WithFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s latest trailer comes a series of clues pointing to how different this remake is making itself out to be. For those unaware, Square Enix fashion recentlydropped a surprise trailer forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakefor the 23rd anniversary of the originalFinal Fantasy 7. The trailer comes packed with teases and several notable changes to the original game. Be warned: this article containsSPOILERSforFinal Fantasy 7.
Sephiroth and Jenova in Midgar
Perhaps the biggest change inFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeso far is that Cloud and the gang meet up with Sephiroth much earlier than in the original game. In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, the main party never physically meets Sephiroth until after they escape Midgar. Sephiroth is several steps ahead of the main party, retrieving Jenova and murdering the Shinra president before Cloud and the members of AVALANCHE can rescue Aerith and Red XIII. Moments where Sephiroth is shown prior to the escape from Midgar in the original game are contained in flashbacks only, never in present-day Midgar.
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In this trailer, Sephiroth and Cloud clash inside a containment room with Jenova in the background, more than likely in a research sector of Shinra headquarters. Jenova was first shown inFinal Fantasy 7in the same room Aerith and Red XIII are imprisoned, in a relatively tiny containment chamber on the right-side of the room. Now in theRemake,it seems Jenova sits in her own larger containment unit, where Cloud and his teamwitness Sephiroth taking Jenovafirst-hand but are powerless to stop him.
This is a huge plot change from the originalFinal Fantasy 7, but an understandable one. Considering thisFF7remake is going to be an episodic releaseand the first game’s focus is entirely on the Midgar section of the story, it makes sense to have an earlier Sephiroth confrontation. Being the main villain of the game, not seeing him entirely (outside of flashbacks) wouldn’t make sense in a re-telling with a much larger focus on Midgar’s beginning moments. The trailer even shows they find Sephiroth around the same time he murders the Shinra president in his office.
Along with Sephiroth, the first Jenova encounter seems to occur much earlier in the game as well in acompletely new segment ofFinal Fantasy 7. In the trailer Cloud discovers Sephiroth in the Shinra president’s office, but he quickly disappears and Jenova appears and transforms the room into a boss fight. The first Jenova fight inFinal Fantasy 7usually doesn’t occur until Cloud and the team sneak on to the Shinra cargo ship after the Junon ceremony. Similar to Sephiroth, it makes sense to introduce an earlier Jenova fight when focusing entirely on Midgar.
When looking back it does seem a bit odd that Cloud’s first fight with Jenova is in the cargo ship segment rather than in Midgar when she’s freed. This could also mean that there isn’t a Jenova fight in the cargo ship at all, but it’s hard to tell sinceFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s first episode isn’t planned to depict anything beyond the escape from Midgar.
Honey Bee Inn & Roche
Another greatly expanded moment in the game is the Honey Bee Inn, which is given a more fantastical treatment in the remake. The trailer treats us toCloud’s famous cross-dressing scenefrom the original game, albeit vastly changed from the original. Cloud’s transformation inFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas been adjusted to be a more burlesque/cabaret style moment featuring dancers that’s framed more as a makeover scene.
In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, this scene was much more uncomfortable, taking place in a dress shop where the store owner and bystanders make snide comments whileAerith jokingly mocks his appearance.Final Fantasy 7 Remakeappears to be taking this moment in stride rather than shying away from the moment altogether or framing it as some kind of joke, which might be the best way they could’ve adapted this part of the originalFinal Fantasy 7.
Another relatively major change comeswith the introduction of Roche,a former SOLDIER 3rd Class who’s a completely new character in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. Roche was already revealed in the previous TGS trailer, but now he’s received his first introduction with this latest trailer. From what can be gathered from the trailer’s tidbit of conversation, it seems Roche will be a mini-boss fight that occurs somewhere during the second Mako reactor raid, with Biggs and Wedge at Cloud’s side. He seems to know Cloud, stating it’s time for their “second dance,” meaning they’ve met or fought before. The significance of Roche’s character is yet to truly be seen, but it’s impossible to imagine he’ll be much more than a side character similar to that of the Turks.
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Dark Shrouds
Lastly, theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeonce again features these dark, shroud-like forces that keep popping up in each one of their trailers. The source or reason for their existence is unknown, and it’s hard to distinctly determine what they are. Specifically in the new trailer, these shrouds of darkness are shown envelopingShinra tower at the end of the motorcycle chaseat the finale of the begi Midgar segment. It’s hard to tell what the purpose of this moment is or why it’s happening, but each successive trailer forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakehas emphasized their existence. What their significance is may not be unveiled until the full game is released.
Other than that, there were some additional scenes spread throughout the trailer that may be referring to extended/extra scenes coming toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. It’s tough to tell definitively if these scenes will have a significant impact on the events at the beginning of the game, but players may get some additional context or lore for the world.
For one thing, several of Shinra’s secondary executives get a lot of the limelight during this trailer. The argument between Reeve, Shinra’s President, and Heidegger is reminiscent from a similar encounter in the original game. This might give us more context or lead-up to the Shinra boardroom scene. Scarlett, head of the weapons development division of Shinra, is seen overseeing the production of weaponized Materia. In the originalFinal Fantasy 7,it was understood thatMateria was a source of magiccreated by the planet’s Mako energy, but the actual development of Materia was never discussed or shown, which meansFinal Fantasy 7 Remakemay elaborate on that aspect as well.
Other than story differences, there were some minute gameplay differences shown in the trailer as well. The Leviathan and Chocobo summons were shown off, which are normally summons acquired much later inFinal Fantasy 7. Similarly, in some scenes Cloud is shown wielding the Mythril Saber, a weapon who normally can’t acquire until after the Midgar segment of the game. Tifa and Barrett also had some differing weapons as well, but it’s hard to tell which of their equipment they closely resemble from the original game. It’ll be interesting to see if we may see new weapons/equipmentin the next episode for theFinal Fantasy 7remake remake.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakewill be out on July 08, 2025 for PS4.
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