| SaviorX said: 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 He is probably withdrawn like Cloud but never reveals it, suffering in silence.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. |
I agree with what you said
FFVII is heavily focused on the characters, a lot more than any othe RPG before it. Of course there were background stories as why characters were they way they were, but it was not enough to get deeply involved with them. When this game arrived, it changed dramatically the developmen t of the RPG story. because all of them (Could, Tifa, Barret, Nanaki a.k.a. Red XIII, Cid, Aeris, etc.) has a background and were opening themselves to the players little by little. Cloud stood out the most as the player could feel the pain, understand what he's been through and all. This is why he is loved among women and men (like Ricky Martin :P).
Links is so much different, as WoW said, he is not a defined character as cloud. But has two things that makes him admirable: the courage to face all difficulties and the determination to keep going no matter what. Thes two qualities pay off as the player advances into the game. Similar to real life that while the difficulties are there, one must never give up and keep going doing all their best. This is why of ther easons why Legend of zelda has no experience points (besides Zelda II). Because it gives a sense to the player that they have become stronger not by becoming a monster slaughter but by facing obstacle after obstacle while moving forward.
