While it’s gone silent for a while, the next part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is on its way. Shooting for a Winter 2023 release to complement 2022’s Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth promises to be the next leg of Cloud and his party’s journey through a new, yet familiar, world. FF7 Remake ended with the promise that events were going to divert from the original FF7 much more in subsequent entries, so it’s up to FF7 Rebirth to show whether that was all talk.
Final Fantasy 7 Spoilers AheadWith that in mind, fans have been left in the intervening years to speculate how Rebirth is going to change. Guesses have ranged from the party’s path through the east and west continents being identical with new events to a chaotic mess of new characters and revived old ones driving a whole new plot. It’s doubtful anyone will know for sure until Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out, but there are some key points in the protagonists’ journey that could throw them off their original path.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Could Include New Elements Right Away
The first change that every fan thought of is Aerith’s death being subverted, though that lies too far away from FF7 Rebirth’s starting point to affect Rebirth itself. Subtle changes could start as early as Cloud’s flashback in Kalm, which could be how the game opens. At some point, it may become apparent that Sephiroth is possessed of knowledge he shouldn’t have, and Zack could make brief cameos in Cloud’s crumbling memory. Additionally, since it’s implied that Aerith also knows events from the original game, she or Tifa could prompt Cloud to question his identity much earlier than in FF7.
More changes could occur on the Shinra cargo ship where Jenova fought the party, but only so much could happen in such a constrained location. The same can’t be said for the Gold Saucer, which could set the stage for the party running into their AVALANCHE comrades. Given that some of her iconic gear is seen next to a recovering Biggs, Jessie may have survived FF7 Remake and left Midgar to resume her acting career. Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and even other newcomers like Roche and Chadley could now appear throughout the party’s journey, though they probably won’t alter the core plot.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Mid-Game May Change The Trilogy’s Direction
That honor should go to Zack Fair. By following the original game’s path, the party will eventually end up in Zack’s hometown of Gongaga, which begs for a cutaway to the now-living Zack’s adventures. If that’s not enough, then the immediate next town of Cosmo Canyon could spell out a lot of what’s different courtesy of the elderly Bugenhagan. Considering the amount of playtime the first Final Fantasy 7 Remake part mined from FF7’s first few hours, Rebirth may need to start preparing for a new climax by this point, and Bugenhagan is the exact expositor to set it up.
How much more FF7 Rebirth goes off the rails depends on how much game is left after Cosmo Canyon. It could go all the way to Sephiroth receiving the Black Materia at the Northern Crater, or there could be a different climax earlier. It’s hard to say with so few details, but since the possibility of a Zack side story exists throughout the game, FF7 Rebirth could cut to new events any time it wants without abandoning the core tenets of remaking Final Fantasy 7. The doors are wide open for the Remake trilogy to be as surprising as it pleases, and for those willing to give it a chance, the more changes it makes, the better.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to release in Winter 2023 for PS5.
