Square Enix calmed the concern of those worried about the state of the Final Fantasy VII Remake during Sony’s State of Play earlier this month. The studio released a new trailer for the game and promised more info to come in June (possibly with a PlayStation Plus-exclusive demo, too!). This weekend, a large haul of Final Fantasy VII Remake leaks was supposedly released by someone either working within Square Enix’s El Segundo branch or with close ties to it. This part of the organization focuses mostly on localizing Square’s games for the North American region, so they don’t have a lot of large-scale pieces of information (outside of the fundamentals of the game), but the info provided in this leak is interesting nonetheless.
Please also keep in mind that these bits of information are just rumors until confirmed by Square Enix. As we head into E3, there are bound to be a lot of false rumors and leaks, so take all of this information with a large grain of salt.
Also note that there are some potential spoilers here, if you are still in the dark on Final Fantasy VII’s story.
Some Basics, According to The Final Fantasy VII Remake Leak
Immediately following the State of Play during which the trailer was shown, Square Enix reiterated the Final Fantasy VII Remake is still planned to release in “multiple parts.” According to this weekend’s “leak,” the studio plans to release the game in two parts. The first part will cover the beginning of the game up to the point where Aerith meets her fate beneath the Forgotten City. The leak says that the first part will end as Cloud lowers Aerith’s body into the water in that iconic scene that’s made too many of us cry.
Since each of these parts is meant to be complete, individual AAA games, they are detailed by the leak to be $59.99 each. Square may also have been in touch with retailers to let them know pre-orders will become available following E3. Don’t worry though. Each part will feel like a full and fleshed out game of its own, with added depth and detail that was not present in the original game.
The rumor also suggests that there are plans to release a demo of the game for PlayStation Plus members after the game is shown at E3.
The overworld map appears to be returning and is apparently going to be completely seamless. Modes of transportation such as the Tiny Bronco and Chocobos may be making a return. There could even be items littered around the overworld. Each town that you enter from the overworld was supposedly designed to feel very unique compared to the others and meant to feel lived in.
Character Updates, Weapons, and Mandatory Vincent and Yuffie
Equipped weapons may be seen on characters, however accessories will not. Looks like materia that is equipped to those weapons could be visible as well. The example given in the report mentions the Rune Blade being visible on Cloud’s back if equipped, instead of the game defaulting to the Buster Sword or having no weapon visible at all.
If you were like me and were bummed by the absence of Tifa in the trailer from earlier this month, there is some info on her design in this Reddit post. Tifa will be seen in her original Final Fantasy VII outfit (as opposed to the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children redesign), and her face will closely resemble its design from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (which can be seen below). It will be altered slightly to give her a more western appearance.
Looks like Cid will never be seen smoking, if the Final Fantasy VII Remake leak is true, but there will still be signs that he does. Perhaps we’ll see discarded cigarette cartons around his work stations or he’ll keep a lighter on his person. Cid is also said to be less abrasive towards Shera, as the developers “felt it was unnecessary.” I’m all for that change.
Yuffie and Vincent joining the party could no longer be optional. Looks like you can run into them like in the original game but you will need to have them in your team once you hit a certain part in the remake. For example, if you reach Rocket Town and have not convinced Yuffie to join your party, she will come aboard automatically.
Preorder Final Fantasy VII Remake on Amazon
The list indicates that we will see Cloud wearing a dress and a wig, likely during the section of the game that takes place in Wall Market. If this is true, I’m really looking forward to seeing mods come out that let Cloud wear this outfit all the time. The squats minigame will also make a return, so it sounds like they aren’t shying away from some of the more bizarre elements of the original game.
The player will have very little interaction with Sephiroth until Cloud’s flashback in Kalm. The One-Winged Angel will only be heard and seen in brief flashes when Cloud has breakdowns.
Changes to Combat
One of the largest departures from the original game is that the Final Fantasy VII Remake will have a real-time combat system. A lot of changes are likely to come with this, but the biggest is the switch to a system with a regular and heavy attack (which can be seen in the trailer from earlier this month). The Reddit leak indicates that a regular attack will chip away at small portions of an enemy’s health but the bulk of the damage dealt will be from heavy attacks. These heavy attacks will likely be usable after a series of regular attacks have charged them up. These heavy attacks will be different depending on what weapon is being used. Limit Breaks will also be available to deal large amounts of damage.
Using a summon is said to trigger a cutscene like in the original game, and function fairly similar as a one-time damage dealer, rather than actually fight with you on the battlefield. The remake could have one new summon, Amarok, which is described as a wolf that causes physical damage as well as casting the Darkness ailment.
Looking A Gift Chocobo In The Mouth
While this information is exciting, at the end of the day it should all be taken with a grain of salt. Until Square Enix announces details on the Final Fantasy VII Remake, we won’t know what (if any) of the information here is true. Still, it’s fun to speculate, and as such, we’d like to know what details from this list you’re excited for and what info you think could have some truth to it. Let us know below! Do you think we’ll see much of this confirmed at E3 this year?
