Video games have often been dismissed as an art form despite blockbuster titles like Final Fantasy 7 containing moments every bit as powerful as those conveyed through any other medium. This may be because while gaming's immersive qualities allow it to make the player part of the overall experience in unique ways, they are also very difficult for onlookers to appreciate and require a significant investment of time. One Twitter user decided to take some of the most powerful moments in recent gaming history from a variety of titles, including Final Fantasy 7, and put them together in a 2-minute-long video montage set to The Irrepressibles' "In This Shirt" to prove how affecting video games can be.
This video features major spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2, Uncharted 4, Marvel's Spider-Man, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last Of Us and The Last of Us 2, Telltale's The Walking Dead games, God of War, Final Fantasy 15, and Resident Evil Village on top of Final Fantasy 7 and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, and the creator @bestofvidgames admits that this is just a drop in the bucket. The games used in this montage are a selection @bestofvidgames chose based on their own experiences and what fit the song best, meaning there could be countless other games out there that left gamers with aching hearts and lingering questions every bit as heartfelt as whether Aerith will die in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2.
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The montage opens with footage from Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, and Uncharted 4, with the first apparent death being shown about 10 seconds in when Samuel Drake is shot and his hand slips through Nathan Drake's fingers. While Uncharted 4 later reveals that he survives the fall, this video conveys the grief and shock that players may have felt in the moment. Video games are often associated with comedic, bloodless violence, so Uncharted 4 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake's decision to show blood adds a touch of realism and maturity.
Later scenes showcase Peter Parker weeping at the death of his Aunt May, a painful conversation between a battered V and Jackie Welles, and Ellie mourning Joel. Then the video abruptly transitions to showing Zack Fair, one of Final Fantasy 7's most important and least-known characters, dragging a catatonic Cloud Strife toward the light. While Zack is currently alive in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, his death in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 was one of modern gaming's most memorable endings for years.
From there, the montage begins adding in some more uplifting moments, like the party of Final Fantasy 15 driving down the road and Tifa Lockhart smiling, before returning to the painful side of modern gaming with Phin Mason's death from Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Aerith having her vision in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and Zack slowly dying at the end of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7. The rest of the video is dedicated to some of the most iconic acts of sacrifice, unavoidable deaths, and moments of human connection the medium has to offer. It's a painful watch, but fans of these games may find a certain catharsis in revisiting lost friends, even if they are fictional, while waiting to see how Aerith's big moment in Final Fantasy 7 Remake plays out.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is now available for PS5.