7 Ways Your Favourite Video Games Are TOTALLY Different Overseas

1. Sephiroth Was Controlled By Jenova, And Didn't Stab Aerith - Final Fantasy VII

Yeah... turns out the original Japanese text for Final Fantasy VII wrote Sephiroth in a completely different way, and it was down to a threadbare localisation team that a TON of FF7's descriptions and lore barely makes any sense.

Even Sephiroth has a markedly different role, with markedly different motivations. See, thanks to Redditor Ryias shedding light on the reality of the translation, they detail how Jenova was the real big bad; a parasite infecting and controlling Sephiroth, rather than unhinged, obsessed killer.

This is why Sephiroth finally sprouts additional limbs and a more alien form in the final battle, and how after defeating this form, you then face off with the remaining "human" version within. It was all about removing the Jenova parasite from the real Sephiroth, but this final version is the one who merges with Jenova after Cloud throws the pair of them into the Lifestream at Nibelheim.

The Sephiroth that does all the stuff we remember him for? The death of Aerith? That's all Jenova - an imposter trying to unite the various parts of itself at the Northern Crater. This massive, ludicrously seismic plot twist IS in the Western game, but you'd barely take it on board, because it's resigned to two sentences, and Cloud saying "I'll explain later", only to never do so.

Back to Aerith, and the humble flower girl didn't die to Sephiroth, but Jenova - an alien wiping out the one Ancient who could weaponise Holy materia to bring it down.

Ryias describes how at the game's end Sephiroth's persona is "at the forefront", but it's "Jenova's instinct and will [that] lives on through him, driving him to destroy". We get a taste of this when the game takes all control away from you before Aerith's death, only leaving the commands to try and strike her down as Cloud. In the original Japanese script, all of this is spelt out way more.

As Jenova cells are injected into prospective soldiers, only to be regulated by Mako, Cloud's body never took to the treatment - hence the headaches and blackouts - but Jenova keeps trying to control him regardless, whilst also guiding "fake Sephiroth" north.

Knowing Jenova's true role as the main overarching villain; stringing both Sephiroth and Cloud along, makes for a far more satisfying ending in every respect when Aerith uses the power of the Lifestream to repel Meteor, and Cloud defeats both Jenova AND Sephiroth to protect the planet.

All of this is all but left out the western release.