Final Fantasy 7 Remake ’s story is full of mysteries by design, but Square Enix clarified one that the RPG ’s fans long believed was a plot hole. About midway through the game, when Cloud meets Aerith ahead of their encounter with Reno, she remarks that he’s a mercenary and says she arrived at that conclusion after seeing his Buster Sword.
There are a few problems with that. Cloud is dressed as a member of SOLDIER, Shinra’s elite infantry, but there’s no indication that Cloud has left the group and operates as a sword-for-hire. Even more confusing is the Buster Sword comment. The buster sword belonged to Zack Fair, Aerith’s former boyfriend and another member of SOLDIER who died before the main game started.
【Scenario Staff Q&A】
Q：エアリスがクラウドに「ね、なんでも屋さん？」と呼びかけたことがト書きで「失言」と書かれているということは、彼女はクラウドがなんでも屋であるとすでに知っていたのでしょうか？CHAPTER 12でのティファとの会話も合わせてご覧ください。🌸#FF7R #FF7R_inter pic.twitter.com/cmzKr8CunC
— FFVII REMAKE (@FFVIIR_CLOUD) July 24, 2023
That simple sentence raises a lot of questions, but Square Enix posted on Twitter that Aerith is just as surprised that she knows this as we were (thanks, Siliconera ). The team says that Aerith has pieces of memories from events that haven’t happened yet. Square Enix also said that’s how Aerith knows Tifa wants her to save Marlene.
Every time she encounters the Whispers, the smoke-like spirits that appear under certain circumstances, they steal some of these memories.
The result is an Aerith who’s left knowing things she shouldn’t, with bits of memories – maybe hers, maybe someone else’s – floating around her mind, while these still-enigmatic Whispers try their best to force the original storyline back on course.
The game itself hints at this situation when Aerith says she feels like she loses part of herself when the Whispers appear. It turns out she really does, and her confusion over where these memories come from suggests she’s not as omniscient as some fans first thought.
It’s fertile ground to build on in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 when it launches in early 2024 . Whether it continues deviating from that original course remains to be seen, though considering Zack, who should be very dead, appeared in Intergrade and Remake Part 2 ‘s first trailer, it seems like Square Enix still has plenty of surprises in store.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
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