Contents
News: Red XIII
Music of the Week: The psone original version of Prelude
Final Fantasy Thoughts: The Big Moments
Final Fantasy 101: Barret & AVALANCHE
News
We have finally seen the gorgeous Red XII in a recent trailer. But we have since learnt that the party favourite will not be playable in this first instalment of the Final Fantasy VII saga.
Red will fight alongside you in battle but will be strictly AI controlled. This makes complete sense as in the original he doesn't appear until the very end of the Midgar story line, which as we know is the end of this first instalment of FFVII.
For those new to FFVII and unsure what I am referring to here, the remake of FFVII is being split up in to separate instalments, which is something I will be delving more into next week.
Music of the week
Here is the original version of FFVII's "Prelude" to compare it to last weeks Remake version:
Final Fantasy Thoughts: The Big Moments
The one thing the demo has made me think about more than anything else, is how much more epic all the big moments will be from the original game. The scorpion guard boss is the perfect example of this. The only strategy needed in the original was to stop attacking when the boss raised it's tail. This simple battle has now become a flashy multi staged fight that requires much more thought to achieve victory.
If that's the amount of detail they've added to just the opening mission, the mind can't help but wonder how they may have updated other grand moments through out the game. So here are my top three moments I can't wait to see re-imagined:
Wall Market - The location of the legendary Honey Bee inn. This is where we get to complete small tasks and mini games to get the best outfit for Cloud to dress up as a lady.
When the remake was announced, one of the first questions many asked, would the game still keep the cross dressing and Honey Bee Inn scenes, and if so, how would they deal with the scenario in a modern game. We have had some hints courtesy of a recent trailer
Assault on the Pillar - One of the biggest moments of the Midgar section from the original game. I don't want to talk too much about it here; as I am trying to keep a good balance about spoilers for those who have never played it. But just from playing the demo alone I can already feel how much bigger the stakes will be.
Shinra HQ - The Headquarters themselves; that giant tower looming in the centre of Midgar. In the original there were so many interesting floors to explore but it was a mostly top down affair. Even if it kept to the original layout, just seeing it in the new engine will be treat enough, but here's hoping there is much more.
From recent news we have learnt there is at least one new floor designed specifically to utilise Red XIII skills, though they are keeping tight lipped about exactly how this will work.
Final Fantasy 101
Every week we will be taking a little look at characters we've seen so far in the demo, to give you a bit of background ready for when Final Fantasy VII is released. This week we take a look at Barret and the rebel group AVALANCHE.
Name: Barret Wallace
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Birthday: December 15th
Blood type: 0
Height: 197cm
Hometown: Corel
Weapon: Gun-arm
"Barret is the 35 year old leader of the rebel team known as AVALANCHE. He leads the team in the quest to stop Shinra's Mako reactors and save the life of the planet. Althought he is truly devoted to his team, Barret often regrets having to leave his young daughter, Marlene, alone or in the care of others. Barret's motives are unclear, but most believe that Shinra was somehow responsible for the death of his wife." - extract taken from Official Final Fantasy VII strategy guide
Barret is the second party member you get to control in the demo, he specialises in long range attacks, and comes across a bit Mr T at times. Like Cloud; Barret has a very interesting past; but we probably wont get to see much of it until the second part of the adventure.
The AVALANCHE Rebel group
"Sensing a looming crisis, a group of rebels formed an anti Shinra movement called AVALANCHE in the City of Midgar and began to oppose the company's efforts." - extract from final fantasy ultimania archive volume two
Gender: Female
"The AVALANCHE hacker who's adept at forging ID cards and crafting explosives. She is saved by Cloud during the mission at Mako Reactor 1 and becomes interested in him. Jessie can be foolish at times." - extract from final fantasy ultimania archive volume two
Gender: Male
"The short, plucky member of AVALANCHE, kind and good natured, he is reluctant to take radical action. He tends to sample to much of Tifa's food, and worries he's growing a bit too plump" - extract from final fantasy ultimania archive volume two
Gender: Male
"A member of Barret's resistance group AVALANCHE. Serious and straightforward, he is devoted to saving the planet. Biggs looks out of others but strictly maintains organisational hierarchy. His only weakness is his loss of control when drinking" - extract from final fantasy archive volume two
Two interesting facts about Biggs and Wedge. If you think you recognise the names, it's because they are named after two characters in the original Star Wars. The other interesting fact is the names Biggs and Wedge show up many times throughout the Final Fantasy series, along with Cid - a character that unfortunately we may not get to see for quite some time.
Next Week
Next week I will be sharing my thoughts on how and why they are splitting up the original game and releasing it in parts. And in FF 101 we will be taking a look at Aeris, the mysterious flower girl.
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