Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade's Yuffie Episode will see the return of a familiar antagonist from Dirge of Cerberus. Weiss, a puffy-haired, charismatic villain, was once a member of SOLDIER and commanded the forces of Deepground throughout Dirge of Cerberus. He is also the leader of a special SOLDIER group call the Tsviets. He will be returning to the series in FF7 Remake Intergrade, but Weiss' design has been modified from his previous appearances, with a new jacket covering up his usually shirtless torso.
When players meet Weiss as Vincent Valentine in Dirge of Cerberus, he wears nothing but a pair of pants and boots. His torso remains bare, exposing his muscled body. He carries a pair of guns that also double as swords and sports a mane of spiked, white hair. However, in FF7 Remake Intergrade, Weiss has been given a more modest outfit that includes a jacket with a high collar, potentially confusing fans who have seen him before.
Speaking to Weekly Famitsu, Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura said the change was done for a simple reason. Weiss appears in FF7 Remake Intergrade as a hidden boss, and Nomura wanted to update the original design of the villain to give him "a bit more of a rich visual appearance." The change has the side effect of making Weiss better fit the new visual style of FF7 Remake.
FF7 Remake Intergrade Will Feature Weiss As A Hidden Villain
While not much is known about the role Weiss will play in the DLC, aside from him being a hidden boss, he won't be the only familiar character making an appearance. FF7's Yuffie Kisaragi will be entering the story with her own DLC "episode," in which players can play as her as she and her crew infiltrate Shinra to find the "ultimate materia." There is a possibility that this is a reference to the Proto Materia in Dirge of Cerberus, bringing in another connection to Weiss' original game.
FF7 Remake Intergrade and the Yuffie DLC will be exclusive to PlayStation 5. This could be bad news for fans, as worldwide PS5 console shortages have been ongoing since fall 2020. Fans who want a firsthand look at Wiess' new design and Yuffie's special episode in FF7 Remake Intergrade will want to make scoring a PS5 a top priority before summer so that they're ready to play when the DLC releases.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will launch for PlayStation 5 on June 10, 2021.
Source: Weekly Famitsu