For me, the most powerful narrative beat in Final Fantasy VII isn’t actually Aerith’s tragic death scene. While that undoubtedly hits hard, what’s always resonated with me far more strongly is Cloud’s journey towards overcoming his trauma and deep-seated insecurities and ultimately discovering himself with the help of childhood friend Tifa. That arc has meant so much to me over the years, and it’s the single most important thing that I’ve been hoping Square Enix’s bold Final Fantasy VII Remake project will deliver on.
Based on my recent hands-on time with the final instalment in the trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, I’m feeling even more confident that director Naoki Hamaguchi and co. will stick the landing. Admittedly, I was conflicted on how 2024’s Rebirth handled Aerith’s fate, as murky and bombastic as that climax proved to be. But something both Rebirth and Remake have done beautifully is dramatically expand upon the exploration of Cloud’s ever-worsening fragile mental state, and my Revelation demo showed how Square Enix is continuing to push that forward.
My demo took place at some point in the game’s very first chapter, which, for those who’ve played the original FFVII, aligns with the beginning of the 1997 classic’s Disc 2. With Aerith gone, the party presses on to the Northern Crater in pursuit of Sephiroth. While I can’t speak to how the very opening of Revelation plays out (Rebirth did, after all, kick off with a surprise section featuring Cloud’s formerly deceased friend Zack), the section I played certainly excelled in creating a rich sense of dread.
Not only can you feel the absence of our favourite pure-hearted flower girl — the Icicle Frostbelt area leading up to the Crater is also truly ominous. For one, the party frequently points out how uneasy they feel, from the eerie juxtaposition of the stunning northern lights summoning frightening bolts of lightning and torrential bursts of wind along their path to having to skirt around the cloaked Sephiroth followers as they shamble along and succumb to the elements. Even if you’ve never played the original VII and are now along for the ride with the Remake trilogy, this opening stretch so perfectly sets the stage for the pivotal encounter with Sephiroth.
But of course, what’s most crucial is what this means for Cloud, and Revelation naturally twists the knife even further. The increasingly unhinged young swordsman is about to snap, especially as Sephiroth appears in his mind to have him question why he lacks the signature number that SOLDIERs like him are supposed to have. Here, new Sephiroth voice actor Travis Willingham (replacing Tyler Hoechlin from Remake and Rebirth) turns in an excellent performance, expertly capturing his smug and sadistic torment of Cloud. We also hear Cloud speak to Briana White’s Aerith, a nice touch to show how he still hasn’t come to terms with her passing.
The demo tantalizingly ends with a brutal tease, as Sephiroth lures the party into a conjuring of Cloud’s home of Nibelheim in which they’ll have to directly confront the past and what we’ve been told happened there across both Remake and Rebirth. Given how well these games have been unpacking Cloud’s descent into madness, I’m anxious to see how this essential scene plays out.
For now, though, I can revel in how fun it all is to play. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: the Remake games have my favourite action-RPG combat system of all time thanks to their masterful mix of real-time attacks and strategic, Active Time Battle-inspired menu options. Revelation, for its part, looks to build on that foundation in some smart ways.
First and foremost: Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine are playable at long last, and they’re even better than I’d hoped. In my party alongside Cloud, they contrast each other beautifully with their different playstyles that mix close-quarters and ranged combat. Vincent, naturally, is all about guns, using his trusty handgun to pepper enemies from afar, a barrage that smoothly continues as you dodge and Vincent stylishly slides while shooting.
And of course, Vincent can transform into monsters, with the Galian Beast (his initial Limit Break from the OG VII) being at the key of his kit. This hulking creature can unleash vicious claw attacks and combine flashy team-up Synergy moves to clear the battlefield. (Seeing Cid ride him as a mount as he slashes enemies with his spear is especially delightful.) At the same time, the Galian Beast fills a tiered Chaos metre that, upon meeting each level, will reduce Vincent’s maximum HP, a smart way to balance this mechanic and ensure you let it rip at the right times.
But as much as I loved Vincent, Cid was definitely the star of the demo for me. Dragoons have always been my favourite Final Fantasy class for their signature dazzling jumping abilities, and Revelation leans into that quite wonderfully. As you execute your basic melee attacks, a blue aura will appear at various points, and delaying your input accordingly will change Cid’s combo. This turns his spear into a truly devastating weapon of mass destruction, as you can seamlessly switch from focused jabs to area-of-effect swings. Cid’s unique ability, meanwhile, lets him mark enemies that he can then pounce on using the classic Dragoon Jump ability, the perfect way to close gaps in a pinch.
The only big question I still have about Revelation‘s combat is how the Function-Integrated Tactical Suitwear (FITS) system will pan out. This kind of gear is ostensibly a new version of the classic FF job system, allowing you to take characters like Cloud, who’s by default a swordsman, and imbue him with additional abilities from classes like the Black Mage. It’s a clever way to bring Jobs into the Remake series’ fluid and thrilling battles, but based on my Chapter 1 demo, with its relatively quick battles against simple enemies, I didn’t get a proper feel for what difference, if any, FITS will actually make.
Otherwise, I absolutely adored my demo. It’s clear that Revelation is furthering the magnificent character work from its predecessors while also shaking up the already-excellent party dynamics with two thrilling additions in Cid and Vincent. And while I’ve heard some mixed things about previous open-world demos of Revelation, I’m still beyond excited to eventually explore Gaia in the Highwind. (For what it’s worth, I’ve never agreed with most of the criticisms for Rebirth‘s quasi-open-world structure, given how refreshingly segmented, narratively rich and, most importantly, optional it all was, so I’m optimistic that Revelation won’t lose sight of that no matter how much bigger it is.)
All in all, it’s clear that Square Enix is treating this finale to an incredible saga with the weight it deserves, and based on this demo, I’m even more eager than I was to see it through to the end, as incredibly emotional as it inevitably will be.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation launches on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC on April 8, 2027.
Image credit: Square Enix
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