Final Fantasy VII Revelation closed the latest State of Play showcase with an extended look at the final entry in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. The April 8 release date was the headline announcement, but the nearly 10-minute presentation also revealed new details about exploration, party control, quests, minigames and post-launch content.
Here are the 12 most important points from the deep dive. For more gaming and industry coverage, visit RETROCADE’s Arcade Blog.
1. The Highwind can drop you anywhere in the world
The Highwind airship appears to provide the broadest form of travel yet seen in the remake trilogy. Footage shows the player flying across the open world before diving from the air and landing in an area below, giving exploration a particularly open-ended feel.
2. Pico is both a Chocobo mount and party member
Pico, the player’s Chocobo companion, has two roles. You can ride the bird across the landscape and fight from its back, or dismount and continue battles on foot. Pico also functions as a playable member of the party.
3. FITS gives characters four alternative roles
The new FITS system allows each character to use one of four outfits that change their available abilities and techniques. The choices are Warrior, Knight, Black Mage and Summoner. The presentation showed only some of these options, while confirming that Summoners can work with summonable entities and Knights lean towards defence.
4. The Highwind becomes a mobile headquarters
The airship is more than a transport method. It serves as a base where the party can regroup, and its state will change as the story progresses. The presentation did not clarify whether this means new crew members, departing characters or additional facilities, but the ship is clearly intended to develop alongside the adventure.
5. You can switch between most of the party while travelling
During much of the game, players can choose which available character to control and adjust their party around that choice. Footage shows characters being swapped on the fly, allowing players to spend substantial time with their preferred hero. Major story sequences may still impose specific characters, and Aerith is not part of this freely controlled group.
6. A camera lets Yuffie photograph Wutai’s cats
While exploring the capital of Wutai, Yuffie uses a camera to take photographs of domesticated cats. The footage confirms a lighter sightseeing activity, although it does not establish whether larger creatures or bosses can also be photographed.
7. Yuffie uses a grappling hook for faster traversal
A grappling hook gives Yuffie a quick way to cross parts of Wutai’s capital. The tool appears designed to make movement through the wider environments more dynamic and reduce the distance between areas.
8. Rocket Town is finally part of the adventure
Players will be able to visit Rocket Town, Cid’s hometown, for the first time in the remake trilogy. Although the location was mentioned rather than shown in the trailer, it is confirmed as one of the new areas in Revelation.
9. The wider Final Fantasy VII universe is represented
Square Enix says characters from across the Final Fantasy VII compilation will appear. The example given was Cissnei, who was previously seen in Rebirth. It remains uncertain whether the statement points to characters from several games and other media, or mainly to returning figures from the remake trilogy.
10. Cutscenes can be played at increased speed
An optional playback setting will let players watch cutscenes at faster speeds, similar to adjusting a YouTube video or podcast. It may be useful for repeat playthroughs, though the sped-up dialogue shown in the presentation was difficult to follow.
11. Some quests change with the lead character
Character choice can affect both the story and gameplay of certain sidequests. One example presents a mission led by either Cid or Vincent: the selection determines whether the situation is handled on foot or while riding a Chocobo.
12. Queen’s Blood returns with a Red XIII storyline
Rebirth’s card game Queen’s Blood is coming back. This time, Red XIII will headline a dedicated Queen’s Blood substory and face new opponents whose strategies can substantially alter how the game is played.
Post-launch story expansions are planned
Square Enix has also revealed at least two story expansions for after launch. One will focus on Sephiroth, while the other explores Vincent’s relationship with the Turks before the events of Final Fantasy VII.
With aerial traversal, a changing airship base and quests shaped by character selection, Final Fantasy VII Revelation is positioning its open world as the largest and most flexible part of the trilogy. Readers interested in dedicated gaming setups can also browse RETROCADE’s arcade machine buying guide, explore arcade cabinets or consider a compact option from the bartop arcade range.
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