What/who will Rebirth add?

[waw]

Remake Intermission/Intergrade gave us additional Avalanche members. We also saw the Old Guard Avalanche. Roche, and a bunch of new npcs like Marle. Kyrie jumped from the The Kids are Alright into the game. What are your expectations for Rebirth and who will get added in? We've been discussing how packed the game is already, but will be new?

Options I can think of:

1. BC Characters: Cissnei, Verdot/Veld, Felicia/Elfe (we know they're all around the world and help evacuate Midgar. It makes sense to run into them, even for Barret and Felicia to talk seriously about the meaning of Avalanche). And the nameless Turks
2. Shalua Rui, Shelke, Russo, and Azul. We got Nero and Weiss already, I expect a few more DoC characters before long.
3. Denzel cameo (somewhere, I do expect this kid to show up).
4. Ft. Condor Commander - I expect this guy to get a redesign and some fleshed out detail.
5. Izayoi, Himemiko, Sera - the cut Wutai content characters from OG
6. On the Way to a Smile characters - a few characters introduced in that novel could likely show up, including Yuffie's childhood friend
7. Genesis, Kunsel, Luxiere (Kunsel has at least been mentioned)
8. Tale of Two Pasts characters
9. Dinneh
10. Angeal (we do see a white feather...?)
11. Evan Townshend

None of these characters need to show up to make Rebirth happen/complete, but I wouldn't be surprised if some show up and get the Remake-styled polish.

 

[Eerie]

We're definitely going to see at least one character from The Kids Are Alright, aka Evan's mother, either in Nibelheim either in Icicle Village. From the moment I've read that novel, I just knew they had to add her.

 

[SilverArrow20XX]

- Evan has never left Midgar at the time of the book, so he's really unlikely. Same with Denzel.
Annette seems very likely though.

- The Tsviets seem unlikely, as they are all in Deepground and strictly controlled.
It's not impossible they could be sent on a mission though. Like Weiss and Nero in CC.

- I'd really like to see Kunsel turn up as a 1st Class SOLDIER.
He was 2nd class 5 years ago, and we know he's still employed.
It'd be cool to see a current 1st Class rather than have them only be in flashbacks.

- I really wanna see the BC Turks. It'd be nice to have them use their names from the concept art.
Gun (Female) = Emma, etc. Emma specifically, is Elena's sister, so it'd be nice for that to be utilized.

 

[Roger]

- Evan has never left Midgar at the time of the book, so he's really unlikely. Same with Denzel.
Annette seems very likely though.

- The Tsviets seem unlikely, as they are all in Deepground and strictly controlled.
It's not impossible they could be sent on a mission though. Like Weiss and Nero in CC.

- I'd really like to see Kunsel turn up as a 1st Class SOLDIER.
He was 2nd class 5 years ago, and we know he's still employed.
It'd be cool to see a current 1st Class rather than have them only be in flashbacks.

- I really wanna see the BC Turks. It'd be nice to have them use their names from the concept art.
Gun (Female) = Emma, etc. Emma specifically, is Elena's sister, so it'd be nice for that to be utilized.

Rosso stated quite explicietly that she has never been outside before DoC so she's definitely out. She's deemed too nuts even by Shinra standards. Shelke and Azul could go on a mission yeah.

 

[Limestone]

From BC, we know Shalua joined Fuhito's Avalanche cell while searching for Shelke. If they want to further flesh out the different Avalanche groups, perhaps the party could meet her at one of the towns. Maybe give Yuffie a few lines about what she saw in Deepground. Chelsea was another Avalanche member, so maybe she's in contact with Barret still. Oh, and I want to know if Tifa's cat is still alive.

BC also had that Duel Club in Costa del Sol. That could function as a minigame.

A bunch of The Kids Are Alright characters could appear. In her letter to Evan, Annette mentions getting help from Vincent, Cid, and Barret during her trip north. Seems primed for a side mission. Leslie is out there searching for Merle, so I'm sure he'll come up again. In Nibelheim, the party could also meet Nick Foley and Goulde Aarde. Goulde is a 2nd Class SOLDIER so maybe he'd be a mini boss fight or something. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of the smaller bit character from TKAA and OtWtaS. Some possibilities: Dimitri in Under Junon; Pamela, Judd, and Kilmister in Kalm; Sakaki in Corel; Wendy in Icicle Inn.

Since we are getting the Crisis Core remaster, I hope Banora and Modeoheim are in Rebirth too. Banora isn't important to the story. I just want to see the apple trees. Modeoheim ties into the Cloud-Zack connection, though.

 

[waw]

I think the devs stated at one time we'd see the expanded locations like Modeoheim and Banora. Unless I'm misremembering....

Rosso stated quite explicietly that she has never been outside before DoC so she's definitely out. She's deemed too nuts even by Shinra standards. Shelke and Azul could go on a mission yeah.

There was no reason to see Weiss or Nero, and they technically didn't have missions outside of Midgar in Remake. I wouldn't be surprised if we see them in a Zack chapter or a DLC session or something like this. Not sure who we'd play as.

But I'm totally here for the Cait Sith specific DLC that blows our minds and makes us weep like babies.

 

[Limestone]

I think the devs stated at one time we'd see the expanded locations like Modeoheim and Banora. Unless I'm misremembering....

I think they said something of that sort, or at least about wanting to add them. Specifically for Rebirth, though, I don't know how likely it is. Regardless of where the game ends, Rebirth will already have a large number of towns and environments from the OG plus additional content. Banora and/or Modeoheim might be too much. Granted, depending on how the story is structured, it might make more sense to visit those locations later on anyway. Having some new locations in the third game would be nice at least.

Which reminds me. I also want the Banora Underground and the Great Cavern of Wonders. Minerva could be an optional superboss where you get her materia if you win. The designers could have a blast with both locations. Add cool water features, rock formations, rainbow lights.

 

[Suzaku]

I'd like to see Cobalt XIV and Indigo XV rescued from the cutting room floor as part of Nanaki's character arc. Introducing Deneh too, of course.

I want to see more named SOLDIERs. Rather than just having generic 1C Operators as enemies to fight, I'd like it if every 1C Operator is a named individual with a unique look and personality.

I don't think Deepground should be brought too much into the main plot. I'm thinking include an Episode Vincent DLC that continues the Episode Yuffie plotline before making him fully playable in Part III, as a sort of tribute to their status as optional characters in the original game. Then maybe in Part III, with the "bad ending" of the original FFVII averted, they can do a final DLC episode that takes the place of Dirge of Cerberus and maybe resolves the secret Genesis ending and the entire DG storyline in a definitive way.

 

[waw]

I want to see more named SOLDIERs. Rather than just having generic 1C Operators as enemies to fight, I'd like it if every 1C Operator is a named individual with a unique look and personality.

I don't think Deepground should be brought too much into the main plot.

Given that Deepground is probably more fleshed out characterwise than SOLDIER right now, I do agree completely. I mean, I want DG to show up a bit more, but I'd love more characters. Luxierre and Kunsel? I want face models, attitudes, etc. I want to see some women SOLDIER running around, too. Yuffie was originally a former SOLDIER, let's do something with that and get a former SOLDIER bounty hunter.

Someone replaces Sephiroth and Zack as the top SOLDIER, I would imagine. Who is it?

 

[Roundhouse]

I told you all again and again that nothing would forestall his return. Now that return is nigh.

 

[Rydeen]

I'm greedy - I'd kinda like to see everyone, with the exception of that one guy from that one game.

 

[waw]

One of the biggest parts here is who will be the Roche of the new game? Roche (and Chadley) were solid additions that helped flesh out a few more aspects of the world. (We had a lot of NPCs like this, like the Slums folx). Roche stood for a non-1c SOLDIER, giving us some insight onto that group that compares to Cloud a bit. Other than Cloud and Seph (and a cameo Zack), OG FF7 had this be entirely faceless.

Thinking of that makes me wonder who else we'll see get fleshed out. Thinking the Highwind pilots are a great example. The Five Saints of Wutai. Shera. Dio. Residents of Cosmo Canyon. These characters will likely be expanded upon so much that I'm giddy with excitement for them. By far my favorite part of Remake is that so many NPCs seemed full of life.

Literally, though, my least favorite part is that Scarlet and Heidegger's staff wore their military helmets all the time to be faceless stormtroopers with no nuance or subtlety whatsoever. It's worth it, but their staff would be interesting with a bit more detail. I just want someone to call Scarlet's stool-soldier Kilmister just one time....

 

[cold_spirit]

I'm pretty fortunate in that 2 of the 3 characters I wanted to see have already received glow-ups: Weiss, Nero, and Genesis.

I don't have a thought-provoking reason why. I just find their designs cool. The "powerful" vibe they bring has always left an impression on me. Weiss excelling in physical strength, Nero with his mysterious darkness, and Genesis in magical capability. They're also super violent. I wouldn't want to meet any of them in an alley

And because they're not exactly fan favorites, including them in the Remake Project allows Square to have another go at swaying fans. To raise the bottom line sort of thing. I think Nero has seen the most benefit from this by far. In Dirge he killed lots of people, but outside a brief moment during his boss battle, we didn't get to see his madness. Intermission brought that to the limelight. His boss battle music is especially chilling.

 

[Kain424]

Would die to see some Before Crisis characters, for sure.