Summary
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will delve deeper into the character of Sephiroth, providing players with a closer look into his mind and his descent into darkness.
- The upcoming sequel aims to make players relate to and understand not only protagonist Cloud, but also Sephiroth, as they witness the latter's fall from grace.
- Final Fantasy 7 projects like Crisis Core and Ever Crisis have already explored Sephiroth's backstory, highlighting his friendships, childhood, and connection to his birth mother.
Director Naoki Hamaguchi recently teased how the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will continue to expand on the lore of the original game, such as giving players a closer look into the mind of archvillain Sephiroth. Final Fantasy 7’s sword-wielding main antagonist stands as one of the most memorable villains in the Final Fantasy franchise, if not gaming as a whole. As longtime Final Fantasy 7 fans know, Sephiroth was once the greatest warrior to come from Shinra’s SOLDIER program, until the shocking discovery of the twisted experiments that gave him his incredible powers drove him to instead destroy the planet he once swore to protect.
2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake saw Sephiroth emerge from the shadows much earlier than he did in the original 1997 classic, first appearing to torment protagonist Cloud Strife in visions before battling the party in the game’s final boss fight outside the city of Midgar. Early promotional materials for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth indicate that Sephiroth will continue to be a major threat in the upcoming sequel, which is only fitting given that the section of the old Final Fantasy 7 that Rebirth adapts contains the now-famous flashback to his fall to darkness in the doomed town of Nibelheim.
According to director Naoki Hamaguchi, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will offer up a deeper look at Sephiroth, and players might even come to sympathize with him somewhat. Hamaguchi recently sat down for an interview with Game Informer to discuss how players will witness the long-haired villain’s descent into evil. “Seeing Sephiroth discover the truth and fall further and further into darkness - like falling from grace - and depicting this in his expressions, I could truly feel bad for him. Throughout the course of Rebirth, I believe players will not only grow to relate to and understand Cloud, but also Sephiroth through this game much more.”
While Sephiroth’s appearance in the original Final Fantasy 7 was primarily centered around his villainous turn and the threat he posed to the planet, later Final Fantasy 7 projects would considerably flesh his backstory out and give players a look at his life as a hero. For example, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 showed his earlier friendships with fellow SOLDIER members Angeal Hewley and Genesis Rhapsodos, while Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis gave gamers a glimpse at Sephiroth’s childhood and his connection to his birth mother Lucrecia Crescent.
Throughout the course of Rebirth, I believe players will not only grow to relate to and understand Cloud, but also Sephiroth through this game much more.
Comments from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth creative director Tetsuya Nomura and a description of the game’s acts from the ESRB have implied that Rebirth will end with Sephiroth committing one of his most infamous acts from the original Final Fantasy 7, but before that it seems that players could get a closer look into his dark mind if Naoki Hamaguchi’s words are to go by. Fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see the man behind the monster, as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to launch on PlayStation 5 on February 29.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- 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
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.
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
