Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthdid an impeccable job of not only adapting a huge section from the original game but also adding its own spin to it, implementing new story beats and expanding on some that were left underdeveloped. As a result,Rebirth’snarrative remains one of the best in the series, even despite it being rooted in an already existing one. Of course, many are now wondering where the next and final entry in the trilogy could go - of course, those who’ve already playedFinal Fantasy 7will know exactly what’s coming up.
Warning. This article contains major spoilers for the ending of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and minor spoilers for the end of Final Fantasy 7.Part 3’sstory is complete, with Square Enix now moving onto the development stage. It is only a matter of time before we see what Tetsuya Nomura and Yoshinori Kitase have been cooking up. However, as excited as I am forPart 3, and as much as I’m certain it will do justice to both the originalFinal Fantasy 7experience and the remake trilogy’s new direction,I can’t help but feel like it would be making a crucial mistake if it didn’t change one massive story feature fromFF7 Rebirth.
Final Fantasy Rebirth’s Ending Sets Up The Tone For Part 3
Part 3 Is Shaping Up To Be Very Sad
FF7 Rebirth’svery anime endingis one of the game’s strongest aspects. It not only sees Cloud and co. navigate the treacherous temple of the Ancients, fend off Tseng and the other Turks, uncover the mysteries of the Ancients and their struggle against mankind, and delve deep into their individual traumas, but we also get to witness Cloud completely transform into Sephiroth’s puppet, Cait Sith die and be reborn, and the gang visit the tragedy-infused Forgotten Capital.
This is all before the iconic moment in which Sephiroth kills Aerith, something thatFF7 Rebirth’smany changesdrastically alter in this rendition of the legendary story.It culminates in an epic boss battle, all of which hits so much harder after the potentially 100 hours players have spent palling around with this collection of beloved and memorable charactersthroughout what can only be described as gaming’s best road trip. Of course, once the dust settles, we get to see Cloud descend even further into his delusion as he talks to a nonexistent Aerith as the others board Cid’s plane.
There’s a haunting pathos inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’sending, a dark and disturbing twist that makes one question exactly how its sequel is going to follow up. Naturally, those who have played the originalFinal Fantasy 7will know how Cloud’s journey eventually ends, but even then, the sweeping changes theRemaketrilogy has made could lead toPart 3’sendingtaking the story in any number of directions. However,there’s one key change thatPart 3needs to make to ensure that not only isRebirth’sending respected, but that the story ends exactly how it deserves to.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Needs To Have A Darker Tone
It Can’t Maintain The Same Happy Tone As Rebirth
Remakewas a somber exploration of Cloud, the horrifying oppression of Midgar’s people, and the corruption of Shinra. It was a hopeful experience, one that saw the actions of Avalanche feel like they could make a meaningful impact, that Cloud could open up to a new family, that they could all escape from Midgar and out into the beautiful world beyond.Rebirthtook that hope and ran with it, having its cast open up even further with one another, joke, laugh, and play. It was silly and fun and happy, even in the face of a great and evil adversity.
Of course,throughoutRebirth, there were moments of darkness, the same that hauntedRemakein its coldest moments. However,Rebirthalways managed to shove it aside and make you forget. While many may have seen this as amajor weakness ofRebirth, in many respects, it is one of its greatest strengths. It is what makes the game’s disturbing ending all the more impactful. However, all of that hard work will be undone in the tone ofPart 3fails to adapt. It cannot simply be a fun and lighthearted experience likeRebirth. It must be so much darker.
The lighthearted tone ofRebirthhas to be abandoned to keep up this feeling of hopelessness, not just to have the players feel the grief of each character, but also to make the final ending of the entire trilogy hit even harder.
With Cloud having completely given in to the delusion, Tifa distraught at the loss of her best friend, Sephiroth becoming more powerful than ever, and tensions between Shinra and Wutai at a boiling point, there’s little to laugh about.The lighthearted tone ofRebirthhas to be abandoned to keep up this feeling of hopelessness, to have the players feel the grief of each character, and make the final ending of the entire trilogy hit even harder. That means the fun minigames, goofy side quests, and jokey side characters must be dropped in favor of a far darker experience.
FF7’s Ending Points To Part 3 Being Darker
Cloud Goes Through A Lot
Fortunately,the originalFinal Fantasy 7ending points to this being a reality. Of course, all the aforementioned issues happening duringFF7 Rebirth’sendingalso happen during the same point inFinal Fantasy 7. There are even worse things coming Cloud and Co.’s way, including Sephiroth’s true power, the war between Shinra and Wutai, and the Meteor looming over the planet, as teased during the events ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. All of these things will occur inPart 3as well, and it’s likely that they’ll be handled with just as much severity.
Of course,Final Fantasy 7’soriginal ending had some lighthearted moments, and there are certainly times in which they can appear without completely ruining the flow of the narrative. However, for the most part, it feels as if these should be avoided. Not only would it makePart 3a completely different experience from bothRemakeandRebirth, but it would also help create a sense of cohesion between the three games that would make playing them back to back a far more enjoyable experience.
I’m personally excited to see how Square Enix handles Rebirth’s endinggoing intoPart 3. I have every faith that they’ll be able to pull it off and thatPart 3will make us all cry multiple times. We’re due a third act climax where everything feels like it’s at the brink of being lost, only for the heroes to band together and win despite the odds being stacked against them.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthshould remain the jovial footnote in this otherwise dark adventure, and for that to happen,Part 3has to be as bleak as possible.
