This is it: the last episode of my Final Fantasy VII Lecture Series! Using Kabbalah to consider the Planet and Cloud's fate, I examine the Remake trilogy-- including my thoughts on the sequel discussion. Don't miss!
(No spoilers beyond Rebirth Marketing)
Link in comment!
#FF7R
๐ท
After the show, Sami said, โitโs awesome to have The Rock. Weโre lucky to have him. But you know, The Rock is lucky to have the WWE, too. Because we are living in the best time with the best superstars in the WWE.โ And then he said this.
#wwe
#SmackDown
A friend mentioned they preferred Final Fantasy XVโs party to FFXVIโs because he felt more connected to them. At first, I scoffed, but after thinking more, I MAY agree. FFXVI improved almost everything from FFXV but I donโt think the bond among the โpartyโ is anywhere near asโฆ
I donโt think many even realize that we are living in what will go down in history as possibly the best era of Final Fantasy series. This is what a new generation is going to fondly remember. The new โgood ole daysโ are here now.
At lunch today, my dad said, โI saw a commercial for your game, the new Final Fantasy. It looks awesome,โ and then proceeded to tell me and my brother about it. I showed them some of the clips from my demo playthrough. My brotherโ who has never liked FFโ said, โThat doesnโt lookโฆ
Told my dad the other night, โHey you remember helping me through Final Fantasy II when I was little?โ He said, โYeah, that one with that dragon โBaehamootโ (how he pronounced it) and Cecil the paladin, right?โ I said, โYep. Since youโre the one that started my love for theโฆ
FF7 Remake releases: โUgh, Itโs just Midgar? And full priced?! But Itโs so linear!โ
And now, before Rebirth: โItโs TOO open, I want linear! Not EVERY game needs this!โ
Everyone step back and marvel at the duality. Nothing will ever please everyoneโ even if itโs canon.
OMG YISSSS THIS IS ALWAYS WHAT I WANTED FROM MY HIGHLY CHARACTER-DRIVEN LINEAR FFVII GAME, A ///GIANT/// WORLD MAP WHERE I CAN DO 100000 RANDOM STUPID FUCKING FETCH QUESTS WITH NPCS I WILL NEVER FUCKING CARE ABOUT I LOVE OPEN WORLD SOYYYYY YES YES YES!!1 OMGZZZ!!!!
Story time! While at the FFXVI Launch Party in LA, I got to meet
@The_Ben_Starr
. I introduced myself, saying, โHi Ben, Iโm Wade, ProfNoctis online, and I teachโโ and he stopped me and said, โYes, I know who you are! You teach Final Fantasy and religion at a University!โ He thenโฆ
Interesting note: Iโm 5 hours into Rebirth and just stepped into the open world.
5 hours. The amount of time it takes to leave Midgar and enter the open world in the original.
Thatโs how much time I spent in the flashback and Kalm.
This game is wild.
Iโm gonna say it again. Final Fantasy isnโt about a genre or system. Itโs about an immersive adventure that uses beloved properties to emphasize the breaking of an unending cycle of oppression. And the creator is rightโ
#FF16
is the ultimate version of that.
Not being contentious, but what do people consider a โgoodโ side quest? At the core, almost every side quest in every game (even the Witcher!) is a fetch or โgo kill thisโ task. For me, a good one offers contextual and emotional world building. Whether itโs delivering food orโฆ
Final Fantasy XV was not only complete at launch, but masterfully done. The biggest issue was that people werenโt used to the open-world storytelling it employed. You had to do your homework (even aside from the movie and anime) to fully grasp it all. Hence my class.
Look, nobody loves FFXV more than me. Got me a doctorate and made me a college prof. But Yoshidaโs right. The gameโs story was incomplete, esp at the start. Even now, understanding it involves major theorycraft. As I tell my students, itโs a great story told in the mostโฆ
Just talked
#FFXVI
combat and Rebirth timelines with the man, the myth, the legend:
@maximilian_
. Sometimes you wonder how creators interact offline with people. I can tell you, heโs the real deal. Super nice guy.
I know people are upset about this, but I understand it. Have you ever looked back at one of the first things you created and said, โYeah Iโd do that differently now?โ Yeah, itโs pretty relatable for most creators and devs.
The first game is a masterpiece. Yet, itโs hard for a lot of my students to get into it. By modern storytelling conventions, the writing is tough to follow and there are a lot of gaps in logic. The gameplay is pretty slow, and the world feels kind of empty. BUT, as we say, โitโฆ
ff7 didnโt age well and thatโs exactly why square enix decided to remake it. no amount of mods will change that
truth is , if youโre under 25years old, this game is NOT a good introduction to final fantasy.
Man, I hate when they pit my kids against each other. XV is a thoughtful story about sacral kingship, XVI is a deconstruction of oppressive societal dogmas. Both are superb, but differ in tone and style, so it comes down to preference. Still, any day playing a FF is a good one.
For those who missed the Advent Children interview for whatever reason, hereโs the gist of what they said. (From my memory so forgive any errors! ๐ซฃ )
โ๏ธ multiple art styles were considered for AC, including a more stylized one with big eyes that was closer to the OG (think likeโฆ
I feel like I need to clarifyโ I absolutely love Final Fantasy XVI. In the top 5 of the whole series for me, if not on the high end of that. XVI sets the new standard for narrative in games with the most incredible voice acting Iโve witnessed across the board, and it certainlyโฆ
My newest pro tip:
Lock in Aerith with that HP<->MP materia, pair her with Barret and cast Lifesaver. Then let her absolutely obliterate everyone.
#ff7r
Possibly my hottest Final Fantasy VII take is not about timelines. Itโs that when the
#FF7R
compilation is complete, people will no longer need to go back to play the OG for any reason other than curiosity- that the Remake project will be the new, complete definitive story of FF7
Iโve loved
@maximilian_
โs passion for
#FF7
for four years. Idk what he said about Rebirth since Iโm still playingโฆ but I know when we met in LA, someone told me our height difference made us look like Cloud and Sephiroth. And for that, Iโm thankful.
#ThankYouMaxDood
I donโt get the hate for Chadley. Heโs grown so much more from who he was in Remake. And I will not stand for any slander against my son. Mess with my boy, you mess with his daddy.
#FF7R
The weirdest choice in
#ffxvi
is to have a Chocobo drift mechanic with no Chocobo racing. Like, why donโt we have any side quests with this kind of gameplay? THIS is what I want in the DLC.
Maybe itโs because I absolutely adore the world of
#FF7R
, but I find doing everything in the open world such a delight.
Even when I played The Witcher 3, I had no problem picking and choosing which quests to do. But here? I simply cannot leave things undone. I WANT to do it all.
Playing
#FFXVI
, and the themes are reminding me of my favorite scene in all of Final Fantasy, a moment where the broken hero begins to atone for all the sin and shame of the past by facing himself. Redemption, justice, and a new future all begin with this one single step. Greatโฆ
Best part of FF7 Advent Children for me:
During the credits, I heard someone behind me say, โThat was good, but Kingsglaive was better.โ I immediately said, โRetweet,โ turned around andโฆ
It was one of my FFXV students from last year.
That studentโฆ is my living legacy.
Brought up my upcoming Dion cosplay to my hairdresser and (once she stopped laughing) said, โWell if weโre gonna do it, letโs do it right,โ promptly dismissing the idea of a wig. โYour hair can do what his does better,โ she said.
โฆThis is getting out of hand
#ffxvi
#DionLesage
Final Fantasy XVI is what IV wanted us to feel with Cecil. Itโs what VI strived for with Terra. Itโs what VIII teased with romance. Itโs what XV attempted with scale. Say what you will, but
#ff16
is the culmination of the series, somehow without being derivative. A modern Finalโฆ
Tbh, all we need is that Octopath HD2D treatment with solids voice acting, maybe a few CG cutscenes here and there. The Pixel Remaster Opera scene kinda proves my point. I really donโt think we need the FF7R treatment for this one.
Kitase says that FFVII up to Rebirth has taken about 10 years, and if they were to Remake FFVI, Kitase suspects it could take double that. He anticipates the game would be bigger than FFVII (Remake project), and it's already got so many characters in it.
My boldest prediction may be thatโฆ
By the time the FF7 Remake Trilogy is finished, people will say โAll of that shouldโve been in the original game.โ
My favorite Final Fantasy games, in order. No surprise at the top, but the rest may surprise. No shade to the othersโ even playing my least favorite FF is still a good day.
Was talking about FF7 and Sea of Stars with some students, and they had interesting takes on modern/retro sensibilities. Iโll pose a question here:
In 2024, do you think that a retro-style rpg can have the same emotional resonance as modern presentations for Gen Z and younger?
Whatโs your hot take of open world games? Mine is:
Most open world games have no replayability beyond the wonder of discovery experienced the first time. Consecutive playthroughs are watered down attempts to capture that same magic, kindling a nostalgia for the wonder once felt.
Finished all of Gongaga without navigational HUD or Fast Travel and I can say, without a doubt, thatโs the way to do it.
Gongaga is my favorite region (so far).
#ff7r
This image perfectly conveys the goofiness of Final Fantasy VII. FF historically has this comical, lighthearted side amidst darker story themes, and Iโm not sure any does it better than OG FF7. This balance may be what Iโm most excited about in Rebirth.
#FF7R
Iโm so glad I live in a time when FF7 Rebirth exists. My perfect game, bringing the best of FF15 to the best of FF7, and making something totally new. Just feels good, man.
#ff7r
This fight was so good, though I think I preferred Bahamut. Still, I loved every second of this wonderful game. To the point Iโve put it in my fall syllabus on philosophy and religious deconstruction.
*Puts on adult hat for a minute*
Tough week for those of you who didnโt vibe with FF7 Remake, I know. For 4 years, youโve made your opinions very well known. Youโve been heard. But your disdain is no license to be a jerk. Let those that like whatโs happening enjoy themselves. โ๏ธ
Letโs name it, claim it, and manifest it into existence. WHEN (not IF) FF7 Rebirth is shown tomorrow at the PlayStation Showcase, what will we see? Open world? Team up attacks? ZACK? A teaser of a Jessie x Cloud ship? More whispers?! What do YOU want to see?
Honest question so donโt hit me ๐ซฃ: does anyone actually love Genesis, or do they simply tolerate his character and find him only mildly interesting at times?
Corelโs conclusion was even better than I imagined it would be. It hit me so, so hard, even more so than the original (which I liked). Makes you absolutely HATE Shinra.
I guess this is a good time for another episode of New Game Chronicles cause I have a TON to talk about
#ff7r
Look, Iโm not saying it means anything, but the Reclaimant Choker bonus accessory for FFVII Rebirth pre-orders is a weird place to have the word โReclaimโrandomly show upโฆ
Like with all open world games I play, I disabled all my navigational HUD items and I feel so much more connected to the world of
#FF7R
. Have to rely on landmarks and the wisps of lifestream to guide me. Totally changes the way I play, and I think itโs the reason I love Gongaga.
I am at the Gold Saucer, so I still have a ways to go. Iโve heard rumblings about the ending, but at this point,
#FF7R
could add a million timelines, a million breeds of Stamp, and Iโd still say itโs the best dang game Iโve ever played. The culmination of all my favorite things.
Every chapter in
#ff7r
has a scene that could be the central highlight of a whole other game. There is something jaw-droppingly memorable in every single chapter.
Still not done, but this is hands down the best all-around game Iโve ever played.
After Red XIII goes through his arc in Cosmo Canyon. The dialogue in the side quests will change his name to Nanaki!
All of the side quests in the game will have two sets of dialogue. One for Red XIII and one for Nanaki! ๐ฅ
#FF7R
Thanks to
@raz0Rsh4rpo
for the info!
The first video game score in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2024. ๐ฎโค๏ธ
Japanese composer Yoko Shimomuraโs music for Final Fantasy XV is voted into your Top 300.
#HallOfFame
I donโt know exactly whatโs going on in
#FF7Rebirth
, but I know the original game misdirected players through the perspectives of unreliable narrators. So, seeing as FF7R is trying to reiterate and enhance the central themes of the OG, Iโm personally skeptical of anything shown.