Poll of the Day > Why do you like Cloud?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've never played Final Fantasy 7, but Cloud always does super well in the character contests here on GameFAQs. I don't really know much about him. For people who have played the game, what do you think makes him special?
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I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

he peeked in tifa's underwear drawer
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blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

Pretty much. FF7 and OoT were raised up as the figureheads of that generation's console wars, a console war which many of GameFAQs current users are still nostalgically invested in. Link and Cloud just represent that; I don't think anyone considers them to be particularly great characters.

Fanboys, or girls. However you want to look at it. Seven wasn't really great at all compared to nine, so I'm unsure why Zidane doesn't get more appreciation. Seven was big because it was the first FF with 3D characters and 2D-rendered backgrounds.
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https://imgur.com/dIVVkTB
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I think Final Fantasy VII is a once in a lifetime game that is very difficult even now to reproduce the magic that came with it.

I think that Cloud isn't necessarily what made FFVII good, and he isn't necessarily a good character. Final Fantasy IX does good characters and is one of the few FF games that does them.

Link isn't a Character, he's just a silent protag. The Zelda games do not even have stories or any deep characterization as far as I know.
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cuz sometimes I want to do things on multiple devices
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Sword big spike hair
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_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

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Target_Master posted...

_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

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_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

Pretty much. FF7 and OoT were raised up as the figureheads of that generation's console wars, a console war which many of GameFAQs current users are still nostalgically invested in. Link and Cloud just represent that; I don't think anyone considers them to be particularly great characters.

^ These are the main reasons, but I would also add...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

FF7, for a lot of people, was a new level of storytelling not seen before in video games. You could argue that other games did it first, but FF7 was the one that hooked everyone into a deep and intricate story line that gamers weren't used to seeing in games. Unfortunately, there's a drastic difference between FF7 Cloud and compilation Cloud, which most people are more familiar with the latter.

One of my favourite scenes in building Cloud's character was his return to Nibelheim, where Tifa comes to the front gate and the first thing Cloud does is run and get his helmet to hide his face. After all, he promised Tifa when he left, that he would be become a big, badass SOLDIER, but only succeeded in becoming a ShinRa grunt. He was embarrassed, as anyone would be.

His whole story, you could argue, was about how strong and cool Cloud was, except that in reality, he was just a starry-eyed kid whose life since he left his hometown was a constant lesson in disappointment and failure. And who wouldn't identify with that? For all it's complexities, FF7 was a really simple story at heart.

When they recreated this scene in Crisis Core, shot for shot, the only thing that was missing was Cloud getting his helmet. SquareEnix does not know what made Cloud likeable, or what made FF7 good. Everything they've done with his character since has shown that.

I could write a heck of a lot more than this, but this is already getting long enough as is. And that's kind of that point. You could write a character bible on Cloud. Link is just a faceless avatar for the player. Some people even renamed Link every chance they could get.

because he's the best character in the game gameplay-wise
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Cloud has way more character and development throughout Final Fantasy VII alone than what Link gets throughout every Zelda game.
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Cloud Strife has spiky hair and he wields a big sword.
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_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

Pretty much. FF7 and OoT were raised up as the figureheads of that generation's console wars, a console war which many of GameFAQs current users are still nostalgically invested in. Link and Cloud just represent that; I don't think anyone considers them to be particularly great characters.

Well, for starters, LttP is also a thing so Link has long been at the forefront of console wars. More importantly, Link has been the star of a large number of games now so he's not really in the same camp as Cloud who, outside of FF7, has had fewer roles and usually in supporting capacities.

And Link is a pretty awesome character.

PaladinSaris posted...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

lolwut?

PaladinSaris posted...

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

Wait, what?

PaladinSaris posted...

FF7, for a lot of people, was a new level of storytelling not seen before in video games. You could argue that other games did it first, but FF7 was the one that hooked everyone into a deep and intricate story line that gamers weren't used to seeing in games. Unfortunately, there's a drastic difference between FF7 Cloud and compilation Cloud, which most people are more familiar with the latter.

You know that FF2 (4) and FF3 (6) were big, right? That's in addition to a lot of other major SNES rpgs.
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JOExHIGASHI posted...

he peeked in tifa's underwear drawer

This.
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Zeus posted...

_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

Pretty much. FF7 and OoT were raised up as the figureheads of that generation's console wars, a console war which many of GameFAQs current users are still nostalgically invested in. Link and Cloud just represent that; I don't think anyone considers them to be particularly great characters.

Well, for starters, LttP is also a thing so Link has long been at the forefront of console wars. More importantly, Link has been the star of a large number of games now so he's not really in the same camp as Cloud who, outside of FF7, has had fewer roles and usually in supporting capacities.

And Link is a pretty awesome character.

PaladinSaris posted...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

lolwut?

PaladinSaris posted...

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

Wait, what?

PaladinSaris posted...

FF7, for a lot of people, was a new level of storytelling not seen before in video games. You could argue that other games did it first, but FF7 was the one that hooked everyone into a deep and intricate story line that gamers weren't used to seeing in games. Unfortunately, there's a drastic difference between FF7 Cloud and compilation Cloud, which most people are more familiar with the latter.

You know that FF2 (4) and FF3 (6) were big, right? That's in addition to a lot of other major SNES rpgs.

That dude must live in an alternate universe or something.
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Cruddy_horse posted...

Zeus posted...

_AdjI_ posted...

blitz_0623 posted...

I think it's more FF7 than Cloud that wins him the character battles, although you could probably say the same for Link

Pretty much. FF7 and OoT were raised up as the figureheads of that generation's console wars, a console war which many of GameFAQs current users are still nostalgically invested in. Link and Cloud just represent that; I don't think anyone considers them to be particularly great characters.

Well, for starters, LttP is also a thing so Link has long been at the forefront of console wars. More importantly, Link has been the star of a large number of games now so he's not really in the same camp as Cloud who, outside of FF7, has had fewer roles and usually in supporting capacities.

And Link is a pretty awesome character.

PaladinSaris posted...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

lolwut?

PaladinSaris posted...

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

Wait, what?

PaladinSaris posted...

FF7, for a lot of people, was a new level of storytelling not seen before in video games. You could argue that other games did it first, but FF7 was the one that hooked everyone into a deep and intricate story line that gamers weren't used to seeing in games. Unfortunately, there's a drastic difference between FF7 Cloud and compilation Cloud, which most people are more familiar with the latter.

You know that FF2 (4) and FF3 (6) were big, right? That's in addition to a lot of other major SNES rpgs.

That dude must live in an alternate universe or something.

You must not be old enough to know what happened in our universe.
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All I know is he killed me 3 times and his stage is ass
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PaladinSaris posted...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

I guess it depends on how old you were at the time. In my latter years of elementary school, plenty of us loved OoT; I never heard anyone in real life mention FF7.
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I don't.
He's the 4th worst FF Protag, just above Squall, Tidus, and Lightning.
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Tails 64 posted...

PaladinSaris posted...

If you played FF7 back in the day, everyone at school who was a gamer would be talking about it. Ocarina of Time was usually a footnote of "oh, yeah, that game was pretty good too" before returning to discussing FF.

This in no way meant Ocarina of Time was any lesser than FF7, just that there was nothing to talk about - no epic moments, memorable songs or jaw-dropping cutscenes. It was just a really well-polished, middle-of-the-road video game.

I guess it depends on how old you were at the time. In my latter years of elementary school, plenty of us loved OoT; I never heard anyone in real life mention FF7.

As a young lad, I heard both mentioned a lot. I just got into OoT because my cousins were playing it one day. But one of those same cousins was definitely more into FF...
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