Title: The Fifth Act
Author: Sinnatious
Rating: T
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Status: Complete
Library Category: Time Travel / Other Fandoms
Summary: Cloud has an accident with a Time materia. There are people to save, and for that, some people need to die.
Link: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5951824/1/The-Fifth-Act

FFVII time travel - Cloud has an accident which causes him to go back in time, wander around killing monsters, then join SOLDIER to keep an eye on Sephiroth.

I can't say much as to whether anyone was in character as I've never played FFVII, but I'm a sucker for a time travel fanfiction so I've read this a couple of times in the past. I was certain it was in the library but could only find mention of it in megathreads. It's been recced in Almost Recommended a few times, but I think this is worth having a thread of its own. Cloud has an appropriate power-level for an endgame protagonist, and there's plenty of OP stomping around among the lesser mortals which I enjoyed.

Hopefully someone who's into Final Fantasy will weigh in with an informed opinion, but from an outsider's point of view this was a decent read.

4/5

 

So I have reread this twice now. I still like it, it captures much of the tone of FFVII. Cloud is OP, and yet still emotionally stunted. Which while typical of this kind of wish fulfillment fic, works well here because it's Cloud, who truly sucks at the feelings and emotions part of life.
The fights are very well done, and I would put it at a highlight of this fic.
From a character perspective, it really plays more in crisis core than 7 proper, and I can't speak to that game or characterization.

 

Jesus it's been a while since I've thought of this fic. I remember enjoying it, and it was well written technically and narratively. Cloud as a character was fairly spot on, as were the supporting cast. I'd give it a 4/5, but it has been a long time since I've read it.

 

I'm in the same boat as Wise. I read it some time ago and liked it enough to archive it for my library, so even accounting for rating drift over time it should still be at least a 3/5. I might give it a quick reread in the next few days to give it a proper review.

 

I last read this a wile back, and remember liking it, especially compared to other FF7 fics.

Would give it a 4/5, but I should really reread it to be accurate.

 

It is a good and complete story. There is really only one other ff7 story that fits those criteria and it's Eir's Tomorrow, but that story is slash and unlikely to appeal to dlp's tastes as much.

The writing is technically sound but nothing amazing, and the plot is sensible with a nice conclusion. Only one part stretched my disbelief a bit (hojo taking down Cloud).

Overall it's a 4.5/5 for me, going by my fanfiction standards.

 

It's been a few years since I read that fic, but I recognized it. I've read a fair amount of FF7 time travel fics, this fic was fairly decent and memorable amongst them. I finished it, although I remember liking the early chapters a bit more, it seemed to jump the shark a bit near the end. Still, it was fairly well written and fun most of the time.

I can't quite give it a 4/5, though if you've liked similiar fics, it's definitely worth a look. It has quite a bit of the same feel as the other popular FF7 time travel fics.

 

Gave this a try and it was better than I was expecting... for most of it, however it definitely dropped in quality for me near the end. But even then the ending/last fight was nice enough that I can give it a solid 3/5.