Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s latest demo reveals content censored from the original game, disappointing Square Enix fans of female undergarments. The removal of Tifa’s iconic “orthopedic underwear” hints at more censorship in the game. The original scene, where Cloud returns to Nibelheim as a member of SOLDIER, allows players to explore his and Tifa’s hometown. In Tifa’s bedroom, players can browse her drawers, where Cloud originally received “orthopedic underwear.” However, the remake now has Cloud no longer pocketing Tifa’s panties, although she still scolds him for looking in her clothing drawers.
In an interview with Game Informer, Kitase mentioned feeling embarrassed by the game’s depiction of certain issues, although it has been accepted by many. “There were teams working on each character and the things that they say in the storyline, but then overall, Nojima-san was the final reviewer. That’s bringing the whole storyline together. That practice was carried on for future titles to have that cohesion. But besides that, it was sort of an ‘anything goes’ type of world then.”
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Tetsuya Nomura, the character designer and visual director for the original game, also discussed the development process for Square Enix and how Final Fantasy VII was a “mixed-element title” between older and newer development approaches.
“Even within the mainline Final Fantasy titles as a series, we can consider Final Fantasy VII to be this sort of midpoint title that’s in the middle of it all. Up to Final Fantasy VI, it was created in a certain way, and then from VIII, there was a brand new way of approaching development, whereas VII sort of sits between those two titles as a sort of mixed-element title.
[Final Fantasy] VI included a lot of elements that each department on their own, just on a whim, wanted to include, so they just included it, while VIII is much more calculated and strategized. VII is a mix of that, where it’s both calculated and kind of an at-a-whim type of development. If we made games like this the way we did when we were creating the original VII, we would be in a lot of trouble right now. Times have really changed. Beyond VII is the point where I’d say times have changed. It’s the last of the titles where we were able to do things that way.”
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Nomura alluded that sometimes there would be completely random changes:
“There were scripts and then suddenly things that are not even in the script that the character is now saying in the game that we’ve never even heard of. Some departments just wanted to include the character saying these things. It was that kind of world then.”
The Square Enix developers later discussed the original game’s themes, such as corporate greed, environmentalism, and mental health. Kitase believes that despite the game’s depictions being fictional, they still remain relevant and acceptable.
“In Final Fantasy VII, we were able to depict these types of issues, like the cycle of life, through the concept of Lifestream. If we were to depict it exactly as we experience it in the real world, it would not be very interesting. With Nojima-san’s ideas, we were able to have this centered on Lifestream and the planet within the worldview of Final Fantasy VII. In this way, I believe the game and its themes remain relevant and withstand the test of time.”
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Kitase states: “Considering the way to depict social problems, social issues, and cultural depictions, in some ways, I am a bit embarrassed by the original title. In its expression, in some ways, it was very young and naive in itself. That is a learning for us, but at the same time, I do believe that perhaps that is one of the reasons why it was so widely accepted. It’s not perfect, and it’s kind of uneven and jagged in its young and naive nature of its depiction. Of course, after [more than] 25 years, there is a lot of personal learning, changes, and growth. But looking back on it, some parts of it, I am a bit embarrassed.”
Such a quote will have some wondering if Game Informer translated it correctly or ended up “localizing” it, but considering Square Enix infamous “ethics department,” there is likely more truth to the quote than some would like.
Some changes include Cid no longer smoking cigarettes, which legitimately changes the authenticity and image of his character as he was typically shown smoking cigarettes to match his attitude. Square Enix’s infamous “ethics department” led to the Final Fantasy VII Remake changing numerous things, such as making the Honey Bee Inn “from a gender-free perspective” and “taking modern sensibilities” into account.
It remains to be seen who is directing these changes or censorship in remakes, remasters, and even brand new games, not just at Square Enix; but for now, the amazing remake of Final Fantasy looks to be an RPG gamer’s dream, whether dry or wet.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to launch on February 29th for PS5.
Are you excited for the new game, or is this going to be a hard pass? Let us know in the comments!
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