I'm not saying their actions should be coddled by the narrative. I'm saying keeping things 'morally grey' isn't by itself a worthwhile aspect to the game when the original never acknowledged it beyond a couple lines and the main cast never stops to think about it.
Is not the same. Even if Jesse didn't want the bomb that powerful, she is the responsible of that. In this new one only Shinra is the responsible and the one to blame. Huge difference in front of the eyes of the player and probably Square-Enix will make Shinra to reveal that to the group.
And a major part of the plot is that they weren't trying to save the world— at least that's not the actual motivation for what they do. Barret started his sect of Avalanche to get revenge on Shinra; saving the planet was just a way for him to justify it. Later he agrees to save the planet for Marlene's sake. Cloud is just in it for the money at first, but then it becomes a personal score to settle with Sephiroth. Tifa's in it because Cloud is the only thing she has left of her pasta dish she also wants revenge on Shinra. The only ones that legit fight for that cause are Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge because they bought into Barret's preaching.
correct.
Well the whole final act is Cloud basically going "saving the planet is bullshit and we all know it. Go spend some time thinking about what you're really fighting for."
I'm just adding that a major part of the reason they're okay with collateral damage is because their real motivations is they want to hurt Shinra more than Shinra hurt them and they don't care how. Saving planet is just an excuse to make them feel justified.
It was always there, it's up to you if you chose to interpret it differently.
Heavily disagree with this interpretation, but it is an interesting take and I'll think about it as I replay the game. So far in my replay, Jessie said she didn't intend for the bomb to be that strong, and shows remorse just before the plate falls, but it is also as I remember that only a couple lines really talk about the civilian casualties. Because the reactor explosion and its fallout was never really explored by Barret and company, I have a hard time swallowing the idea that this was an intentional exploration of their grey morality. It really wasn't emphasized at all, unless you want to call a few lines of dialogue by side characters a subtle explanation or something. We can extrapolate the grey morality from critical analysis sure, but it is not a point the game really cares to make strongly as it still upholds the main party as quintessentially good. In light of that, I don't view the clarification that yeah, actually, Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Wedge, Biggs, and Jessie, aren't so heartless as to kill innocents in their bid against Shinra, as a negative. I mean to be frank, even just the idea that we should praise these characters as the heros they are while keeping innocent blood on their hands and go on gallivanting about with the same humor the original had, is repulsive to me on multiple levels. There's a place for the anti-hero, but it's not here. Not unless the game was trying to make a point with it. Which I can confidently say it didn't.
That's my concern. Also, if they changed this detail, what other larger story details have been changed? I was hoping for an expanded look at the story of FF7 (since they're splitting the game up), not an altered "what-if" one.
In one of the trailers (honestly can't think of the exact one atm) we actually see the destruction after plate fall briefly, so unless they pull a bait and switch we are still getting that event.
But this adds nothing. We all already knew about those lines. He leaves out the part where Jessie says she's proud of her bomb and that the next one will be even bigger.
That's a good quote, I've forgotten how that scene goes down. I'll be sure to pay more attention to it when I reach that part. But honestly, that just brings up more questions for me, like why did Aerith go along knowing they're mass murderers? The game still doesn't treat them with the severity you would expect a terrorist to be treated with. And my point that they are still treated and framed as the good guys stands. As does my point about our current sociopolitical context and their status as some of the most prominent characters in gaming. Look at how everyone treats the game's main cast. With utmost reverence.
I mean, a new player having this explicitly pointed out to them from the very beginning of the game would detach themselves from the characters and their emotional pain because they know things the characters do not from the very beginning. There would be no revelations to the players, no learning with the characters. The player does not get to think, does not get to imagine, does not get to experience or follow their journey because they know.
You don't see how that's a possibility? The handling of it is very clunky, overly explicit and very black and white on what happened.
you knowing information that the characters don't is a very common device in fiction and it doesn't strip the moment of tension or a viewers capability for empathy at all. if this weren't a remake and this information was presented as is i don't think people would bat an eye and, for the countless people who are going to experience this story for the first time, i don't think this moment is incongruous or poorly handled or detracts from the story of final fantasy vii at all
The audience knowing stuff the characters don't is called Dramatic Irony and it often actually strengthens the dramatic attachment to the character's. It can make you feel helpless because they take actions you know are misguided. Or you root for them to discover what you know. Or it puts their actions and emotions in a new light, making you understand them more and feel more for them.
