Summary
Spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are ahead.Square Enix is still in the middle of creating what will be one of its most fondly remembered works years after it ends withFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and the yet untitled third installment that week to remakeFinal Fantasy 7for both old and new audiences. AfterRemakemade Midgar incredibly large and expansive,Rebirthlets fans revisit Junon, the Gold Saucer, and more in just as much detail. The developers at the helm of the project are extremely dedicated to bringing fan-favorite moments in games likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthto life and it shows.
This effort has most certainly played in Square Enix’s favor, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas been a hit with both critics and fans. If there was anything to criticize the game for it would be its lack of surprises for newer players despite how muchRebirthwas called an “unknown journey” with plenty of uncertainty. While there’s still room for a few more plot twists, as it isn’t entirely clear that Aerith is dead by the time the game ends, the entireFF7 Remaketrilogy will lead toAdvent Childrenwhen everything’s said and done, which makes it very clear that these remakes are still just remakes.
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Project Might Be Stuck With What Advent Children Requires
It’s understandable why the developers of the Remake project want to keep it in line withAdvent Childrenbecause the full-fledged sequel film to the originalFF7still means a lot to many fans. In order for this connection to hold, however, there’s very little room for things to change in terms of the trilogy’s ending which takes the wind out of the sails of much of its uncertainty, asAdvent Childrendeals with mourning important character deaths.
If anything, Aerith and Zack will still be dead, and Cloud may still have to deal with his grief due to feeling like even more of a failure after not having saved them both.
With this in mind, this leaves the entireRemaketrilogy in a bit of a tricky situation - one that is only compounded by the vague nature ofRebirth’s ending. After narrowly knocking Sephiroth’s sword away, Aerith should have been saved from the fatal blow, but realities clash between one where she lives and one where she dies,with Aerith’s fate remaining uncertainas everyone mourns her, but Cloud can still see her despite that.
Including Advent Children as the End of the FF7 Remake Trilogy Leaves Little Elbow Room For a New Ending
The upcomingthird installment of theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogyis likely to go in-depth with what exactly is happening to Aerith, and by extension, Zack and Biggs as well. However,Advent Children’s very obvious theme of Cloud having to mourn the loss of Aerith and Zack means that there are not many routes the story can take without breaking the continuity the devs seem to want to establish. If anything, Aerith and Zack will still be dead, and Cloud may still have to deal with his grief due to feeling like even more of a failure after not having saved them both.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthgives some hope that their fates may be changed just like the trilogy keeps teasing between each installment, though. With the introduction of the multiple worlds in which Zack and Biggs are still alive and are trying to save their fate, there could be an alternate ending in which Aerith still gets to live. She could easily remain in the other world along withFinal Fantasy 7’s Zackand still hold a connection to Cloud, explaining why he can see and hear them inAdvent Children. Even still, what theFF7movie already offers might keep the story of theRemaketrilogy rather predictable, but fans will just need to stay tuned to see how the ending really plays out in the next few years.
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.
