"Aeris Lives"

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There have been endless rumors, and flat out lies concerning methods to revive Aeris in Final Fantasy 7. But here you will learn the only way to really do it (for the PC version anyway).

Before you go any further, I should tell/warn you that this method requires the GameHack program (or equivalent). This is not a game trick, rather a "hack." If you are still interested, please read on.

Normally I don't subscribe to the use of game cheats. They tend to take all the fun out of a game, since a lot of the thrill comes from overcoming a particularily difficult puzzle or challenge. To go and remove all the challenges robs you of the satisfaction of accomplishing a goal. What fun is it to do a crossword puzzle when you just copy the answers from the solution? But in certain cases, such means are required . . .

Make sure you have the GameHack program (I recommend registering the product to get the full version, so you can save codes for later restore, and load other peoples table codes as well). Start up the FF7 program, and then alt+tab to return to the desktop. Now start up GameHack, and and select FF7 from the list of processes. There is supposed to be a way to manually add codes, but I haven't figured it out (the documentation is lacking). So the best thing to do is simply scan for any code (I scanned for default addresses, using a value of 731). Now select one of the listed codes and click on the > (add) address button. The address should show up down below, right click on the description field to edit the code. Enter this: Address-00DB181A, Value-3, and Type-1 byte, hexadecimal. Thanks to Warren Moore (aka The Doom Guru) for this code. In fact, you can download a complete table of FF7 GameHack codes (though you must have the registered version of GameHack to load the table) from his homepage to make things easier.

10/17/98 - Thanks to Mark Oyama for giving me the following codes, which you will also need to complete the "revival." 1) Address-00DB23C6, Value-255, and Type-1 byte, hexadecimal (makes Aeris available for exchanging materia, enables her picture to show up when you enter item/weapon shops, and let her level increase again). 2) Address-00DB23C4, Value-1, and Type-1 byte, hexadecimal ("unsticks" Aeris, so you can swap her in/out with PHS). You can use a Value of 0 if you want Cloud also "unstuck."

*NOTE: The first code (00DB23C6) is actually designed to enable all characters, not just fix Aeris's "hiccups." So if you are at a point in the game where a character is not supposed to be there (other than Aeris being dead), they will suddenly show up. An alternative to using the first code is to go to Gold Saucer (Cloud must be in your party), and fight with Aeris in Battle Square; this also "resets" her status--and only affects her.

Now alt+tab back to FF7 (you may or may not hear a whooshing noise). Bring up the menu and you should see Aeris in Position 3. Any character in slot 3 should now be moved to the PHS screen. Aeris is now back to normal--almost.

There are a few things that still won't work right, simply due to the fact Aeris was not intended to be in the final release of the game after Disk 1 (though at some point it seems obvious there was going to be a way to revive her, but Square decided a deadline was more important). In some scenes, when Aeris is in your party, she simply won't show up. And you won't find her standing around anywhere on Highwind along with the others. Oddly though, she does show up in some places I wouldn't have expected, including the return visit to the Forgotten Capital with Bugenhagen. This is interesting considering she was never there as part of your party before (Disk 1--killed there, but not part of the party). It's perhaps eerie to hear them talk about the "late" Aeris while she's standing right there. Please review the Glitch Report below for additional problems you may encounter.

Square may have killed off Aeris, but that doesn't mean you have to let them get away with murder. Her death was pointless, and in fact contrary to the storyline: it was her destiny to destroy the meteor, and in my opinion her obligation/right to the Ancients' race to defeat Sephiroth (no matter what Cloud may think). And consider all the things Cloud went through and still survived: the materia poisoning; getting blasted by the life stream rupture; being biologicaly altered by Shinra scientists;--not to mention the fact Cloud, himself, was stabbed by Sephiroth, as well!

A final thought. Make sure you save your game each time you enter a GameHack code and alt+tab. On my computer I encountered frequent lockups, so unless you want to start all over . . .

Please feel free to send me your comments, or share your thoughts (as long as they're sincere). If you want to see my homepage, click here.

Glitch Report:

10/17/98: Do not fight the Weapon with Aeris when it attacks Midgar (though she can join the fight when you encounter it again hovering over the lake near Junon). Once the battle is over, Cloud and company will assemble to observe the Weapon retreating. Aeris will not show up in the scene, and the character that should be there has a dialogue (apparently not generic), resulting in the game locking up. Anyone have any ideas about overcoming this? Another GameHack code perhaps?

10/19/98: On Disk 3, if you return to Cosmo Canyon to visit Bugenhagen, remove Aeris from your active party before going to see him. There is a scene at one point where everyone sits around the fire. Here the game will lock up. I'm not sure about this one, since only Cloud and Red XIII seem to say anything (at least with the party I had selected).

10/22/98: Finally, in the Northern Crater, en route to the final battle with Sephiroth, you will encounter the rest of the party. Here you will need to split the entire party into two, and then again a ways further. At this point you will have to use the GameHack code (00DB181A) to swap Aeris back in (or just wait until you reach the bottom to put Aeris back in, without the code). Even if you use your save point here, the PHS is not available.

I have completed the game, and these are the only significant glitches I've encountered. If anyone else does find anything else that need to be address, be sure to let me know.