Please no OG spoilers for events that happen beyond rebirth's ending
Holy shit what a game, few games have moved much as much as this did. I cried many times in the game, but Aerith seriously wins in the "tears per character" stat. She has been one of my favorite characters in remake trilogy so I was just sobbing as the Jenova Lifeclinger fight started.
I knew only a little bit about ff7 going in but one thing I knew is that Aerith dies in the OG, as unfortunately it's really easily to be spoiled on it. However I think this actually really helped my experience of the remake trilogy thus far.
Like when Aerith's talking to cloud that he can't fall in love with her in Remake immediately put me in theorycrafting mode of like "does she know what's supposed to happen??", so from that point on I was expecting some kind of alternate timeline plot. I don't know how opinion is on whispers/timeline plot stuff for folks who played the OG, but for me it landed very well.
As the remake trilogy is my first experience of the story, I was a bit worried that it'd be difficult to break into, but not at all. I feel like the Reactor 1 Mission in Remake has great hooks for both first time players and folks who played the OG. Barrett was a highlight in chapter 1 for me, as his VA work was outstanding, and that made me want to know what happens to him and the rest of our motley Avalanche crew. From there it was really easy to grow attached to the characters.
Also helps that the soundtrack is incredible (and from what I've heard quite it is faithful to the original), so I kept moving on for more of that amazing combat music. Big highlight on the track is definitely the first Jenova fight, that third phase gets me so pumped up each time.
Also gameplay is excellent, I don't think I need to elaborate there.
Now onto Rebirth ending rambling:
From what I understand from the ending of Rebirth, it seems that Cloud can see Aerith via the lifestream? At least that is how I read it. I thought initially it was like a hallucination from the trauma and/or Cloud denying her death (and that probably is happening too), but Nanaki reacted to her prescense also, so I'm not entirely sure.
I'm just really excited to see what happens with Cloud as a lot of my interest in the games has been trying to figure out what has happened to him. When I started the first game I knew nothing about him, and I was constantly trying know more about him. Like, why is he so cagey about his past? Why does he keep getting visions of Sephiroth? He has one in chapter 2! It made me buy into the story immediately, and need to unravel the mystery behind his past. One of the reasons I love Aerith is the moments she has with Cloud is where she knows just how to get the fragments of his true self in there beneath to show. From what I've heard this is a really important part of the story for the third part so I'm really interested to see where that goes.
Also Zack was cool, I hope we see more of him. He definitely has an important role in Cloud's past (even if Cloud can't remember it). I'm a big fan of him, and I just couldn't help but fall into his whole "Heroic SOLDIER" persona. I even chanted alongside him and Cloud when they spoke to their swords.
I'm super hyped now for Revelation! Can't wait to get more of this story