What was the point in having all that character development for Cloud and having him return to his real self at the end of the game if they were just gonna ruin his character by having him so screwed up in AC? I just got done watching AC, but now I sort of regret watching it b/c it's like everything that Cloud does in the OG and Remake doesn't even matter anymore b/c he's just depressed later on. I hate to say this but what were the devs thinking when they made AC? They ruined Cloud in it :(
I think most folks agree - AC is a hell of a jump from the end of OG Cloud to what we are presented with in AC. The issue is, the “filler” for those two years is contained in, mostly, On the Way to a Smile and partially in The Kids are Alright.
Case of Tifa shows Cloud’s soft side quite a bit - especially since Tifa is really struggling with her guilt almost immediately after OG ends, which is when this novel starts.
Now, this one, I joke and say this is pre or post sexitime, since they make sure to specify that they were alone.
But a lot of this starts to fade when Cloud gets hit with his spiral of depression, and since Tifa is also struggling, they go out of sync with each other. Do I think AC does a great job of portraying this? No. I think AC has multiple issues and is one of the parts of the compilation I’m hoping they “remake” so it’s very clear how this all is going down.
If you read the Ultimanias and The Reunion Files, they do make it clear that Cloud’s issue with Aerith is fully guilt related, and then they also tie Zack into it.
But that’s another issue with the novels - Zack is missing. Zack isn’t mentioned once in the novels, which, since he does show up in AC and since he’s portrayed as a large part of Cloud’s life, makes little sense.
To be fair, AC and the initial novels came out pre-Crisis Core, and I think that Crisis Core is meant to show how important Zack really is to the compilation and to Cloud and Aerith. The only reason Cloud is alive is because of Zack.
The other thing not mentioned during AC, which to me seemed strange, was the Lifestream, or much of what went on in OG. Meteor is talked about, Sephiroth, Aerith, and even Zack are touched on, but nothing else regarding Cloud’s character arc are. The Lifestream scene is considered to be one of the most powerful in the OG and is also the dev’s favorite scene. Why not put it in there?
So, yes, I agree. I think AC did a disservice to Cloud’s character because it’s not clarified. I DO think it’s realistic how his depression is portrayed, but there is no buildup. They do this in OG with things too, no buildup, just slam it in your face like here you go, this is happening.
Kingdom Hearts is another one that makes Cloud this super broody dude
Remake is doing a much better job of building up certain things: Cloud’s mental breakdown, Cloud’s borderline obsession with Tifa, Aerith’s quirky powers of being a Cetra, Sephiroth’s ability to control and cause hallucinations for Cloud... so I think they will fix the perception that AC gives later on. Whether that’s a remake of the film or another form of media, I think we will get a clear story for the entire compilation..
While they’re at it, they should probably look at DoC too.... but I’ll take whatever they give us.
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