A Clinical Analysis Of Cloud's Psychology, Part II - Identity, Self-Concept, And Mako

New headcanon unlocked

Sephiroth is constantly like nonstop scattering feathers in remake/rebirth even when his wing isn't out so either some other part of him is also feathered or he like collects all the ones he molts and tosses them like confetti whenever he wants to make an entrance

Icon next to Hollow’s arrangement in the ultimania: 

Opening to FF7R: 

Very end of Crisis Core: 

End of FF7R as Hollow begins to play: 

Ending of Crisis Core: 

Cloud alone on a barren wasteland of cracked earth, alone in the rain, a destined death he couldn’t stop, screaming at the top of his lungs (howling) outside himself looking in (remembering Zack, creating his false persona with Zack as a base) the storm clears, a new journey on the horizon. Remake opens up with Zack’s death place as the bird flies towards Midgar, the bird is pictured with Hollow, Hollow begins to play at the end as Zack comes into view and it begins to rain. Game opens with where Zack died and ends where Zack died. 

well-adjusted young man

FFVII Remake Easter Eggs and compilation continuity - Part 7: OG FINAL FANTASY VII

ELEMENTS ORIGINALLY SHOWED AFTER THE MIDGAR SECTION & VISIONS OF THE FUTURE

CAIT SITH

This character didn’t show up until the group reached the Gold Saucer. In the Remake he witnesses the plate fall.

YUFFIE

In the OG Yuffie could only be recruited after visiting the Mythril Mines and nothing hints she had ever been in Midgar before. Now she is the protagonist of Intermission, spending a whole day in Midgar, getting to see Barret’s cell and infiltrating in Shinra HQ thanks to Avalanche. Some main points of this character have already been shown like the rivalry between her and her father, some details of the Wutai war and even her motion sickness.

ROMANTIC RUDE

In the OG Rude confessed Reno that he liked Tifa. In the Remake, when he spotted her on the Sector 7 pillar, he deviated the chopper to prevent Reno from killing her.

Reno: Dammit! You wanna explain yourself, partner?

Rude: Uh... Hand slipped.

PALMER’S TEA

In the original, at Cid’s house, Palmer asked for some tea with “sugar, honey and lard”. In the Remake he walks in the corridor of Shinra HQ with a cup of tea, complaining that he ran out of butter (though in Japanese it’s still “lard”).

Oh dear, oh dear... A man of my refined tastes running out of butter! Shorn of its proper accompainment, this tea...might as well be boiled pond water!

BLACK-CAPED MEN

In the original there was just one clone in Midgar, in Sector 5, and he wasn’t wearing the black cape yet, while in the Remake they can be met also in Midgar. 

The Remake also confirms that also some former SOLDIERs can turn into caped men, something that the OG revealed only in an optional scene in Junon.

OG: I used to be in SOLDIER. Lately I’ve felt like dressing up like this...

Remake: My dad told me that that man, he used to be a SOLDIER when he was younger. I heard he came back because he got sick or something. Isn't that kinda weird? Can SOLDIERs even get sick?

This concept is further - more openly - reiterated also in Intermission:

Nayo: Mako poisoning. That's what happens if you don't make the grade as a SOLDIER...or when the military's done using you.

REUNION

When Cloud attacks Marco believing he’s Sephiroth he has a vision of the Reunion at Whirlwind Maze.

BARRET’S PAST

In the Remake Barret mentions the day he survived from the destruction of his home town, while in the original this happened one the group arrived in Corel.

Wouldn't be the first time I spit in destiny's eye. Whether you can see the seams or you can't...doesn't change that she's always trying to have it her way.

JENOVA

In the original game the first fight against Jenova took place on the Cargo ship, while in the Remake the group fights it in Chapter 17. 

Note: the first form of Jenova in the original was called Jenova∙BIRTH (followed later by Jenova∙LIFE, Jenova∙DEATH and Jenova∙SYNTHESIS). In Remake it is called Dreamweaver, referring to its ability to project illusions, while the Japanese sticks to the original calling it Jenova Beat, hinting to the prenatal heartbeat of fetuses. 

LIFESTREAM

During the presentation at Cosmo theatre (an allusion itself to Cosmo Canyion) the group can see a depiction of the Lifestream flowing throughout the Planet. In the original this only happened at the very end when Aerith summoned it. 

MATERIA

During the aforementioned presentation it was explained how the Ancients were able to create Materia with condensed Lifestream, while in the original it was explained during the flashback in Kalm.

7R: In the distant past, our planet was home to a people we call the Ancients. Many millennia before we discovered mako, these precursors were already pioneering its use. Somehow they learned of the great reservoir of energy pulsing beneath their feet. And once they had...the Ancients developed the means to harness this bountiful energy and bend it to their will. The fruits of their labors have survived to this very day in the form of certain kinds of materia.

OG: Materia. When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It’s very rare to be able to see materia in its natural state. (...)...the knowledge and wisdom of the Ancients is held in the Materia.

PROUD CLOD

During intermission Yuffie can see the Proud Clod still under construction stored in Shinra underground. Moreover, the Pride and Joy Prototype (in Japanese: Proud Clad Unit Zero) is a boss that can be fought in Shinra battle simulator.

MIND READER

During the second bombing mission Tifa jokingly asks Cloud if he could read her mind. This is a hint to Jenova’s ability to read minds.

7R:  I swear, your timing was perfect. It's almost like...you could read my mind. SOLDIERs can't do that, can they?

OG: Inside of you, Jenova has merged with Tifa’s memories, creating you.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

In the Remake Cloud "remembers” two episodes of his childhood in Nibelheim, scenes that originally were included in the Lifestream sequence in Mideel.

BURNING TOWN

During the first vision of Sephiroth in Chapter 2, Cloud re-experiences the distruction of NIbelheim. This info wasn’t revealed in the OG until the flashback in Kalm.

TEST SUBJECT

When Cloud, Barret and Tifa discover the secret underground lab with specimen detained in mako tanks, Cloud starts remembering his captivity in the basement of Shinra Mansion. This was originally revealed only in the optional cutscene in the basement of the Mansion, after the Lifestream sequence.

MAKO POISONING

Mako poisoning is an element that in the OG was explained just in Mideel, while in the Remake Jessie’s father suffers of the same condition. A sector 7 NPC also witnesses one of Cloud’s Jenova headaches and suggests he may be Mako poisonesd (before the whispers intervene).

7R: [Chapter 3] What the—You okay, buddy? Mako junkie, huh? Figures...

[Chapter 4] Jessie's got a theory about it. Thinks her dad's spirit is stuck now—between his body and the heart of the planet.

OG: He probably has no idea who or where he is now... Poor fellow, his voice doesn’t even work. He is literally miles away from us. Some place far away where no one’s ever been... All alone...

UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH

Discovering that in reality Cloud never made it in SLDIER was a pivotal plot twist of the OG. In the Remake that’s hinted more than once, until Hojo openly reveals it. 

No, not quite. Oh, now I recall. My memory was mistaken. My boy, you weren't a SOLDIER...

SEPHIROTH’S DEATH

In Chapter 2 Cloud remembers he killed Sephiroth. This is surprising as in the OG, during Kalm flashback, he told the group that he didn’t know what happened to Sephiroth after Nibelheim incident, even pointing out that, in terms of strength, he couldn’t have killed him.

AERITH’S DEATH

Cloud has some visions of Aerith’s death: after falling in her church in Chapter 8 (pics 2 and 3) and at the beginning of Chapter 9 (pics 1 and 4). Moreover he and the rest of the group have a blurred vision of her death in Chapter 18, Aerith’s refers to death in her resolution scene and Sephiroth tells him he’s unable to protect people in Chapter 2 (while seeing Aerith for the first time) and in Chapter 13 (after she’s been kidnapped). 

METEOR

Cloud, and the others have visions of Meteor and the storm that destroyed Midgar at the end of the OG in Chapters 16 and 18. 

Aerith's ribbon: is it still a gift from Zack?

It has been rumored by some fans that the Crisis Core scene where Zack gave Aerith the pink ribbon is no more canon, because kid Aerith has a pink ribbon too.

I don't mean to sound pretentious but...they're evidently different. Kid Aerith's ribbon has four ends, adult Aerith's ribbon has just two.

Since the original FFVII kid Aerith's had two outfits. She wore the blue outfit in the first part of Elmyra's flashback and the orange one when Tseng tried to convince her to return to Shinra.

In the Remake she wears the orange outfit only in the train graveyard vision and the blue one in all of Elmyra's flashback, from the moment she found her at the station up to when Tseng showed up. It's definitely not very evident because of the sepia tone filter, but we can compare her dress to the concept art and to the orange dress: she has no ribbon on the chest but wears a pinafore dress and a light shirt with bell sleeves.

This means that in the sepia toned scene she was wearing the green ribbon, as we can see from the concept art.

The scene at the train graveyard bears many similarities with the situation described in Picturing the Past, so she was wearing the orange outfit before escaping Shinra HQ.

When Elmyra found her and brought her in Sector 5 she had the green ribbon, not the pink one.

Someone tried to say Aerith stated the ribbon was a gift from her mother when she met Cloud at the church...

Nice try, but she was talking about White Materia. (Leaving a couple of links in case anybody wanted to check: OG, Remake)

So, not only there's no evidence that the pink ribbon is no more Zack's gift but that scene influenced also an important moment of the Remake: Aerith and Cloud's first encounter.

And in both cases the gift was made in order to thank the other for their help

CC: To show you my gratitude for that "hello" that woke me up.

Remake: You know, for scaring those things away.

Ehhh...can I say what a coincidence again?

Parallel #5

Selling flowers in Evergreen Park

[Previous]

FFVII AFFECTION MECHANICS LIST

Probably this article was better suited for Valentine's day but I'm not well known for my perfect timing... :)

I thought it could be useful to have a full list of the OG variables that affect the date mechanics, a description of the actual Remake mechanics and the differences between the two games all in one post.

I had initially planned to add here also the Wall Market dress mechanics but this post is long enough and the Remake dresses are just so amazing that they absolutely deserve their own post and my complete devotion💖

So...Let’s get to the list!  

OG AFFECTION POINTS

A reminder before reading:

Not all the optional choices of the game affect the scores.

Not all the optional choices that affect the score are mandatory.

Only four characters are associated to the affection mechanics and they start the game with different pre-set scores: Aerith 50, Tifa 30, Yuffie 10*, Barret 0. Aerith and Tifa are the most probable outcomes for the date.

The two main events influenced by the affection points are the Gold Saucer date and the scene under the Highwind. The charcter who has the highest score will spend a night with Cloud at the Gold Saucer; the dialogue between Cloud and Tifa before the final battle will be more explicitly romantic if Tifa has at least 50 points.

The characters are not in competition with each others, most of the choices affect the points of just one character at a time and sometimes they even affect uniformly more than a character. As a general rule, the points increase when Cloud tries to be a kind person and decrease when he's willfully mean.

The outcomes for the date and the HW scene can be different: it's not necessary to achieve Tifa's date to get the high affection HW scene, nor dating Aerith automatically triggers the low affection version. It is perfectly possible to get both Aerith's date and the high affection scene with Tifa.

MIDGAR:

1. On the train after the attack at the Reactor No. 1, when Jessie tells Cloud about the IDs:

Jessie: I know! Next time, I'll give you one I made myself.

"Thanks anyway" (No change)

"Looking forward to it" (-3 Tifa)

2. [Optional] At 7th Heaven, if Cloud bought Aerith's flower:

Tifa: But...A flower for me? Oh Cloud, you shouldn't have... - Cloud: No big.

"Give it to Tifa" (+5 Tifa)

"Give it to Marlene" (+5 Barret)

3. [Optional] If Cloud talks to Tifa when she's behind the bar:

Tifa: Sit down. How about......something to drink?

"I don't feel like it" (No change)

"Give me something hard" (+5 Tifa)

4. When Cloud tries to leave Seventh Heaven:

Tifa: So! You're really leaving !? You're just going to walk right out ignoring your childhood friend !? - Cloud: What......?

"How can you say that!" (+5 Tifa)

"...Sorry" (No change)

5. [Optional] The morning of the attack on the No. 5 Reactor:

Tifa: Good Morning! Cloud! Did you sleep well?

"Next to you, who wouldn't?" (+5 Tifa)

"Barret's snoring kept me up..." (+5 Barret)

6. On the way to the Reactor 5, getting through the train without being caught by the security system

Succeed (+5 Tifa, +5 Barret)

Fail (No change)

7. When Cloud is hanging after the explosion of the Airbuster in the Reactor 5:

Barret: Hey, you gonna be awright?

"(Be strong)" (+2 Barret)

"(I don't know if I can hold on)" (-3 Barret, +1 Tifa)

8. After falling in Aerith's church, when the girl is trying to run away from Reno:

Push a wrong barrel (-3 Aerith)

Tell her to fight the troopers (-1 Aerith)

Tell her to run (No change)

Tell her to run, but she has to fight (-1 Aerith)

Push the right barrel (+1 Aerith)

9. At Aerith's house, when Cloud says he wants to go back to Sector 7:

"No way!" (+1 Aerith)

Aerith: Is Tifa......a girl? - Cloud: Yeah. - Aerith: A girl...friend? - Cloud: Girlfriend?

"Yeah, that's right" (-5 Aerith)

10. When Cloud and Aerith are going to split up after getting to Sector 7 gate:

Cloud: Thanks. I guess this is goodbye. You gonna be all right going home? Aerith: Oh no! 'What ever will I do!?' ...isn't that what you want me to say?

"See her home." (No change)

"Go on to Sector 7" (+1 Aerith)

11a. [Wall Market option A] Talking to Aerith if Tifa is chosen as Don Corneo's bride

"You alright?" (+3 Aerith)

"We gotta help Tifa!" (-2 Aerith)

11b. [Wall Market option B] Talking to Tifa if Aerith is chosen as Don Corneo's bride

"You alright?" (-2 Tifa)

"We gotta help Aerith!" (+3 Tifa)

11c. [Optional] [Wall Market option C] If Cloud is chosen as Don Corneo's bride and acts hesitant

Don Corneo: You don't like me? There...there isn't someone else, is there?

No, only you (No change)

Yes, his name's Barret... (+5 Barret)

12. When Corneo throws the group in the sewer:

Talk to Aerith first (+3 Aerith)

Talk to Tifa first (+3 Tifa)

13. [Optional] After the plate fall, if Cloud talks to Marlene at Aerith's house:

Marlene: Guess what? Guess what? Aerith was asking me lots of questions. Like what kind of person Cloud is. I bet she likes you, Cloud!

"I don't know" (+3 Tifa, -3 Aerith)

"Let's hope so" (-3 Tifa, +3 Aerith)

14. At Shinra HQ, after meeting Red XIII and before fighting Sample H0512:

Cloud: We'll take care of that monster. Somebody take Aerith somewhere safe...

"Tifa, I'm countin' on you!" (-2 Tifa)

"Barret, take care of her!" (+2 Barret)

15. When party splits up to escape Shinra HQ:

Cloud: If all five of us go together, we'll be noticed. Let's break up in two groups.

Whoever is in the party gets a +2 boost

16. [Optional] Talking to Tifa in the jail (this option can be repeated indefinitely):

Tifa: Psst (Can we get out?)

"Leave it to me" (+1 Tifa)

"Kinda hard" (-1 Tifa)

17. In the jail, when Cloud thinks about the other party members:

I wonder how [Barret/Aerith/Red XIII] is doing

The first one gets a +3 boost (no change for Red XIII)

The second one gets a +1 boost (no change for Red XIII)

No change for the last one

18. After leaving Midgar:

Barret: ^#$^%......awright. Go Northeast to a town called Kalm. If something happens, we'll meet up there. 'Sides, we can't have 5 people strolling down the fields. It's too dangerous. Split us into 2 parties...

Whoever is chosen to join the party gets a +1 boost (no change for Red XIII)

KALM

19. After Cloud's flashback when Barret decides to leave the Inn:

Barret: Yo, Cloud! Let's get a move on!

"Right" (+1 Barret)

"Wait a sec" (Barret talks again) -> "Beautiful, just beautiful" (+3 Barret)

"Wait a sec" (Barret talks again) -> "Is that all?" (-1 Barret)

20. [Optional] If talking to the woman on the first floor of the house next to the Inn (the points change only if the characters are in the party. The dialogue can happen at any time before the GS dates):

Thanks to Mako energy, life's pretty darn convenient. Thanks to Shinra. Don't you think?

"Yeah, maybe" (-2 Barret, -1 Aerith, -1 Tifa, +1 Yuffie)

"You're full of it" (+2 Barret, +1 Aerith, +1 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

21. [Optional] If talking to the woman on the second floor of the house next to the Inn (the points change only if the characters are in the party. The dialogue can happen at any time before the GS dates):

Mako energy's made things a lot more convenient......But seems like a lot of plants and animals have been disappearing at a rapid pace. I think the old life was better. Don't you think so?

"Yeah, maybe" (+2 Barret, +1 Aerith, +1 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

"No way" (-2 Barret, -1 Aerith, -1 Tifa, +1 Yuffie)

FORT CONDOR

22. [Optional] If Cloud is the party leader and talks to the old guy (the choices affect everyone, even if the party hasn't recruited Yuffie yet):

It appears you have a problem with Shinra, too. After all, you climbed up here. Why not listen to what I have to say for a moment?

"I guess so" (+5 Barret, +3 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)

"Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aerith, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

23. [Optional] After the old guy tells Cloud about his problem (the choices affect everyone, even if the party hasn't recruited Yuffie yet):

What do you think? You want to join us in our fight?

"All right" (+5 Barret, +3 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie)

"Not interested" (-5 Barret, -3 Aerith, -3 Tifa, -1 Yuffie)

*MEETING YUFFIE

[Optional] The player can repeat the recruiting dialogue as many times as they want. Recruiting Yuffie on the first try will grant her 10 points, failing and repeating it will increase her points up to a max of 30 points (+2 for every correct answer).

CARGO SHIP

24. [Optional] Talking to Yuffie who asks for Tranquillizers for her motion sickness:

"Here, use this" (+4 Yuffie)

"Nope" (-2 Yuffie)

25. Talking to Aerith about the Highwind:

Aerith: That was REALLY something. Hey, do you think I could get on it?

"I'll take you someday" (+2 Aerith)

"I dunno..." (-2 Aerith)

26. Talking to Tifa about the war:

Tifa: ...But, you know what? I really hate this uniform. Uniforms, soldiers, war, I hate 'em all. They take away all the things and people you love... I wish they'd all disappear. Right, Cloud?

"Yeah..." (+2 Tifa)

"I don't know" (-2 Tifa)

GOLD SAUCER

27. After Barret leaves the group, Cloud can choose a partner. The choice will affect the score of the FIRST character he'll interact with. Only if the player declines Red XIII they'll still be able to affect one of the girls' score. If the player doesn't pick anybody, the character with the highest score will join him and the points won't be affected (Red XIII will join instead of Barret):

Go together (+3)

Don't go together (-2)

COREL PRISON

28. The character chosen to accompany Cloud and Barret to fight Dyne:

Cloud: So there it is, Barret. So I guess it'll be Barret, me, and......

(+10 Aerith, +3 Tifa, +2 Yuffie, no change Red XIII)

GONGAGA

29. [Optional] After meeting Zack's parents:

Cloud can talk to Tifa and/or Aerith (if they are in the party).

Ignore them (-3 Aerith / -3 Tifa)

Talk with Tifa (+1 Tifa)

Talk with Aerith -> "Poor guy" (+1 Aerith)

Talk with Aerith -> "(...jealous...envious...)" (+2 Aerith)

COSMO CANYON

30. [Optional] During the first visit the party splits up. If Barret was in the party Cloud can have a conversation with him:

Barret: There was this guy who studied 'Planetary Life' here. He couldn't take things the way they were, so he went to Midgar to form AVALANCHE. Wanna hear more?

Not really (no change)

"Go on" (additional dialogue) -> "And then" (Barret +6)

"Go on" (additional dialogue) -> "Yeah, whatever..." (Barret +3)

WUTAI

31. [Optional] Completing the first quest in Wutai until Yuffie returns the stolen Materia (Yuffie +10)

***

REMAKE AFFECTION POINTS

Even though the Remake covers just the Midgar section, the developers payed homage to the Gold Saucer dates including a beautiful "Resolution scene" at the beginning of Chapter 14, where Aerith, Tifa or Barret will appear and talk to Cloud.

What determines the optional cutscene this time is the number of side quests completed during Chapter 3 and Chapter 8, namely the two chapters spent building up Cloud's merc reputation with Tifa and with Aerith.

The Remake affection mechanics are very simple: 

Aerith and Tifa start as equals. 

The player can complete 6 Odd Jobs and 1 final Discovery Quest, each one granting to the related girl +2 points. 

The girl Cloud will interact first after landing in the sewers will gain an additional +1 point that will eventually serve as tiebreaker. 

As you can guess, the girl with the highest score will lead the optional cutscene but if both girls have less than 5 points then Barret's scene will be unlocked.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:

The Remake affection mechanics are significantly different from those of the OG. Funnily enough some free-answer dialogues still exist, however not only they don't affect the score but they're also illusory choices as the plot is very linear (see below).

The Remake mechanics are less romance-based. Sure, accomplishing the side quests can be seen as Cloud spending valuable time with the girls, anyway they spend the day doing rough and mundane activities like defeat monsters, rescue kids and search for cats. The focus will always be to improve Cloud's reputation as a reliable merc. Moreover, it doesn’t really make sense to consider Barret as being positively impressed by Cloud refusing to help people in need. 

While in the original Cloud can have just one date and one of the two versions of the Highwind scene, the Resolution scenes are not mutually exclusive and it's perfectly possible that all of them take place during the same night.

***

OG AND REMAKE COMPARISON

Most of the situations linked to the affection points in the OG changed or were left out from the Remake. In general Remake-Cloud tends to be kind with both Aerith and Tifa and by the end of the game his relationship with Barret improves as well. 

Parallel #1

“I thought you would never come”

Over the course of the game, OG FFVII plays with the mystery of Cloud and Tifa’s childhood relationship. We’re primed to think that while they may have known each other as children, there was nothing particularly noteworthy or significant about their childhood together. The framing of the Promise is a great example of this.

The first time Cloud mentions the Promise is in Midgar, when he still thinks he’s an Ex-SOLDIER. When they recount the the story together, Ex-SOLDIER Cloud says he thought Tifa would never come.

Ex-SOLDIER Cloud: I thought you would never come, and I was getting a little cold.

We assume Cloud thinks this way because Cloud was like any other boy with an adolescent crush on a girl. Just an average boy being relatably nervous about an average girl. While the story of the Promise is cute, it’s only notable in that it seems to remind Cloud of their seemingly tenuous connection (or if the player is feeling uncharitable, it seems to force an obligation between the two).

Midway through the Lifestream, we discover why Cloud thought Tifa would never come: he thought Tifa hated him.

True Cloud: That night I called Tifa out to the well… I thought to myself Tifa would never come… that she hated me.

This twist changes how we perceive Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. In the first half of this memory, Cloud reveals that he had never been inside Tifa’s room, and we learn that the two “weren’t THAT close.” (There is also the regrettable mistranslation: where the line “I really wanted to play with everyone, but I was never allowed into the group” should have been translated to something like “I really wanted to play with everyone, but I could never bring myself to ask.”) This reveal in conjunction with the line “she hated me” makes us question the true nature of their relationship. Was Tifa a stereotypical popular girl and was Cloud an outcast? Did Cloud think he’d get stood up because Tifa, in a moment of childhood cruelty, arbitrarily considered Cloud to be beneath her?

While this is certainly a dramatic twist, it still paints a relatively mundane relationship. Sure, it might suggest that Tifa might have been unkind as a child, but this isn’t particularly unusual childhood dynamic. (Even if it is a regrettable one.)

But finally, we learn why Cloud thought Tifa hated him and why she might not have met him at the well…

True Cloud:  Tifa was in a coma for seven days. We all thought she wouldn’t make it. If only I could’ve saved her… I was so angry… Angry at myself for my weakness. Ever since then, I felt Tifa blamed me…

We learn that Cloud wasn’t afraid that Tifa hated him for an arbitrary, superficial reason. Cloud’s true fear was that Tifa would want nothing to do with him because she held him responsible for her near-fatal fall at Mt. Nibel. (And of course, we later learn that this is unequivocally false–Tifa never blamed him for this incident.)

With this final reveal, we learn how significant their childhood relationship truly was. 

On Cloud’s part, we learn how deeply he cared for Tifa–so deeply that his failure to save her makes a lasting impression on him. Cloud’s failure to save Tifa weighs so heavily on his mind that even five years later on the night of the Promise, Cloud worries that she might not show up. On top of that, this failure weighs so heavily on his mind that Cloud decides to become a SOLDIER so he can be strong enough to win her notice. Cloud’s failure to save Tifa is the reason why Cloud is the way he is–both his true self and his ex-SOLDIER persona. 

On Tifa’s part, we learn that she wasn’t a superficial girl who was arbitrarily unkind to Cloud. She herself was acting in good faith, and her lateness to the well was not out of cruelty. While they may not have been “THAT close,” Tifa still cared enough to get dressed up and go out to the well to meet Cloud. This speaks to how Tifa held Cloud in her esteem and never held ill will towards him.

And yes, this last part is confirmed:

As a small boy, he didn’t get along with others apart from Tifa. So when Tifa’s mother died and three of her friends decided to take her up the mountains where the dead were believed to go, Cloud wasn’t invited. But even so, Cloud secretly went after them wanting to cheer Tifa up. –Cloud profile AC prologue.

(Source: this excellent post) 

(Yes, poor Cloud really went through the better part of a decade thinking he lost the only person who treated him with kindness because he failed her….)

So through the context of the Promise, we slowly learn how important Tifa has always been to Cloud–and the answer is, she is really, REALLY important. But if you miss that final twist that ties in Mt. Nibel, then you miss this bigger story that the context of the Promise tells us.

What about Remake?

Interestingly, Remake removed the setup for the mystery of Cloud and Tifa’s relationship. Ex-SOLDIER Cloud remembers the Promise on his own, and doesn’t comment on Tifa’s lateness at all! The player is given no reason to doubt Tifa’s good intentions towards Cloud, and thus no reason to doubt their importance to one another as children.

In a game that nails the small callbacks, this is would be a massive oversight… meaning that it’s not an oversight, but an intentional change. This seems to be yet another example of Remake clarifying Cloud and Tifa’s relationship, be it by removing OG’s red herrings or removing the ambiguous moments that generated confusion in the first place.