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With the official reveal of Final Fantasy VII Rebirthduring Summer Games Fest, the time has come once again to start thinking about what Square Enix will and won’t be bringing back from the original game. As older fans are no doubt aware, Final Fantasy VII was a game that was stuffed with side-quests and mini-games, most of which are encountered only after Cloud and co. leave Midgar. It’s unlikely that Square Enix can bring everything back, but these are some of the highlights that must be hit.
Chocobo Breeding / Racing
As one of the most famous (or infamous) of Final Fantasy VII’s questlines, Chocobo breeding must make a return in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It probably can’t be a one-for-one recreation of the original questline and mechanics though, as it would likely wind up feeling too simplistic and/or unrewarding to feel worth the effort. A nominally-interactive racing game and a one-off purpose for the Gold Chocobo might have been fun in 1996, but that just isn’t going to cut it nowadays. This is good though, as it gives Square Enix a reason to flesh-out this questline and the surrounding content.
More races, more Chocobo stats, more interactivity and more uses/ places to go with each bird could very well all be on the table should Square Enix decide to implement this in the new game. In particular, it would be amazing to see a dungeon or even just a small area that required various breeds of Chocobo (or just one golden bird) to traverse and clear it. Hopefully Square Enix will really attempt to push the envelope with this one!
Dolphin Jump
While the dolphin jump was one of the more annoying events in Final Fantasy VII, it’s also one that has a lot of potential for a fun modern update. The key flaw in the event was the game’s combination of fixed camera angles and pre-rendered backgrounds. It was a great combination for most of the game, but here it caused all kinds of frustration. Those who’ve experienced this event probably remember enduring more than a little trial-and-error as they tried over and over again to find just the right spot to launch Cloud up to the steel beam overhead. The perspective being what it was, there was just no other way to accurately judge the jump.
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, though, Square Enix has the chance to not only turn this into a playable mini-game, but make it into a genuinely hilarious event. It could be transformed into a kind of aquatic obstacle course. Cloud could surf on the dolphin’s back as it avoids obstacles and gathers speed for a majestic leap! Who wouldn’t want to see that?
Junon Parade
The Junon Parade was just another silly one-off event in the original game, but it could wind up being something on par with Final Fantasy VII: Remake’sHoneybee Inn dancing eventif handled well-enough. All the ingredients are there: silly situation, goofy NPCs and a national broadcast for it all to play out on. This time instead of driving ratings with simple marching, Cloud and friends could send the ratings through the roof in more…outlandish ways.
Sure, their goal would likely still be to infiltrate and not draw attention to themselves, but then standing out a little bit was what ultimately earned players a nice prize from the showrunners. With that in mind, perhaps giving players the chance to add a little extra flair to the proceedings wouldn’t be too much of a stretch.
Snowboarding
Of the many one-off events and minigames in Final Fantasy VII, snowboarding near Icicle Inn is perhaps one of the more memorable. On the way to The Forgotten City, Cloud’s party passes through The Snow Fields before making a brief stop at the Icicle Inn. There they learn that there’s only one way down into the North Crater: snowboarding! It’s not just Cloud sliding across another pre-rendered background either, but rather a full-blown mini-game that looks not too dissimilar from the N64’s 1080 Snowboarding.
Of course, Final Fantasy VII isn’t a dedicated snowboarding game, so the mechanics are comparatively primitive. Nevertheless, it is a proper snowboarding game, and it’s something Final Fantasy VII Rebirth could really run with if Square Enix wanted to. Some simple trick mechanics could be added or perhaps even another course besides the one slalom run seen in the original. If nothing else, more big jumps for Cloud to style off of could inject a nice extra helping of hype into the event.
Submarine Game
Considering that this is a big part of the quest for the Huge Materia, it’s likely that the submarine will make an appearance in the remake series at some point. It’s initial form just tasks players with hunting down the Turks’ sub while avoiding obstacles revealed by sonar, but there’s also a slightly more in depth version available at the Gold Saucer afterward. 3D being what is was back in 1996, this game always felt like it wasn’t living up to its full potential, and that’s why the prospect of its return is so exciting.
Submarine games on their own are somewhat unusual in gaming, with many entries featuring subs only as an option rather than directly focusing on them. The original mini-game felt a lot like a simulator thanks to the sonar navigations and the need to match depth with the enemy subs, and hopefully Square Enix will attempt to push these ideas a bit further this time around. It wouldn’t have to be too much more complicated; more enemies, more hazards and better presentation would be enough. Throw in extra interior scenes when firing torpedoes or scoring hits and this could be just as iconic a moment in this new series as it was in the original game. Getting to see Cloud and the rest acting like a submarine crew would be a hilarious bonus for most fans too.
Frankly, there are so many little side games, one-off activities and bonus events in Final Fantasy VII that it’s almost impossible to bring them all back; even just getting all the major ones might be a tall order. While understandable, it’s still a shame since that means many people won’t get to see an awesome, modern take on something like the Excavation mini-game in Bone Village or the3D Battlergame at the Gold Saucer. Then again, Square Enix has made a show ofgoing all-out for this remake series, so perhaps it’ll cram in more than anybody expects.
