I never want to see Sephiroth ever again (FFVIIR SPOILERS)

[AnansiThePersona]

Everyone, at this current point in time, is sick of Sephiroth. He's been with us for 2 decades and some change. He's like a family member at this point. I hate seeing him. Everytime he shows up in FFVIIR and his stupid Latin chorus violin bullshit creeps into the foreground I rapidly lose interest in the cutscene.

He doesn't need to be everywhere. We don't need to see him every 2 hours to remind us that he exists. We're playing a remake to the most popular FF game of all time. Everyone who has booted up this game knows who he fucking is. They know his theme. They know his sword. They know his relationship with Cloud.

And lets say...uhh...they didn't know any of these things about Sephiroth. Why introduce him in the most pointless, flaccid way possible?

(INSERT FFVII OG DID SEPHIROTH REVEAL BETTER RANT HERE)

And then you realize you've spend the entire game fighting the Whispers (who were being controlled by Sephiroth) and the game ends with a climactic battle to change fate against Sephiroth. Where the ending of FFVII OG basically happens the same way it did against Sephiroth and Cloud facing off in another dimension/Lifestream whatever.

And then, after allllllll that, the main characters end the game declaring "We must stop Sephiroth!" and then leave Midgar. No one thought this was the end of Sephiroth but to pretend that this is the plot of OG FFVII after what we just witnessed is nuts. No. You can't go and pretend to be FFVII after all that.

And you know what the worse part it? This was technically the part of the game with the LEAST amount of Sephiroth in it.

UGH

 

[PlanetSmasher]

Yeah. They've completely neutered him at this point. Like I like the character, but they have absolutely no idea what made him cool or interesting anymore, and they overuse the shit out of him even when they don't need to.

His FFVIIR incarnation is such a dweeb. He sucks.

 

[Lobster Roll]

One of the things that I liked the most about the original game is that Sephiroth is a legend. And throughout the first half of the game, you're chasing the ghost of that legend as he carves a path through everything that gets in his way as he leaves a literal trail of blood everywhere. Knowing that you're on the tail of an absolute monster of an opponent is what makes his characterization so strong. There's a certain mystique to Sephiroth that the original game nails that the spin-offs and the Remake don't seem to really understand.

 

[Multiverse Moo]

How did I know this thread would attract PlanetSmasher immediately? Let alone first reply, hahaha

I'm sorry you feel that way OP. I think his portrayal in Remake was fantastic. Disagree with most of your issues, but your opinion is valid.

 

[Aly]

I can see where you're coming from. Truthfully, I want to see Sephiroth but mostly before he became the evil man we knew. We got some of this in Crisis Core but I want that in Remake.

 

[Jakenbakin]

He definitely was worse in the remake, but I'm still holding out the hope they improve from part 2 on. I loved what the remake did, just not the execution.

 

[MP!]

100% accurate
OG game's pacing is leagues better than this game and the constant sepiroth tease might have been interesting back in 2002 ... but it really messes up the fantastic story beats the original had.

like what's going to happen when you find out sepiroth has been dead in the lifestream the whole time now? does it even matter?
It really cheapens the whole sepiroth aspect

 

[TheInfinityGauntlet]

There's a certain mystique to Sephiroth that the original game nails that the spin-offs and the Remake don't seem to really understand.

Click to shrink...

That and it's completely gone anyway because like OP said everyone already knows his deal

 

[Dust]

I blocked most of FF7R after they left Shinra building but what the fuck was that Sephiroth meeting Cloud and spouting cryptic nonsense in the middle of galaxy crap?

 

[Kain]

I was more worried that fucking Genesis might appear at any point than anything tbh. I still can't shake the feeling that he's lurking somewhere and he'll appear at some point in the second part and he'll ruin everything :(

 

[napkins]

i'm excited for part two just to see the world and hopefully more new minigames.
but after that whole ending and everything with sephiroth i just don't really care about the story

 

[Arta]

That game completely shits the bed in the final quarter of the game.

 

[snausages]

Yeah but won't it be cool when in the sequel it turns out crisis code sephiroth is time travelling to stop advent children him from turning the planet into mush with his big meteor and he joins your party.

subversion or something.

 

[SilverX]

This is FFVII for a new generation. You may be sick of him but the target demographic for this game wasn't even born when he was first introduced.

 

[DyCy]

There's a certain mystique to Sephiroth that the original game nails that the spin-offs and the Remake don't seem to really understand.

Click to shrink...

I'm pretty sure the remake understands that this mystique can't be captured again for the reasons mentioned in the OP: Sephiroth is too well known at this point to have any sense of mystery about him, so you need to tackle him in a different way to keep things interesting.

 

[pleaseinsertdisctwo]

I never liked Sephiroth

I love FFVIIR but I cringed from all of Sephiroth's lines and his voice actor sucked

 

[Asbsand]

Sephiroth is Nomura's pet.

 

[Nephtes]

I'm with you OP.
FFVII Remake ruined Sephiroth.

I mean he was already becoming kind of a joke after Ehrgeiz, Kingdom Hearts, Advent Children... but remake was the camel that broke the straw's back.

Spoiler

no I didn't mess up that cliche, FFVII is just that egregious with Sephiroth.

 

[totowhoa]

I was more worried that fucking Genesis might appear at any point than anything tbh. I still can't shake the feeling that he's lurking somewhere and he'll appear at some point in the second part and he'll ruin everything :(

Click to shrink...

Same. I still fully expect Genesis to show up in part 2 :(

 

[PlanetSmasher]

This is FFVII for a new generation. You may be sick of him but the target demographic for this game wasn't even born when he was first introduced.

Click to shrink...

Then they probably should've introduced him in a better way instead of making him a dumb, boring stalker who's unnecessarily thirsty for Cloud and spouts Organization XIII nonsense dialogue all the time.

 

[nogoodnamesleft]

Ff7r was probably the most disappointing game I ever played

I liked it to a point but what I expected compared to the final game oooft

 

[AnansiThePersona]

This is FFVII for a new generation. You may be sick of him but the target demographic for this game wasn't even born when he was first introduced.

Click to shrink...

That's one of my points in the OP. If this is supposed to be for a new generation to introduce Sephiroth to them...they did a terrible job. He constantly shows up in the game saying cryptic anime bullshit then disappearing

 

[Deleted member 679]

I fully expect Sephiroth in all of the remake games to be basically the "How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?" meme. I can't say I dislike him in the remake, and I actually enjoy some of the stuff they're doing with him storywise, but it absolutely robs the rest of the story of any "omggggg it's sephiroth :OOOOO" moments when you just beat the shit out of him in the first game.

And no amount of "that wasn't the full power legendary super sayan version of him!!!" plot explanations will change that feeling.

Which is why I hope they won't even try, and will take the story in a more fitting direction, taking that into consideration.

 

[PlanetSmasher]

I fully expect Sephiroth in all of the remake games to be basically the "How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?" meme. I can't say I dislike him in the remake, and I actually enjoy some of the stuff they're doing with him storywise, but it absolutely robs the rest of the story of any "omggggg it's sephiroth :OOOOO" moments when you just beat the shit out of him in the first game.

And no amount of "that wasn't the full power legendary super sayan version of him!!!" plot explanations will change that feeling.

Which is why I hope they won't even try, and will take the story in a more fitting direction, taking that into consideration.

Click to shrink...

Especially considering how comically, insultingly EASY he was. "Oh that was an ILLUSION Sephiroth" isn't going to dispel the fact you absolutely destroy him with almost zero effort.

 

[Lobster Roll]

Then they probably should've introduced him in a better way instead of making him a dumb, boring stalker who's unnecessarily thirsty for Cloud and spouts Organization XIII nonsense dialogue all the time.

Click to shrink...

Right? Like in the original, Sephiroth is a super soldier that's gone off the deep end and turns psychotic the more he learns about his origin, who eventually sets off on a plan to destroy the planet. He's a formidable enemy that's always out of reach, and when Cloud arrives, he fucks with his psyche. Since then, Sephiroth has switched into an obsessive bully who wants to pick on Cloud and chase him around. It's a weird shift of their relationship that I personally dislike.

 

[GongagaSOLDIER]

The way they've handled his character isn't necessarily wrong, just a different take to the original. Where he is seen as some sort of legendary figure from the past who has touched many of the characters lives in some way in the original, they have opted for a front-loaded aproach; likely for players who already know who he is. An example I think of is the TV show 'Heroes' where the main villain Sylar was a lot more intimidating when he was in the shadows or was seldom seen vs later seasons where he was seen perhaps too much. The problem being, once you open Pandora's box and the audience knows who it is and what their motives are or were, you can't shut it again so I understand Square's logic here, even if it is divisive.

 

[ciddative]

Agreed. I didn't even wanna hear one winged angel, was happy with just little hints or nods.

The few notes of Those Chosen after the bombing run?
The short blast of Cosmo Canyon when you meet Red XIII? Sublime.

I loved the game when it showed more restraint, but then it had to go all Square on me

 

[Richter1887]

Honestly, I wish the game didn't do what it did and actually remade the original. Plot, structure and all.
The game was bloated to hell and back and every addition was meh. Sephiroth role was just fine in the original.

The episodic structure is something I totally understand but god damn if I didn't feel disappointed.

 

[Trigonometrize]

They overused him in part 1, and with him at the center of the story changes that are coming, they're going to have to work really hard to make up for it.

Kinda worrying.

 

[pbayne]

This is FFVII for a new generation. You may be sick of him but the target demographic for this game wasn't even born when he was first introduced.

Click to shrink...

I do wonder how people who didnt play the original feel because the remake dosent explain his motives or background much at all, so i imagine new players have no idea why hes doing anything

 

[Aly]

I was more worried that fucking Genesis might appear at any point than anything tbh. I still can't shake the feeling that he's lurking somewhere and he'll appear at some point in the second part and he'll ruin everything :(

Click to shrink...

That cutscene where they mention G-types is to prepare everyone for this inevitability.

 

[Dust]

I have zero idea where they will take FF7R, zero. Sephiroth might as well become the protagonist and Cloud the villain destroying the reality.

 

[Deleted member 1190]

And then, after allllllll that, the main characters end the game declaring "We must stop Sephiroth!" and then leave Midgar. No one thought this was the end of Sephiroth but to pretend that this is the plot of OG FFVII after what we just witnessed is nuts. No. You can't go and pretend to be FFVII after all that.

Click to shrink...

Except no one is pretending that. FF7R is a sequel.

 

[Juraash]

They've kind of Darth Vader'd him in the sense that they try to portray him as as big a deal in universe as he is in the fandom/pop culture and it doesn't get work. I like 7R a lot, but Square leans on Seph wayyyyy too hard.

 

[InfiniDragon]

I'm the complete opposite in regard to Remake, I think still trying to keep him in the shadows in the Remake would have been stupid as fuck since as you said, everyone knows who he is by now. That mystery will never be the same, so might as well get him involved right off.

Spoiler

I also prefer that the Remake changed his motives and plot so that we have some stuff to keep guessing about with regards to the character and letting the whole group fight him as Sephiroth the SOLDIER, not the JENOVA monster hybrid who never felt as threatening to me despite being more powerful in that state.

 

[skillzilla81]

I love Sephiroth and can't wait to see more of him. Give him a game. Some story dlc. Make one winged angel a motif throughout the soundtrack.


Needs more Sephiroth.

Tired of him? We have a product for you. Its almost every other final fantasy. Go play those.

 

[Renna Hazel]

Even in the original game I thought Shinra was a way more interesting antagonist than Sephiroth. In the remake Sephiroth is completely lame. I'd not mind Cloud just cutting his head off in the intro to part 2 and then just forget about him from that point on.

 

[Deleted member 679]

Especially considering how comically, insultingly EASY he was. "Oh that was an ILLUSION Sephiroth" isn't going to dispel the fact you absolutely destroy him with almost zero effort.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, "that wasn't his full power!!!". Well, no wonder, we beat the shit out of him.

The "not even his final form" trope only works when the not-final-form is already too strong, not when it's used as an excuse to get a salty rematch.

I tend to abstract gameplay from story, especially in games like this, but even storywise you're about to go on a journey where you'll get more powerful and meet more allies, you're not staying the same while Sephiroth becomes SSGSS. The party has the upper hand no matter how you look at it.

 

[Lobster Roll]

I love Sephiroth and can't wait to see more of him. Give him a game. Some story dlc. Make one winged angel a motif throughout the soundtrack.


Needs more Sephiroth.

Tired of him? We have a product for you. Its almost every other final fantasy. Go play those.

Click to shrink...

I do fully expect to have Sephiroth playable in Kalm flashbacks during Part 2. I would be surprised if they didn't cash in on that opportunity.

 

[Quinton]

I like him just fine in Remake but I do get where you're coming from.

 

[Capra]

OG Sephiroth: "I don't think about you at all."
Sephiroth everywhere else: "YOU ARE ALL I THINK ABOUT"

 

[SubvertedTrope]

Meh I just think of the remake as a non canon what if thing or something, so I'm not that bothered by the extreme nomura nonsense. It's still nice to see 7 in HD if nothing else.

 

[Beth Cyra]

Honestly I've never really cared fir Sephiroth and much preferred Ultimecia and Kuhn as villians.

However I found Sephiroth to in VIIR be much creepier and I loved how they gave Cloud legit elements of PTSD and have Sephiroth manifest as part of that.

 

[GalaxyDive]

I'm the complete opposite in regard to Remake, I think still trying to keep him in the shadows in the Remake would have been stupid as fuck since as you said, everyone knows who he is by now. That mystery will never be the same, so might as well get him involved right off.

Spoiler

I also prefer that the Remake changed his motives and plot so that we have some stuff to keep guessing about with regards to the character and letting the whole group fight him as Sephiroth the SOLDIER, not the JENOVA monster hybrid who never felt as threatening to me despite being more powerful in that state.

Click to shrink...

I definitely share some of this sentiment. While maybe not everything was perfect and of-fucking-course Squeenix couldn't resist making Sephiroth the final boss of Part 1, doing something different with him wasn't the wrong call. It would be hard to replicate the same sort of tension as the original with everyone already knowing his deal, and changing his motivation adds new wrinkles of mystery.

 

[AnansiThePersona]

Yeah, "that wasn't his full power!!!". Well, no wonder, we beat the shit out of him.

The "not even his final form" trope only works when the not-final-form is already too strong, not when it's used as an excuse to get a salty rematch.

I tend to abstract gameplay from story, especially in games like this, but even storywise you're about to go on a journey where you'll get more powerful and meet more allies, you're not staying the same while Sephiroth becomes SSGSS. The party has the upper hand no matter how you look at it.

Click to shrink...

Yeah and we can't even pretend like Sephiroth wasn't "trying" because... he was. He was doing this to stop the party and he failed. Sephiroth was trying to summon Meteor and they beat him before they could. He was supposed to win and use Meteor to nuke Midgar or something. And Midgar is just a huge crater and our heroes are just completely silent

 

[robot]

I like how the remake portrayed some characters, but Sephiroth is not one of them. As you say, he's not threatening and just kind-of annoying with how often he pops up for no reason. It feels like they were trying to cater to both new and olds fans and failed to do either. For new people I don't think he's given enough context (or anything to do) and for olds fans all his extra or repeat appearances are worse than the original ones.

Spoiler

I mean for pete's sake he tries to kill Barret and the game won't let him. How can you make it any more clear this guy doesn't have control? The ending tries to suggest anything is possible now, but I don't think SE has the guts to deviate that much.

It feels like they blew their load way too early with Seph, and now there's nothing they can even do with him to fix it unless they hugely change the story in the future games.

 

[BlueTsunami]

They greatly diminished his mystique but seeing as it's a massive reset in what you should expect from the story they expect you to also reset your expectations as to what Sephiroth will do now. It still felt like a whole lot of nothing by the end which high points were pretty much the scenarios that were 1 to 1 OG scenes. They have a blank check now, which was the point.

 

[Dust]

Certain scenes could be hilarious though, like the impaled Midgar Zolom.

"Did Sephiroth...do this?"
"Who cares, we already beat his ass"

 

[CorrisD]

I feel like some people missed that this isn't a remake of FFVII at all, this isn't the OG events happening again as they did the first time in fancy new graphics, this is a sequel to the first game and advent children.

This isn't a "Remake" of FFVII, this is someone, likely Sephiroth, doing a "Remake" the history of the first game to suit what he wants. That is why things are so different, why there was no point to introducing Sephiroth the same way as the original because this isn't the same story, this is a continuation and redo of the first game. The events of FFVII have already happened and several characters, at least Sephiroth and Aerith know things have happened before.

 

[Rocky Road]

I'm so tired of how much they try to milk him. In the original game, he's still a tad bit generic but overall pretty interesting and mysterious. Now he's just cheesy and hammy and not in a very endearing way with how they try to market him. Having him as secret boss in Kingdom Hearts was fine fanservice and all but ever since then, they way they've just run wild with him, shoving him down everyone's throat he's just gotten worse and so cliched/generic over time. Haven't gotten around to playing Remake yet beyond the demo but from watching the cutscenes, but he's my least favorite aspect.