The scene opens with Cloud waking inside of Shinra Manor. Sephiroth has been researching Shinra’s history, their experiments, but also the history of the world. The music in the background is a repetitive pulsing, almost like a heart, punctuated by a single strong chord. It’s creepy and throbbing, building up to something. When Cloud does confront Sephiroth, he discovers that the knowledge of what Shinra has done has turned him into an emotionless monster.

Cloud is beneath Sephiroth’s interest or concern, but so is all of humanity. Humans are descended from a tribe of ancient people who were weak and selfish. Sephiroth, on the other hand, was created from the perfect being – Jenova. The music for this scene has to represent Sephiroth’s mentality, his evolution into madness and a sense of superiority. But this is also a flashback, and the music must foretell the terrifying, ominous meaning behind Sephiroth’s discovery. He pauses as he is leaving and delivers one final line, “Out of my way. I’m going to see my mother.”

And the music drops at the exact moment this line is delivered, carrying with it all the ominous and terrible meaning.

That song was “Those Chosen by the Planet” by Nobou Uematsu, and the execution, presentation, and buildup of the song are exactly why music is so important to Final Fantasy 7. Even the name of the song implies Sephiroth’s belief’s – that he was chosen for a purpose. The song carries with it Sephiroth’s terrible goal – to kill all life and start anew – and the music is timed perfectly with the revelation that he is going to see his ‘mother’, a monstrous creature that he now sees as his family.

It is not an understatement to say that Nobuo Uematsu’s soundtrack to FF7 is as iconic as the game. While his previous score for Final Fantasy 6 was masterful, it also sounded like a soundtrack for an older generation. FF7 was the benchmark for quality on the PlayStation. Graphics were better, stories were better, and music was taken to the next level. Every moment of the game is punctuated perfectly with the beats, melodies, and sound of the songs, which is why it is so important that Nobou Uematsu has returned to work on the FF7 Remake.

Take for instance Aeris’ (Aerith’s) death scene. The most important moment comes at 1:10, but the full video is an example of how to masterfully blend music and feeling into a game.

The music stops as Cloud approaches Aeris. And there is only silence as the two meet after being separated. This moment is interrupted only by the quiet and deadly appearance of Sephiroth. He impales Aeris, and as he removes his sword, her hair bead falls to the ground. At the moment it strikes the ground, sending out a chime, “Aeris’ Theme” plays, the notes of the piano falling almost in time with the bead as it bounces down the steps.

This is Sephiroth’s moment of triumph, but the song continues playing as Cloud tells him, “The cycle of nature and your stupid plan don’t mean a thing.” Instead, Cloud’s only concern is that Aeris is gone. The tragic melody continues playing, and we are encouraged to grieve, not to care about Sephiroth or his plans or his ranting. Even as the boss battle begins, the music does not switch to the typical Jenova boss music. This is because we aren’t supposed to feel pumped up or scared or excited. We are supposed to survive and fight through the grief but to feel it still.

Perhaps the most impressive song of the entire game is Sephiroth’s “One-Winged Angel Theme”. The song is not only the first Uematsu work to feature live vocals, but it is also the first orchestral piece he ever worked on. It also fits beautifully with the final villain.

Sephiroth represents the “sephirot”, a word originating from Judaism and representing the forces that angels oversee. Sephiroth’s final form, Safer Sephiroth, supports this theme, with Sephiroth appearing with one great black wing and six wings as legs, which also fits some descriptions for angels. All of this is to say that Uematsu’s decision to bring in a full chorus singing an orchestral song in Latin created the amount of gravitas and importance that Sephiroth – as the ultimate heavenly creature – needed.

We can also hear a slashing progression in the beginning that is reminiscent of Hitchcock’s Psycho. This is because Uematsu took direct inspiration from that Hitchcock to create the prefect blend of elements for this piece. Sephiroth is not a divine creature (though he likes to think he is). He is twisted joke on the divine, and his appearance and music support that. His theme song is a mix of orchestral and rock, divine and horror.

This is what music can do to a game, and more importantly, it’s what Uematsu brought to FF7. None of the moments of the series would be as iconic without him. The Turk’s jazzy theme, Red XIII’s reverential theme, or even Aeris’ tragic death – all of it was made possible by the music of one composer.

There are plenty of things to worry about in a remake of Final Fantasy 7, but with Uematsu returning, music is not one of them. For fans, the decision to switch from a party system to the more active combat of FFXV is a huge concern, one that very well might ruin the game. Similarly, the chocobo racing, the motorcycle mini-game, and many other elements are what made the game iconic. It’s possible we won’t see the release of the remake until 2023, so we will have plenty of time to pick apart all the things we hope are on it. In the meantime, there’s no reason not to go back and enjoy the original. Pay special mind to when the musical queues appear and also how they fit to each scene and you’ll see how essential Uematsu is to the game, and by association, the Remake.