Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Release Trailer has a Tantalizing Surprise
Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release window with a trailer this week. Expect a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release in the winter of 2023. Final Fantasy VII Remake hit the shelves two years ago and was met with an excellent reception. Fans were asking Square Enix for years to see FF7 on a modern console and Square delivered.
Final Fantasy VII Remake took place entirely in the city of Midgar. And Midgar was only a setting that acted as the introduction to the original PS1 game. As a result, many were wondering how many games this revitalization effort would take. We know now that the rebooted story will span three games. And the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release will be game number two.
The developers took surprising liberties when they made Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth will be no different. In an interview with Push Square about Remake, the game’s producer, Yoshinori Kitase, stated:
“I personally envisioned quite a dramatic change overall, but our director; Tetsuya Nomura and co-director; Naoki Hamaguchi, wanted to keep the beloved aspects in the original as much as possible. Eventually the development team decided to focus on respecting the original while adding in new elements, ensuring a delicate balance between the two.”
What’s with the name of this Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release?
So what does the Rebirth in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth mean? There is one exchange in the trailer that might hint at the meaning.
About 30 seconds in we hear Cloud say, “I saw you lying there… I figured it was too late.”
Then we hear Tifa respond, “Wait, what are you implying? That I died? That I’m some kind of imposter?”
Now, these could be two lines taken out of context for the sake of the trailer. But if they’re not… Tifa’s line is a huge hint about one major change to the story.
The Nibelheim Incident
It sounds like Cloud and Tifa are talking about the Nibelheim incident. In the original story, Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth visit Nibelheim, the town where Cloud and Tifa grew up. After some story moments, they end up at the Nibelheim mako reactor. There, a fight ensues and Sephiroth knocks Tifa unconscious before Zangan, her martial arts instructor, eventually rescues her. If Tifa is referring to that incident in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, could it mean Sephiroth kills Tifa rather than just knocking her unconscious? And if so, what brings her back?
Now, would the developers name the second game Rebirth just because Tifa is “reborn”? That seems like a stretch. If Tifa is referring to the Nibelheim incident with her line in the trailer and I’m right about the change, I suspect Tifa is one of several characters who dies and gets reborn. Rebirth could refer to a theme of rebirth, rather than the rebirth of a single character.
But I’m extrapolating this from a single data point so I could be wildly wrong. One thing I do hope is that Square doesn’t bring you-know-who back from the dead after Sephiroth kills her. That was one of the hardest-hitting moments in gaming back in the day and I would be disappointed if that arc gets rewritten for you-know-who to survive or come back to life.
Final Thoughts on the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release
Either way, I’m looking forward to playing Rebirth and solving the puzzle on this naming scheme along the way. The Twitter account for Final Fantasy VII put out these statements by Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura:
“I can’t wait to share the intention behind naming the first title, “Remake,” and the second title, “Rebirth.” In time, I hope to reveal what the third title will be called and where this journey will ultimately lead.”
Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura
I’m excited! Are you excited?!
And if you’re eager for more Final Fantasy VII, we’ve got you covered! Final Fantasy VII Remake Integrade is available on Steam! And Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is in the process of being remastered for Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, and PC!
What do you think about this next game in the new FF7 trilogy? How did you like Remake? Let us know in the comments!
