Destiny’s Crossroads: How Final Fantasy VII’s New Saga Honors and Defies Its Past

Of course. Here is a blog post reviewing the original Final Fantasy VII in comparison to the modern Remake and Rebirth saga.

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Destiny’s Crossroads: How Final Fantasy VII’s New Saga Honors and Defies Its Past

August 3, 2025

Picture it: 1997. A blocky, polygonal figure with spiky blonde hair leaps from a train, a massive sword strapped to his back. The camera pulls back to reveal the cyberpunk dystopia of Midgar. For an entire generation of gamers, this was the moment video games evolved from a hobby into a cinematic, world-changing experience. Final Fantasy VII wasn’t just a game; it was a landmark.

For years, fans begged for a modern remake. When Square Enix finally answered the call, they didn’t just deliver a prettier version of a beloved memory. They delivered a challenge. The new saga, beginning with Remake (2020) and continuing with last year’s monumental Rebirth (2024), is not a simple retelling. It’s a direct conversation with the original’s legacy, one that deconstructs nostalgia and asks a powerful question: What if you could fight your own fate?

Let’s explore the journey from a story set in stone to one where the future is an unknown, unwritten path.

The Original (1997): A Legend Written in Stone

The original Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation was a masterpiece of linear storytelling. Its turn-based battle system and innovative Materia mechanic were brilliant, but its narrative was what cemented its place in history. It was an epic tale of eco-terrorism, corporate greed, personal identity, and profound loss.

Crucially, its story was a fixed entity. It was a tragedy we experienced. The bombing of Sector 7, the shocking death of Aerith Gainsborough at the hands of Sephiroth—these were immutable, powerful moments whose emotional weight was derived from their inevitability. We were experiencing a legend as it was written.

Remake (2020): The First Defiant Step

The first sign that this new project was something different was its scope. Final Fantasy VII Remake covers only the opening Midgar section, expanding a 5-8 hour segment into a full-blown 40-hour RPG. The gameplay was completely overhauled into a slick, real-time action system.

But the biggest change was narrative. The game introduced ethereal, ghost-like beings called Whispers. Their purpose? To act as “Arbiters of Fate,” intervening whenever events began to stray from the original 1997 timeline. They were, quite literally, the will of the original game made manifest. The climax of Remake is not the escape from Midgar, but a spectacular battle where Cloud and his friends fight and destroy these agents of destiny. By doing so, they shattered the timeline, and the game ended with a powerful new tagline: “The Unknown Journey Will Continue.”

Rebirth (2024): Embracing the Unknown Journey

If Remake cracked the foundation of destiny, Rebirth blew it wide open. Covering the vast world outside Midgar up to the Forgotten Capital, the game embraced its newfound freedom with a massive open world. But the true story was the unfolding mystery.

The characters, especially Aerith and the villainous Sephiroth, now seem to possess a haunting awareness of their original fate. The central conflict became less about just stopping Sephiroth’s plan and more about navigating a future that shouldn’t exist. The question on every fan’s mind was: “Will they change that moment?”

And they did. (Spoilers ahead!) In a shocking, ambiguous, and brilliantly executed climax, Aerith’s fate at the Forgotten Capital is not a simple recreation. It’s fractured. While Sephiroth’s blade strikes, Cloud perceives a reality where he saves her, leading to a splintering of timelines that leaves both the characters and the player questioning what is real. The unchangeable tragedy of 1997 has become a Schrodinger’s Cat of possibilities.

The Comparison: A Story Told vs. A Story Unfolding

This is the core difference between the two tellings of this legendary tale.

• Original FF7: A powerful, fixed narrative. Its emotional impact comes from experiencing a pre-written legend and the inevitability of its tragic turns. You are a witness to fate.
• The Remake Saga: A meta-narrative about legacy, memory, and free will. Its emotional impact comes from the tension of knowing what should happen and fighting alongside characters who are trying to prevent it. The main antagonist is no longer just Sephiroth; it’s your own nostalgia and expectation.

Square Enix has done something incredibly daring. They took one of the most beloved stories in gaming and refused to simply retell it. Instead, they’ve crafted a “remake-quel,” a sequel that uses our memory of the original as a core part of its narrative. The third and final part of this trilogy now has the monumental task of resolving these splintered timelines and a hero whose perception of reality is completely broken.

The new saga is a bold statement on what a remake can be—not just a faithful restoration, but a chance to build upon a legacy and say something entirely new. For better or for worse, it is one of the most exciting and unpredictable stories in modern gaming.