Matthew Mercer, the prolific voice actor who played Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, recently discussed how he first found out who he would be voicing and how much it took him by surprise. While Vincent Valentine was an optional, missable party member in the original Final Fantasy 7, he played a major role in the backstory and larger expanded universe of the original game, quickly becoming a fan favorite that gamers couldn’t wait to see again in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Sure enough, it was confirmed that Vincent Valentine would return in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in a pre-launch trailer back in September, and fans had already suspected that Matthew Mercer was the voice of the former Turk agent-turned-tragic Shinra experiment even before his casting was officially revealed. Mercer was already a well-known name thanks to his work as the DM for the popular Critical Role web series alongside a host of video game voice roles like Yusuke Kitagawa in Persona 5 and Ganondorf in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. At the time, many players agreed that his deep tone was a great fit for the troubled-yet-stoic Vincent.
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Several members of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth English voice cast recently sat down to discuss their roles during Square Enix’s "Inside Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth" video series, including Matthew Mercer. As he tells it, Mercer was initially unaware that he was going to be playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Vincent Valentine, as he was originally called on to voice random NPCs. Footage of when he found out his actual role is included in the video, showing him laughing in shocked amazement as Vincent’s image appears on the screen.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Was A Dream Job for Matthew Mercer
In the same video, Matthew Mercer describes how he was a longtime fan of Final Fantasy 7, and that he had dreams of lending his talents to a potential remake ever since he first started voice acting. He also noted Vincent’s role in the larger Final Fantasy 7 universe, serving as a prime example of Shinra’s ruthlessness in experimenting with forces beyond its control - and how these machinations are coming back to haunt the company in the present day.
Before Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Mercer had worked on previous Final Fantasy games like 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake, usually voicing minor characters and NPCs. He initially believed he was doing similar work in Rebirth, only to find out in the recording studio that he was instead bringing one of the franchise’s biggest characters to life for a new generation. These players can now hear Matthew Mercer as Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and it stands to reason he may reprise his role in the third Final Fantasy 7 Remake game.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 40 Hours
- Metascore
- 93
