Original or updated?

[Miss Lockheart]

I've been looking through all my pics recently, and comparing the original designs of the FFVII characters with their updated counterparts. Of course this is totally nothing new, everyone thinks about this at some point, but I wanted to really discuss it, in pics. Do we love the original, poor graphic versions better, with their novelty value, or are the uber pimped-up new versions much better, without the quirkiness?

I've chosen so far 3 characters to compare- Sephiroth, Cloud, and Vincent (yeah you saw that one coming!). The first two because I think they went through some of the most drastic change, and that last just because I have to, because he is mine, yep.

I'll start with Sephy, here he is in original form, with his extra pointy nose and creepy smile, looks like a scarecrow in leather-



Then here in AC, his smile looks even creepier, though more in a drugged out way-



And here in KH, with this super cool wing thingy-



I can see what they tried to do to update him, but not sure if you could call it an improvement! But what do you guys think?

Next up, Cloud. Chocobo hair, disproportionate muscles, but somehow adorable-

[Miss Lockheart]

Then in AC, I like this improvement, though his arms are still not very buff-



And KH, he also got a cool wingy thingy-



Finally (getting hot under the collar), Vincent. Hee hee he looked really funny in the original, and he actually smiled in this pic-



Then he lost his smile in AC, but gained mucho sex appeal-

[Miss Lockheart]

And finally DoC, not much changed, but he looks a lot more rugged, seems to have forgotten what a hairbrush is-



Hee hee tell me what you think! If I can be bothered, I will look at some of the other characters in pics too, might aswell, it's so quiet here...

PS I know I've triple posted here, but the pic limit made things awkward, and I needed to get my point across I don't mind looking stupid!!

[Firesnake]

you always look stupid (J/k)
but I see your point but I think:
the improvement for AC are really really good but after that things just went over the top.
they should have kept the AC version

[Miss Lockheart]

Hmmm, they didn't expand too much on character appearance in Crisis Core, though I think Sephy is even improved from AC, I'll get a pic for that soon.

I don't really know why they changed them after AC, I agree it wasn't really necessary. And it was stupid things like how their hair looked (hairbrush!!!) and little poncy things. But whatever drug Sephy was on in AC, I want some! Did you hear the English dub of his voice? My bro says he looks and sounds like he's been on crystal meth!

[JET73L]

I liked either original sephiroth or KH (can't decide). And Savior Sephiroth. I pretty much like Sephiroth all the time, except when he had the drugged-out, girly look in AC. And I liked the AC versions of Cloud and Vincent. I think they were just showing off with the DoC bedhair. Original Vincent was okay, but without a high enough polygon count to express his coolness.

[MidgarFanatic]

Personally, I like the new improvements. I am really enjoying seeing many of these characters evolve from the pixellated images we saw on the original game.

I know the original drawings by Tetsuya Nomura had a fun and interesting anime charm to them, but that was not how we ever saw them. The character detail was limited to the capabilities of the PS1. Although FFVII had some interesting FMV shots, they seldom involved close up and intimate shots of the characters faces. So what I'm saying is... I think the new models of these characters have succesfully captured the essence of the original PS1 game while expanding on their looks and personalities.

I have also noticed lately that Square/Enix has made strong efforts to remain as true as possible to the original design of the characters even tho modern graphics in video games have become so much more sophisticated in the last ten years and could do so much more detail in things like textiles.

Take these examples:






As for the KH versions. I didn't like them. Although I did think it was interesting how the Cloud character had elements of Sephiroth (the one-wing), and Vincent as well (cape/scarf and claw). haha, so he was with us afterall in that game wasn't he Miss Lockheart, the spirit of Vincent was in KH, lol.

But yeah, interesting thread. I would totally vote "Updated".

[Firesnake]

hmm I think they should update the characters from Final fantasy VIII too...
not like in kh but a little less drastic...
I mean in the cut-movies of FF8 they look cool but a little more could be awsome

[JET73L]

Originally Posted by MidgarFanatic

it was interesting how the Cloud character had elements of Sephiroth (the one-wing), and Vincent as well (cape/scarf and claw).

The one wing was because he had been summoned through the darkness by Hades, and it was on theopposite side because he represents the direct opposition to Sephiroth. In the second game we learn it was because Sephiroth was laready dead, and the one in the KH series was a chunk of Cloud's soul, reanimated by his memories of Sephiroth.
Idid not, however, notice that the cloak was reminiscent of Vincent,. I'll have to look closer at that next time through.

[Miss Lockheart]

Mmmmm, Vincent's bedhair.....

I was interested to see Cloud with a wing in the KH pics, I still haven't played those games yet so I didn't know the story behind that (Donald Duck, he puts me off)

And MidgarFanatic, good point on those comparisons. Yuffie's costume always has the same design, but with different colours (green and neutral for FFVII, a black and blue getup for AC, and indigo and yellow for DoC). And Aeris kinda has to look the same as how she died I suppose.

Yet with Tifa she was completely redesigned. Her hair is substantially shorter, her clothes slicker and her, erm, chest, got smaller-





Wonder what the idea behind that was? They must have wanted her to be classier, though I think lots of guys prefer the old Tifa?