June was a big month for major video game reveals and announcements, and the Final Fantasy VII anniversary stream used its brief runtime to pack it with exciting announcements. The biggest of which, of course, is the second installment in the Remake series titled Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
A lot of speculation on Reddit has expectedly arisen about what and how much will it change from the original story, but many are still optimistic over the possible new additions and what they hope to see from the game. Some major hopes include the trilogy format being sizeable enough for the story and new playable characters.
Rebirth & The Finale To Be Big Enough For The Rest Of The Story
While the Remake series is looking to take some new narrative directions, the core of the story will still need to fit the trilogy format Square Enix has opted for. The original PlayStation game was spread across three discs, but it's unknown how any potential changes will dictate how much story is left.
Redditor TemurTron said, "I wonder how they'll finish the full story in just two more games, both are going to have to be HUGE." It was unclear not long ago how many entries Square Enix would settle on, and if they'd go for more but smaller entries for development to be faster. But with a trilogy now set, fans are hoping Rebirth and the trilogy closer will be substantive enough.
Pick Up The Overall Story's Pace
The original game was acclaimed for having one of the best stories in the Final Fantasy series, and fans surely hope that this Remake series will pace itself accordingly with its story. At the same time, some fans are excited at the idea of Rebirth getting into the thick of this narrative.
Redditor AndSpaceY was satisfied with the trilogy confirmation, saying "I am glad they finally plotted how many parts this remake would be and that it’s not going to be several installments," and that "that means they will really be picking up the pace in the story." There was some admitted light apprehension over how Zack would be used, but the prospect of finally getting into the meat of this overarching story is exciting to many fans.
Zack Fair Having A Bigger Presence
Some fans still aren't sure what to make of Zack Fair's potential role in Rebirth and beyond, but since he's a beloved protagonist in one of the best Final Fantasy spinoffs, others are excited about the possibilities. Redditor TlMB0 was satisfied with the emphasis on him in the trailer, saying "Big presence of Zack in the trailer. Today was a big win for us Zack fans, boys."
In the original game, Zack's role was minimal since he died before the events of the game and was confined to revelatory flashback sequences for Cloud, with his full backstory not being fleshed out until Crisis Core. It's certainly a creative risk to possibly bring him back into the fold, but the argument can be made that the rewards could be great.
Getting To Play As Sephiroth
Ever since the original Final Fantasy VII launched on the PS1 in 1997, Sephiroth easily cemented himself as one of the most iconic villains in gaming, let alone the franchise. His character design and Masamune longsword are instantly recognizable, and fans like Redditor crystalpink7 hope that "Sephiroth will be playable."
It might be a long shot, but given the sequence shown in the trailer and the original's Nibelheim flashback, perhaps Square Enix will include him as a temporary playable character. Regardless, it would be thrilling to play as Sephiroth in a reasonably contained capacity for a tasteful dose of fan service.
Dive Deeper Into The Lore Behind The Nibelheim Clones
There's still plenty of discussion and debate over how much and where Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will change the original story. However, aside from outright changes, these games can afford to hone in on certain parts of this world's lore.
Redditor jmgrice likes the idea that "they're gonna delve deeper into the Nibelheim clones bit," adding that they thought "It was too thin in the original." Given that the flashback to the Nibelheim Incident and the revelations behind Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zack's back stories will happen at some point in Rebirth, this is a welcome narrative element to expand the worldbuilding with.
Using Unreal Engine 5 On The PS5
It's unfortunately still difficult for players around the world to get their hands on a PS5 due to shortages, though, hopefully by the time Rebirth launches these consoles will be more readily available. Technologically speaking, it's for the best so that the upcoming game can take full advantage of the newest generation of consoles' hardware.
Redditor Malicious_In_Tents expressed excitement over the prospect, saying "since it's PS5 exclusive they might be using Unreal 5." There's a lot of excitement surrounding the latest iteration of Epic Games' in-house game engine, as it's poised to be a major evolution in how ambitious modern games and hardware can get.
Getting To Play As Zack
Even outside of the long-awaited Final Fantasy VII Rebirth trailer, Zack got a welcome share of the spotlight during the anniversary stream. A surprise remaster of the original Crisis Core - subtitled Reunion --was confirmed to much fan delight, and some are hoping that means bigger things for Zack's appearance in Rebirth.
Redditor crystalpink7 also hoped Zack would be a playable character since it looks like his death in the original might not be so final anymore. The upcoming remaster should be a great Final Fantasy game for beginners to the franchise, which would make the timing of him joining the main cast's party in Rebirth all the more timely.
Proper Gameplay With Red XIII
Final Fantasy VII Remake focused on a tight cast of playable party members: Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith. Yuffie and more were introduced in the INTERmission DLC, but fans are already hoping for that roster to expand in Rebirth's main game. Redditor Shinramyun777 reacted simply to the trailer, saying "Red XIII gameplay footage pls."
Red XIII was a technical extra party member in Remake's main game when Cloud and co. discovered him in Hojo's lab, but he strictly joins the party as a non-playable character. But now with that first act of the trilogy finished and Red has time to be part of the party properly, longtime fans will be expecting him as a playable member.