Nexus Heroes / Cloud

Cloud (クラウド , Cloud ) is a playable character in Nexus Heroes, hailing from the Final Fantasy series. His design is based exclusively on the Final Fantasy VII Remake, a 2020 retelling of the original 1997 videogame Final Fantasy VII.
==Who is Cloud?==
===THE MERCENARY===
Having decided to join the military division of the Shinra Electric Company in hope of becoming a great SOLDIER just like the legendary Sephiroth, Cloud Strife's years spent on the field of battle had shaped him into a cold but deadly fighter, who then put his expertise and skills at the service of the highest bidder. However, once demons from his past and old friends returned into his life, Cloud would embark on a long journey to save the planet and make peace with his troubled mind.
==Gameplay==
===Overview===
Wielding a sword as big as his own body, Cloud is built to space out foes with the wide and long reaching attacks of his blade. Because of the size of the Buster Sword he uses, Cloud has some of the Normal Attacks with the best reach across the entire cast, with their speed being remarkable when compared to other attacks with similar reach. But that's not all, as Cloud has a unique mechanic called Limit : below his Damage Display Icon, Cloud has a "Limit Bar" which can be filled up by taking or inflicting damage, or otherwise on itself over time, although slowly. Once full, Cloud gains access to two particularly strong techniques, Cross Slash and Ascension. Ascension in particular comes in handy to aid Cloud in recovering, as his Up Special, Braver, has a below average vertical reach, as well as poor horizontal control, making it a notoriously bad recovery. Therefore, players should always consider the possibility of conserving his Limit Attack for a safer recovery attempt, rather than a powerful finishing blow with Cross Slash. Management of this Limit Bar and effective spacing are essential when playing as Cloud. 
* LIMIT : Below Cloud's Damage Display Icon, a "Limit Bar" will fill up as he either takes or inflicts damage, or, alternatively, it will do so on its own over time, although this takes much longer. Once full, Cloud has immediate access to two especially powerful attacks ; Cross Slash and Ascension. Cross Slash is performed by pressing the Neutral Special Button on the ground, and it consists of a rapid series of slashes which spells out the 凶 kanji. This attack deals great damage to anyone caught in the slashes, and above certain percentages, it's a guaranteed KO. Ascension, on the other hand, deals less damage, and it consists of a rising slash which drags Cloud up into the air. It is performed by pressing the Neutral Special button when in the air, and while it's not as powerful as Cross Slash, it helps Cloud's otherwise lackluster recovery. Once either Attack is used, the Limit bar will be consumed, and it has to be charged over again.
*MAGIC : Cloud's Strong Attacks are pretty unique, as they are divided into three levels of power, depending on how long they are charged for, and some of these can become very different moves when fully charged. His Forward Strong, for example, is initially the Spell "Fire", which turns into "Fira" and finally "Firaga", with this one being much stronger than the previous versions.
*Cloud is able to wall-jump.
  	Name  	Description
Neutral Attack
,	Buster Slash/ Double Cut 	Two rapid slashes with the Buster Sword, with decent power, speed and excellent reach.
Dash Attack
Dash,	Deadly Strike 	Rolls and performs a quick outward low slash while crouching.
Side Tilt 	Buster End 	An outward slash with the Buster Sword.
Up Tilt 	Storm Strike 	Swings the Buster Sword in an arch above himself.
Down Tilt 	Merc Kick 	A quick, low kick, dealt while crouching. Faster than the rest of his Normals, but lackluster in range as a result of it not employing the use of his sword.
Forward Strong
+	Fire / Fira / Firaga 	If released immediately, Cloud's Forward Strong is Fire, a short ranged burst of flames which only deal little damage to opponents. If charged a bit longer, the spell becomes Fira, a small fire projectile which travels a medium distance and produces Fire's same burst upon contact with an opponent. If fully charged, the spell becomes Firaga, a fast traveling projectile which goes a long distance and produces a powerful fire explosion upon contact with a foe, which causes FIRE* damage. The name of the spell will appear over Cloud's head (with a graphic reminiscent of the one that appears over enemies' heads when they perform an attack in Final Fanatsy VII Remake), indicating the state of the charge.
Up Strong+ 	Blizzard / Blizzara / Blizzaga	If released immediately, Cloud's Up Strong is the spell Blizzard, which has him create a small ice shard over his head, which then explodes, dealing damage to foes above Cloud. If charged a bit longer, it'll become Blizzara, which produces an even bigger ice shard with a more powerful explosion. If fully charged, the spell becomes Blizzaga, which has the same size as Blizzara, but the explosion of the ice shard has a bigger range and it'll FREEZE* opponents in place if it connects. The name of the spell will appear over Cloud's head (with a graphic reminiscent of the one that appears over enemies' heads when they perform an attack in Final Fanatsy VII Remake), indicating the state of the charge.
Down Strong
+ 	Thunder / Thundara / Thundaga 	If released immediately, Cloud unleashes the Thunder spell, which causes two small lightnings to hit at both of his sides. If charged a bit longer, the spell becomes Thundara, which causes the lightnings to grow in size and linger a bit more before disappearing, increasing the chance to hit opponents. If fully charged, Cloud unleashes Thundaga, which produces a single lightning, but big enough to cover both of his sides and part of the area around himself, as well as lasting long and dealing continuous ELECTRIC* damage to anyone hit by it. The name of the spell will appear over Cloud's head (with a graphic reminiscent of the one that appears over enemies' heads when they perform an attack in Final Fanatsy VII Remake), indicating the state of the charge.
Neutral Aerial
Airborne	Cutting Wheel 	Swings the Buster Sword in a circular motion, hitting opponents all around himself.
Forward Aerial
Airborne
 ,	Meteor Strikes 	Swings the Buster Sword from high to low in front of himself. It can chain into a second hit, if pressed again.
Back Aerial
Airborne	Strike of Thunder 	Turns around and performs an outward slash.
Up Aerial
Airborne	Crescent Moon Slash 	Similarly to his Up Tilt, Cloud swings the Buster Sword in an arch above himself. It has a bit of start lag, but it has great power and KO potential.
Down Aerial
Airborne	Promised Land 	Performs a wide slash below himself, slamming airborne opponents into the ground.
Grab 	Grab 	Grabs the opponent with one hand.
Pummel
, 	Knee Combo 	Hits the opponent with a knee strike.
Forward Throw
,	Double Kick Combo 	Hits the opponent with a side kick, then sends them flying off with a powerful front kick.
Back Throw
, 	Back Assault 	Slashes the opponent with the Buster Sword, ending up behind them, then kicks them away.
Up Throw
, 	Cutting Somersault 	Lifts up the opponent with one hand, the performs an upward arching slash with the Buster Sword which sends them upward.
Down Throw
, 	Air Strike 	Leaps upward into the air, then comes slashing back down while spinning vertically with the Buster Sword, hitting the opponent with a powerful hit.
Floor Attack
Grounded >	Double Hit 	Kicks in front of himself and slashes with the Buster Sword behind, covering both sides as he gets up.
Edge Attack
Ledge >	Clean Slice 	A single, powerful vertical slash of his sword, dealt as he climbs back up.
NEUTRAL SPECIAL	Blade Burst 	Performs a slash which sends out a damaging wave of Mako Energy along the floor, hitting opponents at a distance. In the air, this move creates a floating wave of energy, making it act as a projectile. The Burst can cancel incoming projectiles.
SIDE SPECIAL 	Focused Thrust 	Lunges forward with the Buster Sword pointed straight, hitting multiple times while dashing. It's an useful tool for horizontal recovery, but it'll leave Cloud HELPLESS* right after the attack ends.
UP SPECIAL 	Braver 	Rises up into the air, then lands back down with a powerful strike of the Buster Sword, which leaves behind a blue trail of energy. It has good power, but its vertical height is lackluster and it has poor horizontal momentum, especially when used in the air.
DOWN SPECIAL 	Counterstance 	Strikes a pose for a few moments, and if he is hit during this time, Cloud will retaliate immediately with a wide slash of the Buster Sword in a radius, hitting enemies at both sides. This move also nullifies projectiles.
LIMIT ATTACK
With LIMIT,	Cross Slash 	Cuts the air multiple times, creating the kanji 凶 in thin air with each slash, dealing great damage to anyone trapped in the wide area of the move. The final cut will launch opponents away. The attack can only be performed once Cloud's Limit Bar is full, and it's executed by pressing the Neutral Special Button when on the ground.
AERIAL LIMIT ATTACK
With LIMIT in the air,	Ascension 	Rises into the air with the Buster Sword, badly damaging anyone he meets in his path. Not as powerful as Cross Slash, but very useful to recover safely. The attack can only be performed once Cloud's Limit Bar is full, and it's executed by pressing the Neutral Special Button when in the air.
FINISHER 	Bahamut 	Lunges forward while performing Triple Slash. After hitting one or more opponents, Cloud will use the Summon Materia of Bahamut, invoking the dragon beast to his aid. Bahamut will then fire a massive ball of energy on the opponents, creating a huge explosion and causing severe damage to them, ending the Finisher.
===Intro Animation===
Hops in from the side of the stage with a backflip in a crouched position, then looks up and gets ready to fight. Reminiscent of his entrance in Final Fantasy VII Remake. 
===Taunt===
Stands upright and shrugs while lightly shaking his head and saying "Not my problem.." 
===Idle Poses=== 
*Puts the Buster Sword on his back and crosses his arms, while closing his eyes. This idle animation lasts until Cloud performs any other action or gets hit.
*Places a hand on his waist, while lowering the Buster Sword.
===Quotes===
====Selection Lines====
*" My turn. "
*" Leave it to me. "
*" I'll take care of it. "
====Successful KO====
*" Hm, nothing to it. "
*" Is that it ... ? "
*" That was quick .. "
*" No problem. "
*" Piss off. "
*" Want more? "
*" You don't mess with a SOLDIER. "
*" Easy money. "
*" Waste of time ... "
====Respawning====
*" What the hell was that .. ? "
*" Now you've pissed me off. "
*" Don't know what happened there ... "
*" Didn't mean to drag this ... "
*" Whatever. "
*" Damn it ... "
*" Still at it. "
*" Not giving up! "
*" That .. was pretty good. "
===Victory Poses=== 
*UP : Twirls the Buster Sword and puts it on his back while saying "Is that it?" or "Nothing to it."
*SIDE : Slashes the air three times, ending with a fierce pose towards the camera.
*DOWN : Does a small fist pump, then rests a hand on his side and looks up while saying "The job's done."
==Arcade Mode==
Cloud's Arcade Route follows a path in which he faces adversaries reminiscent of certain enemies in Final Fantasy VII Remake. In his first encounter, Cloud faces two Master Chiefs and Wolverine, who are meant to represent two Shinra Security Officers (the Master Chiefs are seen in his Blue and Red colors, referencing the different tiers of Shinra Soldiers in Final Fantasy VII), and a Shock Trooper (as both them and Wolverine have metal claws). Cloud can then move on to Round 2, where he'll face Sakai on West Mansion. This references the haunted train station level in Final Fantasy VII Remake, in which Cloud, Aerith and Tifa have to fight off ghosts. Sakai, aptly known as 'The Ghost', fills that role, and the spooky West Mansion further references the level. 
After a Bonus Stage, Cloud fights Gordon and Ash. Both Gordon Freeman and Ashleigh Reid are brilliant scientists, and the battle takes place on Aperture Laboratories, so this battle possibly references hostile Shinra scientists like Professor Hojo. After that, Cloud is faced with three other "soldiers" : Snake, 2B and Marco.
Passed the second Bonus Stage, Cloud nears the conclusion of his Route, but he still needs to face Jin Kazama. This battle references Rufus Shinra, who, just like Jin, is the son of the boss of a big corporation within their series, and both of them take over the company at some point. The battle is fough on Syndicate Stronghold, which represents the Shinra Headquarter. Before he can fight Kerrigan, however, Cloud faces his Rival : Nightmare. The battle is titled "Blades of Delusion", as a reference to the fact that both characters, as well as using large swords, had their own minds twisted at some point in their lives as they were unable to accept reality, and decided to create a faux one in their head : Cloud was unable to cope with the fact that he could never actually join the SOLDIER program, and thus projected his persona into that of his best friend Zack Fair, who actually joined SOLDIER. Nightmare, on the other hand, could not accept that he was the one to accidentally murder his own father, and after claiming Soul Edge, assumed the identity of Nightmare, the azure knight who would seek vengeance against his father's murderers, refusing to accept that it was him.
Round 	Opponent 	Stage 	Music 	
1 	Master Chief
 Master Chief
 Wolverine	Mako Reactor 	Let The Battles Begin! -
A Merc's Job	
2 	Sakai 	West Mansion 	Poltergeist 	
Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1 	Bonus Stage 1
3 	Gordon
 Ash 	Aperture Laboratories	You Will Be Perfect 	
4 	2B
Marco
Snake	Mission 1 	Steel Beast 	
Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2 	Bonus Stage 2
5 	Jin Kazama 	Syndicate Stronghold 	Mr. Y 	
6 	Nightmare
(Rival Battle)	Astral Chaos 	Light & Darkness (Soul Mix)	
7 	Kerrigan 	Kerrigan's Leviathan 	Conscience 	
==Alternates==
===Alternate Colors===
*BLACK : Default appearance, based on his design in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
*BLUE : Based on the outfit of 3rd Class SOLDIER Units.
*RED : Based on the outfit of 2nd Class SOLDIER Units.
*PURPLE : Based on the appearance of his outfit in the original Final Fantasy VII, though the purple is more vivid.
===Alternate Costume===
File:PN CLOUD RENDER.png|"Default" Costume
File:PN CLOUD ALT.png|"Shinra Uniform" Costume
*Default : Based on Cloud's appearance in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
*Shinra Uniform : Based on the uniform Cloud wore during his time as a member of Shinra.
==Trivia==
*Cloud is the only character in Nexus Heroes to hail from a JRPG.
*He is the only character to hail from a series which had its first chapter release on a Nintendo console, the SNES, although Cloud first appeared on the Playstation.
*According to game designer AlwaysDREGOL, the choice to have his moveset be based on the Final Fantasy VII Remake rather than the original was to avoid having the character feeling too similar to his appearance in the Super Smash Bros. Series.
Category:Project Nexus
Category:Project Nexus / Movesets
Category:Movesets