Gaming Why Final Fantasy 7 Remake Changing Its Final Line Is A Big Deal

Final Fantasy 7 Remake's narrative is a big deal. It takes the framework of a beloved classic and seeks to reimagine it, even if it means completely transforming its events and characters into something unknowable. But for the most part, with the exception of its last act and a fate defying army of whispers that pursue the ensemble cast, it's relatively faithful.

Producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Naoki Hamaguchi told me in a recent interview that it was always the plan to deviate from the established canon, but in the first game, they waited until the very end to pull the rug out from beneath us. There are hints of deviation, such as a much earlier appearance of Sephiroth as he's folded into the main narrative, and the army of whispers I mentioned previously pursuing the party with an unknown purpose.



Many players were left scratching their heads, but it wasn't until arriving at Shinra HQ and watching Barret murdered at the hands of Sephiroth only to immediately be brought back to life that the RPG penny dropped. All of a sudden, we were dealing with a new story in a new world with brave new consequences. There was something exciting about pursuing the unknown in a story I already knew so well. But now, I'm not sure what Square Enix has planned for the future.

I Miss It. The Steel Sky.

A recent 11GB update for Final Fantasy 7 Remake on console and PC has seen a range of small changes made to the game, from alterations to dialogue to covering up Tifa's cleavage in certain cutscenes. It will take players a while to track them all down, but a huge change that stood out immediately was Aerith's final line of dialogue.

Upon defeating the Arbiters of Fate and standing at the edge of the Midgar highway, with the whole world before her, the flower girl previously said, "I miss it. The steel sky," as she refers to the dystopian architecture she has existed beneath her entire life. In this moment, Aerith is supposed to be celebrating her freedom, pondering the possibilities of suddenly being free to explore an entire world, no longer bound by corporate shackles or familial guilt. But fear still overrides this curiosity, and having just reversed her fate and potentially her own death, she is still afraid of the unknown.

I've been curious if Rebirth would turn Aerith's dramatic death onto someone else, perhaps Cloud, Tifa, or Zack steps into to carry her heavy burden. Only time will tell...
A battle is won, but the war is far from over. She can proudly go out into the world and celebrate her victory, or fear whatever trials and tribulations await her in the games to come. But in spite of missing where she came from, there is still optimism in Aerith's voice, and while leaving Midgar behind might come with its own kind of grief, there is far more joy to be found in broadening her horizons and no longer living in fear of mortality.

With the dialogue change, which fans are claiming allows it to be better aligned with events in Crisis Core, this optimism is replaced by pessimism, and feels like an obvious sign of the tragedy to come, despite the fact Rebirth hasn't even launched yet. Square Enix is being so precious about spoilers but has shown its hand in the most artistically bereft way possible.

This sky... I don't like it.

The newly patched dialogue changes the intention behind Aerith's words and her outlook on the future entirely. She previously missed the steel sky that watched over her, how it had blocked out the sunlight for decades and only existed to oppress those beneath it. Leaving it behind and embracing freedom for the first time in her life is a scary thought, so, of course, in the first throes of independence she would question whether that first step was worth taking.

It mirrored the player in some ways, and how, after spending 40 hours following a faithful tale from decades ago, Square Enix was suddenly offering us a hand and asking us to take hold even if we have no idea what the future holds. The excitement of the unknown mystery was enough to pull me along, even if I end up perplexed by the final destination.

"This sky... I don't like it," paints Aerith as being afraid with little room for interpretation, as if she would rather turn back into the arms of Shinra instead of standing alongside her allies and fighting for the planet's wellbeing. Aerith is a stronger woman than that, and shows us throughout Remake that she isn't willing to take her destiny as a captive without a fight.

It's proven time and time again that she is powerful, intelligent, and potentially aware of the fate that will eventually befall her. Even if her death meant saving the planet in a past life, she'd rather explore different options and subvert the unfair fate thrust upon her.

What Does Aerith's Line Change Mean For Rebirth?

Given I've finished Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, I will try and beat around the bush as much as possible here. It has already been confirmed that the game will conclude at the Forgotten Capital, the very same location in which Aerith is killed by Sephiroth in the original game.

For years now, fans have reluctantly assumed that the changing of fate narrative means that Aerith will somehow avoid death, therefore reversing one of gaming's greatest tragedies. I've always feared what repercussions this decision would have, especially in a new story that is already playing around with different metaverses and timelines following the return of Zack.

If you can reverse the death of such a pivotal character, whose passing has become a part of popular culture in the decades since its inception, where do you draw the line?

Aerith missing the steel sky brought that possibility into real conversation, establishing fear towards her future and how, after reversing fate once, what would stop her from doing it yet again. Her new dialogue talks about being scared of the sky in general, as if she's aware of impending doom that, no matter what, she will be unable to counteract.

I sincerely hope that this isn't a response to fan backlash and Square Enix isn't patching old games to address past dialogue, so its upcoming plans don't look ridiculous in retrospect, or the narrative of the trilogy is still in flux and nobody knows what they're doing. There is no way to know, but changing a vital line by one of its most important characters during the final moments of a game which aims to subvert any and all existing canon is a big deal no matter how you slice it.

Right now, it's unclear if the Final Fantasy 7 Remake wants to repeat the past, stagnate in its present, or dare venture into an uncertain future. Changing powerful lines of dialogue under our noses and years after release gives the perception that those piecing this story together are lacking confidence, or eager to nip and tuck existing dialogue and events, so it fits a story that is still not set in stone. It's not a great look, and turns this once satisfying mystery into one defined by unclear frustration.

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