The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth devs explain why they deviated from fanservice with the game’s ending

Nobody knew what was going to happen at the end of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment of the remake of the Squaresoft classic. Unlike other remakes, this product has not been conceived as a simple graphic overhaul, instead expanding the story and presenting new plot lines. It has done it in such a way that it has fueled fan theories, to the point that some think it is actually a sequel to the classic. Be that as it may, the ending of this sequel has been controversial, but Square Enix knew it was going to be from the first moment.

Beware, spoilers: this article talks about the ending of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

In the original game, Aeris perishes at the hands of Sephiroth, the video game’s antagonist. Destroyed by not having been able to save her, Cloud takes the young woman’s body and deposits it in the lake, an image that has become one of the most iconic sequences in video games (by the way, spoiled on the back cover of the box itself). . That scene does not appear as such in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, since in this case different realities are introduced subject to interpretation. Although Aeris dies, Cloud continues to see her, hence the emotional burden is lighter, because although his friends cry, the protagonist remains stoic. “There was a danger here, it was definitely a trap,” director Naoki Hamaguchi commented in an interview with Eurogamer: refers to the ending of the original game.

They didn’t want an ending with too much fan service

The head of the project has reflected on the reasons for the changes: “With respect to the original game, I was just a fan. I played when I was younger, so my perspective on that scene was that of a fan.” If I had followed that direction the result would have been more fan service. “I wanted to avoid it,” he said.

“Mr. [Yoshinori] Kitase says he wants to create this kind of debate and speculation,” to keep people talking “before seeing the final conclusion.” The director has stressed that “in that sense” he believes he has “achieved exactly” what Kitase wanted. “I’m very pleased because people are still talking about it.”. Of course, Hamaguchi hasn’t shared any hints about the third game:

“The important thing is that the players ask themselves what can change and what cannot. If it were exactly the same as in the original story you would know what was coming, there would be no anticipation or excitement. People who played the title would know what’s coming next, so it wouldn’t be a fun experience. It may have been nostalgic, but it wasn’t fun.”

And what role do echoes have? “The real purpose of these elements is to tell the player that the story can change here. “It doesn’t mean I’m going to do it.” Thus, there may be something new or different. “It helps people get hooked on the story and maintain interest and anticipation for what’s coming next.”

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth leads The Game Awards nominations and is one of the candidates for GOTY 2024. The study already has completed the history of the third installment, which will close the trilogy.

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