I've played Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles for over 75 hours. Reviewed prior to release (for separate publication). I like it very much except for the Lions War content. And I got so much of the game's fresh new combat dialogue that sheds great light on tough characters like Agrias Oaks, Mustadio Bunansa, and Meliadoul Tengille.
And yet, I completely missed out on some of Cloud's most influential chats. Imagine how completely blindsided I felt when, a few hours ago, I realized what fans had been talking about in a flash since we first got a glimpse of Mr. Stripe's bonhomie with a certain main antagonist. imagine me impactAs we quickly realize that a 28-year mystery has been solved, the reason why Cloud appeared in Ivalice is finally revealed.
Suffice it to say there are a lot of spoilers. Not only is it about Cloud, but the identity of FFT's main antagonist and the whereabouts of the two conflict with its characters.
It wasn't Lifestream after all
Cloud's conversation takes place with the evil Folmarv Tengille during Ramza's two climactic clashes with the leader of the Knights Templar. When we see Folmarv transform into Hashmal in Final Fantasy Tactics' second fight, this means that the pointy-haired mercenary's first conversation is with the man. His second is With the Devil.
Sparking all those new conversations, not just in the cloud but in everyone, can be a bit tricky. I myself didn't bring Cloud for Folmarv, but I did for Hashmal. However, Hashmal's dialogue confirms that they are still bickering from before, so I have never seen the two meet.
still, wow. They went and did it. They finally explained the existence of the cloud. He's not the real deal. He is a copy. In reality, zodiac stones work in mysterious ways.
“Just as a narrative clones a book, you were cloned from a soul belonging to another reality. But strangely enough, I sense the presence of two people within you. A strange mixture…” -Folmarv
The second part is as follows:
Cloud will never escape the criticism of being a puppet, right? I like how he doesn't take it from Hashmal at all. It's really cool how he keeps talking like he's from another universe and the chef's kiss has Hashmal just… rolling.
“I'm not a puppet. I have a will of my own, and I'm going to kick some ass to prove it!” -cloud
“Okay then, Cloud. Let's see what you can do!” -Hashmal
This is probably a coincidence, but Cloud Strife is canonically a Leo. Hashmal's auracite is that of Leo. Needless to say, Ramza and Meliadoul have more pressing and deep-rooted reasons for viewing Folmarv as a rival figure. But it's still cool that the man Cloud shares his horoscope with matches his star sign.
Ivalice Chronicles also slightly changed the ending of the original Final Fantasy Tactics. There are spoilers for the ending.
