I still don't get what the problem with knowing what's going to happen/knowing that it's semi-false memories. It seems like a silly reason to hate something to me. I get that that it doesn't have the same impact as the first time, but ultimately it must be the overall enjoyment of the segment that should determine whether or not you care this time around, right?
Basically, if you (the people who hate it) find it boring or badly written or whatever, I understand that as an opinion, but not "I know the answer".
Jack: How do you know?
Will: It's more of a feeling really.
Jack: Well, that's not scientific. Feeling isn't knowing. Feeling is believing. If you believe it, you can't know because there's no knowing what you believe. Then again, no one should believe what they know either. Once you know anything that anything becomes unbelievable if only by virtue of the fact you now... know it. You know?
Will: No.
If Demolition Man were remade today
Huxley: What's wrong? You broke contact.
Spartan: Contact? I didn't even touch you.
Huxley: Don't you want to make love?
Spartan: Is that what you call this? Why don't we just do it the old-fashioned way?
Huxley: NO!
Spartan: Whoa! Okay, calm down.
Huxley: Don't tell me to calm down!
Spartan: What's gotten into you? 'Cause it sure as hell wasn't me.
Huxley: Physical relations in the way of intercourse are no longer acceptable John Spartan.
Spartan: What? Why the hell not?
Huxley: It's the law, John. And for your information, the very idea that you suggested it makes me feel personally violated.
Spartan: Wait a minute... violated? Huxley what the hell are you accusing me of here?
Huxley: You need to leave, John.
Spartan: But Huxley.
Huxley: Get out!
Moments later Spartan is arrested for "violating" Huxley.
By the way, that's called satire. Get over it.
It's dumb to question the 'realism' (like, no, the Buster Sword would break Cloud's wrists. Tifa wouldn't punch everything. Etc) because yeah, fantasy game. But you're still allowed to question the story/game mechanics. I think sometimes people use the "IT'S A FANTASY" excuse too much.
Jack: How do you know?
Will: It's more of a feeling really.
Jack: Well, that's not scientific. Feeling isn't knowing. Feeling is believing. If you believe it, you can't know because there's no knowing what you believe. Then again, no one should believe what they know either. Once you know anything that anything becomes unbelievable if only by virtue of the fact you now... know it. You know?
Will: No.
If Demolition Man were remade today
Huxley: What's wrong? You broke contact.
Spartan: Contact? I didn't even touch you.
Huxley: Don't you want to make love?
Spartan: Is that what you call this? Why don't we just do it the old-fashioned way?
Huxley: NO!
Spartan: Whoa! Okay, calm down.
Huxley: Don't tell me to calm down!
Spartan: What's gotten into you? 'Cause it sure as hell wasn't me.
Huxley: Physical relations in the way of intercourse are no longer acceptable John Spartan.
Spartan: What? Why the hell not?
Huxley: It's the law, John. And for your information, the very idea that you suggested it makes me feel personally violated.
Spartan: Wait a minute... violated? Huxley what the hell are you accusing me of here?
Huxley: You need to leave, John.
Spartan: But Huxley.
Huxley: Get out!
Moments later Spartan is arrested for "violating" Huxley.
By the way, that's called satire. Get over it.
There are some things we suspend disbelief for. There are other things that seem pointlessly unrealistic. Cloud can hold the Buster Sword because he is genetically modified to be stronger thanks to JENOVA cells and Mako showers. The Tiny Bronco can float around without pontoons (I guess; I know nothing about planes or buoyancy).
If the writers are worth their salt, then every unrealistic element is built into the world's lore. The excuse "it's a fantasy game" should rarely be needed and it feels like people are too lazy to critically analyse something or they're trying hard to defend the game. The Tiny Bronco floating certainly doesn't ruin the game, and neither does the Nibelheim flashback.
Fantastical elements must still make sense in the game universe. The Iifa tree existing is strange, but it exists to ferry the souls between Terra and Gaia, and it creates mist as a byproduct of this. Zombie tree makes no sense in our world, but in Final Fantasy IX, it has justification and purpose. It's not there simply because Sakaguchi wanted the party to fight an undead boss.
Creating a fantasy tale without having fantasy elements would be rather impossible, after all If you can't find a real world explanation and you can't find an in-universe explanation for something, then its existence begins to become questionable and you start looking for justification like "Rule of Cool" and stuff.
Jiro and Jinx already beat me to what I would have said. "It's fantasy" sounds too much like a convenient cop out so writers don't have to explain the things that doesn't even make sense in their own fantasy world.
The whole Nibelheim Flashback is one of the best moments in FFVII.
I honestly can't believe so many people dislike it.