Thank you so much for watching, what are you most excited to see Remade in the Final Fantasy VII Remake? Make sure to check out my main channel with over 100K Subs and my Twitch to chat live and play together: twitch.tv/philiphartshorn
Great vid! It's good to hear the perspective of someone in your profession on gaming, especially how you grew up with the game. But also...in your next video, can you say "life, uhhh...finds a way" please?
Dude, do you have some background in music? The fact that you brought our attention to interesting music quirks, different instruments in the mix, and key change... leaves me completely in awe
“We didn’t see the game” Y E S ! This! I keep trying to explain this to people, as a dyslexic 9 year old playing the game was hard, but it felt a lot like reading a book at the time, it was hard work for me to play but the characters and stories made it worth while. I had this world pictured in my head. I’m just, so happy with what I’ve seen of the remake so far, because when we saw the first trailers of it, I recognised it instantly. This is what it looked like in my head when I let my imagination run wild. I had shivers run down my spine watching the remake, the sound design and the visuals are just so expertly crafted. The kids looking up at the reactor as it turns tonight, you’d expect the idea of a dawning of a “new technological age” to bring a brighter future, but it doesn’t. It goes dark. Ugh it’s just such genius.
When ff9 came out I was 10, I wrote to squaresoft asking about if they ever would update ff7s graphics as it was my fave. I remember they replied and it was something along the lines of "not for ps2 but probably for the generation after that, thank you for asking etc..." Then we got the ps3 tech demo a few years later and now....finally. Finally!!! XD
@@thegreathadoken6808 back in 1999 (when i wrote it) i went to Squaresoft website out of curiosity and found the American page. (Australian here) Back then I guess they were more relaxed, I contacted via the email they had listed for enquiries hahahaha I mean I was a kid and maybe not everyone had pestered them to death at that stage, so they replied. At the time I thought they were just being nice which they probably just were because it was 20 years ago XD
I'm a professional musician, and a total FF7 nerd with many playthroughs under my belt since it originally came out. I love the musical cues you were pointing out! That synth that falls right before the title reveal is crucial! Absolutely crucial. I feel like this intro shows the audience that the creators have taken tremendous care to preserve what was so special about this game, while taking it to a whole new level. And you're right, It's such an amazing intro shot in its conception, and the fact that the basic shot holds up cements this as one of the all-time great openings to any IP
Wow thank you so much! Coming from a professional I really appreciate that!! Yes I am obsessed with soundtracks and musical cues and how to use editing to voice ideas with the song. And once I heard that synth I knew just how much care they were putting into this, it’s unbelievable and as final fantasy vii fans, the best news we could ask for!
Just gonna tag along here, but god YES, I have been waiting for someone to point that out because I noticed that IMMEDIATELY and was like YESSSSS!!! It was perfectly done and didn't sound out of place either. Honestly blown away at how they incorporated it so well.
Uematsu's take on music itself is a masterpiece. I have all his Black Mages albums on CDs and his music is the only music that demands a top spec headphones and only when i finally ripped the CDs to a lossless quality can i ever put it on my phone.
If you've played through the demo, you likely have noticed call backs and homages to the original all over. Things like Jessie still taking out that first guard with a kick, or Cloud reaching level 7 immediately after the first encounter. Things like that make me feel like the developers themselves are big fans of the original and so want to put in the extra effort to maintain that mystique we felt from 1997.
@@JaronActual I showed my friend (who's played the originl) the opening movie and he said "it looks generic." I genuinely cannot believe the people who are still so jaded by the last 10 years of Squeenix that they can't see how incredible this game is going to be. I get it, FFXV is one of the greatest tragedies to ever befall gaming, let alone this franchise, in my eyes, and the XIII trilogy is a mixed bag. It has been rough ever since X. But if you've seen everything they've put into this remake and you can't tell how much these people actually care about the game they're making, then you're just retarded. I can't wait to see everyone giving this game 10/10 and shove that in his face.
I personally was just mindblown at how natural and awkward the mocap was for Aerith bumping the stranger on the sidewalk. This game is already a technical marvel and it's not even out yet.
Great point, really incredible level of rendering the movement even of her dress etc that we just take for granted at this point from square Enix because they are so ridiculously high level at animation. Truly a feat in itself.
The thought of half conscious Cloud, limping his way from THAT cliff, dragging Zack's sword allllll the way to the Midgar train station, especially now that we can see realistically how far apart they are, is mindblowing and so depressing..
All the FF games put the title over Midgar? =P I know what you mean, bit I disagree. They could have flashed the title anywhere and specifically chose a shot of Midgar.
carlotta4th i think what he meant was that all FF title logos are foreshadowing of the events to come throughout their perspective games, and he’s right all the title logos from every numbered FF title foreshadow something about each of their games, although I don’t remember about type-0. But the main numbered ones for sure do.
I think Sony would gain more hype for the game if they showed this trailer in theaters as part of the commercial previews before a film. I bet most people would think it was an actual movie before realizing it was a game. 😋
you are one of the most analytical people I’ve ever encountered on this site. I really could never be this confident on deciphering cinematic language like you have. I’m very impressed!!
Here is a link to the original opening: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MFX594xk4A4.html What is the timestamp, in the original video, for the "trickle-down" synthesizer Phil brings attention to? Because I mean, I played the original back then, but that synthesizer, right before the meteor comes in, sounds 'somewhat' new to me. EDIT: Wait. Yep. I hear it now. I didn't have my speakers turned up enough the last time I listened. But yeah. I hear it now. It's at 1 minute 31 seconds in the original link I posted. It's very subtle, but it really sets up the "burst" when the logo comes in and the music swells up
I feel like there's even more symbolism with the guy that crushed Aerith's flower. My initial reaction was very organic, I thought wow this guy is so busy with his life and his job that he doesn't even notice this very obvious girl on the ground doing something, he just simply continues to walk by not caring at all. I feel like he's the embodiment of how the people in the upper plate are. And the act of him being busy with his job and stepping on the flower in the process is even more symbolic of what Midgar is, people wrapped up in their own lives oblivious to what's happening around them and the planet. There's just sooo much detail and subtle nuances in this opening cinematic alone that can be picked apart it's amazing. And I think that's the beauty of the game. Every time you watch it you get a little more perspective and a little deeper into the lore and the world and it's honestly what makes good games so good! So excited for FF7R!
You're the first one I seen that notice that in the train the game change from pre-rendered to in-game engine. A bunch of people are thinking that everything is in-game. Good eye
Thank you! Super clever of them to hide it with the train smoke, it’s reminding me of the Ps1 days where they had seen less transitions from the pretense red backgrounds to the cutscenes, so creative!
@@PhilipHarts it's also a testament to how far we've come with technology, when you can't even tell when it's pre-rendered or in-game because of the seamless transitions. God I'm going to enjoy this so much. Can't wait! Spot on analysis btw 👌
@@PhilipHarts - Reminds me of playing the old Lord of the Rings games for PS2, haha - those were mindblowing back when I played them as a kid, but look absolutely dreadful now :P
FF7 was certainly an important game among those that started demonstrating how genuine cinematography as well as the mindset of it can belong in games (and the making of them), and seriously add to the storytelling. So, I think this is a great, and very appropriate perspective from which to approach the review.
That’s an amazing point, I agree, that’s what I always got from final fantasy games, inspiration for visual and audio storytelling on a creative level that changes the game every time.
4:20 the sound of anguish of a thousand souls BURNED OUT TO CREATE ELECTRICITY. 6:24 well, her name IS the anagram of 'Earth' in japanese (A-E-RI-SU> E-A-RI-SU) ... This game was absolute crazy 23 years ago and is still crazy today.
Wow man, this was a FANTASTIC analysis! You picked up on so many subtle things I didn’t notice after watching it several times. I also think the bit where aeris’ flower gets stepped on is such a fantastic metaphorical foreshadowing of aeris. Almost as if Aerith herself represents the flower - beautiful, an unnatural thing in her world (flowers are rare in midgar - aeris is the last cetra), and then the flower getting trampled (the forgotten capital scene). I love it. The hype for this game is out of control for me!
Such a good point about Aerith/ Aeris being the last cetra, I hadn't made that connection yet! Thank you so much for watching! My pleasure, so pumped to share my thoughts with you guys and of course have awesome convos about it all like this, I cannot wait for the remake to drop, I'm gonna lose it!
The Phil Up Gaming I shared your video on the comments section of some other FF7 reaction RU-vid videos. You analysis deserves a lot of views! It’s great.
Also reminder that flowers in Midgar literally grow in only one place - the church in the slums. Which makes the trampled flower all the more devastating.
Thank you so much!! Amazing, I go way back with this game too... I will probably get the deluxe edition final fantasy Vii remake for that sweet art book, as you can tell I love artwork haha
Congrats on your first video, my second channel, lol! I am also excited for the Final Fantasy VII Remake, please find more time to upload to both channels you weirdo!
@@taylon5200 Only thing I am not 100% on is if Vincent is still ageless after Dirge of Cerberus. Almost positive that his semi-immortality was from Hojo's experiments and not having Chaos which he has lost at the end of the game.
You know I'd be showing up eventually. It was inevitable. >:) Me being weird out of the way, something interesting I think you missed, or at least didn't touch on, was the huge tonal shift in the trailer with the music. We start drab, dreary, sad with One-wing Angel. We follow up into an updated version of the main (?) song. This updated version feels upbeat and happy. It, in the contrast of the first half, brings a form of hope. The music is telling a story and I love it. Things look happy, but are actually not. And despair is on the horizon, but that's not all. With despair we also have hope. The tone shift one last time to a battle theme saying, in my opinion, and the battle between these two forces start here and now. It's so amazing what they portray in this trailer with music alone. Add all the visual cues ontop of it... Such a well thought out and amazing trailer. I'm so hyped Phil.
Yessss, welcome Saber you legend!! Great catch on the music tonality shift! I did say this could be a happy scene if the music were different, yes it's almost like Sephiroth is already looming over Midgar just ruminating in his rage, waiting to strike! Yes I love how it sets the tone far beyond just the standard opening BUT retains the feelings of the original perfectly, I think this'll represent the entire game honestly, keeping the original but expanding the sophistication of FF7 to a whole new level of stroytelling! You're the best, thanks for the support on all channels haha!
Question for you: did you notice that the sector 7 plate was the only one darkened during the pan-out? I felt that little visual clue went largely unnoticed, but foreshadowed its fate in such an epic way.
one of the big things for me as someone who wears eyeliner, is aerith has uneven strokes that make up her eyeliner, like it's hand done, its not symmetrical on the eyes and you can just look at it and imagine her carefully putting it on, but still being imperfect and human, that tiny little detail does so much to tell the story of her shakily putting on the best face she can every day, and it makes me sooo happy.
Thank you so much for the support Orange! Finally a place to put some Twitch Highlights too which is exciting! Also I'm excited to hopefully work with the Final Fantasy Team again in the future!
I like the line "We didn't see the game." I agree. It's why I want to see Final Fantasy 6 given this level of detail once this project is complete. It's why, even though I didn't even LIKE Final Fantasy 7, I appreciate what's going on here, what people are doing and why, and why I support it whole-heartedly. Because Final Fantasy 6 is my all-time favorite JRPG, and the things I imagined seeing during the storyline blows away everything I've ever seen or imagined in any other old game. Even though I might not have liked the original Final Fantasy 7 a whole lot, I am waiting anxiously for this game and look forward to playing it more than any game coming out this year, and there's a lot of great games coming out this year. I just hope and pray this project of Square's is a raging success, for it's own sake, but even more so because if it does extremely well, they'll be more likely to give this same love and attention to detail to Final Fantasy 6.
Now that's just silly, we've seen it just like we have seen Chrono Trigger, Link to the past, Dragon ball and Aladin. We just haven't seen it translated into a realistic style but originally it wasn't.
I've watched a couple of these FFVII remake intro reaction videos and yours is by far my favorite, keep doin what you are doin bro! Interesting and heart felt commentary!
Just found your channel. Love the passion you have for this game. I am blown away every time I see anything from this remake. I still can't believe this is real!
its so nice seeing someone who really shares the passion and love for this masterpiece. I liked your analysis of the opening movie. Im looking forward to see more of your videos. off topic: to everybody who suffers because of the corona: stay strong and healthy! greetings from Germany
Possibly the best cinematic opening of a game? The zoom out from Aeris to show all of Midgar, then zooming back in to another part of Midgar is such a great setup. The two people destined to meet, both having these eventful nights simultaneously. ch-ch-ch-chills.
Please do more of the Filmmaker's react video, that was a beautiful insight from someone who involve in film making and how those shots meant to something. Love your content.
"Aaaaaaand there's our girl" Our girl was in the previous scene too, as a much younger girl playing in the park she grew up next to. Didn't catch it the first time. I think what you're seeing in those opening shots is not of the Upper Plate of Midgar, but of Midgar before they built the plates at all. We come to a very young Aeris looking up at what she somehow instinctively knows is the lifestream...That sound you mentioned? The sound right at this point? The one that's really well done? That's the planet crying in pain as Shin-Ra turns on the reactor for the very first time...That's what made Aeris look up, she heard the planet cry...the sky darkens almost as is someone blocks out the sun...almost as if someone has covered the sky with a huge metal plate...the screen goes dark.... we find Aeris fully grown. In the meantime, Shin_Ra Inc has became the most powerful entity on the face of the earth and the plate was built. Our story begins... As far as the music in the opening section of the game, you likened it to a military march but I liken it to a speeding train. I think that analogy fits perfect, and not just for the obvious fact they came barrelling in on a speeding train. I picked up on the using of the little musical flourishes to accentuate moments too. I listened and played once, I listened and played twice, and then I watched a no-commentary RU-vid video of the demo by a channel called Shirrako, and that's when I began noticing these astounding little re-appropriations of little beats to introduce moments that we remembered from 22 years ago. Not only did they use the music in the first few bars, but as long as you keep a good pace, the music actually hits beats with you in open-gameplay. The music will strike a chord as you strike an enemy. It will rise to a crescendo as you apply a finishing combo or perform a fire spell. I have never, ever seen anything quite like it before. It is truly in a class of it's own. It was then that I elevated this game in my own mind from 'hey, this is damn good fun' to somewhere in the region of 'they are actually making the game even better than it originally was. If this is how the rest of the game goes, if this is not just a great 30 minute demo followed by 40 hours of ordinary gameplay, this will be an industry-shaking event'. The artistic quality on display here is nothing short of astonishing.
"Not to mention he's the size of like, a Triceratops." Triceratank: "I SHOULD BE THE MAIN HERO!!" *Slaps down Triceratank and the Vehiculasaurs theme song!*
Holy shit, you are the first person to mention the mechanical arm from the slums! I have been mentioning that part of this trailer in a TONNE of reaction videos that *nobody* ever caught! Good eye my dude. I can tell you're a real die hard fan as well! Also worth noting: the first three notes when we see Aerith? If you count, there are actually 7 notes in that intro melody. 7 notes for FF7. It's a cool little sort of easter egg that I'm willing to bet was intentional.
I've got to subscribe. You bring so much energy and passion that it amplifies my own excitement for the remake. And your analysis is so clear and straight forward - you don't get caught up in technicalities, allowing for a wonderfully concise but accurate message. I am excited to see more analysis/content on the FF VII remake from you, and I am about to go take a look at the other content you've created as well.
4:27 that sound you're speaking about. I never paid attention to it, but the song at this moment reminds me a lot of the OST of Planescape Torment. Funny when you think how similar are Midgar and Sigil, two big crowded cities always under construction, polluted and without the slightest vegetation on them ...
@@PhilipHarts It's an old game in the same vein as Baldur's Gate, but with a very unique atmosphere inspired by the planescape world of AD&D. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planescape Some would say that's the best game ever and even if I don't agree I wouldn't contradict them either as I can understand their choice. Here's the OST, if you want to check it : ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-NYgLlzkxOPk.html I can't say that it is overall similar to FF7 sountrack but it's interesting on its own. It was the specific part you were talking about which made me think of it, some sounds and the general mood. I had a friend listen to it too to have his opinion on it but he didn't agree, so maybe it's just me. Edit : and if you are interested in philosophy, you really should give this game and its world a try. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faction_(Planescape)
'What can change the nature of a man ?'... One of the BEST games ever created. In the credits they even mention FFVII (and FFVIII) for inspiration, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-eIUBRjdSv8A.html
Its impossible for me not to get emotional with the music and the visuals. FF7 is my most beloved game. The moment I laid my hands on FF7 (23 years ago) and watching the intro for the first time blew me away. I remember the thought that I look forward to the moment when games would look as good as the intro did. Today graphics got so much detailed I could never have even dreamed about. And seeing FF7 in this optical splendor makes me happy. I can't wait to play more than the Demo.
Now that's just silly, we've seen it just like we have seen Chrono Trigger, Link to the past, Dragon ball and Aladin. We just haven't seen it translated into a realistic style but originally it wasn't.
I just recognized that i´ve never seen your intro analysis, so I watched it now - and I love it. What I (after seeing the Intro an million times and playing the game at least 3 times) never recognized: that the first three notes are the last of FF7OG :D and I have not thought about the importance of the cliff in the wasteland at the beginning. For me it was just to show how Midgar is sucking out nature - but sure - there is THIS cliff. Awesome. I love this things. And I love that your perspective can show me new things after all this years of FF7 Love. Thank you for that :)
I came across the video in recommendeds and thought "Hmm okay I'd kinda like to see what someone in film unfamiliar with FFVII has to say about how great this looks" but just mere seconds into your analysis I realized you and I are immensely invested into the story of FFVII and I got goosebumps at you being able to eloquently explain and detail all the little feelings you, I, and any FFVII fan were subconsciously feeling this whole opening... fantastic commentary! I feel I learned a lot and I am right here beside you waiting anxiously for the release date!!
10:22 there's something else that is evident in the new fight scenes. they seem to have learned from kingsglaive. since in that movie, a big complain was that, while it was purelly CGI, they didnt actually use that in their favor, but try and emulate real "action" movies, with shaky cam effect. here it feels more like the first pacific rim, where the shots move into focus so you can see what is going on.
So it's been awhile Phil, but I love your insight on these things and your martial arts as well. FF7 has a mother meaning for me in gaming since the first two big games for me to watch my parents play were both Ff7 and Resident Evil 2 when I was five years old. Played the demo yesterday that is just a basic setup for this beauty, and honestly it's surreal on how beautiful this game is gonna to be. Love your videos as always, and can't wait for this amazing journey.
i love the part where the music is actually leading the gameplay & experience of the game, pure genious. And i dont think it should be any other way, every music-trach is a pure a masterpiece wich gives everything that special feeling but you barely noticed it or why.
Totally! It’s wild how they are using cinematic cues now to transition and even accompany each cutscene one time with specific changes to fit the scene even within preexisting songs. I’m so excited!
I played Mario, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, Megaman and many more games but FFVII is the first ever game that blown my mind when I was a kid. I totally converted me into a true gamer and introduced me into RPGs. English was not my first language and I was still a kid, so playing the game back then is hard for me. But it is the characters, plots and musics that motivates me to understand everything at the best of my abilities. The opening of FFVII is beautifully emotional and your commentary resonates with what I'm feeling inside. I'm looking forward to more videos about FFVII ! 2020 is the new 1997 now.
Awesome video and reactions. I loved to hear your commentary on the opening and noticing many details! It's cool to have a fan of the original game analyzing this :). This remake is going to be spectacular
I subscribed!❤ Knowing you're a film maker made with a calm and relaxing content made me want to watch more since I have also a dream to becoming one. Sadly you only have two videos :(
Thank you so much and welcome to the community Phoebe! Much more to come, i have over 300 videos on my main channel and I also stream on twitch if you want more 😃
One thing I've always liked about the zoom out was not only did it show just how small one person is in this place but it sort of plays Midgar up as this huge amazing city, but in this remade opening you can as you said peek between the gaps in the upper plate and see that there's something down there to be curious about. Most of us old timers know but newcomers are in for some depressing parts.
So true! Love the imagery, it makes sense, there’s a lot of deep dive meaning behind the other names too especially Sephiroth and Tifa, I may talk about it in a future video!
@@TruthBtold458 Hell, even his last name being Strife describes a bit of who he is. And the way Tifa keeps some of the truth hidden inside of her due to uneasiness and consequences: Lockhart/Lock Heart.
I've been refreshing my home page of RU-vid for the past 10 minutes trying to find this video so I can see your reaction LOL. I was intrigued by the title (but didn't fully register it in my brain what it was), but dumb me closed the wrong RU-vid tab. I have typed all sorts of things into the search bar to find it and no dice, so the constant refresh on my homepage to show up in my recommendations was my only hope, haha. Now, please excuse me as I sit back for 17 minutes to how you've viewed the remake opening
I like that you can see the upper plates and actually understand the layout of the city. I remember when I played FF7 thinking "Wait, the plate is falling? What plate? Falling on what?" because I just didn't grasp the layout of the city from the cinematics. I would love to hear you comment on other iconic game trailers.
Awesome breakdown!! I'm glad someone else noticed the transition from pre-rendered to ingame lol. Also Aerith best girl, best character, best everything. But I can't help loving the entire FF7 cast!! Such an amazing game 😭
As an old school gamer, it's been fun watching games and devs gradually go from "just get through the level and done" to "hey, come sit with us for a while so we can tell you a story". It's been the main reason I moved to rpg's and jrpg's as my go to games from shooters and beat-em-ups.
I shed a tear of joy when I saw this video. The nostalgia and when it brings you back to a better time. This is exactly how I saw the opening back in the Days. Bah cant wait!
I am _sooooooooo HYPED_ I can barely *stand it.* I feel like I'm about to go home after so many years away... My heart is *aching.* I long to become lost in that sprawling metropolis. I hope there will be times where I can wander and adventure in those streets. This whole release is taking place in midgar and there is drastically more content there, possibly even more content in just midgar now than there had been in the entire original game. I certainly hope so...
I've actually picked up on one other thing with Barretts reveal. When the camera pans to him it's shooting him from a subtle low angle, implying hes the man in charge. Also when hes revealed, He looks straight forward toward the goal at hand and when it pans back over to the rest of avalanche, non are looking back at him and are averting their eyes in other directions. Based on trailers, I think this shows how the other team members are not 100% on board with the extremes that Barrett was willing to go to. On another note, I have been sort of teaching myself about the visual language of film making and I am highly interested in the content I see here. New sub from me and I really hope this catches on for you.
Phil I must say when your thing here popped up on my feed and I started watching it you said something along the lines of that you are a ff VII fan and such.... I thought yeah whatever, everyone is saying that nowadays .... but then you pointed things out that I have recognised also such as Zack’s cliff where STUFF happens with Cloud and those guys but also the arm carrier machine the builders are using. I’ll be honest with you I have watched soooo many videos about this intro and other scenes where no one else has ever noticed those things, and I was thinking why doesn’t anyone mention that or this.... you honestly are the only one :). Hats off to you dude... thank you and I’ll be subscribing. Ba k to watching video now :P
Awesome video, can not wait, my 12 year old self is excited to see the remake. Played this game throughout the years, always returning to it. Like and subscribed, really interesting seeing the subtle cues.
I love how just when you think it can't get any bigger the freaking Shinra tower appears just to give you even more scope. It's HUGE! It's BRILLIANT! AND... IT"S ALMOST HERE!
I was in shock at how beautiful it all looked, Aerith made me blush on how pretty she was and I straight started crying when it panned out and we got hit with the "Final Fantasy: Remake" title across the screen... I loved your analysis, you pointed out a lot of little things I didn't even notice. Keep it up man
Oh my god that opening! I certainly satisfies _this_ FFVII fan. It gives so much more context to what Barret says in the elevator in that first mission. Here's hoping we get to explore more of Midgar this time around. And the FFVII version of the Crystal theme will always have an affect on me. When they released the demo to the public, I must have sat on the start screen for half an hour just listening to it.
One thing I'd like to point out just because I haven't seen anyone comment on it or seemingly notice it is that there is an upper plate section missing in this opening scene, which if you count the plates and reactors, appears to be sector 7. The outer wall appears to be blown away as well. It's on the left of the city.
Had this long comment written out, but lost it. That said, its really cool watching people in a professional field of film making and audio creation discuss the reasons WHY the remake is already so well done. Everyone's reactions to the trailers have been so fun to watch, and then there's those that explain why its fun; why its entertaining - like yourself - which is just as great. Thanks for explaining the details man! Super hyped for this game, and hey! Only 40 more days from this comment posting before we get to go on a bombing mission with Avalanche once more! :D
What's interesting is they are moving around the locations of things. Like the playgrounds used to be a part of the slums under a city plate. But you clearly see sky in the remake intro. You see it later on in the intro, but the old city wall of Midgar isn't the end of the city anymore. The city itself extends out beyond the reactor walls into some suburbs of a sort. Since there is open sky over the playground, it looks like its location was moved to be outside the city walls. In fact, if you look at other trailers, you'll see other familiar locations in what looks to be clear sunlight. So they may be moving tons of old locations. Its a pretty big change since one of the defining looks of the old game was how everything you experienced in the slums was in permanent night because of the plates.
Yes, the opening scene is in the upper plate. I'm sure they'll also have the slide in the slums where you sit with Aerith, they have been 100% on point with recreating all of the memories.
What wowed me was something that only a fan of the original would catch- how they used the initial scenes of the opening to show some of the history of Midgar. That playground the kids were riding to isn't just any old playground- that's the same one where Cloud and Aerith have their first little 'date' before getting pulled back into the plot, and is also where Cloud and company landed after the plate in Sector 7 was dropped. That playground was on the ground- beneath the plate. So what we're seeing there is a glimpse into the city's past, what life was like when those slums we explore in the game were the actual city proper, not it's underbelly. A new player wouldn't immediately catch that, though observant ones would still realize when they got to that area of the game 'Oh, I've seen this playground before in the opening. But wasn't the sky visible in that scene? Oh! Ohhhhhhhh.'
When you said we have not really seen ff7, our imagination gave it form. Yeah man, you are so right. When I visually think of ff7 Advent Children comes to mind, for the rest ff7 is more a feeling than anything else. And the use of the music in the intro just pulls you directly into that feeling.
Do you guys remember that in the original opening cutscene, one of the spotlights of the Shinra Inc. building flash across the screen to cue the title card? That’s missing in this and I feel like it would have been another nice cinematic touch to inherit from the original game. Other than that, the remake definitely has a stellar opening that ties in all the other main entries in the franchise with AC and CCVII.
You should be able to spot the Mako Reactor #5 park and slide in the pan out, unless of course the idea that the intro was before they built the upper plate. It’s hard to tell.
