Deleted Scene Analysis (spoilers)

[MJN SEIFER]

There where apparently some scenes deleted from this game, which can be viewed using cheat devices and accessing the “Debug Menu” in this thread I will show some of them, and analyze where they may have gone, and why they where probably taken out.

These are done in the order I have found them, and if there are any missing be sure to let me know, as I am finding them on YouTube as I don’t have the Debug menu.

“Pre-Promise” Scene - Midgar Sector 7

Tifa
”So, what are you going to do now?”

Cloud
...... I'll look for Sephiroth.

Tifa
Sephiroth...... is alive?

Cloud
If he's dead, I'll leave it at that.
But if he's alive...
...I'll have to settle matters once and for all.

Tifa
"Settle matters"?

Cloud
5 years ago... Nibelheim.
Our home town, he...

Tifa
......

Cloud
Don't you feel the same, Tifa?
You went through something horrible.

Tifa
Cloud... you know about what happened?

Cloud
I know everything... I remember it well.

Tifa
......

Cloud
Huh? What's wrong?

Tifa
......Cloud, you remember......

Barret
Hey!!
How long are you going to stand here talking so seriously!!

Tifa
I understand.
You're going to look for Sephiroth.

Tifa
But... if you change your mind, come back to us.

This scene takes place after the promise scene in Seventh Heaven, it also takes place outside the bar as originally there would have been an option to go outside and view the promise flashback outside instead. This scene was most likely removed because it mentioned certain aspects (Sephiroth, Cloud’s Memory, and The Nibelheim Fire) a bit too early, and we wouldn’t have really mentioned them apart from a few brief mentions of Sephiroth until later on, so there really wasn’t much point in keeping this scene in.

“Cargo” Scene – the back of a Midgar train by the look of it.

Cloud runs towards the screen while the music “Who am I?” plays, when he reaches the front, he holds his head and freaks.

Cloud
It’s not ready
yet…
Whoa!!

This really doesn’t make any sense even in context of the game – the “freaking” Cloud does is what happens during many Sephiroth/Jenova based scenes, but it would be strange for this to happen at this stage in the game – it is too early if this really is on board the Midgar train. However, it is possible that (as it is found in the Debug Menu) that the programmers needed a “barrier” to keep each other out of sections that they hadn’t properly finished and/or weren’t safe to play yet – hence whenever they tried to enter them – this scene would appear. That may or may not be the case, but it kind of makes sense when you think about it.

“From Pinball” Scene – Shinra Truck (with Sephiroth)

Cloud
I wonder how they make Materia?


You mean you don’t know?


Cloud
Do you?


It’s the Planet,
it take years to make.


Lately, it’s been Shinra

This scene starts and ends with a white flash and the text is written without boarders so one can assume it’s meant to be one of those quick flashbacks for Cloud. The unlabelled dialogue belongs to Sephiroth, and the scene takes place on the back of the truck, at the beginning of the Sephiroth Flashback – however this scene doesn’t because the text is different. Seeing as the scene is named “from pinball” it is possible that the scene originally took place in Seventh Heaven (they use the pinball machine as a “lift” to get in and out of the hideout) – so Cloud would have had the flashback there, possibly after he explains Materia to Barret? Again I am in favor of this being removed, as it isn’t really needed – the origin of Materia is explained later on in the game, and on a minor note, the scene kind of introduces Sephiroth too early.

The following scenes I don’t have the title for…

Note: I have changed all references of the name: “EX-SOLDIE” (sic) to Cloud, as it is based on what he was named at the time and the Debug Room can reset your name, so this wouldn’t have factored in the actual script.

Scene - appears to be on the Highwind, but the scenery is whitened and “foggy”. Only the “crew” are on screen but the also characters are apparently present somewhere.

Barret
So what was up with that
Cloud anyways


He was a Sephiroth-clone
created by Hojo

Cid
Can you really make those?


Well he wasn’t made from scratch.


They implant a Jenova cell
into a normal human being
and then infuse it with Mako energy.


Red
Well then, what is Cloud?

[blank space]

Red
But why only Cloud…?

Fade completely to white.

I have no idea what the blank space was going to be originally, but this scene obviously takes place after the northern crater scene. Because it fades to white it is possible that it would have taken place just before Tifa wakes up in Junon, probably even instead of the flashback that got put there. I am very grateful this scene got cut because if they had left it in, it would have ruined the suspense of the game. I really loved it the first time how the north cave scene left me wondering whether Cloud was a “clone” or not – for the meaning of “clone” to be described so quickly gives away the mystery and we would basically be waiting for Tifa to explain to Cloud what we already know during the Lifestream scene. It is much better in the finalized version where we are left to assume that “clone” means that Cloud was created and are left wondering whether that is true, only to get a big relief when the meaning of “clone” is described in Mideel. I am assuming the unlabeled text is Tifa’s but I’m not sure.

Scene – Honeybee INN hall.

The room goes red, and a transparent Cloud appears behind the honeybee-girl and holds his head.

Sir……

The “Cloud” behind her disappears as everything goes back to normal.

Choose the BEST ‘flavor’ from the
4 rooms.

But you can only choose
from an unoccupied room.

I don’t really know why this was removed, other than to keep the scene in the @%$^ Room (I think?) a surprise. The game wouldn’t have benefited to much from this scene, but it wouldn’t have been too bad to leave it in either. Also notice the honeybee-girl’s lines are confusingly structured – she has a completely different line in the finalized version. I am not sure if “flavor” is an innuendo or not, nor do I know if it’s an American spelling of “flavour” (like “color” – which I actually use despite being English).

More to come when I find them.

[silentenigma]

The blank might have been an explanation, spoken by a crew member, that Cloud was made from essentially the same procedure as a SOLDIER, but that Cloud was the only one adversely affected by the process. That's the only thing i think would fit in context.

[Skyblade]

The only one I wish remained was the first one. I understand that they don't want to give away too much too soon, but that scene would have really helped the game. I would just cut the words "Nibelheim, our hometown", and leave it at "5 years ago, he...". It leaves out exactly what happens, but it leaves clues to Sephiroth's existence, Cloud's desire to go after him, and, most importantly of all, more clues about Cloud's true past, with Tifa's unease about his memories of the Nibelheim events.

[MJN SEIFER]

The only one I wish remained was the first one. I understand that they don't want to give away too much too soon, but that scene would have really helped the game. I would just cut the words "Nibelheim, our hometown", and leave it at "5 years ago, he...". It leaves out exactly what happens, but it leaves clues to Sephiroth's existence, Cloud's desire to go after him, and, most importantly of all, more clues about Cloud's true past, with Tifa's unease about his memories of the Nibelheim events.

Now that I think about it, that probably would have worked. Nice thinking.

The blank might have been an explanation, spoken by a crew member, that Cloud was made from essentially the same procedure as a SOLDIER, but that Cloud was the only one adversely affected by the process. That's the only thing i think would fit in context.

That's a distinct possibility.

[Bolivar]

interesting!

[Ryushikaze]

The only one I wish remained was the first one. I understand that they don't want to give away too much too soon, but that scene would have really helped the game. I would just cut the words "Nibelheim, our hometown", and leave it at "5 years ago, he...". It leaves out exactly what happens, but it leaves clues to Sephiroth's existence, Cloud's desire to go after him, and, most importantly of all, more clues about Cloud's true past, with Tifa's unease about his memories of the Nibelheim events.

Now that I think about it, that probably would have worked. Nice thinking.

The blank might have been an explanation, spoken by a crew member, that Cloud was made from essentially the same procedure as a SOLDIER, but that Cloud was the only one adversely affected by the process. That's the only thing i think would fit in context.

That's a distinct possibility.

The line still exists in the JP version, actually, and IIRC says something to the effect of 'so he has all these horrible things done to him' but that's going entirely from memory, so grain of salt.

[blackmage_nuke]

“Cargo” Scene – the back of a Midgar train by the look of it.

Cloud runs towards the screen while the music “Who am I?” plays, when he reaches the front, he holds his head and freaks.

Cloud
It’s not ready
yet…
Whoa!!

This really doesn’t make any sense even in context of the game – the “freaking” Cloud does is what happens during many Sephiroth/Jenova based scenes, but it would be strange for this to happen at this stage in the game – it is too early if this really is on board the Midgar train. However, it is possible that (as it is found in the Debug Menu) that the programmers needed a “barrier” to keep each other out of sections that they hadn’t properly finished and/or weren’t safe to play yet – hence whenever they tried to enter them – this scene would appear. That may or may not be the case, but it kind of makes sense when you think about it.

I think this would have been during one of the flashbacks, if i recall Tifa found Cloud at a train station in Midgar so maybe it was meant to detail how Cloud got to the station and the moment he lost his mind

[MJN SEIFER]

interesting!

Thank you.

The line still exists in the JP version, actually, and IIRC says something to the effect of 'so he has all these horrible things done to him' but that's going entirely from memory, so grain of salt.

I see, thanks for the information.

I think this would have been during one of the flashbacks, if i recall Tifa found Cloud at a train station in Midgar so maybe it was meant to detail how Cloud got to the station and the moment he lost his mind

That makes a lot of sense, I don't know why I didn't think of it myself! Thanks!

[Roogle]

My first impression of the "It's not ready yet... Whoa!!" scene would be of a playtesting process of some kind. I agree with your first impression of the scene.

Deleted scenes are interesting because you get a glimpse into the creative process of a story. Why were these scenes left out? Were they present in other version of the game? Do you feel like you are missing out because the scene is cut? These are questions that I always ask myself in any medium of media with deleted content.

If I recall correctly, I believe the first scene was meant to be viewed if you declined to join AVALANCHE at the beginning of the game.