Also, gotta say, as much as I appreciate Barret& #39;s staunch ideals, I DID appreciate Cloud straight-up calling him on the fact that yes, Mako energy HAS made many ordinary people& #39;s lives better - Barret really needs to have an "and now what"

#FinalFantasyVIIRemake

(very minor background/narrative spoilers from this point on, mute this thread if you want to avoid them!)

The explicit acknowledgment that (is believed to have) Ancient civilization *ran off Mako*, and it is by tying in Gaian eschatologic beliefs abt their vanished utopian magic-powered society that Shinra& #39;s attracts rank-and-file believers, is a MAJOR worldbuilding hole plugged.

It in particular helps with Reeve, who I believe is canonically one of the pioneers of Mako reactors(?) and is genuinely dedicated to helping people.

And seeing as in the Compilation era Gaia didn& #39;t embrace pastoral anprimitivism, Barret clearly doesn& #39;t hate all *technology*...