As you may have heard by now, Square Enix is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy, and the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII specifically. A special anniversary celebration event has been under way in Japan, and we in the West have been sitting patiently, trying not to get our hopes too high. We have been waiting for any sliver of new information or footage pertaining to the Final Fantasy VII Remake, and while we didn’t get any bombshell announcements or new trailers, we did get this new key visual:
The changes are mostly welcome. Midgar looks incredible in its new rendering, bringing the semi-futuristic / lifestream-punk aesthetic to life with a much grittier feel. Cloud also looks much better than he has in past trailers and renders. He actually has a little muscle on him; he actually looks like he could have been a member of SOLDIER. The beefier arms and a more modest Buster Sword make for a more believable and less “anime” character overall.
Not everyone is happy to see the return of the one-winged Sephiroth. In the original Final Fantasy VII we never saw Sephiroth with his angelic wing until a certain, specific point in the game. It’s a very specific form, and not how we usually think of the character.
