Highlights
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake sets up Rebirth with unanswered questions and teases, including the late-game party member Red XIII.
- Red XIII's lack of playability in Remake was likely to avoid dragging on the final act, but Rebirth all-but-guarantees he will be fully playable.
- Fans can expect a huge focus on his character arc and birthplace, Cosmo Canyon. This will likely make Red XIII a show stealer in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
The upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is aiming to fulfill quite a lot of promises. It seeks to dive deeper into the consequences Cloud and his party are facing after taking out the Arbiters of Fate in the previous entry to the Remake Project, wants to deliver plenty of fun action-packed moments, and needs to make the world of Gaia more large and expansive than it has ever been previously.
From the very beginning, it was known that Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth would be two parts of a trilogy, and nothing is more telling of this design mantra than the exact way that FF7 Remake ends its story to set up Rebirth. It provides fans with more questions than answers, heavily teasing what's yet to come. For example, the late-game party member of Remake, Red XIII, is a walking teaser for Rebirth.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Red XIII's Lack of Playability
In chapter 17 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, players get to meet the last member of the PS1 game's early party as a late-game addition. This character would be Red XIII, a quadrupedal lion (or wolf, depending on the fan) who is a fan-favorite among the crew. Red XIII's inclusion in FF7 Remake wasn't at all a surprise, as cutscenes featuring the animal party member were featured in trailers closer to release. However, while Square Enix made sure to use what little screen time Red XIII had to its advantage, players were surprised to find that the creature wasn't a proper party member, but a guest character that helped with specific quests and plot beats in the final act.
There are many reasons for this change, and Red XIII is guaranteed to be playable in FF7 Rebirth. His guest character status in Remake was likely a careful decision to avoid causing the final act of the game to drag on too long. When looking at what occurred in the original game, however, it's easy to see that most of the spotlight will be on Red XIII in the second installment.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Eventual Cosmo Canyon Visit
As Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth takes Cloud and company away from Midgar and into the continents of Gaia proper, there are plenty of iconic FF7 locations that fans want to see in the open-world-like detail Remake offered to players. However, in the latest trailer for Rebirth, Bugenhagen can be seen, who is a character players only meet in Cosmo Canyon, Red XIII's birthplace.
Cosmo Canyon is not only where the former research subject was born, but it is also the largest point in the game where his character arc is explored, going into who he is beyond what he tells Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith when he first joins the party. Th game goes into Red XIII's character motivations and past while solidifying him as a permanent member of the Final Fantasy 7 party after everything is said and done.
It's an emotional part of the game within a beautiful location that has been all but confirmed to be in Rebirth as of the latest trailer, no matter which order FF7 Rebirth's settings are discovered in. Red XIII fans have plenty of reason to be excited for Rebirth, as not only will the creature likely be a playable member of the party once again, but his home will be developed beyond the original game and the spotlight will likely be on Red XIII for the entire duration.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to release on PlayStation 5 in early 2024.
