every single one Clement and I really loved watching these as they came out!
FFX is still my all time favorite.
The trop you mentioned, Defying The Will of The Gods, I have a feeling that will be the main drive for a story for quite a while. After all, that's been a story element since The Oddesy.
For me, it's just kinda funny as a Xenoblade fan: Xenoblade 1 was all about defying destiny, "the future isn't set in stone", etc. and the Xeno series started as a rejected pitch for Final Fantasy VII. It's like the whole thing's just come full circle
Man, you're right, the oldest tropes will never go away lol.
I Hate how they turned Remake into a sequel and made stupid changes Iike Biggs and Wedge and to many from Sector 7 surviving and Sephirorh appearing to much.
I played the original FF7 very recently as my first game in the series and i absolutely love the story! Which makes me worried about all that whisper stuff they did with the Remake but well, i can't do much other than wait and see, i just hope they don't mess it up
This retrospective was quite the journey. VII Remake is my favorite modern Final Fantasy game. That might change when XVI gets released, but that has yet to be seen.
I wonder when the other parts will come out & will he continue the retrospective when that happens?
buddy, i was late to the party, started at 1, and P O W E R E D through all of these (plus XVI) and let me tell you, i enjoyed my journey.
So cheers man. will eagerly await your review on rebirth (only 4 more days)
Remake part 1's story is gonna age as well as The Force Awakens. Trying to be a remake and a sequel at the same time is impossible long term because you need to satisfy those two audience that want something fundamentally different. At least we know FF7R2 and FF16's gameplay will be great so I'll buy both regardless of story complaints. Thanks for making this video Clement.
7 seconds till the end is a reference to the time taken for Sephiroth to impale Aerith in the OG death scene from when the camera pans on him. so Sephiroth is basically saying can you change her fate. plus the music is literally a remix of the city of the ancients just to hammer that home
It actually has nothing to do with Aerith. The chapter summary says that that that the edge of creation where Sephiroth and Cloud have their final showdown is a place frozen in time 7 seconds before the end of the world. That's what the 7 seconds refers to. So by the end of this, Cloud is going to have to make a choice that will determine the fate of the world, and he'll only have seven seconds to act.
happy 35th anniversary final fantasy!!!(as well as 25th final fantasy 7.:3)
Congratulations great clement you are awesome for doing this retrospective for 6 years and push through it can’t wait for final fantasy 16
Great to see this series finished!
As for Remake being a sequel... yes, it is. The Sephiroth from Remake is the Sephiroth from Advent Children, so he knows everything that happened in the original game already. He's trying to mess with the timeline so Cloud and the gang don't rise up to fight him (the real him, from this timeline, that's still unconscious in the Northern Crater in Remake).
I'm not going to lie, when you started to talk about the Whispers my heart started to sink. That is legit the absolute worst thing I can imagine happening to a remake's story. There's a popular image of a post going around social media right now that talks about how a lot of people see characters as if they "deserve" good or bad endings and how that rules their experiences with media, over what contributes to the themes or story or what builds the most narratively satisfying moments. The pull between Aerith "deserving" to live versus the narrative beauty and impact from the moment of her death. And Final Fantasy 7 Remake feels like it's pulling back on those beautiful and bold moments, to instead make everyone feel good and wrap every story up with a perfect little bow. That legit scares me. Slow pacing is one thing, but that just targets my absolute personal weakness when it comes to storytelling.
1:41:33 to 1:42:13 - You´re welcome Jamie "The Great" Clement! It´s been a fun ride ;)
I was there for the first video on New Ywar's Eve 2016, and I must say this was quite the journey! Congrats on finally finishing this amazing Final Fantasy project! Whatever you want to focus on next, know this: you'll always have people like us excited to hear what you have to say!
Thank you, Clement. Now take you're rest; you've more than earned it!
man im glad you still upload. Been following since i was like 11 and im almost 26 now. hats off to ya man
your videos were part of what got me through 2020 quarantine, thank you
First I wanna say, thank you so much Clement for your retrospective, it has helped me through a lot of tough times and I love watching these videos. I'm looking forward to what you have planned ahead and I wish you the best!
Now about FF7 remake
One of the best RPGs that have come out in a long damn time. How the whispers soured the overall experience for me. I'm not angry just tired and apathetic and that's not something you want fans to feel when expecting a follow up.
When I think of the whispers of fate keeping things "the same". I always think of all the charcters added from other pieces of multimedia for FF7. Leslie and Kyrie for example were from a different piece of media and we will def be seeing them and many other novel and multimedia exclusive characters. They weren't in the original so why aren't the whispers stopping them? That's what bothers me the most about that new element, that they are willing to expand the game on what came after but won't respect what had to happen to get there. Why did the whispers have to be there, why not just have the characters do different things and that a multitude of small things that you did led up to big changes. That if you kept your playthru like the original it would end like that. I am nervous as all heck about what will come after, I love Zack to death but seeing him alive gives me feelings of apprehension, worry and dread. I can't trust square to make something competent, I don't have that faith in them and this is coming from someone who's favorite FF game is 13-2. Like clearly my standards aren't high but if you got me worried about story direction, there's something wrong. I don't even have nostalgia towards the original 7 like most people do, but I connected to it's story and it's themes in ways other final fantasy's weren't able to accomplish. Heck I can empathize more with the original games themes and messages after losing someone important in my life fairly recently. With the implementation of the whispers I truly think the game needed another year which is so weird to say when the game in all other aspects feels so polished. But clearly they didn't really know what they truly wanted. I know we will see the results of these wishes in the future but as you said, I hope they don't lose track of the emotional themes and messages that are prevalent throughout this world and series. The game has clearly showed they care about interactions between the cast but when ideas and concepts get grander the "smaller things" tend to slip thru the cracks especially with square enix's track record.
Regardless of how I feel about the changes, I think that if they wanted people to play the original they should have added it to the remake So that people can actually get that comparison and experience. Add in a bunch of features to allow newbies to see all the original had to offer, hold their hand through it even if an indivual wants that, because clearly ff7remake is a sequel to Advent Children and crisis core for better and worse.
What an amazing journey. Thank you. Can't wait for more Final Fantasy content
LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOO. I have unfortunately haven't got myself to play this game yet (screw you PS5 stocks), but once I do. Oooohhh boy. Congratulations on finally catching up on your retrospective. I'm excited to see what you have next up your sleeve