Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade released this past Friday. The upgrade included the expected slate of visual enhancements and quality-of-life improvements for the popular JRPG. Surprising fans when it was first revealed, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade also included a new DLC that focused around Yuffie Kisaragi and expanded on story elements in the main storyline as well. However, the biggest change was an extended ending that showed Cloud and the others making their way to Kalm, and then cut to a new scene that has massive implications.
The surprise appearance at the end of FF7 Remake Intergrade showed the still-living Zack Fair approaching the slum church that Aerith had been maintaining. The Crisis Core hero is seen practicing his lines for his incipient reunion with Aerith. He finally builds up the nerve to open the doors only to discover that Aerith isn't there, finding instead refugees from the disaster caused by the Sector 7 plate drop. Zack appeared in the original ending of FF7 Remake was surprising enough, but this small interaction could be massively important for the story going forward.
FF7 Remake Intergrade May Have Confirmed a Fan Theory
In the original ending, an alternate version of events prior to the main story is shown where Zack survives his encounter with Shinra soldiers. In the original FF7, this moment was when Cloud took up the Buster Sword after Zack's death, and the mental break where he confuses his memories with those of Zack manifests. Fans had theorized that this new version of events was occurring in an alternate timeline as evidenced by Aerith seemingly sensing "alternate" Zack and Cloud's presence as they passed by her. FF7 Remake Intergrade has made a big change to the foundations of this theory.
By sheer virtue of Zack interacting with what seems to be the main game world, it seems more likely that Zack is still alive alongside the other characters. The idea is that the defeat of the Whispers not only opened up different versions of events going forward, but sent a shockwave into the past as well. This shockwave altered some events in ways not yet fully explained. FF7 Remake Part 2 will be heavily changed by Intergrade's events and Zack being alive inside the same timeline as Cloud is a huge change that has interesting ramifications going forward.
Timeline changes can create idiosyncrasies that'll need to be addressed if this is true. Little things like there now technically being two Buster Swords are easy enough to ignore, but a core element of the original FF7 is that Zack is already dead. Cloud didn't seem to undergo any serious mental change after the Whispers' defeat, so that implies he still maintains the assumption that he is in fact a SOLDIER. It will be interesting to see if the flashback sequence is altered when players reach Kalm in FF7 Remake Part 2. So much of important story elements in FF7 revolved around Cloud's memories and identity being mixed up with Zack's.
If Zack is indeed alive and in the same timeline as the other characters, then it's likely that Cloud's moments of mental anguish are likely now going to be tied to the fact that Zack's identity is interfering with his own now that both exist in the same world. Either way, that simple interaction created some big ramifications for FF7 Remake Part 2.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is available now for the PlayStation 5.