I played this right around when I hit my teens, and as such I remember being confused especially by Shinra and its multitude of characters. But the main characters, their interpersonal dynamics, and most importantly the incredible soundtrack enveloping it all, rearranged my brain many times over. I had played the DS remakes of FFIII and FFIV before this, but they didn't prepare me for how deep this game would go.

Regrettably, it did lose me at some point after Cid's rocket took off. I was running around blindly throughout my playthrough, half the time not knowing where to go, which made progressing a drag (though it did feel amazing when I finally found out where to go). I looked up a guide toward the end, which could also factor in to my abandonment of what had been an unforgettable experience thus far. Something about seeing all the content you missed...

More than any of that though, I was trying to come to terms with Aerith's death, which I can only guess is what made me ultimately cave in. Seeing her again in KH1 made me a happy, yet remorseful boy. I aimed to pick it up again for the longest time, but at this point I think I'll just stick with the remake trilogy.

Something about the old soundtrack, though, isn't there? The remakes can't capture the magic of that music. I find that the best soundtracks in the remakes are the original compositions, not the new renditions of the old tracks. Clutter vs. simplicity.