Anybody that lived as a gamer during the 90s probably played Final Fantasy. It was a legendary game during its time, but it was shockingly archaic by today’s standards.
Some of the limitations of the original game included the facts that:
- You could only choose four letter names for characters.
- There were only six character classes, a fighter, black belt, thief, white mage, black mage and red mage.
- The characters would have to choose which monsters to attack before their turn. If one of their allies killed a monster a character chose to attack, then the other character would still attack it.
- You couldn’t save your game unless you slept in an inn or bought a tent.
The Final Fantasy franchise has come a long way over the last 30 years. You can see this with the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
What You Need to Know About Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
This marks a pivotal moment for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and its cast of characters. After revisiting Cloud’s fragmented memories of the tragic events in Nibelheim five years prior and finding solace in a brief respite in Kalm, the game unveils its expansive scope and grandeur. Transitioning from the confined spaces of Midgar in the Remake, Rebirth opens up into a sprawling, open environment ripe for exploration. From the outset, Rebirth reaffirms its central message of environmental preservation, serving as a poignant reminder that amidst the pursuit of Sephiroth and the struggle against Shinra, the characters are united in their quest to save their ailing planet. This particular sequence stood out to me during the four-hour preview demo, encapsulating the quintessence of Final Fantasy 7 in a succinct scene.
In a discussion with Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi, he emphasized the game’s exploration of themes such as the societal impact of Mako energy in Final Fantasy 7’s world. Hamaguchi remarked, “This is an aspect that may not have been as visually pronounced in the original game, but in Rebirth, we dedicated considerable effort to portraying it. For instance, in the town of Kalm, which relies on Midgar for its Mako energy supply, players can observe the intricate network of pipes leading to Midgar from the clock tower.”
Reflecting on the passage of time since the original game’s release, Yoshinori Kitase, a veteran at Square Enix and producer of Rebirth, as well as the original director of Final Fantasy 7, pondered the continued relevance of the game’s environmental themes and their resonance with contemporary global climate issues. Kitase remarked, “These themes have not diminished with time; they remain as pertinent today as they were 27 years ago when we first conceived and launched the original game. We have translated and adapted these themes to fit within the world of Final Fantasy 7, and they continue to hold relevance in today’s world.”