I love Final Fantasy, and while Final Fantasy IX is my personal favorite, Final Fantasy VII is a close second. With Remake having been released and FF7 Rebirth being the next entry in the FFVII remake trilogy, Summer Game Fest 2023 showcased new gameplay in a brand new trailer. Despite only being three-and-a-half minutes long, there was a lot of information to absorb.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth World Premiere Trailer
Everything we saw in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth World Premiere Trailer
The first thing to know is that Final Fantasy 7 Remake has already changed things up from the original, so I expect something similar to happen here. That said, here is what I spotted during the FF7 Rebirth trailer.
New Timeline
The most obvious thing that stood out was the intro clip, showing a devastated Midgar and injured, or possibly dead, members of Avalanche. However, moments later, we see the group exit Midgar like in the original game. This seems to set up two possible timelines, and one that I believe is plausible involves none other than Zack Fair.
Zack Fair initially died in the events of Crisis Core, which directly led up to Final Fantasy 7. However, Remake gave a glimpse of Zack surviving the Shinra army. One theory suggests that in the timeline where Zack lives, we see Barret, Tifa, and Red XIII being loaded into Shinra ambulances. This is likely because Cloud never meets the group, and they ultimately fail.
This is not confirmed and is mere speculation, but it would certainly be interesting. That footage could be fake Shinra media trying to paint Avalanche as a terrorist organization. It could really be anything, but it raises so many questions, especially with the mention of a tornado.
How far does FF7 Rebirth go?
We don't have exact clarifications on this, but scenes from Cosmos Canyon were the most apparent, which could be where the game goes. However, some scenes looked like the Northern Crater, while others may have been the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. Other locations looked like Junon, Mythril Cave, and Chocobo Farm. I also spotted what may be Jenova Birth or a new form for Jenova. Unfortunately, we don't know precisely when Rebirth will end, but it promises to be a wild ride.
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Is Tifa dead?
Sephiroth seems to imply that he killed Tifa in Nibelheim all those years ago, which fans of the original know is a load of crap. But with Square Enix changing things up, it is entirely possible that Tifa was killed that day. Or, and I hope it's this one, Sephiroth is just messing with Cloud's head.
Sadly, with Cloud being in the state he is in, he may believe that Sephiroth killed Tifa and that his companion is an imposter. Many events in FF7 are not as they seem, and with the Remake changing things, Rebirth could do the same in a big way.
What role will Zack play?
No one knows, and Zack was not seen in this trailer. However, some theories suggest that Aeris will be saved, as either Cloud or Zack sacrifice themselves to save her. This could lead to Zack replacing Cloud as the protagonist, and some fans are theorizing that Zack and/or Aeris sacrifice themselves to reset the timeline to what players know from the original game.
Another interesting aspect is what appears to be Cloud as a number, stating the familiar line of "reunion" and wearing black robes. This scene alone left me with so many questions, and I am dying to know more. There's also a mysterious voice at the 1:15-minute mark talking about Hojo and Sephiroth that caught my attention.
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New Gameplay
Loads of new gameplay snippets were revealed that make the action in Rebirth look better than ever. Yuffie is a player character and may even be encountered earlier than in the original. We also see team attacks and a Vengeance Mode with Red XIII (now playable) that open up many new options. New abilities, such as Aerith's Ward Shift and Yuffie's throw/retrieve, will add further combos. I expect we'll see loads of upgrades from FF7 Remake as we get closer to release.
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Justin has been diving into fantasy worlds since he can remember. He is a certified nerd who has a deep love of reading, writing, and hiking. He has been writing since his college days, but specifically in gaming for two years. His favorite games are The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Hollow Knight, Celeste, and Banjo Kazooie.