Cloud’s unreliable narration only makes Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s ending more confusing

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.]

The unique Ultimate Fantasy 7 pulls an excellent, nearly nasty, narrative trick. Simply as the sport sells gamers on the concept that its protagonist, Cloud Strife, is the hero and total cool man of the sport, we then be taught that in fact, the entire thought of him that the sport has proven us is predicated on a lie. As an alternative, Cloud combined himself up along with his comrade Zack Truthful, and he cultivated a complete false model of himself predicated on another person’s reminiscences. Due to this, Cloud Strife is probably one of many least dependable narrators in actually all of video video games. And now, the ending of Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth simply provides an entire new layer onto that.

Graphic: Julia Lee/gamerjive | Supply pictures: Sq. Enix

The ending of Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth confused me. Positive, I feel I perceive what occurred in its broadest strokes, however nothing appears to be all that conclusive. It’s so unhealthy that I truthfully can’t even actually say for certain if Aerith died or not in a everlasting means, just because there’s some funky multiple-worlds logic at play by the tip.

I’ll attempt to say what occurs anyway.

From the appears to be like of it, there are two worlds in Rebirth. First, we’ve the primary world the place we predominantly play as Cloud over the course of Ultimate Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth. This world follows the story of the unique Ultimate Fantasy 7, kind of, which suggests it follows a storyline the place Zack Truthful dies previous to the occasions of the sport. Besides Remake and Rebirth additionally present us an alternate world the place Zack survives the occasions of Disaster Core: Ultimate Fantasy 7, whereas Aerith and Cloud solely stay on in a comatose state. On the ending of Rebirth, Aerith seemingly dies within the “major world,” though we don’t see it — however the sport does present her mates, like Tifa and Yuffie, grieving her loss.

That’s all complicated sufficient as it’s, however then figuring out the fundamental occasions of what occurred in Rebirth turns into much more topsy-turvy once we add one other attainable layer of complication: Cloud has by no means been a dependable narrator.

Picture: Sq. Enix by way of gamerjive

Within the unique Ultimate Fantasy 7 and now in Rebirth, we see Cloud’s reminiscence fail. In each video games, Cloud tells an faulty model of the Nibelheim story the place he mixes up Zack Truthful with himself. That complete opening chapter of Rebirth? It’s a lie. Sure, Cloud was at Nibelheim on the time, however he supported the mission as a low-level shock trooper, not as a member of SOLDIER like Zack. Rebirth hints at this discrepancy when Tifa privately confronts Cloud over his retelling of the Nibelheim incident, however we’ve but to see Cloud unearth his absolutely unique reminiscence.

When assessing the already complicated ending of the sport — which seemingly weaves collectively multiverses and goals — and issue within the further information that Cloud has messed-up reminiscences, it nearly turns into inconceivable to say what actually occurs within the actuality (or realities) of the sport. Some, or all of it, might actually simply be in Cloud’s fucked-up head. Throughout Aerith’s obvious loss of life scene, we see the display screen glitch out because it alternates between scenes during which Cloud efficiently saves Aerith, in addition to scenes the place Aerith dies. It may very well be some form of multiverse occasion, or it might simply be Cloud imagining that he saved Aerith. We simply don’t know.

If there may be one clarifying issue of all of it, effectively, it’s Zack Truthful.

Not like Cloud, Zack appears to be confused by being whisked away to a brand new world, however he seems to be in good well being. His reminiscences appear kind of intact, and he instantly clocks Cloud’s out-of-character habits when the 2 worlds briefly collide in the course of the last boss battle towards Sephiroth. On the finish of the sport, Zack finds himself within the church the place he met Aerith, the place he says that every part he skilled felt “actual” and that he didn’t suppose he dreamed it. So if Zack says he truly did expertise some form of multiverse soar, effectively, then — perhaps it’s not simply all in Cloud’s head.