Being the conclusion of the trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Revelation will see the return of all the main cast of its predecessors, including Zack Fair, whose role will be expanded over Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, even though he was nowhere to be seen in the Summer Game Fest reveal trailer. The other character prominently featured in the game's key art but absent from the trailer is Aerith, who may also play a significant role in the third and final entry in the series, judging from what director Naoki Hamaguchi told Famitsu.
“As for Aerith... I think everyone is worried and concerned about what happened to her fate,” Hamaguchi-san said. “However, at this point, I won't mention whether Aerith will appear in this game or what kind of role she will play, and I would like you to look forward to finding out what happens.”
Asked if this statement should be taken positively, Naoki Hamaguchi remained vague. “It's difficult to say this positively because it might sound like I'm saying ‘the story will have a happy ending,’ but more than anything about the story itself, I want to create a work that will make fans who have supported the characters up until now feel, when they finish the final installment, ‘I'm so glad I followed these characters all this time.’”
Judging from this statement, what we should expect to see in Final Fantasy VII Revelation is, at the very least, a real conclusion to Aerith's character arc, which is far from being finished, considering how it began in Final Fantasy VII Remake. Even if her role doesn't change much from the original, there's a good chance she will return as a playable character in some form, as Hamaguchi-san himself talked about guest characters joining the party n another recent interview.
If she indeed returns, the FITS (Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear) job system could make her among the most interesting characters to play. Additional jobs could potentially grant her close-range combat options, offering a stark contrast to the purely magic-focused, ranged playstyle that made her one of the most powerful characters of the trilogy so far.
Looking Beyond The Trilogy
No matter Aerith and every other character's ultimate fate, Final Fantasy VII Revelation may not be the last time we return to the beloved world of the seventh entry in the series.
“Final Fantasy VII Revelation will be the final installment, but if there is significant demand and requests from users after its release, we would like to actively consider addressing requests for more details and exploring aspects that haven't been depicted yet, including previous spin-off titles,” Hamaguchi-san explained.
This suggests that there's hope even for remakes of some of the other Compilation of Final Fantasy VII games, including the cult-classic Dirge of Cerberus starring Vincent Valentine, who is already set to be one of the highlights of the trilogy's conclusion.
Hamaguchi-san's willingness to openly discuss reviving classic spin-offs like Dirge of Cerberus or even the mobile-exclusive Before Crisis represents a major shift in Square Enix's strategy. By dangling these revivals, the publisher is clearly working to maximize launch-window sales for Final Fantasy VII Revelation.
By tying the future of the entire Compilation brand directly to the commercial success of this third installment, the Japanese publisher is giving the fandom a powerful incentive to purchase the game at launch, transforming the trilogy's conclusion into a direct vote on the future of the entire sub-franchise.
Even if Final Fantasy VII Revelation ends up being the last time we will see Cloud and the others on screen, the game is setting up to be the perfect conclusion to one of the most ambitious remake projects of all time. With the Highwind airship significantly opening up the experience, the game developed by Square Enix has the potential to become one of the greatest JRPGs ever released.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
