10 Final Fantasy VII Moments that Hit Harder in the Remake

The original Final Fantasy 7 will always be among the best games, but there are moments where the remake hits harder. Part of this is from the changes made to the story and how much more depth can be added to each element when the developers aren't limited by hardware capabilities to the same extent as the original, which opens up opportunities that weren't possible in the past.

However, the bigger reasons are the changes made to turn the remake into a reimagining and the knowledge about the story that many players are carrying into the remake from the original. Even though the story beats change somewhat in the remake, the emotional blows keep coming.

Spoilers for the game below.

10 Meeting Aerith

This Time, You Know Her Fate

Aerith, when you meet her for the first time, is a refreshing character in the depressing city of Midgar and its slums. She's unfazed by the conditions of the slums, and she's the only character there that you regularly see with plant life, which hints at her heritage long before you learn about her past and identity as the last Cetra.

In the remake, meeting Aerith is difficult at best. Not in terms of gameplay, but because you know what happens to her during the journey she's about to join with you. Plus, she seems to have some knowledge of the original timeline, which makes the situation worse, since that would mean she knows that she's going to die.

9 Cloud's Identity Crisis

Crisis Core Filled Us in On the Changes to Cloud

This isn't a single moment, but a series of moments throughout the games. It's a feature of Cloud that you know going into Final Fantasy 7 Remake if you played the original game, and playing Crisis Core adds even more emotion to it. Cloud has not only forgotten Zack Fair, he believes that Zack's experiences as a SOLDIER First Class were his own.

The details that hint at this start appearing earlier in the remake, especially when Cloud completely blanks when Aerith says Zack's name. Then, you learn the reasoning behind Cloud's mental state, which is even more heartbreaking. When he was a standard infantry member for Shinra, he was experimented on by Hojo, leading to severe trauma and Mako poisoning that resulted in his fractured sense of identity.

8 Hojo's Lab Section

Maybe Some Things Shouldn't Be Made in HD

Hojo, as an entity, is disturbing in every version of FF7, and more emotional doesn't mean that emotion is sadness. In the case of Hojo, his lab section, and every other appearance he makes, that emotion that's amplified in the remake is largely anger. While Shinra's interests align with Hojo's work, Hojo remains directly responsible for ruining countless lives and laying the foundation for some of the greatest tragedies in the game.

Because he thought that Jenova was a Cetra, Hojo injected her cells into Lucretia when she was pregnant with Sephiroth, which would lead to most events of the game happening. He also caused Ifalna's death and Aerith's childhood trauma by witnessing that death. When you look at everything that goes wrong in Midgar and beyond the city, a significant portion traces back to Hojo, which is rather infuriating.

7 Barret and Marlene

The Cutest Bond in the Game

Barret is introduced as a tough guy fighting for the planet, which he is, but he's also a loving father to his adoptive daughter, Marlene. They have a deep bond, but also a strong understanding of what's just in a world where the unjust profit the most. In the remake, their bond receives extra screen time, and it's somehow more heartwarming than it was in the original game.

That also means it's a little more heartbreaking to see Barret have to say goodbye to Marlene because he knows that he's needed in the fight to save the planet, and Marlene both understands and encourages this path for Barret. Without Marlene, Barret likely would've become a much more bitter character.

6 The Whispers

They Bring in New Moments of Tension

The Whispers aren't part of the original game, but they appear in moments that existed prior, which gives those moments more tension. They also show up in moments that weren't part of the original game, and currently, the general belief is that the Whispers are arbiters of fate that are desperately trying to correct the timeline as Cloud and his group cause deviations.

With their purpose to keep the original timeline, the Whispers add tension about how much Cloud and his group can actually change the future and fight against destiny. Looking at how events have proceeded somewhat similarly to the original timeline in at least one of the shown timelines, it'll be interesting to see what kind of suspense the Whispers bring in the final part.

5 The Gold Saucer

A Break Before the Heaviest Moments

The Gold Saucer is such a bittersweet section of the game. You have the design completely revamped and all the mini-games to enjoy, but you also have the weight of what comes next looming over you. Cloud is able to spend time with Tifa or Aerith, letting you put effort into your chosen ship for him, unless you want the humor of the date being with a character like Barret or Yufie.

The date with either Tifa or Aerith makes this section hit a little harder, because you know that the good days are ending and that Aerith is heading towards the point where she died in the original FF7. It's almost worse with the hints that she knows her fate in the original timeline and seems to willingly go towards it when you reach that part of Rebirth.

4 Alternate Timelines

You See What Could Have Been and What Might Be

With alternate timelines being a big part of the remake, there's a lot of mystery about how the story will actually end in the third part and how these timelines will impact that ending. This is especially true now that you've seen Zack show that he's aware of the timelines and can jump between them seemingly at will.

At the same time, it's so sad to see Zack go through timelines. He wants to be reunited with Aerith after years apart, but fate is determined to stop him in the same way that he's determined to defy fate. This element is likely going to be more emotional in the final game, where you'll see how everything ends.

3 Tifa in the Lifestream

Her Experience is More Prominent in the Remake

This moment is more detailed in the remake, and you get a better understanding of the experience that Tifa had in the Lifestream, which isn't something that's easy to survive with your mind intact, as shown by Cloud's general state. What makes it emotional is that you see both Tifa's strength and how much the party cares about her.

Naturally, the group is concerned when Tifa is unconscious following her dip in the Lifestream, and it's a nice reminder that they care for her, as her quiet and gentle nature doesn't often demand displays of care. At the same time, Tifa should have lost hold of her identity in the Lifestream, and she was able to hold onto herself purely through her mental fortitude and feelings for Cloud.

2 Elmyra and Aerith

They Built a Bond Through Tragedy

You know that Elmyra adopted Aerith in the original game, but the remake really expands on their story to show how tragic it is. Elmyra was alone, and when she found dying Ifalna and young Aerith, she decided that the safest place for Aerith was with her, giving Aerith a new mother figure while removing her own loneliness.

This dynamic is also upsetting because you know that Elmyra, who later learned that her husband died through Aerith's connection to the Lifestream, will be alone again after Aerith dies. As a result, meeting her and learning about her bond with Aerith is sweet, but also upsetting.

1 Aerith's Death

This Moment Continues to be the Most Emotional of All

The music, the moment, the way Aerith looks at you right before it happens, and the unclear events of Rebirth's version all come together to shatter your heart again. It's almost ironic that Aerith, the character who often has the most zest for life among the group members, is the one who ends up dying.

Rebirth, however, adds to the wound her death causes by apparently keeping her alive in another timeline, which Cloud is able to see. This leads to the group sitting and delaying their departure because it means leaving her behind, and Aerith hovering around them without being able to comfort any of her friends. Honestly, this scene requires tissues for wiping your tears.

Final Fantasy 7 was a work of art when it was first released, helping show that video games could be a meaningful medium for storytelling during a time when they weren't as popular. Now, this fan-favorite part of the franchise is in the middle of receiving a full remake, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth somehow manage to hit harder emotionally than the original did.