Platform:
PlayStation 5
Publisher:
Square Enix
Developer:
Square Enix
Release:
Rating:
Teen
Final Fantasy VII is full of iconic scenes. Whether you’re talking about the well-known sequences already depicted in Remake or the upcoming gut-punch at the Forgotten Capital, the Remake trilogy allows fans to experience these moments in their most fully realized forms. While this middle portion of Final Fantasy VII, which Rebirth depicts, focuses on Aerith and the looming specter of Sephiroth, so much of Rebirth’s depiction emphasizes the deepening of relationships.
This is true with how the developers approached both the main story and side content in Rebirth, and it’s sure to make it so Aerith’s big scene (if it still plays out that way) is even more emotional than in the original. While sitting down with producer Yoshinori Kitase, creative director Tetsuya Nomura, and director Naoki Hamaguchi, we got on the topic of being able to further depict these moments through modern hardware and the longer playtime afforded by splitting the original game into three separate titles.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the original Final Fantasy VII.
Though the conversation started about Aerith’s arc and Sephiroth’s role in this middle entry, it was clear the developers were excited to tell me about a different scene that takes place in the Corel Prison portion of the game. “When the remake project was first decided, we already felt that if we were going to take on this series, it’s imperative that we depict the characters much more deeply and go into more depth in approaching them,” Nomura says. “Not only Aerith’s arc for Rebirth, but even other characters like Dyne, for example, I really wanted to show in a more detailed way for Rebirth. There’s a scene where I truly want to cry when I see it.”
“Oh yes, that scene with Dyne is a great one,” Hamaguchi chimes in. “It might be one of the top, most wonderful scenes.”
For those who haven’t played Final Fantasy VII, Dyne is a childhood friend of Barret and the biological father of Marlene. After a Shinra attack that wipes out much of their town, Dyne and Barret lose an arm while attempting to flee, and Dyne falls off a cliff. Assuming Dyne died in the fall, Barret continues on and discovers that Marlene survived the Shinra attack and he takes her into his care. Years later, Cloud and his party (including Barret) find themselves in Corel Prison, only to learn that not only is Dyne still alive, but he’s now the boss of Corel Prison and has had the same surgery as Barret, replacing the missing arm with a machine gun. The two reunite in an emotional scene that is likely even more emotional through the new depiction in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
“Within Rebirth, the characters that we have all come to know and love are depicted quite fully and in-depth,” Nomura says. “For me, that character from Corel Prison was quite memorable. I’m not sure if players remember him, but everywhere players go, there will be characters like that who we remember from the original game that are depicted in more detail.”
While Nomura loves that scene, Kitase was surprised the original version, as drafted by scenario writer Kazushige Nojima, made it into the final game. “When we first received that scenario from Nojima-san – specifically that Corel Prison scene that Nomura-san mentioned – I initially thought we could cut this out or change it,” Kitase says. “I thought certain scenes could be cut, but hearing Nomura-san and Hamaguchi-san’s opinions on how they want to keep this, I conceded. But when you see it all come together, the final product and that scene – especially the Dyne scene – I think, ‘Wow, this is amazing!’ It’s crying-worthy. I feel glad it’s in there.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to see the scene featuring Dyne during my demo, but from the way Square Enix’s seasoned developers praise it, I’m even more excited to get my hands on the final product to experience it. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives on PlayStation 5 on February 29. For more exclusive Final Fantasy VII Rebirth coverage, be sure to visit our coverage hub through the banner below.