A new interview with Square Enix story and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's version of protagonist Cloud Strife would differ from his previous representation. Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be making a swath of changes to the original title's tried-and-tested formula, and many of them will be huge overhauls, like a dramatically different combat system and a more contained story due to the remake's episodic nature.
While Final Fantasy 7 Remake has looked great in preview events leading up to the game's release, the most consistent point of concern for long-time fans of both the series and this specific instalment of it is that it's making so many changes it may lose its original identity. Most of the time, concerns over specific elements of Final Fantasy 7 Remake are eventually assuaged by a new gameplay reveal that showcases how returning but reworked mechanics function - for instance, the demonstration on Final Fantasy 7 Remake summons was extremely well-received, and the changes being made to the materia system have looked much more palatable now that they've been discussed more by the developers.
One thing that hasn't been discussed at length is how different the portrayals of Final Fantasy 7 Remake characters might be, however, and it's clear from a new Square Enix-hosted interview that the team isn't afraid to make tweaks they believe will improve the narrative. According to Kazushige Nojima , who is returning from the original game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cloud is a character that the new title is able to explore better - which incidentally led to some changes to how he's exhibited. Nojima explained further:
"I have gone much deeper into the inner psychology of Cloud...In the original I depicted him as a cool and stylish character. However, this time, he can miss the mark and be a little cringe-worthy at times. His cool facade can often slip. Because he wants people to accept him and respect him, he puts on a front. So when he doesn't know something he just goes 'Not interested.' I have written him in a way that makes you think that 'not interested' might not be a cool thing to say, but can sometimes be a bit lame."
While it doesn't sound like the kind of major change that will dramatically shift player perception of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cloud, Nojima also added that he was already somewhat concerned over how fans will react to the subtle change in his portrayal, stating that he is "nervous about whether fans will accept [Cloud's changes] or not." That's likely justified given the amount of intense scrutiny that Final Fantasy 7 Remake will be under when it launches after a lengthy development period, but it isn't just Cloud that will be receiving changes in how he's portrayed. In the same interview, co-director Motomu Toriyama also revealed that Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Aerith will be getting more screen time and information revealed about her, and Nojima later added that character relationships are more at the forefront than ever before thanks to the amount of time the team has to develop them.
By all accounts, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Cloud will be a deeper, more interesting character, as will his teammates as they struggle under the thumb of the greedy Shinra Corporation. While changes to the characters of Final Fantasy 7 are something that some fans will likely be afraid of, it's worth noting that virtually every change the game has made and demonstrated has been positively received thus far, and just because they're changing doesn't mean they'll be any less intriguing. In fact, in the case of both Cloud and Aerith, it's quite possible that their Final Fantasy 7 Remake variants will be their most compelling yet.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake releases on PlayStation 4 on April 10, 2020.
Source: Square Enix