SPOILERS BELOW
There’s one segment of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’s many ending scenes that has stuck with me, months after finishing the game. The scene takes place in an alternate reality Midgar, where the lifestream has dried up and the planet has died. Here, Cloud has just awakened from a coma, and has gone on an impromptu date with Aerith in the Sector 5 slums, hoping to have a nice time in the last days of the crumbling world.
Unfortunately, Cloud and Aerith’s date turns out to be a pretty bad one. First, Cloud tries to buy Aerith a piece of jewelry, but whichever one he picks turns out to not be for sale. Later, Cloud and Aerith encounter a street vendor who offers them a host of candies to choose from, but no matter which of the colorfully packaged treats they select, the vendor guilts them into trying her own experimental homemade candies instead. The candies aren’t very good. Finally, Cloud and Aerith encounter a street photographer who is taking photographs of couples on the street. Unfortunately, he has only one shot remaining on his last roll of film, and decides to take another couple’s picture instead.
This scene really resonated with me because, as Sinatra sang, “that’s life”. And the resignation here underscores a lot of life’s disappointments that we all experience day to day, even when things we are supposed to enjoy end up not being very fun. But also, I feel like this scene might aptly describe Square Enix Creative Business Unit I’s feelings about their own work: in Rebirth, they’ve prepared a buffet of options for fans, but not matter how many of their wares they unpack and place on the table, their own game must be a singular experience that will likely not meet everyone’s, or even anyone’s, lofty expectations. They’ve offered their absolute best work, and now it’s up to the players to have a positive experience for themselves by not letting the negatives define their experience. “That’s life!”
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth
Playstation 5
Dates Played: 2/29/2024 – 6/26/2024
Playtime: 88 hours
The Tingle Review 