At the risk of losing basically all of my nerd cred, I’m bringing you a confession this week.
I never played the original Final Fantasy VII.
Yes, I know. But listen, I came to the franchise through Final Fantasy X, and going back for a guy with a big sword was never gonna happen. Over the years of being a Very Online nerd girl, plus a few characters appearing in Kingdom Hearts, I absorbed a basic understanding of the game.
Now, I’m playing Final Fantasy VII Remake in preparation for the release of the second game in the remake trilogy, Rebirth, which comes out later this month. And it has been a ride.
For the first few hours of gameplay, I was admittedly confused. Cloud Strife is a bland character with no personality to speak of (sorry not sorry). That’s not a strong start since he’s the character you play most of the time. How was this game so popular back in the day? I wondered.
Eventually, I met and fell immediately in love with Aerith (yes, I know about redacted). But even then, I didn’t get the appeal of the game. I just couldn’t connect with any of the other characters and I hated being forced to be Cloud, who remains deeply uninteresting to me.
The other night, 9 or 10 chapters and as many hours into gameplay for Remake, it finally hooked me. This isn’t a ringing endorsement since I’d have given up if it wasn’t for curiosity and gaming being my actual job. Since the original is shorter, I have to hope it would’ve gotten my attention sooner.
What finally pulled me in? The dynamic between Tifa and Aerith, from the moment they meet in an admittedly concerning series of events involving Don Corneo and his bride contest. (Is this a holdover from the original, or did we decide this was a good plotline to add in 2023? Someone please satisfy my curiosity here).
Now, I can see the party gelling, forming relationships and dynamics that involve more than one person with a personality at any given time, and suddenly, I actually care about this game. I’m actually excited for Rebirth.
But I still want to know… does Cloud ever grow a personality? Time will tell. And yes, I already know that when redacted happens in Rebirth I’ll be sobbing like a baby.
I’ve been annoying my husband with tidbits and observations because I find coming to a story like this one, that loomed so large in the landscape of my youth, endlessly fascinating. I thought I knew who these characters were, and yet, I’m learning that I didn’t really know at all. So, stay tuned for my continued thoughts as I experience this story for the first time and wonder about what’s changed.
What I’ve Been Up To
Work/Writing
I jumped in to the open beta for pirate game Skull and Bones last week, and I have to say, it is not for me. I don’t want to be a ship, thank you very much.
Otherwise, same old, same old.
General Life Updates
My husband put in his notice at his engineering job last week, so I can finally proclaim his next venture and my part in it. Andy is launching a market gardening business called Good Dirt Farm, and I’m the social media manager/blogger extraordinaire. Plus additional hands for harvest and at the local farmer’s market, when needed.
This is a scary and exciting move for us, as he transitions away from traditional 9-5 work to follow his passion (sound familiar?).
If you’re interested to know more about the farm or our work, you can follow us on Instagram @gooddirtfarmpgh or check out the website. Feedback (of the gentle and well-intentioned variety) is welcome.
Current Obsessions
Yoga
Every year when I finish my 30 Days of Yoga with Adriene, I am ready to try out other teaching styles for a bit. Don’t get me wrong, Adriene is forever a fave, but I like to add some variety to my yoga life.
I recently found Nourished Natasha, a plus-size friendly yoga teacher with Pisces witchy vibes. Needless to say, I’m enjoying her classes a ton. She does flows for every new moon (yes please).
Words on the Web
Not too much new to report this week aside from the usual book blog content & Gamepur writing. I have been on top of the book review game so far this year and up-to-date on advanced review copies, so that’s nice.