Released by Square-Enix in 2020 on the Playstation
4, Final Fantasy VII Remake would be the first installment in a new trilogy. Directed by Tetsuya Nomura and Written by
Kazushige Nojima, the game would be an action RPG expanding upon the events of the original
1997 title. The story only gets larger from here, so let's
cut it down to size with a RECAPitation. As the game begins, we see the industrial
city of Midgar, built up and maintained by the Shinra Electric Power company. One night, one of the reactors powering the
city, called a Mako reactor, is infiltrated by a eco-terrorist group called Avalanche. Led by a man with a gun prosthetic for an
arm named Barret, he beckons to the swordsman mercenary named Cloud hired for this assault
on Mako reactor 1, as Cloud handles the security guards to cover for the other members of the
group, named Biggs, Wedge and Jessie. They comment how Cloud is a former SOLDIER,
the supersoldiers created and owned by Shinra as Barret presses Cloud for more information
regarding Shinra but Cloud hesitates as he is struck by a piercing headache while recalling
specific details. To the side, Jessie is more curious about
Cloud himself and his relationship with childhood friend Tifa. However, the party is unaware that their actions
are being observed by Heidegger, a Shinra executive and head of public security, as
he reports this incursion directly to President Shinra himself. Avalanche is already known to the company,
as the organization recently made an attempt on the president's life, while at the same
time, Barret tells an uninterested Cloud how the Mako Reactors are directly depleting the
planet's energy that sustains all life, which will doom them all. Cloud claims to have been a SOLDIER 1st Class,
as he sets up the bomb to blow up the reactor, though after another pain in his head he is
shocked to see a strange black feather fall before him. After dealing with a dangerous scorpion sentinel,
they escape the ticking time bomb, as Cloud saves Jessie's life, though it does minimal
damage to the reactor itself. Seeing this, President Shinra approves sabotaging
Avalanche's sabotage by triggering the facility to self-destruct, causing large collateral
damage to the nearby city area. Reconvening, the group is safe, though Jessie
is confused how and why the bomb did way more damage than it was supposed to. Emerging into the streets of sector 8, they
see a lot of innocent people get caught up in the wake of the explosion, as they are
in disbelief at the unintended disaster they caused. Undeterred, Barret says this is just the first
reactor and insists the planet won't be safe until they destroy them all, stating some
sacrifices have to be made. For now, he encourages them as they return
home to rest, as Jessie thanks Cloud for her rescue earlier, and Cloud avoids the collapsing
wreckage around them. A burst of flames triggers a memory within
him where he finds himself in a burning village, as a man in black with a long sword turns
to face him among the flames. Brought back to reality, Cloud is shocked
to see the man before him, and Cloud cannot believe his eyes yet feels compelled to follow
him. Cloud calls out to the man he recognizes as
Sephiroth, stating he's dead as Cloud killed him, but Sephiroth shrugs, wondering if he's
so sure. He shows Cloud a vision of his hometown burning,
adding that the planet is slowly dying, and should it die, so many things would be lost,
including that which binds the two of them together, which he does not wish to happen. Because of this, he asks Cloud to simply run
away to ensure that he lives, but not hearing any of it, Cloud slams down his sword, dispelling
the illusion. Chuckling, Sephiroth's voice continues to
haunt him, telling him to hold onto that hatred. Calming down, Cloud passes through Loveless
Street, seeing more injured and displaced citizens. He then spots a flower peddler swatting away
something erratically, as he sees Sephiroth touch past her, claiming the SOLDIER is too
weak to save anyone, including himself. He snaps out of it when the girl calls out
to him, thanking him for scaring the things away from her, and giving him a flower in
return. Suddenly, she begins swatting away at more
things, and grabbing Cloud's arm in a panic, he now sees what she sees being strange dark
ghosts that surround her and chase her away while more Shinra soldiers close in on Cloud. Strangely, they don't see the ghosts, as Cloud
breaks away but is soon surrounded again. One of the guards pauses and recognizes Cloud,
but before he can do anything, Cloud leaps onto a passing train and escapes, which happens
to be the exact train he was to rendezvous with the others in. While the others are glad to see he made it,
they are puzzled when he asks if they ever saw an invisible robed enemy before, noting
he only saw them after the flower peddler grabbed him. For now, they attempt to blend into the crowd
on the train, as Jessie still finds the explosion awfully suspicious. The people around them are scared and confused,
wondering if rival nation Wutai is to blame, but one Shinra Middle Manager says they already
learned Avalanche is to blame. Barret aggressively defends the name of Avalanche,
claiming they are out to save the world, but the manager counters that violence and intimidation
is not the way, supporting that cooperation towards peace and prosperity will change the
world. Barret scoffs, but the manager says it is
what they believe, wanting to follow his conscience, before moving away. Arriving in the Sector 7 Undercity, Cloud
sees some residents there also don't support Avalanche's eco-friendly mission, instead
glad to support the progress and innovation Shinra consistently produces. Though, he flinches before a realistic vision
of a section of the plate exploding and falling onto him, and sees more of the ghosts from
before. Shaking it off he returns to Seventh Heaven,
a bar in the Sector 7 slums where Tifa, and Barrett's daughter Marlene, are waiting for
them. Tifa is surprised to see a real flower, much
less one on Cloud, and he gives it to her as a gift, saying he's changed over the last
five years; a response that confuses her. Moving on, she guides him to the apartments
she lives at, where the landlady can give him free board for being part of their cause,
as she smooths over the process of paying Cloud for his work. As he tries to sleep, Cloud is woken up by
the pained moans of his neighbor next door. Investigating, Cloud is caught off guard by
Sephiroth tackling him down, and as he is grabbed, Cloud sees visions of several men
in black robes all wandering in the same direction, muttering the word Reunion. Panicking, Cloud is about to strike Sephiroth
until he looks again and sees one of the robed men in the vision, as Tifa arrives to explain
the man is Marco and while he is sick, is not a bad guy while Cloud spots the number
49 tattooed on him. The next day, Cloud accompanies Tifa with
odd jobs around the slums, passing by his landlady Marle, and helping a young man named
Chadley doing materia and VR research. They also spot Shinra security arresting a
brash man named Johnny for suspicion of association with the Avalanche attack, and Tifa admits
he does know some things and is unfortunately a talker. They overhear him claim Jessie stole Johnny's
ID in order to steal parts for her bomb, and though they rescue him from Shinra, Tifa stops
Cloud from silencing him, instead telling Johnny to leave town for now. Returning to the bar, Barrett gathers the
group to plan the next operation, as Jessie notes that though Tifa will be joining them,
she can see the martial artist's heart is not into it as she does not approve of the
bombings. Asking her about it, Tifa admits it's true,
not believing the ends justify the means, as Barrett returns, telling Cloud he won't
be needed for their next mission. The soldier takes his leave after getting
his pay, bumping into hoodlums from Wall Market looking for Barrett, and punishing them for
barking up the wrong tree for information. Later, Jessie hires Cloud for a personal mission
as Biggs and Wedge join her on her trip topside to see her parents, though they contend with
aggressive highway patrol along the way. Surprisingly they catch the attention of a
speed demon Soldier named Roche who is thrilled to engage in a high speed duel against a worthy
rival. He takes his loss against Cloud well, wishing
to rematch again someday, as Jessie plants a kiss on him for a job well done, though
she still blames herself for the Reactor incident. Arriving at the Sector 7 housing district
for Shinra employees, Jessie and the group distract her mother as she tells Cloud to
sneak around and steal her dad's employee ID. Doing so, Cloud sees her father is bedridden
after a mako storage incident, and Jessie once was a starring actress at the Golden
Saucer park. After leaving, Biggs explains Jessie followed
her passion for acting until her father's accident prompted her to give that up and
study planetology. This led her to Avalanche and a theory that
her father's spirit is stuck somewhere between his body and the heart of the planet. Biggs repeats his disgust at Shinra turning
raw life essence into a non-renewable fuel for cheap energy, as they arrive at the Shinra
warehouse they intend to rob for supplies, seeing someone else beat them here and already
defeated front security. Cloud sees something that reminds him of his
promise long ago to Tifa before he left their small town, to become a top-tier SOLDIER like
the war hero Sephiroth, and, should she ever be in trouble, to come save her. He remembers his promise, as the time comes
for them to create a distraction for Shinra security. Wedge takes one for the team, as the noise
attracts Roche who is eager for a duel with blades this time, and though he loses again,
he is so satisfied he clears the way out for them as thanks. Security tries to lock them in, as Wedge takes
another hit for them, but they are all saved in time by the main branch of Avalanche who
sweeps the area and secures their escape. Biggs mentions Barrett's group is just a splinter
cell deemed too radical in their extremist methods and so their groups don't think highly
of each other, but he still appreciates the help today, adding he heard the main group
formed a partnership with Wutai in exchange for all of Midgar's materia. Using parachutes to return to the lower sector,
they escape safely as Cloud begins to warm up to them but only just a little, as he gives
some supportive words to Wedge, and in return, Wedge warns Cloud not to fall for Jessie's
aggressive flirtations with him as it’s all an act. Cloud also sees Wedge takes care of the neighborhood
cats while Biggs over-worries about his teammates, and Tifa observes and approves of this shift
in personality in Cloud, even as he remembers his promise to her. As he rests, more specters hover around him
as a voice wishes him sweet dreams, and the next morning Tifa wakes him up to reveal countless
specters are swarming the slums, and this time everyone can see them. The specters do their best to obstruct and
push back Cloud, and though slashing them down does little to stem the flood, they suddenly
leave just as quickly and mysteriously as they came after Jessie twists her ankle. Barrett takes Jessie off the next mission,
and assigns Wedge to look after her, turning to hire Cloud for the strike against Mako
reactor 5 after all. Preparing, Barrett says there 'ain't no getting
off of this train' as they have already issued a bomb threat and need to follow through,
as they board the train back into the city where Shinra has increased its security. Barret runs into the same middle manager who
denounces Avalanche's public threats, but they are interrupted by a scan detecting the
party’s fake IDs, as drones crash in to contain the situation. Tifa evacuates everyone to the next car, as
the middle manager suspects they are Avalanche and wonders why she is helping the enemy,
to which she replies she doesn't want anyone to die on either side. Agreeing with her resolve, the middle manager
looks after the other passengers, as Tifa turns to join the fight. Seeing a need to now get off of this train,
they pull the brakes and jump off as Cloud protects Tifa, and the group continues forward
on foot. They are unaware Heidegger is watching and
guiding their every move, as he states the Wutai conflict was a lesson in the necessity
of crushing your enemy instead of giving them mercy and expecting retaliation. Meanwhile, the group follows a route to a
secret passageway laid out for them through hidden directions via graffiti of Shinra's
mascot and helpful hound named Stamp. Crushing a Crab warden in their way, they
rendezvous with Biggs who hands them grapple guns to ease their way into Reactor 5, noting
a prototype weapon as they enter. After they plant their bomb, they see their
route close behind them, as a hologram of Heidegger pops up, revealing their intrusion
and bomb threat has been broadcast on the news, and reveals public outrage that opposes
Avalanches campaign of violence. He also reveals the mostly operational Airbuster
prototype will deal with them, and Barret suggests they destroy the mech on air in defiance,
as the group continues to sabotage the preparations of the weapon. Walking out, they are halted by a giant hologram
of President Shinra this time, who recognizes Cloud as a SOLDIER based on his eyes, and
warns him he's not long for this world one way or another, as accelerated cellular degradation
is the most common cause of death for SOLDIERS. Barret takes this time to expose Shinra for
draining the planet of mako and more importantly, the lifestream. Chuckling, President Shinra replies the people
already know what mako is, but because it produces so many comforts and conveniences,
people are fine with turning a blind eye to Shinra’s consumption of it. He reveals the actions of Avalanche in league
with Wutai, along with Barret's actions here, have only stoked a fire of patriotism in people
in opposing both and instead aligning with Shinra. A chortling hologram of Heidegger now appears,
reveal Barret and his group were always pawns since the beginning, showing them the tampering
of their recent bomb, and thanks them for selling war to the people. Tifa's outrage triggers a memory within Cloud
of a time a few years ago when he failed Tifa, before they work together to destroy the Airbuster
together. Unfortunately, its destruction causes an explosion
that destroys the catwalk they're on and separates Cloud from Tifa and Barret. Cloud tells them to go on ahead and assures
them he'll be fine, and Barret admits he was wrong about Cloud so far, taking a reluctant
Tifa with him as Cloud tumbles down though his grapple gun breaks as it breaks his fall. Knocked out, Cloud is surrounded by specters
as he speaks to images of himself who encourage him to get up and keep moving, though he is
interrupted by a vision of Sephiroth again who tells him there is still much to be done. [Intergrade]
Elsewhere, we now see a young ninja named Yuffie sneak into Midgar, boasing to be a
materia hunter and elite special forces operative for the new Wutai Government, here to meet
Avalanche before a mission to infiltrate Shinra HQ and steal their ultimate Materia. Making her way to the rendezvous point under
a moogle-themed cloak, she spots a strange man in black robes but see's he's not all
there. She's also not at all impressed by the big
city itself, as she passes by more black robed men muttering the word Jenova, finding them
awfully suspicious. Now waking up to someone calling out to him,
Cloud wakes up in a church to the flower peddler he met earlier. Introducing herself as Aerith and repeating
it so there's no misunderstandings this time, she states he came crashing down through the
roof and landed on her flowers. She hands him back a materia he dropped, showing
off one of her own, but Cloud remarks how Materia is so common everyone and their mother
has some. However, she replies that hers is special
as it does nothing at all, which triggers a strange vision within Cloud of Aerith praying
while her materia falls in some water. Recovering, he replies that it's more likely
she just doesn't know how to use it, and she says that's fine, as it's more precious to
her as a gift from her mother. Their chat is interrupted as a dark suited
man with red hair named Reno walks in with Shinra troops, wondering who Cloud is. Quickly, Aerith claims he's a SOLDIER and
her bodyguard, asking for his agreement on this and hiring him for the price of one date. Reno sees Cloud has the eyes, but when he
asks his rank and Cloud replies 1st, the Turk laughs loudly at the obvious lie, adding that
his job is to protect Aerith too. Reno's agility and strength puts pressure
on Cloud who wins their duel and goes in for a killing blow. However, Aerith calls out to him to stop,
as specters suddenly appear before them and haul them both into the next room. Aerith notes they're not attacking this time,
and they even save her life from an accident. Reno orders his men not to fire at Aerith,
though the specters stand by observing, allowing Cloud to drop chandeliers on the guards, and
enabling them to escape. In the clear, Cloud is curious why one of
Shinra's elite agents, called the Turks, has business with her, but she evades the question
as she leads him to the train station. Arriving, the citizens are still upset to
see the Reactor on fire, as the trains are suspended and another Turk enters the scene,
so the duo decide to keep a low profile while Aerith insists they go to her house. [Intergrade]
At the same time, Yuffie sees a news report on the Mako 5 reactor, where the Director
of Shinra's Advanced Weaponry division, Scarlet, reassures the public that things are under
control and those responsible will be stopped before they strike again. The ninja thinks this to be Avalanche's work
as she meets her contact Zhijie (jhee-jiah), and passes by some random people in red bandanas. She is soon introduced to the other members
of Avalanche, Billy Bob, Polk and Nayo, and learns her partner Sonon is already here in
town. Waiting for him and the fake IDs they need
to get topside, Yuffie is introduced to the popular real-time strategy game Fort Condor,
finding many in Midgar, like Roche and a certain Shinra Middle Manager are quite adept at it. Returning to base, her partner for this operation,
Sonon introduces himself, commenting how he's trained under Yuffie's father, and mentions
how Yuffie will be taking point for the mission. Nayo then takes them to retrieve their IDs,
explaining Midgar was built by Shinra for Shinra, but at its heart, it's full of people
who view Midgar as their home while viewing Shinra itself as the enemy. She points out Barret and Tifa as members
of the splinter cell that split off from the main group over policy dispute, as Yuffie
overhears they were responsible for the Reactor attack but lost someone named Cloud. Barret believes he survived the fall, but
Biggs urges him to keep a low profile as Don Corneo of Wall Market still has men searching
for him, and Tifa offers to look into this. Nayo insists they be left to their own devices,
disapproving of their lack of concern for collateral damage in their violent approach
to opposing Shinra, elaborating that they all wish to fight Shinra, but not at the cost
of leveling Midgar or involving innocent lives. Yuffie points out Wutaians don't see the difference
since Shinra leveled their home, and Nayo hopes this alliance will help foster better
relations. They run into Corneo's goons, who try to aggressively
recruit Nayo to be Corneo's next bride, and after being beaten down, leave after hearing
Tifa has volunteered to go with them. Yuffie then points to a robed man, asking
what's up with them, and Nayo replies they are victims of Mako Poisoning by Shinra for
not making the grade as a SOLDIER Candidate. Catching wind of Zhijie in trouble, they defeat
a giant centipede mech with a dynamic entry from Yuffie, alongside flawless synchronized
support from Sonon, as the contact tells them any materia they're seeking will likely be
in the Advanced Weaponry lab. He also mentions he learned Shinra has something
big planned for the destruction of Sector 7 but it doesn't involve them, as they take
the last train out to the topside. Back with Cloud and Aerith, they cut through
a junkyard to enter the Central District in time to see a news report on the Mako 5 reactor. Cloud sees Aerith is well known in her small
town, and even helps the orphanage, as she lives in a well-kept and secluded house surrounded
by relatively clean water and lush greenery. She introduces him to her mother Elmyra, and
says she'll be fine now, so Cloud can go back to Sector 7, and Elmyra suggests they do so
in the morning. In the meanwhile, Aerith has Cloud help her
with jobs around town and rescue some kids in trouble, which triggers another memory
of Tifa when she was a kid. Aerith guesses Tifa must be someone special
for Cloud, but they are interrupted by another weak man in black robes, this time with the
number 2 tattooed on him. The man grabs Cloud, and suddenly appears
as Sephiroth, claiming the Reunion is nothing to fear, before wandering off again. Cloud asks Aerith if she knows who Sepiroth
is, and she recognizes the name as the war hero who died 5 years ago, but Cloud suspects
he may actually be alive and she slowly agrees. Moving on, they encounter the curious Moogle
shop, and are intercepted by the Turk from earlier named Rude. Aerith insists Rude isn't a bad person, and
Rude agrees, but still has a job to do, attacking Cloud and showing he's no pushover. After expending a few sunglasses, Rude is
about to get serious when he gets a call from Reno, saying they are both to report to Sector
7 immediately, and so he takes his leave. Returning home, Elmyra recognizes Cloud is
a SOLDIER, commenting they can never live a normal life, and demands he leave on his
own tonight. [INTERGRADE]
At the same time, Sonon sees Yuffie easily gets motion sickness on the train as he is
reminded of his sister Melphie who suffered the same way. She also trained alongside him, and near the
end of the war, she sacrificed herself to save a crowd from a Shinra mech gone haywire,
something that still haunts him to this day. Over with Cloud, that night he remembers his
own mother urging him to settle down with a nice girl, and agreeing with Elmyra, leaves
that night as she tells him just to cut through Sector 6 to get to 7. As it so happens, Aerith was wise to his action
and took a shortcut to meet him on the way there, still having fun with him, and leads
the way forward, as Cloud is suddenly struck by another mental pain that causes him to
tear up when he looks at Aerith for some reason. Passing through the rubble, Cloud notes how
they can see the sky here and Aerith explains they are currently constructing a new plate
ever since the previous one fell. All of the laborers needed a place to relax
and blow off some steam and so came about the entertainment district of Sector 6 called
the Wall Market. The amount of money to be made attracted seedy
people and practices and rather than handle it, the government decided to simply wall
it off, hence the name. For now, she takes him through a detour that
doesn't pass through Wall Market, staying upbeat to an infectious level that even starts
to rub off on Cloud. Arriving at Sector 7, they take a break as
Aerith mentions Cloud is the same SOLDIER rank as the first boy she ever loved, named
Zack, though this triggers another mental pain for Cloud. Suddenly, the door between sectors opens up,
and Cloud spots Tifa in a Chocobo carriage and she explains she's on her way to see Don
Corneo. She reassures him she'll be fine but Aerith
insists they go after her, warning him they are underestimating Corneo. Following them all the way back to Wall Market,
they ask the Chocobohandler Sam where Tifa went and he assures him she'll be picked as
Corneo's next wife candidate, which likely means she'll never see the light of day again. Marching to Corneo's mansion, they are turned
away by a man named Leslie who tries to discourage them, but as they insist he says candidates
for the next audition must be approved by either Chocobo Sam, Madam M or Andrea Rhodea. Johnny overhears this, overeager to rescue
Tifa, and runs off as the pair find the Honeybee Inn's Andrea Rhodea far too elusive, and Chocobo
Sam already recommended Tifa. Madam M seems more interested in Cloud than
Aerith, but agrees to help after delivering an intense hand massage, and having them fight
as her champions in an underground tournament. Clearing the first few rounds easily enough,
the pair gain the favor of the crowd and Corneo's Trio,
and edge out a win against the Don's own champion fighter, the bizarre but deadly Hell House. They put on such an entertaining show that
even Andrea Rhodea takes interest, and Madam M openly appreciates how Cloud and Aerith
have helped Sector 5, promising a spectacular dress for Aerith as a reward. As they make preparations, Cloud kills time
by working out at the gym with a trainer named Jules, helping the Guardian Angel of the slums,
and handling Shear's counterattack of a mech that moves 3 times normal speed. He is impressed by how Aerith cleans up thanks
to Madam M, and she passes along that Andrea Rhodea wishes to meet Cloud, adding that Cloud
can disguise himself as a girl to sneak into the mansion with her. Entering the Honey Bee Inn, Cloud observes
the other patrons for research purposes, as he is told to practice his dancing before
meeting Andrea. As he is treated to the premier stage show,
Cloud is greeted by Andrea directly, before being volunteered to dance alongside him. Going with the flow, Cloud impresses Andrea,
and in return, he is transformed while gaining sponsorship. Entering the mansion, they are brought to
Tifa, who is both shocked and impressed by Cloud's disguise, as she meets Aerith and
explains she's here to learn why Corneo's men were searching for Avalanche. Being brought before the don, Cloud is chosen
as the next bride as Tifa and Aerith escape from being leftovers, and Leslie reveals he
works for Andrea while helping them out. Confronting the Don, he explains he was told
by Shinra to find Barret, and with a chuckle, states that Shinra will blow up the Sector
7 pillar, dropping the plate and crushing everyone alongside Avalanche. Before they leave, Don Corneo drops the group
then and there into the sewers, while at the same time, Director Reeve Tuesti begs President
Shinra to consider the over 50,000 lives he is about to lose, but his plea falls on deaf
ears. [INTERGRADE]
Back with Yuffie, her fake IDs get them inside the building easily enough, though they happen
to board an elevator alongside Scarlet, who quickly identifies them as Wutai spies and
deliberately drops some inflammatory comments, though Yuffie manages to keep her cool. However, Scarlet immediately traps them when
they try to follow her, intending to use them as live test subjects for her newest weapons. Sonon is furious as it was Scarlet's mechs
who killed Melphie, and it’s Yuffie who keeps him focused on the mission. As Scarlet observes them passing her tests,
she notes they are very skilled ninjas, and intrigued, wishes to personally welcome them
with her own weapon. She can also hardly believe they seem to be
after materia as she guides them to a heavy weapons testing arena, and personally pilots
her Crimson Mare to challenge them. Though the ninja duo defeat her, Scarlet is
more interested in using this experience to update her research and improve on the model,
activating a distress beacon before she is captured. At this time, the elite secret military of
Shinra, Deepground is alerted as one of its powerful commanders, Nero, is awakened and
released. He is greeted by his brother Weiss, leader
of Deepground and the Tsviets, who is currently being scanned into a virtual reality simulator
as part of a digital replication project under Hojo and facilitated by Chadley. Meanwhile, Scarlet admits that while she is
working on a new powerful materia, her research is far from complete. She then openly admits Shinra is going to
drop the Sector 7 plate on the slums and blame it on Avalanche and Wutai, but Yuffie isn't
sure what the significance of all that is. Suddenly, Deepground forces surround and attack
the pair, as Nero appears and uses his darkness to attack friend and foe alike. Scarlet orders him to take care of the intruders,
while this too is being recorded for research, though during the fight, Nero breaks free
of Shinra's control and containment of him,destroying his bonds and killing the researchers as well. Yuffie and Sonon are pushed to their limit
trying to fend off Nero, and though it seems they win, Sonon catches Nero trying to assassinate
Yuffie with a sneak attack. Thinking of Melphie, he pushes her to safety
while sacrificing himself, as Nero kills him and claims him with his darkness, though Sonon
is relieved to be reunited with his sister again. Back with Cloud and the group, they deal with
a giant sewer monster, and think to use the sewers to quickly reach Sector 7 and warn
everyone, in case Corneo was telling the truth. Not wanting to see a repeat of the Sector
6 disaster, Tifa is reluctant to accept Shinra would really go through with it, but just
in case, feels they have to stop it. She notices Aerith seems distant when agreeing,
suspecting she knows something, and Aerith simply replies she always tells herself the
future isn't written in stone. Fending off fierce sahagin, they are forced
topside, emerging in the old Sector 7 trainyard, as they spot the Turks fly overhead on their
way to the support pillar. Tifa shares rumors of this abandoned station
being haunted, and they indeed see something strange in the neighborhood, as they encounter
ghosts both friendly and not. Tifa looks upon one and sees Marlene, reminded
of a ghost story she heard of a black wind that captures children in the trainyard, seeing
the ghost disappear and said black wind impeding their progress nearby. They also intercept a message from Reno and
Rude confirming the plate dropping mission while fighting local resistance, and Tifa
is stunned. Cloud and Aerith try to keep her focused on
preventing it in time, though a phantom steals away Aerith, forcing her to see a painfully
lonely memory from her childhood. Exorcizing the evil spirit in their way, they
pause as they see the grateful ghosts of captured children finally freed and passing on. Hurrying, they catch up to see Avalanche exchanging
fire with Shinra in a losing battle, but a group of specters now emerge to bar their
path, stalling them to prevent them from helping in time. By the time they arrive, the Avalanche forces
are nearly wiped out, as they see Wedge take a bad fall, and Biggs gunned down by security. Tifa moves to back them up as she asks Aerith
to go to her bar and get Marlene to safety, and Wedge manages to convince some of the
Shinra soldiers to allow the citizens to evacuate. Aerith passes along the news of the plate
dropping to Marle, who organizes the panicking crowd, as she narrowly avoids death from a
Shinra helicopter crash, and is spotted by Tseng, leader of the Turks. She collects Marlene as Tseng comes to collect
her, though she insists on ensuring the little girl's safety first and Tseng allows it. Meanwhile, Rude deliberately avoids shooting
Tifa, as they discover Jessie crushed by debris, and are too late to stop Reno from starting
the plate separation sequence. Clashing with the two Turks, the group is
obstructed by the specters on actually overriding self-destruct sequence, as Reno and Rude complete
their mission and get away. The group gets a transmission from Tseng who
says they came into contact with the Ancient, who is now in their custody, as Aerith interjects
that she found Marlene and urges them to run. Scrambling, Barret finds a zip line down from
the pillar, and as the group takes it down just in time, President Shrina watches the
collapse from his office as a strange caped cat doll looks on in despair as well. Escaping the Shinra building, Yuffie mourns
Sonon, blaming him for thinking of her like his sister, and is horrified to see the mass
destruction wrought by Shinra. Meanwhile, surviving the disaster, Cloud and
Tifa look on at Barret devastated over the loss of his team, but more importantly, his
daughter Marlene, denying Tifa's words that they have some responsibility for this outcome. Through his grief and rage, he points out
no matter what came before, Shinra is the one who made this outrageous choice. Trembling herself, Tifa agrees as he tells
her not to forget her anger, and Cloud tells Barret Marlene is alive and well, as Aerith
likely took her to her house in Sector 5. As they hold onto this hope, Cloud asks about
the Ancients that were mentioned and Barret shares they were the original stewards of
the planet, able to commune and talk to it. Cloud is suddenly hit by another pain and
vision of Sephiroth, who reveals he also has the blood of the Ancients within him and thus
the planet is his birthright. Sephiroth also comments how Cloud has failed
again, but from the outside, Tifa doesn't see Cloud talking to anyone, as Sephiroth
adds he'll grow stronger through this suffering. Cutting through Wall Market, they see Shinra
security searching the compound as they speak, as Barret is relieved to find his daughter
safe with Elmyra. They inform her Aerith was taken by the Turks
for being an Ancient, and coming clean, Elmyra confirms that's true and Aerith is not her
real daughter by blood. 15 years ago she was waiting for her husband
to return from the front lines of the war, when she spotted Aerith's dying mother who
requested she take her daughter somewhere safe, and so decided to take her in. Even as a child, Aerith was talkative, sharing
how they had escaped from a facility and her mother merely returned to the planet so she’s
not sad. Elmyra didn't believe her until one day, Aerith
heard Elmyra's husband say goodbye after dying and shared it days before Elmyra got the official
notice herself. Before long, the Turks would find Aerith,
telling her as an Ancient she would guide them to the promised land with her boundless
knowledge and wisdom. And so, because Shinra sincerely believes
this tale, she believes that even with Aerith in their grasp, they will take care of her
and treat her like a guest until they get what they want. So, she asks them not to do anything rash
and endanger her, and Tifa agrees, thinking it may be better to wait and see. Agreeing for now they head back to Sector
7 to check on things, running into some of the surviving evacuees, and helping with the
search and rescue. They spot one of Wedge's cats and follow it
to a strange tunnel that has opened up after the collapse, and find him alive but unconscious
inside a strange facility. A tremor separates the group, as Barret and
Tifa discover this is actually a hidden Shinra research facility and deal with many of the
caged experiments that have broken free. Putting down hordes of humanoid failed experiments,
they are horrified to see Shinra really was using people as live test subjects right under
their feet, and this triggers a memory in Cloud of a similar experience. However, they are interrupted from exploring
further as specters surround them and bring them all outside, including Wedge and his
cat. Barret wonders if Jessie and Biggs made it,
but Cloud says he saw them in their last moments and Tifa offers comfort that they at least
returned to the planet. Taking Wedge to rest at Elmyra's, Cloud brings
up they found proof that Shinra is continuing it's unethical human experimentation, and
knows first-hand that as long as the heartless head scientist Hojo is still around, Aerith
is not safe with Shinra. That night, Cloud and his allies are restless,
as he sees Barret outside, fondly remembering the other members of his Avalanche cell, and
grateful for each of them. Later Cloud spots Tifa , who figures the flower
he gave her earlier was from Aerith, and tells him in the language of flowers, it means Reunion. Breaking down, she begins crying over losing
her home again, and Cloud embraces her, telling her it's ok to let it out and she thanks him
before turning in. As he rests, Cloud thinks he sees Aerith,
and concludes this is a dream, as she tells him she used to live in the Shinra Building
when she was little. Cloud admits he's worried about her like the
others, but Aerith turns to him, saying that no matter what, he cannot fall in love with
her, because even if he thinks he has, it's not real. Reaching out for her illusion, he declares
he's going to come rescue her, and she thanks him as he wakes up. The next morning, Cloud says he felt Aerith
calling out to him, and the group resolves to rescue Aerith now, though now they hear
the ruination of Sector 7 is being blamed on Avalanche too. A troublemaker named Kyrie also spreads the
rumor from topside that Wutai is funding Avalanche and the terrorists are serving foreign interests
which infuriates Barret. Seeking a way topside, they think to talk
to Corneo again, though they run into Leslie who offers to help them instead. However, he asks for their help in hunting
down the Don first, revealing the Don once chose Leslie's fiance as his next bride, and
she was never seen again. However, Leslie botches his revenge as the
Don spills that Shinra traced the leak about the plate dropping, which allowed people time
to escape, back to him and so he fled into hiding. Furthermore, he reveals that the reason Shinra
was willing to even do it was because they plan to abandon Midgar, and build something
close to paradise. The group saves Leslie from being executed,
but the Don's monster saves him and allows him to escape. Unable to give chase for now, Leslie helps
the group up and over the wall, handing them high-power grappling guns, as the group climbs
onward and upward. Fighting Shinra's aerial forces along the
way, the group pauses to take in the scale of the Sector 7 destruction, before finally
facing down Shinra HQ. They notice the tight security, wondering
if it's in response to recent actions by Wutai, though after sneaking in, see there is hardly
anyone around in the lower floors. Tifa attempts to disable security to get to
the 65th floor where Hojo's Lab is, but finds security drops on its own mysteriously. However, their clearance will only get them
to the 59th floor via the elevators or stairs. They think the stairs would be a longer but
quieter way up, but thinking on the endeavor again, they decide it would probably suck
and be too much effort, and so opt to take the elevator. On the way up, they do run into some security,
but also normal people here just working a job, with normal worries and families. Tifa sympathizes but Barret decides to be
judgemental, claiming even good people who work for a bad company are guilty by association. At the same time, Scarlet is overseeing the
development of a new materia, as the group's tracks are being covered up without them knowing. The same man behind it also observes Director
Tuesti, noting he openly disagrees with Shinra's extreme actions. Back with the group, they pass through various
exhibits and a museum detailing the president, the company he built and the directors and
what they contribute. The tour ends with a cutting edge virtual
reality presentation, where they are told that thousands of years ago, the planet was
home to a people now called the Ancients, who were able to harness the energy of the
planet and bend it to their will, resulting in Materia. They also spoke of a promised land full of
resources, but their civilization ended when they were struck by a meteor 2000 years ago. As soon as the video ends, the group is suddenly
sent into another one, but this one shows Midgar being torn apart by a falling meteor
as well. Among the annihilation, Cloud sees a black
robed man turn into Sephiroth and cut down Tifa, but this is also part of the illusion. At the same time, Director Palmer is shocked
to see Sephiroth pass by him in the building, as the group wonders what that horrible future
with the meteor was all about. Exiting, they are summoned personally to Mayor
Domino by his assistant, as the mayor reveals he has been the person concealing their infiltration,
cutting the alarms, and smoothing over the personnel they've encountered. He explains he is Avalanche's inside man,
though Barret's cell wasn't informed, and he's fine with helping them get to Hojo's
lab as long as it hurts Shinra. He's frustrated being the mayor and yet is
completely powerless, forgotten, and a puppet for Shinra. Over with Hojo, he questions Aerith on the
promised land but she gives him the silent treatment, as he tells her her mother Ifalna
was the last pure-blooded Ancient, informing her they collected and harvested her for specimen
samples after she died from her escape attempt, as her biology continues to impress him. He is called away to a director meeting, as
over with the group, Tifa continues to point out the average Shinra employee is a normal
white-collar worker, as they meet with another mole working under the mayor who informs them
of the Director meeting. Going over to eavesdrop on Shinra plans, Cloud
is shocked to run into the Shinra Security officer who recognized him earlier, remembering
him from basic training. He's glad to see Cloud survived after word
spread he died alongside others, and says he'll get their mutual SOLDIER friend Kunsel. Another headache hits Cloud as Tifa notices,
but he shrugs it off and quickly moves on, as they spot President Shinra asking Heidegger
for an update on their spreading of the Avalanche/Wutai alliance conspiracy theory. Crawling into the ducts, they see many of
the employees are still distraught by the plate dropping and Director Tuesti is working
overtime to plan out rebuilding the sector and city. Spying on the executive meeting, Palmer is
still spooked as he claims to have seen Sephiroth walking the halls, and dismissing that, President
Shinra also dismisses Reeve's plan for reconstruction. He elaborates that with the Ancient in their
custody, the Neo-Midgar project will commence where they will build a new metropolis in
the promised land. To this end, he gives Hojo full permission
to force cooperation out of Aerith for their means. The professor points out they can also mitigate
the risk of their one specimen by breeding her, and suggests candidates from both the
S and G type SOLDIERS. After the meeting, the group closely follows
Hojo into his lab, holding him at gunpoint to release Aerith, but the professor reverses
the situation by releasing lab mutants on the group, and escaping in the chaos while
a strange beast looks on. They find Aerith and while Hojo intends to
collect as much combat data from the group as possible he notices Cloud and suddenly
recognizes him, exposing he is not actually a SOLDIER. He is about to explain everything before specters
suddenly appear, rush down the scientist and carry him away. Quickly, Barret frees Aerith, thanking her
for saving Marlene, as the creature is freed too and tries but fails to stop Hojo before
he escapes. Placing her hand on its head, Aerith communicates
with the creature, assuring the group its a friend, as the group is surprised to find
it can talk. He declines to share his real name, instead
going by the designation Hojo assigned him of Red XIII, but Cloud is more in a trance
at sensing something ahead, uttering the name Jenova, and calling it Mother before collapsing. Meanwhile, Reno and Rude don't agree with
the plate dropping, and Tseng says to think of it as balancing the scales, as after everything
humans have taken from the planet, they have now paid some of it back to the Lifestream. The next thing he knows, Cloud wakes up in
Aerith's old room, where she explains she is a descendant of the Ancients, though their
real name is the Cetra, and confesses she has no idea how to guide anyone to the promised
land. They are interrupted by the specters circling
them again, and Red XIII explains they are called Whispers, and are arbiters of fate,
who appear before those who try and change their destiny and stop them from altering
a set course. Tifa wonders if that means all of their lives
are somehow fixed, and Red XIII affirms this, by the will of the planet from the moment
any of them are born until death. Barret is skeptical, and wonders how he could
possibly know that , to which Red XIII replies that when Aerith touched him, he found this
knowledge of the Whispers. Aerith adds Shinra is part of the problem
but they aren't the real enemy, as there is a much bigger threat, though every time a
Whisper touches her, she loses a part of herself, and feels lost as if in a maze. Suddenly, they get a message from the Mayor,
who is joined by Wedge to say that main Avalanche HQ is attacking the Shinra HQ building to
try and flush out the president. Though the building is on high alert now,
there is a path to the roof where an Avalanche chopper will come and extract them. Red XIII joins those who fight further, as
Cloud is distracted by an out of place black feather, and the group finds themselves directly
before a being Aerith announces to be Jenova. Under more pain, Cloud now sees Sephiroth
descending before them, blending with a memory of years ago when Sepiroth declared he would
claim the world together with his mother Jenova. He also sees a younger Tifa grieving over
her dead father and picking up Sephiroth's sword in anger. As Tifa now tries to calm Cloud, when she
touches him, she now sees what he sees of Sephiroth before them. Unsure if what is before him is real, Cloud
charges ahead as Sephiroth cuts the bridge they're on, clashing blades with Cloud and
noting the touching reunion, before easily knocking Cloud aside. Looking on, Hojo is ecstatic to see the Reunion
hypothesis proven true, as he throws more experiments in the way of the group while
staying one step ahead of them. They see Chadley works here, though after
they indulge and overcome every possible simulation, including the Top secret and classified simulations
like Weiss, Chadley reveals he is actually a cyborg created by Hojo to assist with research,
though was made with no free will. However, with data provided by Cloud and the
others, he has figured out a way to become free from Hojo, thanking Cloud and turning
to leave for a new, uncertain future. After collecting enough data he sees Sephiroth
walking away with Jenova's body, and decides to release the party, as they see a trail
of malicious energy headed towards the President's office. Entering the massive office, the group spots
President Shinra dangling from the side of the building outside, and while Barret says
he would love to drop him, he rescues the President anyway in exchange for him publicly
confessing to being behind the plate drop and killing thousands, as well as clear the
name of Avalanche. Smirking, Shinra pulls a gun on Barret, mocking
him for his short-sighted idealisms, and telling him how turning the public against Shinra
would cause more harm than good on a global socio-economic scale. However, President Shinra is cut short as
a long blade pierces right through him, dying instantly to Sephiroth hidden right behind
him. Barret now charges Sephiroth as Whispers dash
into the room, and before anyone can react the elite SOLDIER quickly runs Barret through
as well, leaving him to die, as he turns to face the party and reveal his true form as
a piece of Jenova. Trapping them all in an illusion, the monstrous
abomination falls in a fight with the group, as upon defeat, it reveals the true host underneath
it all, the robed man with the 49 tattoo that was Cloud's neighbor, Marco. Seeing the body of Jenova nearby, they move
to secure it, but another Sephiroth now steps in to claim it before flying off. Before they can give chase, a whisper leaves
from within Barret, resuscitating him, as Red XIII explains it simply wasn't his pre-ordained
time to die, and Barret thanks the Whisper for the plot armor. Though, as Cloud tries to catch this new Sephiroth,
the Whispers block him as he sees this is yet another robed man underneath, and is the
same one he encountered in Sector 5, as he gets away. Now seeing their rescue chopper arrive, they
watch as the chopper is shot down by the Turks who drop off the former Vice President, Rufus
Shinra. Cloud buys the group time to escape, though
Rufus shows he is no pushover himself, as the SOLDIER disarms and fends off the young
executive. At the same time, Aerith, Barret and Red XIII
find the next service elevator has a killer mech gunning for them and Wedge is forced
out of the building by the Whispers. Though they defeat the Arsenal, they are still
caught by Heidegger in the lobby, until Cloud barrels in on a motorcycle to rescue them
just in time. Tifa pulls up in a truck and together they
break through, out of the building, and onto the adjacent highway. As they drive off, they see countless Whispers
envelop the Shinra building, and inside, Rufus is unclear on what they are, but remains focused
on bringing the group in regardless. Fending off Shinra Security down the entire
expressway, they take down another mech as Cloud brakes upon seeing another vision of
Sephiroth. Aerith declares Sephiroth is wrong, but he
counters that she simply cannot see clearly, adding everyone is bound to this world and
if it becomes unmade so too shall they. He directs their attention to the Whispers
as they begin to flood the sky and surround the entire city, claiming that Destiny comes. They now see a memory of a SOLDIER named Zack
approaching Midgar during the day while the city is engulfed by Whispers, as he turns
to face down hundreds of Shinra Security soldiers assigned to kill him, claiming the price of
freedom is steep. Snapping back to reality, they watch Sephiroth
turn and cut open a portal, inviting Cloud inside, but Aerith halts Cloud, saying this
will be Destiny's Crossroads, thinking boundless but terrifying freedom awaits them on the
other side. She adds Sephiroth will claim he's doing this
for the planet, but thinks this is not the way things are supposed to be and he is actually
the biggest threat to the planet. She insists he has to be stopped, though warns
that if they succeed, they'll be changing more than fate itself; as they'll also be
changing themselves. Stepping through, they invite the intervention
of the Whispers who converge into a massive storm and begin tearing apart the city while
sweeping away the party. A massive Whisper called the Harbinger also
forms, connected to all the threads of time and space that shape the planet's fate, as
it tosses the party through a surreal realm and pits them against the advent children
of a future timeline that fight to protect the continuity they belong to. Every clash brings to them more visions of
the intended future by the planet, such as the ending of the game Final Fantasy 7 and
the death of Aerith, as the group rejects that destiny and defeats the Harbinger to
make their own fate. Thinking they've won, a giant meteor now bursts
into the scene to destroy Midgar, as this is soon swept away by Sephiroth at its center. Calling out Cloud, the two face each other
down in a duel, but not alone, as Sephiroth is supported by the Whispers in fighting the
group, and Aerith, Red XIII, Tifa, and Barret join Cloud to overcome all adversity to dispel
all of the Whispers fighting to preserve this timeline. Finding himself somewhere strange, Cloud is
hit by more pains in his head, though when Sephiroth grabs his wrist, the pain goes away. Sephiroth then says this is the edge of creation,
and he has no intention for himself or Cloud to end here, offering they team up to defy
destiny together. Cloud refuses the offer, and tries to fight
again, but Sephiroth easily disarms him, cryptically telling him there will be seven seconds till
the end, and that may be enough time for Cloud, depending on what he chooses to do. As the game ends, reality resumes as Rufus
assumes the mantle of Shinra President, Hojo cannot help but laugh at the situation with
Jenova, and Zack ends up surviving his final stand, saving both himself and Cloud's life. He sees a strange dome of light now lift around
Midgar, as sparkles rain from the sky down on its inhabitants and we now see Biggs wake
up from being critically wounded as Jessie's gear is set beside him. Leaving the city by Chocobo, Yuffie is now
determined to build a team to aid her in her mission to fight Shinra. Back with the group, Cloud declares he wants
to pursue Sephiroth now, and the group is unanimous in joining him, seeing how dangerous
he is firsthand. Rain begins to fall, as Aerith sees two timelines
at the same time, where in one Zack carries a delirious Cloud back to Midgar, and another
where Cloud strides away from Midgar on his next journey. Zack enters Midgar, and heads straight to
Aerith’s church to see her but is confused to see displaced homeless instead. Meanwhile, the party hitchhikes a ride from
a man named Chocobo Bill and is dropped off outside the nearby town of Kalm, as their
unknown Journey continues. Final Fantasy VII Remake has enjoyed the success
of selling over 5.5 million copies worldwide. Ok, everyone has a take on this game, tell
me yours in the comments below. If you enjoyed the recap, then leave a like,
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