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Released by Square-enix in 2007 on the Playstation Portable, Director Hajime Tabata, and Writer
Kazushige Nojima work together to create a prequel to Final Fantasy 7 for its 10th anniversary.
The game sets up the world and role of many characters from the main game, and focuses
on developing several figures such as Zack, Aerith, Sephiroth, and key members of Shinra.
The story and gameplay are done solely from the perspective of Zack, and features full
voice acting. For combat, random enounters are utilized while actual combat is similar
to the Kingdom Heart's menu-based real-time system. Mechanics such as the equipment and
materia system have been majorly overhauled and removed to reduce player micromanagement,
and instead contribute to the main battle modifier, the Digital Mind Wave. The DMW is
a continuously spinning slot machine that confers various bonuses, effects, and attacks
based on the results, including how Zack levels up. The campaign is progressed through missions
the player can select at their own pace, or complete sidequests instead, traveling instantly
to many fully 3D areas and dungeons with no need for an overworld map. The story only
gets larger from here so lets cut it down to size with a RECAPitation.
The game begins with Zack Fair, Soldier 2nd Class of the group called SOLDIER, a private
military army owned by the Shinra Electric Power Company in the city of Midgar. He completes
a training exercise under the mentorship of his friend and commander, Angeal, a 1st Class
Soldier. Zack has tremendous skills and talents, but is unfortunately a little overconfident
and reckless at times, as pointed out by his fellow soldier, another 1st class named Sephiroth.
Zack idolizes Sephiroth as a hero, and aspires to one day be at his level, but he's not ready
yet, despite this Sephiroth only being a part of the training simulation. Angeal helps him
out, reminding him to temper his aspirations with passionate dreams and steadfast honor.
Zack hears from a fellow soldier of the mass desertion of troops in Soldier, and he's soon
called in to speak with the Director of SOLDIER, a man named Lazard. He's briefed about SOLDIER
1st Class Genesis, who went missing during a mission in Wutai, an independant country
to the west against whom the Shinra Company is personally leveraging its military might.
Zack is to pick up the mission in his place as a test for SOLDIER 1st class, per Angeal's
recommended promotion.
Angeal accompanies Zack on this mission, as they are to bring down the last bastion for
Wutai, and Shinra can complete its mission for economic world domination. Zack notes
Angeal's massive sword, the Buster Sword, is rarely used, which Angeal jokingly admits
he's rather stingy with, though does end up using it when his friend is in trouble. During
the mission, he encounters Ifrit and while he manages to just hold him off, he's amazed
to be rescued by his idol, Sephiroth. Investigating some fallen troops that don't belong to Wutai,
its revealed they bear identical faces to Genesis, the missing Soldier. Suddenly, Angeal
goes missing, and Sephiroth suspects he too has betrayed them and deserted, though Zack
fervently denies it.
After the mission, Director Lazard confirms Angeal really is gone for unknown reasons,
but assigns Zack on a new mission. He's to investigate what happened with two missing
agents that went to check around Genesis's hometown. In addition, he assigns Tseng, of
the Turks, Shinra' elite operative and espionage unit, to cooperate on this mission. Heading
to Banora Village, which was also Angeal's hometown, Zack finds and beats a few more
Genesis clones. Tseng explains this technology was stolen from Shinra, which allowed Genesis
to implant his abilities and strength to other Soldier members or monsters. Originally, it
was to to clone their best soldiers to make up for the low numbers they currently have,
but Zack is more keen to note that this infers that Soldiers and Monsters are fundamentally
and biologically the same.
Moving on, Tseng informs Zack that Angeal and Genesis were childhood best friends that
grew up together, which is why Sephiroth thinks they are in cahoots with thier desertion.
Finding Angeal's mother, Gillian, she notes Zack is the restless puppy Angeal often spoke
about, and she tells him Genesis came by a month ago with an army of minions, and proceeded
to start killing townsfolk. She also lets Zack know Angeal did come by here, and left
his prized sword behind, which she explains represents his family's honor.
It turns out Genesis killed his parents, and Zack makes a plea to be given a chance to
talk with Angeal, and see about convincing him and Genesis to come back. Tseng sees now
Zack's passion is why Sephiroth, who was originally assigned this mission but refused, chose Zack
to take his place. He was actually counting on Zack to bring back Angeal and Genesis,
his only friends in this world. They discover Gensis, but he beats them back, and Angeal
resurfaces. Zack discovers Angeal standing over a dead Gillian, and is simply confused
by the entire situation. Summoning Bahamut to distract and settle down a frustrated Zack
, both Genesis and Angeal choose to turn their back on Shinra, while asking how long Zack
himself can stand living on that side. Afterwards, Genesis reveals they are all monsters, quite
literally, as he unveils a single, large black wing. Proclaiming this means they have no
honor or dreams anymore, he flies off.
Refusing to believe that SOLDIER means Monster, Zack is interrupted as Shinra launches an
air strike to wipe the town of Banora off the map, ensuring no witnesses to this event.
Soon after, Shinra wins the war with Wutai, and has every city in the world under its
thumb now. Time passes, and Zack is greeted by Sephiroth personally as he is promoted
to Soldier 1st Class officially, though attaining this dream of his seems bittersweet. However,
duty calls and he's assigned a new mission. After suiting up in his new black uniform,
he's told a Kill command has been issued for Angeal, Genesis, and their clone army. Unfortunately,
Zack cannot be trusted due to his relationship to Angeal, and even Sephiroth holds his own
thoughts on the issue.
Suddenly, they're interrupted as the building is under attack, and Zack works alongside
turks Reno, Rude, and Cissnei as they take out more Genesis clones. Cissnei encounters
Genesis himself but is soon overwhelmed, and Zack rescues her and weathers his punishing
assault in a one on one duel. As he strikes down Genesis, he gets a call from Sephiroth
who's located Angeal. He tells Zack to hurry over before the Shinra Army arrives, so they
can help their mutual friend escape, and Zack is happy to help. However, when he arrives
and destroys a new monster, he's shocked to see it bears Angeal's face on it. As Sephiroth
talks more with Zack, he elaborates more how Angeal, Genesis and himself were close friends,
and even though Sephiroth himself was the company's prized war hero, Genesis himself
wanted such prestige as well. Even when they would train in the company's training room,
Sephiroth could hold his own against both Angeal and Genesis, though when Genesis got
serious, not even his friend Angeal could calm him down. Even then, Sephiroth was the
better fighter, once injuring Genesis's pride even more than his blade.
Surveying the monster, Sephiroth deduces the duo are in league with Dr. Hollander, which
ties into the story he just told. The small wound Sephiroth dealt wasn't healing for some
reason, and the doctor treating him was Hollander. He explains that some mako energy infected
the wound when it was dealt, and Angeal would have to be the donor in a transfusion. Sephiroth
immediately questions why he was immediately rejected as a donor, but got no answer. Rather,
he learned that Hollander was conducting an experiment on a SOLDIER Type G, in which monsters
were to be made, but one failed experiment actually produced Genesis as a result. However,
such an existence has proved to have sideeffects, such a his body rapidly degrading, and the
curious ability to make copies of himself.
Hollander himself appears, surprised to see them, but explains only he can stop Genesis's
degradation, after which Genesis himself appears, and explains Hollander won't be captured.
Genesis likens their situation to his favorite play, Loveless, and wonders which of the three
friends would be the hero, to which he still envies Sephiroth. Meanwhile, Zack pursues
Hollander, but Angeal himself interjects, and shows him he too has become a monster
with his own set of wings. Zack refuses to fight against Angeal, who is frustrated as
his reality of being a monster is clashing with his principles and dreams, and Zack is
sent tumbling down.
When he comes to, Zack is in a church in the slums, where he was woken up by Aerith, a
young woman living there. He's immediately smitten with Aerith, asking her out on a date
but getting quickly turned down. He's impressed by the rare sight of flowers in Midgar, suggesting
she sell them and not only liven up Midgar with flowers but also make a lot of money
on the side. Despite turning him down for a date, she still ends up spending the day
with Zack, as at her favorite shop, Zack insists on getting her her choice of a gift, resulting
in Aerith picking out a large pink hair ribbon. She loves the gift, promising to always wear
it, though as their not-officially-a-date date continues, she questions the normalcy
of members of Soldiers, as rumor goes their receive some sort of special surgery that
turns them beyond human. She admits their *** for battle also makes them a bit frightening,
and Zack chooses this time to confess he's with SOLDIER. She's naturally surprised and
actually likes his unique eyes, to which Zack continues to flirt, showing off the trademark
Mako-infused eyes of a SOLDIER. Zack gets called back to Shinra, but succeeded in leaving
a good impression on Aerith, and they agree to see each other again.
En route back to shinra, Angeal stops Zack again, this time more willing to talk. He
asks for Zack's help as he's slowly losing his mind, and not only wants to keep his honor,
but also wants Zack to help him defeat their enemies that are causing so much suffering.
Zack agrees, but is swept away before he can ask further questions. He's delivered to Sephiroth,
who's also helping Angeal, as they fight Genesis whom they suspect is being used by Hollander
to kill another notorious scientist withing Shinra, Hojo. Meanwhile, Hojo sees through
the power play when Genesis arrives, though Zack and Angeal are soon to arrive as well.
Genesis retreats, but not before summoning Bahamut Fury for zack to deal with.
Later, Zack goes to visit Aerith, when Tseng halts him to call him into a mission to Modeoheim,
and gives Zack pause when he says he also knows Aerith but won't elaborate. Genesis
forces shoot down their helicopter, though Zack, Tseng, and a couple of common Shinra
infantrymen manage to survive. They joke that Zack is a country boy from the sticks, so
this harsh terrain won't bother him, though it turns out one of the grunts is as well.
Zack is from the tiny village of Gongaga, and this soldier is from Nibelheim, who introduces
himself as Cloud. As the mission for Hollander continues, Genesis moves to kill him, as he's
already begun visibly degrading, and claims he doesn't need Hollander anymore. Zack saves
Hollander, who beats away Cloud whose trying to restrain him, and Zack duels once more
with Genesis, proving he's a match against the degrading ace, who is severly weakened
and promises to end the world with his own miserable fate.
On his way out, he is met by Angeal, as well as Hollander, who explain the G in Project
G was not for Genesis, but for Gillian, who was Angeal's mother, who apparantly took her
own life earlier in Banora. The experiment was two-fold: Gillian had Jenova cells injected
into her while she was pregnant with Angeal, and Genesis simply had Jenova cells implanted
directly into him as a test tube baby. What this resulted in, was the failure Genesis,
growing up strong but doomed to a a short lifespan, while Angeal was born as a perfect
specimen. Reason being, Angeal can use the Jenova cells as a two-way conduit as intended.
Angeal then explains his cells can absorb genetic traits and pass them to others, beyond
what Genesis can manage, which is only imprint them onto others.
Choosing to end his suffering by his own hands, Angeal casts away Hollander, and absorbs a
variety of monsters he created to help test and strengthen Zack. The resulting abomination
slashes Zack cleanly on the cheek, as he is forced to kill the resulting mess that used
to be his friend and mentor. After winning a bitter victory, a degrading Angeal is grateful
that Zack ended him with dignity and honor. Before dying, he passes on his family sword
and legacy of honor, the Buster Sword, to Zack.
Even after returning to Midgar, Zack openly mourns to Aerith, with whom he's developed
a much closer relationship, and has chosen to retain the scar Angeal gave him as a memento.
Time passes, as Zack and his hair style has matured, and he is no longer the young puppy
he used to be, and is now a mentor himself to a new class of SOLDIER rookies. Shinra
sends him for some R&R at Costa del Sol, with Cissnei watching over him, as it turns out
Director Lazard has since gone missing, and was secretly using company money to fuel Hollander's
research. She teases him about his girlfriend Aerith, and explains she's under constant
Turk surveillance as it turns out she is the last living member of a race called the Ancient.
Zack is surprised not only to learn this but also that Aerith never told him.
Unexpectedly, Genesis copies attack from the sea, which can only mean Genesis is still
around too. Tseng isn't so sure and conjectectures that since all souls return to the lifestream,
its possible Genesis's soul is still able to control his copies from there as well.
And so, Zack's vacation is over as the three of them are to investigate an attack on Junon.
It turns out more Genesis clones were attacking and this time Hollander was even there, though
he gets away once again. Sephiroth comes by to greet Zack and questions if Genesis really
did die. He deliberately drops that even the slums in Midgar are being attacked, encourages
Zack to return there, and promises they'll meet again.
Returning to Aerith, he finds a monster dog there but its not really causing problems,
though Zack notes its also an Angeal copy, and it seems keen to protect Aerith. However,
its weak due to degredation, and chooses to rest in the rafters. Meanwhile, Zack builds
Aerith a cart to sell flowers from, and has her give him a list of her wishes so he can
do his best to make her happy. Unfortunately, an urgent mission comes up to separate their
time together.
Now, Sephiroth and Zack have been dispatched to come in after a monster outbreak near a
rural Mako reactor, that has even killed the Soldier operatives there. Interestingly, these
operatives were tracking the missing Lazard, and reported a strange pod device similiar
to Hollanders, which means Lazard, Hollander, and Genesis might all be involved here. As
their mission mentions nothing of their old friends, Sephiroth privately confesses to
Zack that he's seriously considering leaving Shinra as well, depending on what happens
in the mission. Before departing, Zack spends some precious time with Aerith, though Tseng
is never far off. Tseng promises to protect Aerith as he's always done, and Zack sincerely
thanks him as the only person he can rely on these days.
Before the mission, Cloud turns out to be one of the 3 dispatched to him, and it turns
out the reactor they must investigate is in Cloud's hometown of Nibelheim. As they arrive,
Sephiroth makes small talk, asking Cloud how it feels to be home again, and trying to relate
as he has no original home, and all he knows is his mother's name to be Jenova who died
after he was born. In town, they are met by a local town girl by the name of Tifa. When
Tifa learns he's a SOLDIER 1st class, she seems surprised by the fact they only sent
him and Sephiroth, and begins to ask something else but stops and runs off instead.
As Sephiroth moves on to investigate, he tells Cloud he can visit his family while he's in
town, and when Zack wonders why Cloud is hesistating and wearing his helmet and mask, he admits
its something embarrassingly personal. He later admits he was exaggerating and telling
his friends back home that he was already a Soldier 1st class, and is too ashamed to
confront that now. Meanwhile, Sephiroth finds this whole area oddly familiar, and after
they learn Tifa is to be their guide to the reactor, they pause to have a group photo
taken. As Zack, Sephiroth, Tifa, and a hiding Cloud arrive at the reactor, Cloud is told
to wait outside with Tifa and keep her safe.
Within, Zack finds it interesting that the Chamber to the reactor is also named the same
as Sephiroth's mother, as the war hero Sephiroth identifies the cause of the reactor malfunction.
Zack peers into one of the pods powering the plant, and is shocked to find a monster within.
Sephiroth explains that while the average soldier is a mako-infused human, they are
still simply stronger than normal humans. However, this thing has mako levels exponentially
higher than even a SOLDIER. Sephiroth doesn't know what they are, beyond that they're abominations
created by Dr. Hojo in his lab. Zack notes Sephiroth is well above average himself, and
asks if there is something more to that, and it triggers a splitting headache for Sephiroth.
Sephiroth comes to a horrifying hypothesis that its possible he was created the same
way, and it becomes a crisis of identity ironically identical to his friends, Genesis and Angeal.
He admits he always knew he was unlike other children growing up but could never place
why, and doesn't want to think the reason could be that he's been the same as a monster.
He questions his humanity when suddenly a sneak attack by Genesis knocks Zack back.
Genesis swoops in to inform Sephiroth that of the three friends, he was the greatest
monster to come out of the Jenova Project, possibly due to having Hojo instead of Hollander
managing him.
Zack is more focused on the confirmed existence of Genesis, but he's ignored as Genesis continues
to push Sephiroth with his past. He explains the Jenova Projects were all projects involving
usage of Jenova's cells. Jenova herself was excavated from a 2000-year old rock layer,
and is a true monster herself. Sephiroth is shocked again, yet Genesis continues, exposing
that Jenova Project G created sucesses like Angeal and failures like himself, and Jenvoa
Project S used the remains of every experiment thus far to create a perfect monster: Sephiroth
himself. In addition, Sephiroth cannot copy or diffuse his genes, so he cannot degrade.
He makes another plea for Sephiroth to share cells with him, and Sephiroth replies that
regardless of anything he just said being true or not, he'll do the right thing and
let the evil Genesis rot.
However, Zack moves after Genesis, but halts to save Tifa and a beaten Cloud from a monster.
Afterwards, Cloud wishes he were strong like Zack, but Zack warns him not to get tangled
up with SOLDIER. The next morning, Tifa informs Zack that Sephiroth is in the Shinra Mansion,
and Zack gets a phonecall from Aerith, ending it with a promise to see her after the mission.
Meanwhile, Sephiroth has found an old archive underneath the mansion, and within reads many
reports on the Jenova project, learning information such as Jenova was also an Ancient, like Aerith.
After wating 7 days while Sephiroth reads nonstop, Zack comes out to discover Nibelheim
is suddenly on fire with many townsfolk slain. Even Cloud is beaten down again, and around
the corner is Sephiroth himself, calmly standing amidst the flames. Following him back to the
reactor, Zack sees an injured Tifa within, hatefully cursing both Shinra and SOLDIER.
Breaking through the door to Jenvoa, Zack sees Sephiroth beyond, unsually unsettled
and talking strangely, about going to the promised land together with his mother.
Confronting Sephiroth, Zack is ignored as Sephiroth insists his mother, the Ancient,
was the superior race, and they should have ruled the planet. Somehow, humans stole that
opportunity for sovreignty and hunted the Ancients to near extinction. Finally fed up
with the crimes of humans and Shinra in particular, Sephiroth sees what Angeal and Genesis kept
warning about, and chooses to stand alone. Embracing the fact that he was never human
and thus doesn't have to pretend to be anymore, disgusted with Shinra's sick and twisted past
of violating his mother, and accepting of being of the master race of Ancients, Sephiroth
severs all ties to Shinra, SOLDIER, and the human race. He tears away a mechanical facade
to reveal the real Jenova, who has been savagely mutilated and experimented on by Shinra, and
left to be a monstrous battery within this power plant.
Zack still wants answers for the dead townsfolk and questions Sephiroth's sanity, but Sepiroth
has no more words for any human, even if they used to be his allies. Feeling betrayed, Zack
attacks Sephiroth who parries him easily, and knocks him to the depths of the reactor.
As they clash, Zack remembers when Sephiroth was still the ideal hero and role model to
him, once explaining that Materia, which allows humans to use magic, is formed from condensed
Mako energy from the planet, and contains knowledge of the Ancients, who were bound
to the planet and the power to control it at will. Accusing Sephiroth of losing his
way, he is countered by Sephiroth who considers himself to be the chosen one, despite being
engineered by humans to be a Paragon Ancient to do their bidding. He intends to carry on
what he feels was the right of the Ancients and rule this world, and take it back from
power-hungry humans like the Shinra Corporation.
Again, they clash, with Sephiroth clearly controlling the duel. Forced back, the Buster
Sword is knocked from Zack's hand as Zack no longer has the energy to fight back. After
the exhaustive fight, Sephiroth is fixated on liberating his mother, and doesn't notice
Cloud coming up behind him with Zack's sword and striking him with a sneak attack. Cloud
then rushes to Tifa's side, but Sephiroth comes out bearing the head of Jenova and upset
at Cloud's insulting strike. Zack urges Cloud to finish off an injured Sephiroth, but naturally,
Cloud is nowhere near Sephiroth's league in terms of strength. However, Cloud makes up
for it in sheer guts, as after Sephiroth impales him on his sword and issues a warning not
to make him mad, Cloud instead uses all his strength to lift up Sephiroth, who's surprised
by the feat, and hurl him away. Cloud sucuumbs to his injuries next to Zack, and as they
both pass out, Dr. Hojo arrives on the scene and chooses Cloud to be his next test subject.
A vision of Angeal wakes Zack up and he breaks out of his tank. Fighting disorientation,
he gets cloud out, but Cloud is stuck in a comatose state. After changing Cloud into
his spare SOLDIER 1st Class uniform, Zack recall's Aerith's last letter for him, in
which she wants them to spend more time together, which prompts him to make their next destination
back to Midgar. However, Shinra labels them both fugitive samples, so they find themselves
now running from the army, and Cissnei actually manages to catch up to them first. He pleads
with her to just walk away as he knows its a tall order to escape the Turks, but Cissnei
chooses her duty over her personal feelings. However, Zack refuses to fight her seriously
for now, and must leave her behind. Still, she follows them, and empathizes with Cloud's
severe case of mako addiction, and so helps them this once to escape with her motorcycle.
However, Genesis isn't done, as he interrupts their ride, seizing zack and pulling out a
bit of his hair. He knows they are Hojo's latest experiments, and modified versions
of Jenova's power runs through both of them. He has one of his clones eat his hair sample
in order to gain the cells needed to cease his degredation, but all it does is mutate
the clone into a gruesome monster. Later, Zack crosses by his hometown of Gongaga, but
Cissnei is there and warns him the Turks already expected him to visit his parents, though
they also are hunting for Angeal in the area, who reportedly was sighted in Shinra's lab.
She's watching over his family for him, and teases that his parents have already asked
her to join the family. Zack notes something like Angeal was also nearby but flies away
again, and later he is surprised to find Dr. Hollander and Genesis himself. It turns out
that after the doctor nearly died by the hand of Genesis, he used his cells to stay alive
and despite degrading on borrowed time, is looking for a cure for that now. Genesis beleives
a pure S Cell sample will stop their degredation, and only Cloud and Zack bear those right now.
Hollander makes a grab for Cloud, but Zack puts and end to the doctor once and for all,
with a little help from former Director Lazard. He's white-winged and degrading like Angeal
with his exact face precisely because he's been turned into an Angeal Copy by his own
doing. While the real Angeal really is dead, Lazard finds himself with Angeal's will to
save Zack and others, which means they must stop Genesis once and for all.
Almost to Midgar, Zack stops to finally confront the failed and tortured creation of a jenova
infused human, who considers Zack a perfect fusion of Angeal's will and Sephiroth's superior
cells. Behind him is a statue to the goddess Minerva as well as a massive materia he claims
will return everyone to the lifestream. Zack attempts to calm Genesis down and try to help
him regain his humanity, but Genesis chooses to uses the materia's power to transform into
a massive armored monster. Zack wins over this form, reverting Genesis to his original
form once more, who is now cured of his degredation thanks to the materia. Zack sees no reason
to fight now, but Genesis still insists, and Zack is frustrated that once again he has
to shoulder a burden forced upon him. Clashing one final time, he knocks Genesis back, who
for an instant, turns around and sees the Goddess Minerva as he always imagined, just
before falling for good in the Lifestream, signifying his final defeat.
Still honorable, Zack carries a still breathing Genesis and lays him to rest beside Cloud
and an injured Lazard. Lazard says the winged angeal copy from before protected Cloud from
Shinra earlier, but its too late as the final copies of Angeal die and return to the lifestream,
leaving Zack as his only living legacy. The winged dog also had a letter for Zack in its
possession, which Zack reads. It turns out its from Aerith, and its apparantly been 4
years since their last meeting, and this has been the 89th unrequited letter she sent him.
She mentions her flower sales are doing well these days, and despite her feelings for him,
this would be her final letter to him. Naturally, Zack is upset to learn he's been unconscious
for 4 years, but still wants to be with Aerith and make things right despite his unintended
absence. Carrying cloud, he has every intention to get back to midgar, save cloud, and reuniting
with Aerith. After leaving Genesis to rest, Genesis is soon snatched away by two mysterious
SOLDIERs 1st Class, Nero and Weiss, who seek to recruit Genesis into their organization
of Deepground, preceding events to be played out in a future game, Dirge of Cerberus.
Meanwhile, Tseng orders Cissnei and the other Turks to find and save Zack before the army
finds them, which Cissnei is very motivated to do. Though this is near-treasonous action,
Tseng is willing to risk it for his friend and for Aerith's sake. At the same time, Zack
and Cloud are in the back of a pickup truck just outside Midgar, and even the Turks are
having a hard time finding them now. Unfortunately, the army intercepts Zack first, and Zack willingly
chooses to fight and honorably protect Cloud, despite his own desire to return to Aerith
and save himself. Cloud only now begins to wake up out of his Mako poisoning, as Zack
walks out to face down literally hundreds upon hundreds of Shinra troops and attack
helicopters. Commenting that the price of freedom is steep, Zack gives a final salute
and promise to protect his honor, as he takes on Shinra's military singlehandedly.
As he stands strong against thousands of blades, bullets and missiles, Zack is pushed to his
limit as he recalls the bonds he held precious in life. Starting with his close friends within
Shinra, he fondyly recalls his former heroic idol, Sephiroth, and Turks Cissnei and Tseng.
Then finally, his closest bonds, those of his friend and mentor Angeal, the aspiring
infantryman Cloud, and his love interest Aerith. Against all odds, Zack triumphs in this final
stand, but he is on his last legs, as Shinra begins reinforcing their troops, firing countless
bullets into a relentless Zack. Eventually., enough is enough as he cannot overcome his
wounds anymore, and after some nameless infantryman puts a final bullet into his head, Zack, the
rising star of SOLDIER 1st class, with dreams of heroism despite being dragged into so many
outside messes, tragically falls with thoughts of Aerith to carry him into his final moments.
As the game concludes, Aerith notes the sudden rain, and seems to sense something wrong.
Meanwhile. Cloud finally wakes up and drags himself over to Zack, who is still barely
alive, and forces a smile for him and urges Cloud to live on in his stead as his own living
legacy. Passing the Buster Sword onto Cloud, he also passes on his dream of being a hero
for Cloud to fulfill. Cloud acknowledges the passing of the torch, and Zack honorably dies,
though with a smile on his face. Cloud thanks him and promises not to forget, and walks
away, leaving Zack's body behind. Joining the lifestream, Zack is greeted by his friend
Angeal, now finally able to rest in peace.
As the game ends, the trauma of the events unfortunately resulted in Cloud blocking all
memory of Zack, despite his promise. His delirum actually has him believing he is Zack in all
but name, as the game leads up to the original installment, Final Fantasy 7.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 has enjoyed the success of selling over 6.5 million copies
worldwide.