Summary
TheFinal Fantasy 7Remakeproject is nearly complete, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthset the stage for players’ trek toward the true Sephiroth at the Northern Crater. Followingthe events at the Forgotten Capital, the full party is complete, and while Yuffie and Cait Sith officially joined the playable party duringRebirth’s narrative, the remaining members, Vincent and Cid, only officially joined the group during late-game cutscenes. With only one entry left in the trilogy,Final Fantasy Remake Part 3will grant players their only chance to play as Vincent and Cid. As such,Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3needs to hit the ground running with one crucial mechanic.
Final Fantasy 7 RebirthcontinuedRemake’s streak of masterful reinterpretations of the original title’s key characters.Rebirth’s much broader narrative allowed for deeper and more complex arcs for its characters, particularly Barrett, Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith. However, this slower pace saw characters, such as Yuffie and Cait Sith, added to the party after many hours entry of playtime, and the full length ofRemake. While this new pacing is a key component toRebirth’s success, the mechanic of adding beloved original characters at a much slower pace leavesPart 3in an unfortunate situation.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Needs to Avoid Rebirth’s Slow Implementation of Characters
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s narrative puts Cloud and the party on a collision course with Sephiroth, after many of the original’s tangential storylines have already been concluded inRebirth. After waiting for two full games, fans ofCid and Vincentwill want every opportunity possible to play as their favorite party members and see them given the care and attention others have received in prior entries. The only way this can be accomplished is ifPart 3hits the ground running by making them playable immediately. With both characters featured prominently inRebirth’s final act, nothing is keeping the title from making them playable from the start.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Could Begin with a Focus on Vincent and Cid
One way thatFF 7 Remake Part 3could establish Cid and Vincent immediately is by including them as part of the game’s brief tutorial. Following the events at the Forgotten Capital,Part 3may start with a slow re-introduction atthe Icicle Inn. Here, the title can reintroduce key exploration and combat mechanics, likeRebirthbefore it, featuring Vincent and Cid. Not only does this quickly teach players the new party members new mechanics, but it establishes their official joining of the playable party in a way that doesn’t waste much time and doesn’t detract from the major events that will kick offPart 3’s core narrative.
Another way thatFF7 Remake Part 3could formally introduce Cid and Vincent to the party is by focusing on their pasts in flashback scenarios.RebirthandRemakeeach featured flashback scenarioswhile the party stayed overnight at an inn or residence. During the players’ time at the Icicle Inn, Vincent, who was a much smaller part ofRebirththan Cid, could introduce his backstory and become more ingrained in the overall narrative. It remains to be seen how and whenFF7 Remake Part 3will introduce Vincent and Cid as playable party members. FollowingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s introduction of the characters to the narrative,Part 3needs to make them playable from the start.
