Cloud- the 21-year old poster boy for everything cool. He carries a big sword *hint hint* and is a hero. Who doesn't want to be one? In the 1st jump to 3D, FF7 became I think the best-selling RPG of all-time and the crown jewel of Sony aficionados. He represented a genre (JRPG) at its near peak.
However, he also had his own demons to deal, even being sidelined for a part of the game. That vulnerability and "crumble" from pressure is something we can all relate to at one point in our lives. Luckily for Cloud, he is united for a common purpose with his friends and has some type of path set for him, somewhere to go, a goal. At 21 years old, most men (in college or some trade school, etc) are not only at their physical peak and entry into MANhood, but at the possibly the largest crossroad in life, the REAL WORLD. Once again, most males could relate.
Link- Link from OOT/MM (my personal favorites) covers a wider area of age, ranging from possibly 11 to Cloud's 21. He has been a staple of Nintendo for 23 years, so there is not much thought in figuring out why gamers love him so much.
However Link is a different breed from Cloud. He is silent (almost mute really) but is very headstrong in what he does. Unlike Cloud, Link is alone. He has no parents, no relatives. Whenever you play Zelda, he has no Hylians like him or humans for that matter accompanying him at any times. He is probably withdrawn like Cloud but never reveals it, suffering in silence. Zelda is a one-player game, so the experience is also reflected upon the player, who is most likely playing the game alone and discovering the world along with Link.
Notice how people always ask Link to do something, or is told to do something. Not once have I ever seen him embark upon an adventure just for the hell of it. Once again he needs a goal, something we all need, some direction. Ocarina of Time was arguably the greatest game ever because it combined all these different locales and weapons and subquests and an excellent ending with a strong story.
As for strength, we can surely find ways to counter each others examples with several features from both series, so we will never find a true answer.
I'd go deeper into this but my concentration was broken, and I can't remember anything else.
Leatherhat on July 6th, 2012 3pm. Vita sales:"3 mil for COD 2 mil for AC. Maybe more. " thehusbo on July 6th, 2012 5pm. Vita sales:"5 mil for COD 2.2 mil for AC."
