The GREATEST Final Fantasy game EVER had the most PERFECT, heart-wrenching ending… until a CRAPPY sequel ABSOLUTELY DESTROYED IT in the most BRUTAL way possible! 😱💔

In the sprawling universe of Square Enix’s iconic Final Fantasy franchise, few titles have sparked as much debate over their conclusions as Final Fantasy VII. Released in 1997 for the original PlayStation, the game revolutionized RPGs with its groundbreaking 3D graphics, unforgettable characters, and a narrative that blended cyberpunk dystopia with environmental themes and cosmic horror. Its ending, in particular, has been hailed by many as a masterpiece of ambiguity—one that left players pondering long after the credits rolled.

But what happens when that perfection is shattered by corporate greed? Enter Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, a 2006 spin-off that dangled an unresolved sequel hook, tarnishing the legacy of what many consider the series’ crowning achievement. Fans have long lamented how this clunky shooter sequel baited them with promises of more, only to abandon the plot thread forever, leaving a bitter taste in the wake of FFVII‘s poetic finale.

The Rise of Final Fantasy VII: A Cultural Phenomenon

Final Fantasy VII wasn’t just a game; it was a seismic event. Developed by Square (pre-Enix merger), it sold over 14 million copies worldwide, catapulting the series from niche JRPG status to mainstream juggernaut. Players stepped into the boots of Cloud Strife, a spiky-haired mercenary with a massive sword, leading the eco-terrorist group AVALANCHE against the Shinra Corporation. Shinra’s Mako reactors drained the planet’s life force, turning the world into a polluted wasteland dominated by the gleaming metropolis of Midgar.

The story unfolded across three discs, introducing iconic villains like Sephiroth—a silver-haired swordsman with god-like ambitions—and themes of identity, loss, and redemption. Aerith Gainsborough’s shocking death midway through remains one of gaming’s most infamous moments, a gut-punch that set the tone for the game’s emotional depth. By the finale, Cloud confronts Sephiroth inside the planet’s core, summoning Holy—a massive summon that stops Sephiroth’s world-ending Meteor spell.

The post-credits scene? Red XIII (or Nanaki), the wise lion-like creature, overlooks Midgar’s ruins 500 years later with his cubs. Vines reclaim the steel city as ghostly children’s laughter echoes. Humanity’s fate? Unclear. Did Holy wipe them out for their sins against the planet? Or is nature simply thriving without them? This ambiguity aged like fine wine, tying into the game’s eco-message: the Lifestream, the planet’s life force, might deem humans a virus.

Critics and fans raved. “A perfect ending,” one Reddit user called it, praising how it left Cloud and friends’ survival to imagination while affirming the planet’s victory. GameRankings scored it 92%, and its influence lingers in modern titles like The Last of Us and Nier: Automata. Square Enix cashed in with novels like On the Way to a Smile, but the core game’s close felt definitive.

Advent Children: Tying Loose Ends (Sort Of)

Two years post-FFVII, fans clamored for more. In 2005, Advent Children arrived—a CGI movie sequel set two years after the game. Cloud, guilt-ridden over Aerith and Zack Fair (foreshadowed in Crisis Core), battles Sephiroth clones amid a global plague called Geostigma. Aerith’s spirit aids from the Lifestream, convincing it to bolster Holy. Humanity survives; Mako reactors shut down. Sephiroth dies (again). It resolved gripes about the original’s vagueness, grossing $104 million worldwide despite mixed reviews for its plot holes.

The film wasn’t flawless—Cloud’s mopey brooding dragged—but it honored the ending’s spirit. No major loose ends. Enter Dirge of Cerberus.

Dirge of Cerberus: The Sequel That Broke Everything

Released in 2006 for PS2, Dirge of Cerberus spotlights Vincent Valentine, the brooding gunman from FFVII. Set three years after Advent Children, Vincent—cursed with demonic transformations—fights the Deepground organization: rogue Shinra experiments. It’s a third-person shooter, ditching RPG roots for gunplay. Metacritic: 57/100. Critics slammed repetitive levels, poor AI, and a story feeling like fanfic.

Weiss the Immaculate, Deepground’s leader, gets defeated. Vincent wins. Perfect cap? Nope. The secret ending: Genesis Rhapsodos from Crisis Core (2007 PSP prequel) revives, claims Weiss’s body, calls him “brother,” and they fly off for “much to do.” Fans hyped for Genesis’s role in the Compilation of FFVII—novels, movies, spin-offs expanding the universe.

It never happened. Square Enix shelved it. The Compilation ended abruptly, leaving Genesis’s return a dangling thread. “Overrated villain,” CBR quipped, but the damage stuck. FFVII‘s closure? Ruined by bait no one bit—er, resolved.

Fan Backlash: A Legacy Tarnished

X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit erupted. “Sequel hook never resolved,” one post griped. Forums called Dirge “what ruined things,” echoing CBR’s thesis. Purists mourned: FFVII stood alone; spin-offs diluted it. Advent Children clarified survival; Dirge teased apocalypse 2.0 without payoff.

This mirrors broader Final Fantasy woes. FFX‘s tragic Tidus farewell? Undone by X-2‘s reunion. FFXIII‘s bittersweet close? Retconned by sequels. FFXV‘s emotional punch? DLC-expanded, diluting impact. Square Enix’s “Compilation” model prioritizes merch over art.

FFVII Remake (2020) and Rebirth (2024) reignited debate. Part 1’s meta Whispers twist thrilled some, baffled others. Rebirth‘s multiverse Aerith shenanigans? “Ruined the ending,” purists cry. Part 3 looms in 2027 or later, risking more hooks.

Why Dirge Stings: The Business of Final Fantasy

Square Enix chased the FFVII cash cow post-merger. Kingdom Hearts thrived on spin-offs; why not FFVII? Crisis Core Reunion (2022) retconned bits, but Dirge‘s hook died quietly. CEO Yoichi Wada pushed multimedia; fans got quantity over quality.

Data backs the frustration: Dirge sold under 500,000 copies. FFVII? Timeless. Metacritic users rate originals higher than spin-offs. X polls show 70% prefer standalone stories.

The Perfect Ending’s Lasting Power

Strip the spin-offs: FFVII endures. Cloud’s identity crisis, Sephiroth’s madness, Aerith’s sacrifice—raw, unpolished genius. The Lifestream’s judgment? Profound. Red XIII’s vista? Haunting.

Dirge tried expanding; failed spectacularly. Fans pretend it doesn’t exist, preserving the magic. As FFVII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi noted, ambiguity fuels discussion.

Square Enix: Learn the lesson. Let classics breathe. FFVII‘s ending was perfect—until greed intervened.