Summary
The release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the sequel toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, is just around the corner, andFinal Fantasyfans as well as many newcomers are anxiously awaiting its arrival. The upcoming game promises to deliver an even better experience than its predecessor, along with being a massive overhaul to the original 1997 classic.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthmay be one of the biggest games of 2024, but it hasn’t been able to make it to its February 29th release date without a little controversy. After the recent release of the game’s demo, which covers the full game’s introduction, many players noticed some rather distinct yellow paint that happens to be a common, albeit scoffed at, feature in modern action-adventure games.
Explaining Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Yellow Paint Controversy
Yellow paint in games, otherwise known as “signposting,” is often used to indicate objects that can be interacted with. Developer of theUnchartedseries andThe Last of Us,Naughty Dog uses the color yellowin this way to direct players toward objects of interest. This allows players to more easily recognize these objects, and it is especially helpful when it is used to indicate points where players can climb, as it is inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Fairly early on in theFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdemo, players are required to climb up a rock wall, and the ledges that Cloud can grab onto are marked with yellow paint. This was undoubtedly implemented in the game to give players a better idea of what they need to do next when approaching the wall.
Although some fans believe signposting can be a very helpful feature ingames with parkourand climbing mechanics, others feel it robs them of immersion. ManyFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthfans have already expressed their hatred for the yellow paint found in the demo, as they believe it only serves as a distraction from the game’s otherwise visually impressive world. Essentially, to those fans, the paint makesFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthlook and feel more like a video game and less like a virtual reality entirely separate from their own.
Why Yellow Paint and Signposting Being Controversial in FF7 Is Not New
This isn’t the first time in recent memory that signposting has ignited controversy among the gaming community, as Capcom’sResident Evil 4remake used signposting to mark climbable laddersand to indicate breakable crates and barrels with yellow paint. This design choice was so controversial that modders began creating mods that removed the yellow paint from the game entirely, to the point that the developer felt it had to respond in defense of the game’s signposting. Creative director Damion Schubert chimed in on the controversy, suggesting that yellow paint is not what breaks immersion — “Trying to open 30 doors to find one we can go through breaks immersion because the tedium of the experience calls attention to the faults of the simulation.”
To Schubert’s point, signposting can make gameplay feel like a more streamlined experience. Retro games are often known to leave players stranded for hours while they discern where to go or what to do next, and using something like yellow paint can therefore make their next objectives a little more clear. The same could be said aboutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s massive open worldor its use of signposting, which is also influenced by the latter.
Unfortunately for those who have disdain for the yellow paint, the paint’s appearance inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s demo can only mean it will likely be used regularly throughout the full game. However, those who may find it difficult to determine where they can climb and/or what terrain they can traverse without the paint will likely find it to be a welcome addition to the game.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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.
