My expectations for Final Fantasy VII Revelation were mixed. While the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy has delivered a strong combat system, its long, padded structure and reluctance to fully explore its most intriguing metatextual ideas have been frustrating. Even so, a short demo of one of the final game’s early sections produced a genuine surprise.
That surprise was Cid Highwind. The foul-mouthed pilot first appeared in 2024’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but Revelation marks the first time Cid and Vincent Valentine can be played in this action-focused reinterpretation of the original game’s turn-based combat.
After only a brief session, both characters stood out as two of the most compelling members of the party. I have generally defaulted to Cloud because he is familiar and straightforward, but Cid and Vincent may finally encourage me to spend more time learning the strengths of the wider roster.
The trilogy’s combat remains one of the strongest versions of Final Fantasy battle design. It combines the planning associated with turn-based games and the immediacy of an action system. Every character handles differently, switching between party members is important for powerful Synergy attacks, and shared resources create meaningful decisions during real-time encounters.
However, the first two games never gave me a character I wanted to use as a true main. I usually selected whichever fighter the game placed in front of me. Cid changed that almost immediately.
Cid makes mobility the main attraction
Cid is a Dragoon who fights with a spear, and his abilities revolve around launching himself across the battlefield before bringing his weapon down on enemies. His Jump attacks let him cover large distances quickly, making it easy to reach priority targets and pressure opponents from almost anywhere.
The previous games were already brisk action RPGs, so Cid’s speed is especially striking. He can reposition rapidly, switch focus between enemies and build stagger pressure with a level of freedom that feels unusual within the existing roster. His movement gives every encounter a stronger sense of momentum.
Vincent brings two fighting styles
Vincent is just as distinctive, although his differences initially appear more familiar. His handgun suggests a role similar to Barret’s ranged gunplay, but Vincent can also transform into the Galian Beast, shifting into a far more aggressive and vicious form.
That effectively makes him two characters in one. After playing him, it was difficult not to see the earlier ranged specialists as less appealing by comparison. Whether that is power creep or simply the advantage of being designed later, Cid and Vincent made an immediate impression during the roughly half-hour demo.
New characters, deeper systems
Some of this may be a natural consequence of building a sequel. New characters often need more elaborate mechanics to maintain interest after players have spent years with the same cast. The contrast was clear when I returned to Cloud, whose core approach remains much the same as it was in Remake.
It is a familiar pattern in character-driven games, including hero shooters and MOBAs: later additions can feel more complex and inventive than the original lineup. Revelation appears to be addressing that issue for its returning heroes through the FITS system.
FITS can be equipped by any character and grants job-based abilities. In the demo, Cloud used the Summoner FITS, allowing him to call magical allies such as Shiva and Titan into battle. That gives a character I had already become comfortable with a new layer of possibilities.
Still, the most tempting option was obvious: equip the same system to Cid, summon powerful creatures and continue hurling a spear at enemies. For players who enjoy experimenting with party builds, FITS could help keep familiar characters useful throughout the final chapter.
A promising final chapter
The story remains a concern. The Remake project’s hesitation to commit to some of its narrative ideas may still affect how satisfying parts of Revelation feel, regardless of the choices Square Enix makes in this concluding instalment.
From a gameplay perspective, however, the demo suggests an exciting adventure. Cid and Vincent add fresh reasons to revisit the party system, while FITS gives established characters more room to evolve. The main remaining question is whether the game’s abundance of minigames will interrupt that momentum once the full journey begins.
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