VII REBIRTH RELEASES FEB 29! NEW TRAILER!
- Thread starter Tetsujin
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Harbinger O Great Justice
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I personally found this HILARIOUSLY perfect, given that this entire series of events literally never occurred. We're just looking at the Cloud-fanfiction version of the Nibelheim flashback anyway, and Sephiroth was his childhood hero, so this is sort of beyond exactly what you'd expect.
I assume it's because it is useless without an ability to control where/when it creates a linked point to. It's definitely a novelty, but insofar as a practical purpose that can be specifically executed in order to perform a particular task (which is Hojo's biggest obsession) I think he'd be EXACTLY the type of person to be immediately dismissive of it as a failure the exact same way he dismisses Cloud as a failed experiment. He is classically portrayed as being a hack scientist compared to Professor Gast, who only leverages things that he can manipulate that also elevate his own ego....how stupid is Hojo? In what universe would a teleportation spell not have value
This is certainly possible, but it could also easily be another exposition scene in Bugenhagen's holodeck.
That being in the Holodeck is an EXCELLENT point, though it does still point to them moving reveals around a bit in how and where they occur, which I think is just gonna be overall beneficial to the story – especially given that there are just a TON of minigames and exploration that will allow you to approach at least SOME of the game's content in a roundabout way.
On a different note – Hamagushi stated, "In fact, the lineup of summons has actually been fleshed out over and above the previous game, with new, extended side content based on a summon who did not feature in the original Final Fantasy VII and even more besides." I'm VERY curious which one that'd be, as there are a bunch of potential candidates but I'm not sure which one would justify that sort of focus.
Phoenix, Hades, Typhon, and Bahamut ZERO are almost certainly "the next game" type summons given that they're related to post-Meteor world-centric changes of the Condor dying, the Gelnika sinking, Ultimate Weapon crashing, and the Rocket being launched at Meteor. Additionally, Knights of the Round very much seems like a summon you reserve for the final game. I'm expecting that we'll end up getting Neo Bahamut in this game, I'm curious what other entites from the original game will end up being in this part and which entities fit into the mix of existing summons to expand the roster from the OG.
Additionally, since the saves don't transfer directly, and a Remake save will get you Leviathan, and an INTERmission save will get you Ramuh, as well as the preorder bonuses being the new Moogle Trio and the Magic Pot, I'm properly curious just how many more summons there are, and if we'll end up getting to a point where we're encountering summons outside of Chadley's digital combat simulator environments since Alexander at least appears to be acquired that way just like the summons in Remake & INTERmission were. I'd expect that Neo Bahamut makes it to Rebirth around the time of the Temple of the Ancients if not earlier, and that Titan is our reward for a Heavy Tank(ceratops) in Gongaga's melted down reactor. That'd give us:
Ramuh – Lightning
Leviathan – Water(?)
Titan – Earth
Kujata – Fire/Ice/Lightning
NeoBahamut – Non-Elemental
Odin – KO
Mog Trio – (?)
Magic Pot – (?)
While Fire x Ice and Lightning x Wind are the elemental pairings that Remake & INTERmission utilized, Ever Crisis heavily utilizes Earth & Water elements, and alters that dynamic to be Fire x Ice, Earth x Wind, Water x Lightning. What makes this significant is that Yuffie's character utilizes Elemental Ninjutsu, which has 4 elements and a neutral element, thus matching the 5 elements in Shinto – Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, & Void. That's a REALLY important design historical element to how her character plays, as they have patterns that derive from the 5 phases in Chinese Wuxing: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, & Water – which along with Yin & Yang as Light & Dark are really key themes in how the designs of a lot of Final Fantasy VII's elements in Wutai are meant to echo recognizable things to a Japanese audience. Given that Wutai is being held off until the next game, there might be some wiggle room here, but I don't think that they'd go TOO far on something that they'd have to scale back on in the next game.
Those are some of the design elements that I find really interesting as they largely shape the ways in which the gameplay is meant to reflect those things, and I expect that's one of the reasons why Leviathan was a non-elemental damage in Remake, but there's a decent possibility that it might end up being a Water element in Rebirth. At any rate, what's quickly apparent is that there isn't a Wind summon and that's been an element that's present in everything thus far. Garuda got an FFXIV crossover event in FFXV, but this feels like it's something that's meant to be fleshed out more in a way where they'd be fairly iconic, but given how well-known she is, and this game not necessarily having Shiva, it seems like she's almost a certainty for inclusion. What else that might include though is quite a mystery to me, as even something like Gilgamesh seems more suited to the next game more than this one.
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Maidenofwar
They/Them
I might be tripping but I think we might indeed see Aerith's prayer and departure in the game only in the third game she'll still be playable and in Zack's party somehow 
cold_spirit
he/him
- AKA
- Alex T
Nomura's description of the cover art, as translated by Shinra Archeology:
The "3 worlds" part sticks out to me especially. I've often theorized there are at least 3 universes at play. One being the original game and is the source of Sephiroth and Aerith's "future" memories, one that we play through as Cloud and is largely the same but begins to deviate, and one with Zack that is off the rails entirely. As always here is my updated diagram.
I know it's a lot to take in at first. I think it makes the most sense if you read it from top to bottom, left to right.
The "3 worlds" part sticks out to me especially. I've often theorized there are at least 3 universes at play. One being the original game and is the source of Sephiroth and Aerith's "future" memories, one that we play through as Cloud and is largely the same but begins to deviate, and one with Zack that is off the rails entirely. As always here is my updated diagram.
I know it's a lot to take in at first. I think it makes the most sense if you read it from top to bottom, left to right.
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Theozilla
Kaiju Member
I think the “world” that ??? Sephiroth and Aerith’s future memories/knowledge come from is more meant to represent the far future (i.e. when The Planet is at the end of its lifespan) than being an entirely separate timeline like in the diagram. Thus I wouldn’t really separate the OG/non-stamp stuff from the Beagle stamp stuff, conceptually.
Also wouldn’t Mideel be pretty far away from Wutai geographically? Isn’t the ocean to the east of Mideel and west of Wutai supposed to be analogous to the Pacific Ocean in size/distance?
Also I wonder if the doctor and the location people are associating with Mideel could be taking place in Gonganga instead? I can definitely see plenty of additional stuff being added to Gonganga’s scenario in Rebirth.
cold_spirit
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- Alex T
I'll explain my reasoning. If Aerith and Seph's newfound knowledge comes from the far future, and Zack is alive in another world, then together that'd make this a time travel and multiverse story. That's two mechanisms the storytellers will need to elaborate on.
My whole thing is reducing the mysteries to just one mechanism. I actually think separating the OG into it's own world makes the story simpler. That way, once we get official word on how these alt worlds work, the story will really pull itself together.
In my diagram, the red line representing the OG fades away. That's supposed to represent how that world has reached the end of its lifespan. Yes, I've spent many hours on this haha.
Over the years I've pushed for alt worlds at different eras of time, and it's always raised some eyebrows. The closet point of comparison is the Spider-Verse. In that story, Miles Morales lives in modern day New York while Spider-Man Noir takes place in the 1930s, but they're separate continuities. And no one questions that. So I don't see an issue with something similar here.
Golden Ear
Pro Adventurer
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- M. Prod
Anyone see the Beagle stamp in Junon yet?
Nanaki Skywalker
Kate Lord of the Sith
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- Tarkatan Trash
For those of you wanting the Deluxe Edition but unwilling to pay Square Enix Store shipping prices, Amazon and GameStop listings just popped up, courtesy of Wario64. The GameStop listing is live, while the Amazon one is not just yet (I added it to my Shopping List though).
Theozilla
Kaiju Member
Oh very good eye!
That's basically even further confirmation that alive!Zack is in a separate timeline/universe from main party in the Remake/Rebirth story, and that the regular/Beagle-timeline that we followed the main party through in the first installment didn't transform into the Terrier-timeline/universe (I am guessing the chapter 18 stuff instead caused the Terrier-Stamp timeline/universe to exist).
I think treating the OG as its own thing in a Doylistic sense is perfectly reasonable, but I doubt the in-game narrative is going to treat the OG as an actual tangible separate existing phenomena/universe within the Remake story (at least not beyond meta signaling to players who played the OG). Like I am confident by the time the Remake project ends, it will still be meant to be understood as subsequently flowing into the events of Advent Children and Dirge of Cerebus. Like I doubt the ???Sephiroth is specifically going to be treated as a Sephiroth from a different universe/timeline from the normal Sephiroth the party is fighting and tracking, but rather a manifestation of the normal Remake/Rebirth Sephiroth's powers originating from the future and manifesting across the timeline (eventually concluding in a closed time-loop ending where ???Sephiroth's action/presence inadvertently ensures that Cloud and co. beat him in the main FFVII story being told in the Remake project).
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HeyWhyNot?
Lv. 1 Adventurer
Okay, so I scrubbed through the trailer to check out what non-Boss enemies got shown off, if just because I enjoy seeing the glow-up all these obscure weirdos get and reading the 20's lore explanations for the 90's 'looks cool' designs, and here's what I found:
Tifa fights something by the wrecked ships that is small and seems to have 4 limbs and a tail. All the effects make it hard to see it clearly though if I had to guess I'd say a Nerosuferoth, who are Junon based so maybe that's where this takes place?
Barret and Cloud seem to be killing a Bloatfloat, a pallet swap of Blugu which appeared in Remake. Comparing OG enemy location seems a little less closer here as it doesn't scream Mt. Corel but I suppose it still could be.
Red and Aerith are fighting the Rage Bomb-ing penguins Skeeskee, who are around Cosmo Canyon which fits the red mountain location.
Later Cait Sith is introduced fighting a Kyuvilduns. These are Mt. Nibel enemies and, while it having a beach-y area is new, it is in a fairly mountainous area and fits as a Post-Cait location so it could be accurate.
Then when it comes to Dualtechs, Yuffie/Barret seems to be a Beachplug (any beach basically) while Aerith/Cait is...utterly impossible to tell. You can see a targeting reticule fly into the air out of the beam but it obscures whatever it is.
Tifa fights something by the wrecked ships that is small and seems to have 4 limbs and a tail. All the effects make it hard to see it clearly though if I had to guess I'd say a Nerosuferoth, who are Junon based so maybe that's where this takes place?
Barret and Cloud seem to be killing a Bloatfloat, a pallet swap of Blugu which appeared in Remake. Comparing OG enemy location seems a little less closer here as it doesn't scream Mt. Corel but I suppose it still could be.
Red and Aerith are fighting the Rage Bomb-ing penguins Skeeskee, who are around Cosmo Canyon which fits the red mountain location.
Later Cait Sith is introduced fighting a Kyuvilduns. These are Mt. Nibel enemies and, while it having a beach-y area is new, it is in a fairly mountainous area and fits as a Post-Cait location so it could be accurate.
Then when it comes to Dualtechs, Yuffie/Barret seems to be a Beachplug (any beach basically) while Aerith/Cait is...utterly impossible to tell. You can see a targeting reticule fly into the air out of the beam but it obscures whatever it is.
Tetsujin
he/they
- AKA
- Tets
With how long AAA game development generally takes and how it's usually at least 4-5 years, I really appreciate how this one comes in at juuuuust a little under 4 years since Remake. This is actually a pretty damn good turnaround time. Hope they didn't crunch like crazy for this though.
cold_spirit
he/him
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- Alex T
Wow. There it is, the smoking gun. Thank you for this. Stamp started the debates and now Stamp has closed them. A fitting end.
Yeah, listing the real deal OG is probably a bit too precise. It doesn't necessarily need to be. Throwing away all the fluff, my theory has always had two core points:
1. Zack's survival takes place in an alternate world
2. Aerith and Sephiroth's newfound knowledge originates from some other world where the key events of Final Fantasy VII have long passed
Any other detail I'm flexible with. The latest trailer has convinced most of #1, now I wait for more confirmation on #2. It's all I can do. Being a theorist has taught me one thing: I can't convince anyone of anything. And even if I end up being right, no one really cares haha.
On another note, I'm still beaming with excitement over the latest trailer. What a showing. The Summer Games Fest trailer was amazing, my favorite yet in the series, but this new one has swiftly stolen the crown. Bravo.
LNK
Pro Adventurer
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- Nate
I had the same thought process. The potential to have a manipulated Cloud/Sephiroth as the final boss for Rebirth was just too sweet to not want.
Mr. Dolphin
Lv. 25 Adventurer
I love how genuinely enthusiastic she is about FF7. Also, did she just confirm Rebirth's pronunciation of Cait Sith?
I'm also someone who thought ending Rebirth at the Northern Crater was the best ending point thematically (Rebirth being essentially bookended by two versions of the Nibelheim Flashback, the party being at its lowest point, and setting up the Junon execution sequence as the opener for Pt 3). I'm wondering if they moved the physical location of the Forgotten Capital to now be in the Northern Crater. Nomura said in that same quote about locations extending up to the Forgotten Capital that the order of locations has changed, which I'm guessing may involve relocating a place on the world map if needed.
Trying not to cope too hard haha. I'm going to engage with whatever is in the actual game and I'll probably be stoked about it no matter what.
cold_spirit
he/him
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- Alex T
Aerith summons the magic spheres that the mooglesaurus eats, producing a massive laser beam.
Genuinely excited to see and play as Cait Sith. For a character that is often ridiculed or forgotten, SE is absolutely putting haters in their place. I really like what we've seen so far.
Genuinely excited to see and play as Cait Sith. For a character that is often ridiculed or forgotten, SE is absolutely putting haters in their place. I really like what we've seen so far.
LNK
Pro Adventurer
- AKA
- Nate
Right? Besides what we both mentioned, also battling Jenova BIRTH/LIFE/DEATH all in one game makes more sense as well.
Oh well, like you, I know I'll still enjoy what we get. I just need to get a ps5 before it releases. Im hoping for some xmas deals
Makoeyes987
Listen closely, there is meaning in my words.
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- Smooth Criminal
How would the Forgotten City be in the Northern Crater..?
Mr. Dolphin
Lv. 25 Adventurer
Haha yea I guess it would have been absolutely obliterated
Misterbadguy
Phantom Lord
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- METEODRIVE
This, the segway and Red riding the chocobo are some of the best parts of the media released. They're continuing to embrace fun and silliness.
X-SOLDIER
Harbinger O Great Justice
- AKA
- X
Yeah, you can really tell how a lot of the technological and implementation work that they focused on for Remake really paid off in helping them to streamline development into Rebirth, with INTERmission also being a decent snapshot of this. It also feels crazy that this is only a little over 5 months away now.
I-I want this SO badly now. xD They should have a section where they're going into a headwind, so that Roche's hair gets over-dramatically blown backwards as they go up a slight incline. Even better if he's in a track suit as his Costa Del Sol beachwear.
However, I think that the TRULY peak moment would be to have them locking eyes as they're headed towards whatever finish line they're aiming for, only to have their gaze broken by a sprinting Johnny cutting between them and blowing past both of them on foot with his goofy max speed run.
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