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Final Fantasy VII Remake got patched today, and for some ungodly reason, changed the last line of the game
- Thread starter AuthenticM
- Start date
Empire Strikes Back fucked up darkness confirmed for Rebirth, had to change the ending as a warning
1st one is a bit curt out of context, but overall preferred.
In a vacuum, the 2nd one is fine, but now knowing what we had, it sounds more juvenile.
In a vacuum, the 2nd one is fine, but now knowing what we had, it sounds more juvenile.
Alright, so I just wrote out a mini-essay in the other thread about why I don't like this change lmao. I'll repost it here:
Let me go into detail on why I like the unpatched line more. Obviously, this is all subjective, but I like script analysis goddamit!
Aerith's line here is engaging in a bit of poetry. There is no "steel sky", there's a big fookin' metal plate above the slums of Midgar. But, for most of her life, that's what she's known.
When she says "I miss it... the steel sky," that line encapsulates so much about Aerith, the ending, and probably the player's reaction to the game itself. It brings back Aerith's own motif of discomfort with the open sky, but it also incorporates the fact that the game ends with the players leaving Midgar, so bringing the "steel" into the equation helps bookend the game. It begins in Midgar, and it ends with a reference to the steel of Midgar as the characters leave.
On a metatextual level, the player themself (probably an OG fan of VII) has spent this whole game in Midgar under the assumption that the game is just an expanded remake, but the defeat of the Whispers leaving open the possibility of change in the narrative moving foward mirrors Aerith's own trepidation. We were in Midgar, and we mostly knew what was going to happen there, but now we're leaving it, and we don't know what's ahead. It's a metaphor for something new, similar to how the phrase "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" isn't necessarily referring to Kansas when we use it in everyday parlance.
So, while "I miss it... the steel sky," may not exactly sound "natural" in a normal conversational way, it's a "natural" line to end the game on, because it bookends the game well, gives us some insight into Aerith and brings up her own feelings toward the sky, and likely mirror's the players' own trepidatious feelings as to where this series is going.
I personally don't think "The Sky... I hate it," works as well in English as the original line in that regard. Admittedly, I don't know how it plays in Japanese, so I can't speak to its context there.
Let me go into detail on why I like the unpatched line more. Obviously, this is all subjective, but I like script analysis goddamit!
Aerith's line here is engaging in a bit of poetry. There is no "steel sky", there's a big fookin' metal plate above the slums of Midgar. But, for most of her life, that's what she's known.
When she says "I miss it... the steel sky," that line encapsulates so much about Aerith, the ending, and probably the player's reaction to the game itself. It brings back Aerith's own motif of discomfort with the open sky, but it also incorporates the fact that the game ends with the players leaving Midgar, so bringing the "steel" into the equation helps bookend the game. It begins in Midgar, and it ends with a reference to the steel of Midgar as the characters leave.
On a metatextual level, the player themself (probably an OG fan of VII) has spent this whole game in Midgar under the assumption that the game is just an expanded remake, but the defeat of the Whispers leaving open the possibility of change in the narrative moving foward mirrors Aerith's own trepidation. We were in Midgar, and we mostly knew what was going to happen there, but now we're leaving it, and we don't know what's ahead. It's a metaphor for something new, similar to how the phrase "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore" isn't necessarily referring to Kansas when we use it in everyday parlance.
So, while "I miss it... the steel sky," may not exactly sound "natural" in a normal conversational way, it's a "natural" line to end the game on, because it bookends the game well, gives us some insight into Aerith and brings up her own feelings toward the sky, and likely mirror's the players' own trepidatious feelings as to where this series is going.
I personally don't think "The Sky... I hate it," works as well in English as the original line in that regard. Admittedly, I don't know how it plays in Japanese, so I can't speak to its context there.
OP
OP
IT IS
"the steel sky" is a callback to a previous line that aerith says around the time she first meets Cloud. It's literally a term that the people from the slums use. Moreover, "I miss it, the steel sky" implies what the new line says directly. The new line is just more literal.
like, why? Why would you change this great line?
From this:
To this:
just... why?
The patch seems to be designed for consistency between the games (they patched Tifa's flashback outfit as well) and the new line was featured in one of Rebirth's trailers. Not sure if it's another flashback or has some other context.
OP
OP
Here's a line from someone on Reddit about the sky line.
"According to the recently released Ultimania:
Aerith does not like the open sky, because it reminds her of those dear to her that she's lost, such as Zack and her mother, who are now "in the sky" since they're both dead. Jenova is also the "Calamity from the Skies" and was responsible for eradicating her people."
Aerith does not like the open sky, because it reminds her of those dear to her that she's lost, such as Zack and her mother, who are now "in the sky" since they're both dead. Jenova is also the "Calamity from the Skies" and was responsible for eradicating her people."
The reason they changed it is to make it sound more like something Aerith says in Crisis Core, which is how the Japanese line was written.
It's still a dumb change because the steel sky line sounds exactly like what Aerith would say in Remake, but the revised line has no connection to anything we experience about the character in Remake.
Edit: the Reddit post quoted above me is the driving force behind why the change was retroactively made. But tbh, I don't think anything about the steel sky line messes with this intent and if anything the revised line just gets further away from the themes at the end of Remake. It was the PERFECT segue to the "unknown journey" the player was experiencing at the same time as Aerith.
It's still a dumb change because the steel sky line sounds exactly like what Aerith would say in Remake, but the revised line has no connection to anything we experience about the character in Remake.
Edit: the Reddit post quoted above me is the driving force behind why the change was retroactively made. But tbh, I don't think anything about the steel sky line messes with this intent and if anything the revised line just gets further away from the themes at the end of Remake. It was the PERFECT segue to the "unknown journey" the player was experiencing at the same time as Aerith.
I assume it's adding context and consistency to the fact that the outside world is too much for her, given the fact she can feel the presence of everyone all at once.
they both basically mean the same thing, the reason she longs for the steel sky is being uncomfortable with the new sky.
they both basically mean the same thing, the reason she longs for the steel sky is being uncomfortable with the new sky.
This is one of those things where the expanded meaning just kind of doesn't really come through in the line as (re)written, and as a result if it needs to be explained in a book, the line doesn't really work on its own merits.
lmao what the fuck do i gotta update the game in order to get the remake goodies in rebirth, because this is such a huge downgrade. "i miss it...the steel sky" is a fantastic final line
Pre patch Aerith isn't the same Aerith as Post patch Aerith. It's another Aerith, a second Aerith as post-patch Remake is a different continuity than pre-patch Remake.
The eventual Rebirth DLC tells us about the rest of the second Aeriths, seven in total. Until we meet all seven of the Aeriths, we won't be able to see the end of the group's true journey.
Thus, seven seconds until the end. Five more second Aeriths to go.
The eventual Rebirth DLC tells us about the rest of the second Aeriths, seven in total. Until we meet all seven of the Aeriths, we won't be able to see the end of the group's true journey.
Thus, seven seconds until the end. Five more second Aeriths to go.
The "steel sky" line felt weird to me after Barret rallying us against that %@*&# 'pizza' earlier in the game.
the fun of localization! you don't necessarily know what line a sequel might latch onto in Japanese, and then it becomes bigger and well.
The old one, not even close. It was one of the only genuinely good things about Remake's ending.
The new one reeks of a slavish adherence to "accuracy" in translation over localization making things sound more natural within the context of what a character would say (anyone paying attention would've remembered her speaking of the boundless, terrifying freedom represented by the real sky vs. the security she found in the one created by the plate, so it's not like it was even remotely difficult to comprehend).
The new one reeks of a slavish adherence to "accuracy" in translation over localization making things sound more natural within the context of what a character would say (anyone paying attention would've remembered her speaking of the boundless, terrifying freedom represented by the real sky vs. the security she found in the one created by the plate, so it's not like it was even remotely difficult to comprehend).
Crazy thought but let's assume they had a good reason given they know the complete background context of this entire project and we don't.
(Probably because it becomes a recurring expression of hers and they wanted to normalize it for consistency (sort of the opposite of Squall saying 'whatever' all the time in the english language version))
(Probably because it becomes a recurring expression of hers and they wanted to normalize it for consistency (sort of the opposite of Squall saying 'whatever' all the time in the english language version))
I feel like it's almost certainly true that the old line would have functioned just fine, but I guess I haven't played Rebirth yet.
The new line is a direct callback to a line from Crisis Core.
Yes, it's used in one of the Rebirth trailers.
Thank you! I'm sure plenty of people will read that as pretentious, and it probably is, but directing theatre is a hobby of mine so I find this kind of script analysis fun lmao
It's a small thing either way but I do find the old line a much stronger ending line.
This is my guess as well.
They misinterpreted what the line meant out of any context, because how could they without that context, and it turns out it does matter to something they had not seen yet.
It's a beautiful and poetic line but having played Rebirth I can 100% tell what they wanted it to mean.
OP
OP
wow so it's even worse. Way to add insult to injury.
Alright I'll keep that in mind.
It just sucks because I really liked that line. :(
I don't care that they changed it. I really don't. They basically say the same thing. I miss the old sky, I hate the new sky, whatever...
Anyway, not returning because I have to wait for rebirth on PC.
Anyway, not returning because I have to wait for rebirth on PC.