Nibelheim Flashback

After you leave Midgar and head to the first town out Cloud will share the details of the Nibelheim mission where Sephiroth went nuts. What are your thoughts on the scene as a whole and which parts did you like more than others?

This is one of my favorite parts in the game. I enjoy seeing Sephiroth before he becomes the villain and the transformation after. I also enjoy exploring Nibelheim and being a little newbie. It's also the only time Sephiroth is in your party and you can see him fight. The scene never stops being fun for me. I used to have a save spot at that point so I could replay it any time I want.

Discuss.

I HATE THIS SCENE SO smurfING MUCH WORST PART OF THE GAME

I loved it the first time, but after playing through it over and over...

it drags on for me, I'm afraid. Nothing will ever match the first time I went through it.

I don't see the big deal or why people hate it. Most reasons boil down to "you know what is going to happen."

Okay.

Then shouldn't replaying the entire game bother you?

I hate it because it is incredibly restrictive exposition. Also because the first time I played it I was young and scared by the general feeling of the flashback. It's an interesting insight, and I can appreciate it, but it wholly detracts from that sense of freedom and open world exploration you're supposed to have just achieved.

The reason I like it to this day for the simple fact that it uses one of my favorite methods of getting a point across in video games: Using the actual gameplay to showcase a story point. The game builds up Sephiroth to be a bad ass super solider, and watching the amount of damage he dished out and capabilities the character had drove that point home. If he was capable of such feats five years ago as a "good" guy, imagine what he can do now!

So when I replay that part, I am brought back to my teens, remembering how I felt when I first played this game. I was a longtime Final Fantasy fan, which was rare in those days, and I was amazed at how far the series has come. Plus, say what you want about Sephiroth's character flaws or FFVII's flaws in general, but the FMV where he nonchalantly walks through the fire is still powerful.

Sure, it wasn't as amusing as the first time I played it, but that's the case with everything in entertainment.

It confused me a bit at first and I didn't particularly enjoy it or not enjoy it.

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Originally Posted by Sephex

The reason I like it to this day for the simple fact that it uses one of my favorite methods of getting a point across in video games: Using the actual gameplay to showcase a story point. The game builds up Sephiroth to be a bad ass super solider, and watching the amount of damage he dished out and capabilities the character had drove that point home. If he was capable of such feats five years ago as a "good" guy, imagine what he can do now!

So when I replay that part, I am brought back to my teens, remembering how I felt when I first played this game. I was a longtime Final Fantasy fan, which was rare in those days, and I was amazed at how far the series has come. Plus, say what you want about Sephiroth's character flaws or FFVII's flaws in general, but the FMV where he nonchalantly walks through the fire is still powerful.

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Agreed. That whole scene is iconic.

Another reason I like it is because I'm a fan of missions in general. Anything that has a clear objective from the get-go and a small group to achieve it, I like. It's why I enjoy playing the opening mission with AVALANCHE so much.

It's a pretty underated moment. I found it interesting when I first played it, and still enjoy doing it. I still kind of wish that Sephiroth wasn't AI, but I guess that's to put you more in Cloud's position - you just stand there mesmerized as Sephiroth handles everything. I don't see the problem with knowing what's going to happen.

It's obviously better the first time though, as is finding out what you fear may be the truth (in North Crater), and then the actual truth in Mideel. :)

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Originally Posted by Sephex

The reason I like it to this day for the simple fact that it uses one of my favorite methods of getting a point across in video games: Using the actual gameplay to showcase a story point. The game builds up Sephiroth to be a bad ass super solider, and watching the amount of damage he dished out and capabilities the character had drove that point home. If he was capable of such feats five years ago as a "good" guy, imagine what he can do now!

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I like that part too. Shame it's over in the first five minutes or so, and everything after it is nothing but linear exposition for an hour or two.

It was pretty ballsy at the time to have a lengthy flashback sequence to flesh out the villain. I'm reminded of how Call of Duty 4 did it some 10 years later. It was pretty dope sequence that certainly set FFVII a part. It also scared the crap out of my 9 year old self. I think going from a cyberpunk dystopia to a small town horror story really broadcast the range of the adventure you were just getting started on.

I liked the part where it ended.

I think it would have been a little nicer with a little more 'play', but all and all it works very well. Certainly far superior to watching 45 minutes of cut scenes.

I really didn't like it.

I remember the feeling I had when I first left Midgar, this was my first FF and I honestly thought Midgar was the world of this game. When I first hit the world map and realised the scale of what I was playing and how huge the world was it blew me away, it'll always be one of my favourite gaming moments.

Not 10 minutes later I was stuck on some very restrictive flashback that seemed to last forever. This is probably why I hated it then and while I still get bored playing through it now.

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Originally Posted by Vivi22

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sephex

The reason I like it to this day for the simple fact that it uses one of my favorite methods of getting a point across in video games: Using the actual gameplay to showcase a story point. The game builds up Sephiroth to be a bad ass super solider, and watching the amount of damage he dished out and capabilities the character had drove that point home. If he was capable of such feats five years ago as a "good" guy, imagine what he can do now!

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I like that part too. Shame it's over in the first five minutes or so, and everything after it is nothing but linear exposition for an hour or two.

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Again, then why replay the game at all? There are plenty parts of the game where there is linear exposition. If that's a problem then why replay ANY RPG from the late 90s on?