While RPGs are typically known for long and dramatic stories, few titles in that genre resonate as close to gamers’ hearts as Final Fantasy 7. The story of FF7 has held on to many of the players who grew up with just the original title, and that love for what the game gave fans in 1997 has left subsequent expansions in a rather contradictory place. To this day, fans are divided on whether the Final Fantasy 7 Compilation improved or transformed the original story into something completely different. Despite that, though Final Fantasy 7 Remake borrows, includes and links important details of the Compilation to make the experience much more complete with what came after 1997.
However, not all experiences with this particular franchise are created equal. Kingdom Hearts took a slightly different approach to Cloud Strife, FF7s protagonist, than with which his first appearance portrayed him. KH may be a series worth considering the length of the Compilation of FF7but it can be argued that some details with the former are not as easily intertwined as the Compilation is. That’s not even comparing KHwhich is full of repetitions and adjustments, to FF7 Remake, which puts things together by looking at the bigger picture. Because of how different these two Square Enix projects handle their writing, there are some interesting similarities as well as changes to Cloud’s character in both KH and FF7R.
Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Naturally, Final Fantasy 7 Remake uses Cloud exactly as loyal fans expected. This cloud is cool and tough on the surface, but socially awkward because underneath it’s like a fish to water. While he has bravado with the skills to back it up, he also has plenty of hilariously embarrassing moments with the rest of the cast that make it clear that Cloud isn’t perfect. Even if he keeps his distance, he gets attached to the members of Avalanche and Aerith quite easily as the game progresses, just like he did in the original. FF7.
One could argue that the remake makes a point of emphasizing how much of a dopey Cloud can be, as he has his “rank” in SOLDIER said early in the game when asked about his age, and he even pouts when slightly scolded by Tifa because he is rude to the landlord of their apartments. There’s an emphasis on the fact that there’s more to Cloud that newer fans may not know, which also serves as a nod to veteran players about the later plot twists involving Cloud’s mental illness.
Overall, FF7 Remake delivers a believable Cloud showing that the iconic character is not as powerful and strong as he would like people to see him in the beginning, but rather a damaged and distressed three-dimensional character who is perfectly human. Even if the remake Project is now playing his cards close to his chest, there is plenty of evidence for the new generation of FF7 fans starting with remake to understand that there is more to the headache and the many times Cloud says he is “not interested”.
Kingdom Hearts’ Cloud
Cloud’s introduction in the first Kingdom Hearts game is when he dramatically walks close to Sora to tease him as a rising opponent. Some players may mistakenly assume that the person in question is Vincent Valentine in the first place because of the cape Cloud is wearing KH1. However, the cloud in Olympus Coliseum is much more stabilized than what FF7 fans are used to. While this Cloud is still sassy and quiet, doing everything it’s meant to do and nothing more, it’s fully aware of its surroundings and doesn’t seem disconnected from reality.
However, Cloud teams up with Hades as he searches for Sephiroth, his darkness-given form. This is taken from what Cloud tells Sora once the player has left the Olympus Coliseum, where he said he relied too much on darkness in the past and fell deeply into it. Sephiroth’s own words claiming to be Cloud “in” KH2 adds. Aside from a rather angry dialogue with his rival, Cloud is rather quiet about everything going on with him, refusing to even meet Aerith’s gaze when he promises he’ll be back after defeating Sephiroth – a sign that he is not so sure that he’ll return after fighting his darkness.
The fact that Cloud is surrounded by his darkness is the focal point of his conflict in Kingdom Hearts. It is said that darkness is the reason the mercenary looks different in KH2 where he puts on his Advent children outfit, as Cloud is reportedly missing the light completely. In the world of Kingdom HeartsLosing yourself to the darkness is in most cases a terrible and tragic thing. However, Cloud is still himself, implying that he has a light that he is not aware of. His lack of light indicates how stuck he is in his past, and he seems to have had enough by the end of his role in KH2 to properly challenge Sephiroth to their fateful battle.
The parallels between the two clouds
Watching the Cloud found in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and seen the cloud in Kingdom Hearts paints a pretty clear picture of what the writers at Square Enix consider Cloud Strife. It seems Cloud generally lives up to its last name of “battle” as they are both quite full of internal conflict and have a hard time getting it out due to internalized insecurities. Kingdom Hearts may not be clear what the mercenary doubts, but FF7R fans will probably almost find out FF7 Rebirth. Kingdom Hearts 2 the presentation of Cloud and Sephiroth meeting for a fateful battle to “settle” things seems quite reminiscent of the exchange between the two in remakes last moments, except that in kh, Cloud is fully aware of their ties while: FF7R Cloud stays in the dark.
The two are also quite similar in that they both run from things they don’t want to face, but Kingdom Hearts leaves the idea of Cloud running away from his past rather vague. In the meantime, FF7Rs The story of what Cloud is fleeing from is perhaps a little more complex than just his past. It’s hard to say if that’s really what the “ex-SOLDER” is on the run from, but no one will know for sure until the full story of the remake Project is revealed. Found the cloud in KH seems much more mature, older and adapted than FF7R Cloud, which is far more clumsy and remarkably inexperienced by comparison. The difference in their temperament may be a result of their different stories. Holding on to the lack of trauma Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cloud back absent in Kingdom Hearts is a rather understandable difference if KH is about Sora’s story rather than Cloud’s.
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