Key Insights from the Final Fantasy VII Revelation Showcase
Final Fantasy VII Revelation wrapped up this morning’s showcase, and while the April 8 release date is the headline news, we also got an in-depth look at how this final installment in Square Enix’s Remake trilogy will enhance exploration, offer greater control over gameplay, and allow for story shifts based on your party choices. If you missed the nearly 10-minute deep dive, here’s a breakdown of the key takeaways.
Revelation promises to deliver the most freedom in traversing the world of Final Fantasy VII within the Remake trilogy, primarily thanks to the Highwind airship. The gameplay preview kicks off with a player soaring through the open world and landing in various locations, reminiscent of Fortnite’s drop mechanics. It truly embodies the essence of an open-world RPG, though opinions on whether that’s exciting or overwhelming may vary.
Once you touch down, your Chocobo companion, Pico, serves as both a mount and a playable character. You can ride into battle or dismount to engage enemies on foot.
A new feature in Revelation is the FITS system, which introduces four outfits that modify each character’s abilities. The options include Warrior, Knight, Black Mage, and Summoner, each providing unique outfits and skills alongside their standard abilities. The trailer showcased two of these classes, revealing that Summoners can interact with summonable entities, while Knights focus on defense.
The airship not only facilitates travel but also serves as a hub where you can check in with your crew, evolving as the story progresses. This could mean characters join or leave the ship throughout the game, or that new functionalities become available as the narrative unfolds, though specifics were sparse.
Revelation embraces the “Everyone Is Here” concept, allowing players to control the full party (minus Aerith, of course). Aside from major story moments, you can switch between characters freely, customizing your party to suit your playstyle. The gameplay shows characters being swapped on the fly, so if you have a favorite, you can spend much of the game playing as them.
In one scene, Yuffie is seen exploring Wutai’s capital and using the game’s camera feature to snap adorable pictures of the local cats. It’ll be interesting to see if we can take selfies with bosses, Kingdom Hearts III style.
It’s great to see Square Enix focusing on traversal mechanics in Revelation, especially given the expansive open world. Yuffie utilizes a grappling hook to navigate the capital quickly, showcasing a dynamic movement system.
Fast travel will be available to revisit locations you’ve already explored, and one new area players can look forward to is Cid’s hometown, Rocket Town. While not shown in the trailer, it has been confirmed as a new location to explore.
Characters from across the Final Fantasy VII compilation will make appearances in Revelation, though it’s unclear if this includes figures from various games and media or just those from the earlier Remake titles. Cissnei, who appeared in Rebirth, is mentioned, leaving fans curious about potential deeper cuts for those familiar with the broader Final Fantasy VII lore.
For those replaying the game or wanting to speed through cutscenes, Revelation will offer an option to play them at faster speeds, similar to adjusting playback on a video platform. However, the example provided sounds quite chaotic, so proceed with caution.
Since you can choose your character for much of Revelation, some side quests will vary based on who’s leading your team. This will affect both story and gameplay elements. For instance, players can decide to lead a mission as Cid or Vincent, allowing for different approaches to challenges.
Rebirth’s standout mini-game, the card game Queen’s Blood, is returning in Revelation, with Red XIII taking center stage in this substory, facing new enemies that will significantly alter the gameplay experience.
Revelation is set to launch in April, and it has also been revealed that there will be at least two story expansions post-launch. One will delve into Sephiroth’s narrative, while the other will explore Vincent’s connections with the Turks prior to the events of Final Fantasy VII.
