Final Fantasy 7 Remake does what very few remakes can do well: the precarious balancing act of keeping nostalgia for old content and introducing new content to keep it fresh. The Whispers in FF7 Remake are one such addition that help this balancing act work, even if it is somewhat meta, and one newcomer certainly helps keep it fresh: Roche. Be warned. this article contains MAJOR SPOILERS involving his character and the general story.
Players first meet Roche in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Chapter 4 during the brand new motorcycle segment, and he plays a role in whether or not players can unlock the Biker Boy trophy. Nonetheless, while many may be aiming for the trophy and trying to get through this segment relatively unharmed, Roche intends to steal the show.
FF7 Remake: Who is Roche?
Roche is a SOLDIER 3rd Class encountered by Cloud, Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs in chapter 4 of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Befittingly known as the Speed Demon, he is obsessed with speed, motorcycles, and competition and capable of insane maneuvers with his red, Shinra motorcycle. Much like Zack Fair in Crisis Core, he wields a SOLDIER issue broadsword, which is the first real indicator that his role in the story may be bigger than it at first seems.
Roche seemingly has a death wish, seeking thrill after thrill with high speeds, life or death competitions, and impulsive actions. Arrogantly, he stalks the Midgar train tunnels to take down those who drive it illegally, a strange position for the character in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. He also clearly has a flair for the dramatic, with lines like "want to ride to the end of the world with me?" and "until one of our flames is forever extinguished, our dance will never end!"
Truth be told, he seemingly toes the line between enemy and ally, perhaps more accurately described as a self-declare rival to Cloud. Their relationship, or what it exists of it so far, seems more like a Gary Oak-Ash Ketchum rivalry than, say, Cloud and Sephiroth. Overall, Final Fantasy 7 Remake's addition of Roche seems to be hinting at something more (described below).
FF7 Remake: Roche's Role in the Story
Somewhat surprisingly, Roche's role in the remake isn't as big as it initially seemed, though this could be due to the limitations of it being a remake. The FF7 Remake ending suggests that this won't be the case, so expect to see more of Roche in future releases. Otherwise, players will encounter Roche in chapter 4 and so on in the game. Players can hear Shinra operatives, who get wind of them being in the tunnels, talking about Roche arriving, and in a grand fashion, he does.
Roche challenges Cloud to a race, serving as a boss fight while on the back of the motorcycle, with Cloud eventually damaging Roche's bike enough to stop him. Roche is excited by this and promises to meet Cloud again. He then appears later, challenging Cloud to a 1v1 duel, before giving him and the others a chance to escape. He escapes but echoes the sentiment that the two will meet again, although Roche does not appear later in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
FF7 Remake Episode 2: Roche's Promise
While it's hard to predict how many episodes FF7 Remake will have, it's clear that Roche will likely return to fill out and potentially finish his role established in this game. There's a nice rivalry set up between them here, and with Roche's comments about a worthy rival and returning later, it would be surprising if the Speed Demon didn't return. Roche joins a relatively small group of important SOLDIERs such as Zack Fair and Angeal, and may potentially do as much for fleshing out Cloud's character as Zack.
The ending suggests that Zack may even be alive, not something that happened in in the initial Final Fantasy 7 timeline, so if Zack represents Cloud's past and character flaws, perhaps Roche can bring out the best in him. Either way, expect to see more of the Speed Demon in the future.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is out now for PS4.
