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Square Enix's Final Fantasy series is one of the stalwarts of gaming culture. Spanning multiple decades, entries, mediums, and genres, the franchise has created a dedicated fan base over the years and continues to produce award-winning installments to this day. With upcoming releases like Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth on the horizon, Final Fantasy fans still have lots to look forward to. Another offshoot of the ever-popular Final Fantasy 7 is the yet-to-be-released mobile game, Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis.
The developer has continued to supplement the original Final Fantasy 7 with spin-offs, remakes, and even films, really making the most of the story of Cloud Strife and his companions. Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, which should have a closed beta sometime this year, will compile almost all the games and stories that center around the original Final Fantasy 7's timeline into one mobile experience, but it also seems like it might tread some new ground. After a few hints and the release of the Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis 25th Anniversary Celebration Trailer, it seems like the upcoming game might feature a young Sephiroth.
Explaining Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis
Covering so much story content in Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis seems like a gargantuan task, but the game is being planned to release in monthly installments to give fans time to play through each episodic chunk. The mobile game will serve as a retelling of the main timeline of Final Fantasy 7, including various elements of its compilation like Advent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core, and Dirge of Cerberus. This will be a fascinating collection for Final Fantasy fans and will be the first time any gamers have been able to play through the events of the animated film Advent Children.
The inclusion of spin-offs like the Vincent Valentine-focused Dirge of Cerberus will also help flesh out the main timeline of Final Fantasy 7 and the characters that flit in and out of its expansive narrative. While fans are excited to relive a lot of the key events of the game and its associated parts, Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is also a chance for Square Enix to provide something new and exciting, like a more fleshed-out backstory for a certain sword-wielding antagonist.
How It Might Feature Sephiroth
With a scope that spans years before the start of the main Final Fantasy 7 game and encompasses years after the story events as well, Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is certainly ambitious. Adding new plotlines when the mobile game is already attempting to cover so many might seem like a tall order, but the glimpse of Sephiroth sporting shorter locks and not his usual iconic silver mane has piqued the interest of a lot of fans. Sephiroth's background isn't a complete mystery – as the main antagonist in Final Fantasy 7, Sephiroth gets his share of screentime and narrative focus. Players already know how the renowned former SOLDIER was driven mad when he learned of his true origins and began a murderous rampage.
However, Sephiroth's appearances have only ever really focused on his time as a SOLDIER when he was already a hero and decorated warrior, and then afterward when he'd had his fall from grace and descended into true madness as he pursued ultimate power and revenge. Players have never spent time with a young Sephiroth or seen how the troubled and solitary boy became the murderous villain. Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis' tease that the game will somehow explore Sephiroth's backstory in more detail is great news for fans of the series and of the infamous ex-SOLDIER who had such an impact on the franchise.
Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis will be available on Android and iOS mobile devices in 2022.