Square Enix showed up at The Game Awards 2023 ready to drop proverbial bombs. The Japanese gaming giant didn’t merely shadow drop the first of two upcoming DLCs for Final Fantasy 16 while announcing that the second one will be out by next year, but the company gave everyone what they wanted – more information about the event’s winner of the Most Anticipated Game award.
Square unveiled an exhilarating new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game in the FF7 Remake trilogy. This trailer not only heightened anticipation for the game but also introduced a stirring new theme song and hinted at intriguing plot developments and character revamps.
The new trailer presented a more comprehensive look at the game, featuring Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind. This was the first time fans got a proper glimpse at both in the upcoming entry, adding to the already high excitement that’s surrounding the game. The introduction of Cid generated interest among fans, with fans commenting on his new look compared to the original game. The reveal of Cid, who appears to have undergone a significant transformation from his original, rougher depiction, has been particularly well-received. This is noteworthy after Ganondorf and Pedro Pascal’s Joel Miller went viral for the same thing earlier this year.
Alongside the character reveals, the trailer also spotlighted No Promises to Keep, a captivating new theme song for the sequel, composed by the series’ long-standing composer, Nobuo Uematsu. The inclusion of this new theme, partnered with its performance by Aerith in the game, added a layer of depth and emotional resonance to the trailer, further elevating fan excitement.
The narrative elements teased in the trailer have sparked widespread speculation and discussion. A significant focus has been on Marlene’s interaction with Zack, where she makes a cryptic reference to a future event involving Aerith. This is leading to theories about possible deviations from the original Final Fantasy 7 storyline, particularly Aerith’s demise. It reinforces theories that the game will explore alternate timelines or realities, as shown by Stamp’s different variantions, which vary between a beagle and a terrier in different scenes. Many have started to refer to the “original” timeline as the Beagle timeline while others are calling the alternate timeline where Zack survives as the Terrier timeline.
Ultimately, what this detail seems to be hinting at is a complicated narrative structure involving multiple timelines and, possibly, universes, a theme first introduced in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
A plausible theory is that the two Sephiroths from the different timelines don’t see eye to eye and are either working to foil each other’s plans or just pretending to work together or are outright enemies. Either would make for an interesting twist that could potentially lead to Sephiroth possibly joining the party if only temporarily.
Something more far-fetched but not impossible is that Aerith’s survival might be the goal of both Sephiroths. As hinted at many times throughout FF7 Remake, the Sephiroth you fight throughout the game has knowledge of future events. They’re either from the future or know what’s going to happen. Regardless, the former 1st class SOLDIER might believe that keeping Aerith alive is key to him successfully accomplishing Meteor and merging with the planet’s lifestream.
Without Aerith “directing” the lifestream to work against Sephiroth, Cloud Strife and the rest of the party have no other alternatives when the White Materia fails. The appearance of the whispers in several scenes throughout FF7 Remake and the trailer lends weight to this theory as Sephiroth has basically been telling the group that they can “defy” fate” and defeat the Whispers.
If this is true, it would make for a bittersweet and equally heartbreaking moment when the party finds out that Aerith or, maybe even including Zack, has to die for the timeline to “reset” and follow the original events so Sephiroth doesn’t succeed.
Ultimately, FF7 Remake’s approach to storytelling paves the way for new and never-before-seen content. The possibility of the inclusion of elements from other Final Fantasy 7 spin-offs, namely CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION and Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis suggests that Rebirth and the upcoming threequel will expand upon the universe in novel ways.
With FF7 Rebirth scheduled for release on February 29, 2024 on PlayStation 5, the wait won’t be too long.
As the release date approaches, more details are likely to emerge, shedding light on how this ambitious generational project will continue the legacy of one of the most iconic games in the RPG genre.
