1) Aeris’ Death
Arguably one of the most poignant and heartfelt moments in any video game, Aeris’ death scene in Final Fantasy VII is a tearjerker of epic proportions. It certainly wasn’t the first video game to introduce a permanent character death, but the manner in which Aeris was mercilessly cut down just as her story arc seemed as though it would provide the main impetus for the remainder of the game was entirely shocking.
What was perhaps most traumatic about Aeris’s sudden death (apart from deletion of your most precious material) was that the relationship between her and Cloud was such a pivotal aspect to the game’s early narrative. The mysterious flower girl had captivated Cloud, and in turn the player, since their earliest meeting and the inability to protect her from Sepiroth felt like a failure on an emotional level.
Back in 1997 before “spoilers” were a thing, Final Fantasy VII’s most shocking moment wasn’t difficult to avoid unless you happened to inadvertently leave your essential walkthrough guide open on the wrong page, but the cat is very much out of the bag now.
How will the remake possibly recapture that same heartrending emotion a second time? It’s certainly going to be a challenge. This sensitive scene will no doubt be the most scrutinized one in Final Fantasy VII Remake and the team at Square Enix need to make sure they hit all the right notes to gain the approval of anxious fans.