Spoilers Tied to the Original Final Fantasy 7 Ahead
The arrival ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthin just a few weeks stands as one of the most highly-anticipated moments of 2024’s release calendar.The midpoint of the plannedFinal Fantasy 7remake trilogy,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas to take Cloud and his companions out into the open world and establish how much of the story going into the third game will change. Central to this is an understanding of whatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthintends to cover as the second game.
Game Rant recently had the opportunity to speak withFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdirector Naoki Hamaguchiand the legendary Yoshinori Kitase, originalFinal Fantasy 7director and currentFinal Fantasybrand manager (among many other duties at Square Enix). During the conversation, we asked how the team settled on the ending point ofFF7 Rebirthsince there is no shortage of options, and he spoke about the previously announced decision to put Forgotten Capital at the end.
The Forgotten Capital’s Importance in Both FF7 and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
The Forgotten Capital is one of the most important locations within the context ofFinal Fantasy 7’s storyas it’s both the last remaining vestige of the once great Cetra civilization (otherwise known as the Ancients) as well as the site where Aerith makes her final prayer for Holy to stop the Black Materia’s summoning of Meteor. It also happens to be the site of one of the most poignant and tragic deaths in video game history, where Sephiroth commits the heinous murder of Aerith and jumpstarts Cloud’s descent into madness.
Given the importance of the location in terms of how it impacts the larger narrative ofFinal Fantasy 7, it’s understandable for fans to wonder howFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill approach this iconic moment and location. Especially considering howthe existence of Whispers in theFF7 Remaketimelinepresents the capacity for canon events to change dramatically, the biggest question on everyone’s minds heading intoRebirthis likely something to do with the fate of Aerith, and it’s also something Kitase and the team behindFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthare choosing to address head-on.
[W]e felt that it was necessary for the ending of Rebirth to serve as the most dramatic part and as the story’s climax of Final Fantasy 7. There were many discussions to decide this, and we thought that ending at that point would be the most effective way for people to wonder and want to play the next title as well. For original players of Final Fantasy 7 as well, I think this is the area that people most wonder about, so we felt that made it the most appropriate ending point of Rebirth.
Further, Kitase mentions that the team wanted to have the ending toRebirthbe something that left off on a cliffhanger and kept players wondering and speculating about what might happen in the final installment of the trilogy. Ultimately, he’s not wrong that longtime fans ofFinal Fantasy 7are heading intoFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhave the question of Aerith’s fatelingering over them, leading Kitase and the team to feel that concluding at the Forgotten Capital “made it the most appropriate ending point of Rebirth.”
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
