Minor Spoilers for the Original FF7, FF7 Remake Ahead
Ahead of the launch ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, many fans are likely curious as to how much of the originalFinal Fantasy 7story will remain intact.Final Fantasy 7 Remakealready established that the team at Square Enix was willing to play with fans of the original’s preconceptions of what they expected to happen, andFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis picking up right after the bombshell of Zack Fair still being alive as the party leaves Midgar. Interestingly, these kinds of shake-ups are at the heart of what the team is trying to accomplish with the reimagining ofFinal Fantasy 7.
In a recent conversation with Game Rant,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthdirector Naoki Hamaguchi and originalFinal Fantasy 7mastermind Yoshinori Kitase were able to discuss some of the team’s motivations behind retaining certain core aspects ofthe PS1 originalwhile also shifting the need for what fans can expect from this game and the third one.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis embracing this bold new direction to provide some surprises for players, though it’s not just for pure shock value.
How the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Team Approaches Narrative Changes
Playing throughFinal Fantasy 7 Remakewas tantamount to taking a stroll down memory lane for most fans who grew up on the originalFinal Fantasy 7. That is, until the Whispers show up and present the opportunity for the narrative to dramatically shift from what those same players might have expected. If anything,Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s willingness to toy with fan expectations showed that the rest of the trilogy essentially had all avenues open to it. That continues to hang overthe release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthas it deals with what is essentially the most important section of the original game.
When discussing these kinds of dramatic story changes with the minds behindFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Hamaguchi shed some insight into how the team goes about deciding on which aspects to retain from the original and which to change. Speaking on the potential forFinal Fantasy 7’s remake trilogyand specificallyRebirthto be the same, slightly changed, or completely different from what fans remember, Hamaguchi notes,
There are two elements that we considered. One, we wanted to consider certain elements that could not be expressed fully in the original title with the technology at that time that we are able to do now, today. We put effort into expressing this the way it was originally intended in all its detail.
Secondly, we wanted to include elements that slightly differ from the original storyline and maybe that were unique to Rebirth in the sense that they evoke a feeling of both excitement and almost like anxiety in a positive sense. I believe this makes for an appealing and attractive source of entertainment. These elements and points were something our team was very aware of and worked towards.
Given that almost 30 years have passed since the release of the originalFinal Fantasy 7, it makes sense for the team to address certain things in a modern context that were simply not possible with the technological limitations of the time. Further,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas a grand challenge ahead of it, one that faces all remakes of classic games, in continuing to surprise even the most dedicated players of the original. The presence of theWhispers in theFF7remake trilogypresents the capacity for things to be significantly different from the original, but as far as how different they end up being, players will need to wait for February 29 to find out.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
