Summary
Last year Square Enix deliveredFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment of the modern reworking of its landmark 1997 seventh numbered entry in the series. Continuing Cloud Strife and his close-knit circle of friends' tale as they reckon with Sephiroth’s machinations as well as their own demons,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas much larger in scope than 2020’sFF7 Remake, which focused mainly on the party’s journey through the city of Midgar and its surrounding area. Both titles, though, had numerous twists and turns, upending and subverting expectations regarding the original story and characters.
The final entry in the updated trilogy will contain well-known later game content, likeThe Highwind airship. In addition, players can expect to see the Weapons, some of the famously toughest boss encounters inFF7and throughout the entire series. These were briefly glimpsed inRebirth, and given how Square Enix so far has reimagined various aspects, it can look to combine recognizable elements of the original Weapons' designs withFinal Fantasy 16’s Eikons to make the former all the more memorable inFF7 Remake Part 3.
Development onFinal Fantasy Remake Part 3is progressingsmoothly according to studio officials, with a potential release in 2027.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s Weapon Boss Encounters Could Be Redesigned to Resemble FF16’s Eikons
Final Fantasy 7’s Iconically Challenging Weapon Bosses
Formed as Gaia’s natural defenses against the threat of Jenova when it first fell onto the planet,Final Fantasy 7’s collection of Weapons consists of:
Emerald and Ruby Weapon were not in the original Japanese version ofFF7, but were added to the North American and other versions.
Although all are optional fights not required to complete the story, many fans sought them out to test their mettle against these imposing foes and reap the rewards for overcoming them. It’s a safe bet thatFinal Fantasy 7’s Weapon bosseswill present just as much of a daunting endeavor again inFF7 Remake Part 3. And the most recent mainline entry in the franchise provides a great template for how they might be incorporated.
Final Fantasy 16’s Epic Eikon Encounters
With a grittier medieval setting and narrative, one of the other standouts ofFinal Fantasy 16was the battles between its Eikons. Resemblingkaiju-like clashes, these saw protagonist Clive Rosfield take the form of the fiery demon Ifrit and square off against other behemoths like the dragon Bahamut and the dark horseman Odin. The fights were stunning and cinematic, letting players control an extremely powerful monstrous entity while still sometimes being dwarfed by foes.FF7’s Weapons are much like kaiju themselves, and the Eikons' presentation and design could translate well into something similar for the former in the next installment.
How Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Could Make its Weapon Bosses More Like FF16’s Eikons
As the culmination,Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3will likely be pulling out all the stops, and this presumably will extend to the Weapons. Taking a cue fromFF16for the grueling battles against them would be a potential direction to bring them in line with the vision the studio has displayed thus far. Of course, since none ofFF7’s party can turn into an Eikon like Clive, they couldn’t be exactly the same. However, one possibility would be to design them more like the showdown withFF16’s Titan, which mirrorsShadow of the ColossusandGod of War’s classic fights by having fans climbing up a massive enemy as they slowly whittle it down while weathering its onslaughts.
Another idea would be to expand onFinal Fantasy 7’s summons,perhaps by temporarily letting players directly control them to put them on a more even field, but limiting this mechanic to the Weapon encounters. This would feel more in line withFF16’s Eikons without disrupting existing gameplay too much, but still offering a cool new twist. Whatever other surprises or major alternationsFF7 Remake Part 3might have in store, looking toFF16’s Eikons for the Weapons bosses would be a good way to provide fans with the best of both worlds in the third and final chapter.
