It's pretty enjoyable so far and I will for sure finish it but I'm having some concerns.

Namely having recently finished the section with Don Corneo I'd really rather not have to go through another section like that. I know it's cliche at this point to say something's problematic but fuck it I'll just ask:

Is there any section of the game quite as problematic as that bit?

Also second question:

I know there's an invisible affection system in the game that ends in one of the cast going on a date with Cloud. Is it possible to just not do that? Like is it optional? I'd really rather ignore that entirely.

Other then those two things it's enjoyable so far if not a bit dated and of the era. What really helps so far is how fast that plot moves along in this first four hours. Though now I realize why people might have trepidation over a remake of this game considering so far the plot is so dark already that remaking this game with modern dub voice acting seems like a one way to ticket making the final fantasy equivalent to that Shadow the Edgehog game.

I've never finished Final Fantasy VII but I have made it a decent ways in before and I can think of several things that might bother different kinds of people about the whole Don Corneo deal. What, specifically, do you mean when you describe that part of the game as "problematic"?

Yeah I'm not sure if you're expressing issue with the dated nature of the story elements or if this is like a controls issue.

There's nothing else in the game on the level of the Don Corneo part you've finished. There is an optional side quest where Corneo shows up again and he's still the same sleazeball you've seen, but things don't get as 'triggering' (?) as in the scenes you've already seen.

The date is not optional--it's part of the main quest line. The affection ratings are weighted in favor of characters who better fit the expected storyline; in fact, it almost requires a FAQ to get the date with the lowest-weighted character since you have to pretty well maximize your actions for it to happen. The date, itself, is very tame and serves as a playful interlude of light character building with nothing explicit or particularly sensitive.

The only other thing that comes to mind to mention to you, I suppose, is that there's a character whose backstory involves his abuse of a woman in his life. So I guess brace yourself for that.

Overall, I'd recommend not taking the game at face value too literally. The game paints broad concepts by means of exaggerated examples, as many old Japanese games do. The game is more appropriately interpreted like a play than a movie.

Is it specifically the cross dressing bits or is it the scene in the love hotel with the group of stereotypical gay dudes which I sort of remember being something you could avoid.

Either way I don't recall there being anything like that in the rest of the game.

As far as I remember there's nothing more quite like that again. The date thing is just a short goofy scene, but no I don't think you can skip it. If you are lucky you could get Barret anyways. :P

Thanks for the responses.

@justin258: The implied threat of sexual assault on all three characters that then awkwardly transitions into a comedy interrogation of Corneo. Also the mockery of trans people.

Why is this "problematic"? Gags are gags, unless it's outright hate speech I don't see the problem.

Laughing at this goofy stuff in FF7 won't make you a bigot.

@thephantomstranger said:

Trans people is probably what you're looking for there.

Because gags aren't just gags. They can be hurtful. Transgender people have been the butt of jokes for decades and it is actual garbage. Just because something is a joke doesn't mean it can't have an effect on a person. Especially when you are talking about people that are systemically oppressed and have higher rates of depression, suicide, and even being murdered than average.

By your logic we should ban comedy because it might offend someone. Nobody is being forced to listen to jokes they don't like!

There's topics I am not that fond of (like jokes against Chinese people) but I am free to avoid them. Still laugh sometimes mind you.

Except I didn't say that at all. You asked why a joke might be problematic. I told you why. Nobody is being forced to listen to jokes they don't like... except when they're in a piece of media they otherwise would like to consume, or when people around them make said jokes etc.

Nowhere did I say ban comedy. Just be empathetic to the people around you and think about how your words affect others. This isn't hard. We teach children this.

@nicolenomicon: I'll change it, thanks.

@wynnduffy: If I could roll my eyes at you any harder they'd be receding into my skull. As soon as anyone criticizes jokes or gags in poor taste that target a minority for punching down people like you freak the fuck out as if criticism is tantamount to criminalizing it. Your logical leaps are absurd.

Finding something offensive doesn't mean the joke is problematic though. That means you don't find it funny because it clashes with you, it's problematic if something contains hate speech. Again you're completely free to grin and bear a few jokes you don't like or stop consuming that media, that's what I have always done.

These days I see the word "problematic" thrown around haphazardly so much to the point that I am beginning to get annoyed at the mere sight of it.

I don't want to hijack this thread more and go back and forth on this so I shall just say have a nice day.

What is a person like me exactly? Someone who has been offended by jokes before but simply stopped listening to them and did something else?

Fuck me, right?

You are free to roll your eyes, please sir exercise caution! I think it's better for both of us we leave this here. Toodles.

...you buried the lede?

@dudeglove: I actually read a bit of the first one when I opened the ff7 subforum to post this. Didn't read too far ahead because I'm still pretty early but I'll go back to them once I've finished the game.

Dont worry about it brah

Dude, it's a video game rated T for teen, I think you will be fine. I don't think it will shatter your psyche to come across two minutes of dialog in a 50 hour game that briefly makes you pause and think "well that's kind of fucked up".

Is 'problematic' code for something? Are we going to start talking about the 'undesirables' in society?

Really do not get why people act like this part is so awful in the least. It's goofy, that's it. And no you don't crossdress through the rest of the game if that is the worry.

I had no problem with the cross dressing scene except for it just not being that fun. In terms of the creepy parts, the Don is a creepy guy so it fits.

Sly 4 was developed in San Francisco if anyone was curious.

Ask yourself how offended you want to be.

That is how offensive FF7 is.

We've had multiple threads on the cross-dressing section of FFVII and this one has taken the same trajectory as all of the others. Feel free to read those if you want all of the hot takes.