The approach that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake has had when it comes to tweaking the overall formula of the original has been one of the most debated topics surrounding the game. However, making fundamental changes to the original is one of the most important things that a remake can do; otherwise, it’s hard to justify remaking the game at all, even when titles like Final Fantasy 7 take risks that fail.
So, while players still don’t know exactly what to expect from the next episode from Final Fantasy 7 Remake, from some of the sections that players can assume to find, there is plenty of room for improvement by altering moments in the original. Similar to how the recent release expanded on a smaller section from the original title, this focus on expanding the story and an intense honing in on character development could make for some impressive moments.
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Of course, while expanding in some areas would be hugely beneficial, other sections of the Final Fantasy 7 after Midgar could do with some trimming and reworking. Giving players a deeper look at characters like Zack’s role in Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be important, but side quests that leaned into the open world likely won’t work for the more linear design of the remake. Most notably, while this quest was a favorite for players in the original, the new tone and style that the remake is taking might make moments like the initial chocobo capture into a more tedious task than initially intended.
Not to be confused with Chocobo Sam, who was integral to finding one of Cloud’s dresses in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Choco Bill and Choco Billy are a huge part of a quest just after leaving Midgar in the original. Initially, they teach the player how to capture chocobos in order to ride them over the nearby swamps and avoid fighting the Midgar Zolom, an optional mini-boss that most players will be unprepared to face when first encountering it. It’s a charming little moment with some fun characters, an opportunity to find a special piece of summon materia, and a favorite for fans, especially considering the Chocobo Farm’s relevance to the Gold Chocobo side quest later on.
While there’s nothing inherently wrong with keeping this section in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the approach that the original took likely won’t be an option again. Unless there is an open world for players to roam through before finding some Chocobos prancing freely through the plains around the farm, this quest will likely have to take a much more linear and direct approach. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the section will have to be completely removed, but the conflicting plots and styles between the new version and the original will have to mean big changes coming to Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
One change that could be a huge benefit to the remake could be the Kalm flashback of Nibelheim that takes place in the next major town after leaving Midgar in the original. This could be a perfect example for Square Enix to focus in on character development, similar to how characters like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge were expanded on in the first episode of the remake. The character in question that should get some expansion, however, is lead villain Sephiroth, who is shown to go from hero to psycho over the course of this flashback.
This section isn’t exactly what anyone would call rushed in the original, but Sephiroth’s transition into a madman does feel fairly sudden in the way that it was originally presented to players. The remake might have a chance to really help reshape Sephiroth in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, giving players more time with the hero version of the character, making his villainous actions sting even more in the future. Overall, by expanding on the flashback and focusing on Sephiroth’s transformation, he can be shifted from an evil caricature to a twisted and almost sympathetic character trapped in his psychotic obsession with Jenova.
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Later on in the original game, it is eventually revealed that the memories that Cloud shares in Kalm during the flashback aren’t exactly as explained by the character. While Cloud was present for the events in Nibelheim, the actions that he recalls as his own from the past are actually revealed to be those of Zack, a fellow SOLDIER and the primary character of Crisis Core. It isn’t until the perspective of the game shifts from Cloud to Tifa in the original that the players learn the truth towards the end of the story, when the two are trapped in the Lifestream.
Changing perspectives to Tifa could once again be a strong way for the remake to give some stronger hints as to what had really happened, and reintroduce Zack for players who didn’t quite understand Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s ending. It might not quite be in the best interest of the narrative to outright upend the reveal so early in the story, but it could actually set up for a decent moment between Tifa and Aerith. Putting players in Tifa’s shoes remembering the events and Nibelheim differently, she could have some sort of interaction that hints at Cloud’s story being false, and this allows for Aerith to explain her relationship with Zack more clearly.
It’s already been theorized that Yuffie will be playable in the next episode of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but her addition to the cast is still only speculation at this point. However, considering the way that the remake has taken a microscopic focus of every character that players come across, even adding new major and minor players to the streets of Midgar, there is likely a plan for the once optional character. The main issue being that keeping the character as an optional addition to the party could have some adverse side effects on the new story trying to be told.
The original Final Fantasy 7 had a flexible way of handling both Yuffie and Vincent, the two optional characters that could be found and asked to join the party at different points in the game. In order to make this work, neither character had major effects on the story, being able to be flexibly shoved into any situation with slotted in dialogue and new side quests that only activated if they were in the party. However, these character moments just won’t fit into the changes made in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the new focus on character development, meaning that keeping the tone consistent means making these two characters an unmissable part of the story.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now.
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