[SPOILERS OJO SPOILERS] SPOILERS FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH [OJO SPOILERS]

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Development Staff Interviews, Part 1

Hiroaki Iwaki (Scenario Writer)
Kazushige Nojima (Story & Scenario)
Motomu Toriyama (Codirector)

In classic Ultimania fashion, the following pages offer a number of development staff interviews. The first features three creators crucial to crafting the game’s scenario. We sat down and talked to them about FFVII Rebirth’s story and characters. (Interviewer: Akira Yamashita)

There was a possibility the second game would end before the Forgotten Capital

Interviewer: How did you go about developing the scenario for FFVII Rebirth?

Nojima: First, I listened to requests from the scenario team, which includes people like [Creative Director Tetsuya] Nomura and Toriyama, and then proceeded to make the plot. I would get feedback on what I wrote and then make adjustments accordingly. That was the basic cycle that repeated.

Toriyama: By the early stages of FFVII Remake’s development, we’d actually already created a general outline for the plot all the way up through the end of the FFVII Remake project. We used that plot as a foundation and sort of worked out the details as we proceeded with production of this game.

Interviewer: So you had a fixed endpoint in mind, and were kind of sculpting things toward that as you went.
Nojima: Maybe not so much sculpting as watching new elements be added and seeing things expand and settle. That was the impression I had [laughs].

Interviewer: What themes did you decide on for the second game’s scenario?

Toriyama: I think the answer to that question varies between my point of view and Nojima’s.

Nojima: In terms of crafting the story, because the previous game should have given players an understanding of the main cast, I went ahead and gave Rebirth the theme of communicating to players the world these characters inhabit. It’s sort of an explanation of how the whole story works, including the world Zack is in.

Toriyama: From the standpoint of someone developing the game’s mechanics, the major theme this time was all about having a free and open adventure work side by side with the story. Leaving Midgar proved the perfect timing for this, as the game’s stage greatly expands at that point.

Interviewer: The story unexpectedly begins with a Zack section. The events we see are quite surprising and very impactful.

Toriyama: People who played the original game would have no trouble predicting that this game should start at the inn in Kalm, seeing as it picks up where the last one ended. We wanted to subvert that expectation. Also, from the very beginning, Nojima had it written into the scenario that the opening of the game should establish to players that Cloud’s world is separate from Zack’s.

Interviewer: This game’s scenario takes us up through the Forgotten Capital. When deciding that, did you have to consider how the flow of the story would be broken up?

Toriyama: The idea to have the second game in the trilogy end at the Forgotten Capital was one we considered from the very beginning. However, after you leave Midgar, the number of locations really rockets up. You have Junon, Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, and Cosmo Canyon. Plus now Gongaga has been incorporated into the main scenario, further increasing the story’s volume. In light of that heavy development workload, there was also a proposal to end the game before the Forgotten Capital.

Nojima: There was a period when I resisted the idea of having the second game proceed up through the Forgotten Capital. At the time, the plot of the second game ended at the mako reactor in Gongaga after Tifa falls in the lifestream. Using players’ interest in what happens to Aerith to draw the story along sort of felt like it would be poor form… So I figured it might be better to hook players with Tifa’s fate instead of Aeriths.

Toriyama: After much agonizing, we considered the issue of how many parts the project would end up being if the second game didn’t take the story up to the Forgotten Capital, and that led us to break things up where we’d originally planned.

There was a promise to recreate as many elements as possible from the original game

Interviewer: The majority of the towns and other elements that appear in the original game have been recreated here. Was that something you planned on from the beginning?

Nojima: Yes. Because that’s something we knew fans would be looking forward to, there was a promise from the very beginning that we’d try to leave in as many elements from the original game as possible.

Iwaki: Compared to the previous game, which features only Midgar, this time you get to visit many towns and cities, so we had to prepare all sorts of smaller-scale scenarios for each area, including but not limited to sidequests. That was quite a challenge, but it allowed us to introduce a wide variety of characters and expand on their backstories, so I’m glad we were able to do it.

Interviewer: A new factoid comes to light, which is that Cid met Aerith and Ifalna once before in the past. Where did this bit of backstory come from?

Toriyama: It was inspired by a novel Nojima recently wrote called FFVII Remake: Traces of Two Pasts. In the novel, Aerith’s time in the Shinra Building is described, and since Cid’s been working with Shinra ever since that period, we thought it wouldn’t seem odd to reveal the two had once met. That’s what led into the backstory you see this time.

Nojima: I wanted to give that old “you were only this big back then” trope a spin [laughs]. Plus, I wanted to add in an episode that would give players a sense of Cid’s life up till then. Being in such a position at that age, it makes sense that Cid would have been tied up in all sorts of events during his youth. I wanted to give players a glimpse of that here.

Interviewer: How about the story around the Queen’s Blood card game? I never would have thought we’d be facing off against Vincent.

Iwaki: Initially we planned to have Queen’s Blood be a more compact minigame, but its scope gradually grew, and we figured we might as well turn it into a story of its own. It was at that stage we chose to incorporate some folklore about Jenova as a sort of backplot. There’s this sort of urban-legend where the battle between the Shadowblood Queen and the Emerald Witch mirrors the connection between Jenova and the Cetra, and that folklore has spread in the form of a card game. That was the basic idea. And once that framework was established, I got a request from Toriyama to tie Vincent in.

Toriyama: With card games, you want the opponents to be these very unique characters with strong personalities, right? On top of that, I thought it would be ideal to introduce a more formidable character in the latter half of the story. That approach was what inspired me to propose Vincent. Vincent doesn’t contribute a whole lot to the main story this time around, so I wanted to give him a chance to shine via this card game.

Aerith’s personal wish is included in the lyrics of the theme song

Interviewer: The date events at the Gold Saucer this time are much more extravagant than what we saw in the original game. Was this something you placed a lot of emphasis on from the beginning of development?

Toriyama: That’s right. FFVII Remake also had a branching event based on an affection system, but in FFVII, the affection system was very strongly tied to the Gold Saucer date, so we knew we had to do a good job creating the event this time.

Nojima: The date event this time portrays much deeper relational developments with Cloud, and I feel like it’s taken that element of human relationships to the next level.

Toriyama: In terms of what unfolds inside the gondola, we wanted to recreate the old series of exchanges as-is, including Aerith’s famous line, “Because right now, I wanna be with you.” For the other characters, we went ahead and made them a little different from their original versions. For instance, the date with Barret is quite comical in the original game, but this time, seeing as we were given such a solemn depiction of Dyne’s story in Corel, we tried to make the scene unfold with more depth so that Barret could further touch on episodes from his past.

Iwaki: After we finished with the other five characters, it was decided we’d also add a scenario where you get Cait Sith, Vincent, and Cid as partners. When I first heard about that, I thought, “There’s no way Cloud and those three could go on a date!” [laughs]. If you play through the game normally, it’s pretty unlikely you’ll get paired with these three, so it sort of turned into this rare event that not many people get to see.

Interviewer: If your affection score is high, you can get a kiss scene at the end of the date with Tifa.

Toriyama: Since that’s something fans have only been able to imagine up till now, we carefully considered how explicitly we could depict things in terms of the actual visuals. As an older man myself, I feel a little embarrassed watching that scene [laughs].

Nojima: But if I’m being truthful, I did fear that having an affection system would make the scenario feel less coherent…

Toriyama: If you have a system where players can choose how to respond during conversations, there’s a risk you’ll stray away from the emotions the game’s scenario is trying to guide you toward.

Nojima: But since that’s a part of the game everyone anticipates, I hope people will enjoy it as a kind of video game–specific element—one that’s slightly detached from the main storyline. Especially this time, we’ve put in so much work finding ways to portray things such that they arouse people’s emotions in a very visually realistic world. It really brings me back to those days roughly 30 years ago when I used to play dating sims [laughs].

Interviewer: How did you decide on Loveless being the play we see during the date?

Toriyama: The play you see in the original game is very comical, and features a king, a princess, and a wizard. For the date event this time, we wanted to create a single spectacular entertainment event that would encapsulate the Gold Saucer, so we took on a new challenge and adapted Loveless, which has always been an iconic part of the FFVII world.

Interviewer: Mr. Nojima, you were in charge of the lyrics for “No Promises to Keep,” the song that Aerith sings. What sort of thoughts and feelings did you have while writing it?

Nojima: As part of the scenario, Aerith comes up with the song’s lyrics at the hotel in the Gold Saucer, so I sort of tried to inhabit her while writing them [laughs]. The song is about meeting someone for the first time, but I didn’t want the lyrics to be about a specific individual like Cloud or Zack. Rather, I thought of them having a more universal emotional message. I think there’s a part of Aerith that wants to hope her encounters with other people aren’t the work of fate but something accidental. Thanks to the destiny she bears as a descendant of the Ancients, she’s had to overcome a lot of harsh experiences. She wants to live her life away from such a cruel fate, full of purely coincidental encounters with the people she loves. That’s the hope that Aerith harbors.

Roche’s big break and the winding story behind Solemn Gus’s genesis

Interviewer: Almost all of the characters from the original game as well as new ones introduced in the previous installment make an appearance this time as well. Is this a policy you settled on at the beginning of development?

Iwaki: It is. I think one of the fun things about sequels is getting to reunite with characters you previously met, so we made sure to include characters we met not just in the original game but in FFVII Remake, mainly in sidequests and other content like that. Nojima’s scenario also focused on the theme of “forming connections,” so we made an effort to deepen relationships with minor characters as well.

Interviewer: After leaving such a powerful impression in the previous game, Roche ultimately turns into a black robe this time. Was that a development you had in mind back when you were making the first entry?

Toriyama: No, we hadn’t decided on it at that point.

Iwaki: Originally, Roche was just a mini boss you’d fight during the motorcycle minigame, and I was basically given a request to create his scenario pretty much from scratch. At that time I thought, “Well, if he’s a blank slate, I guess I can make him into whatever I want.” I figured if he was a SOLDIER, he must be a real oddball, and give him a correspondingly eccentric personality. Then, unbeknownst to me, his story arc steadily expanded, and he ended up turning into a black robe in this game’s scenario. I had this feeling like, “Ah, what a fine character he’s turned into” [laughs].

Toriyama: Since he was firmly established as a stand-out character in the previous game, we thought about how to give him a more important role, and turned him into a symbol of how becoming a black robe is the future that awaits all SOLDIERs. Initially, that role was assigned to Broden, the proprietor of the inn in Kalm, but his episode felt a bit underwhelming, so we switched things around and used the more flamboyant Roche, which also helped emphasize his contrast with Cloud.

Nojima: For my part, I wrote the scenario hoping to give him a proper death. But this time, even after he turns into a black robe and seems like a goner, he manages to get on a helicopter and escape the Temple of the Ancients at the last minute.

Iwaki: He’s not dead yet! [laughs].

Interviewer: A new character by the name of Solemn Gus makes an appearance in Corel Prison. Why did you change over from Coates, who fills the same position in the original game?

Toriyama: That’s sort of a long story…

Nojima: In the original version, you get Coates to help you compete in the chocobo race. But this time, the whole process seemed drawn out, and during the plotting stage, we considered cutting out the chocobo race. And so Coates’ appearance was temporarily scrapped. Then, separately, I came up with the character of Solemn Gus, and felt a strong desire to have him appear in the game [laughs]. So I positioned him as a character who would help the player gather information while in Corel Prison.

Toriyama: When we put in the design request for Solemn Gus, the designer in charge was the type to incorporate elements from the original whenever possible, so he came up with a green suit similar to the one Coates wears. Although it was a little different from what we’d envisioned, the design itself left a good impression, so we gave it the green light.

Nojima: And so guided by his odd look, his arc and backstory grew until he became the character he is.
Toriyama: Ultimately we decided not to cut the chocobo race, which meant the role of Coates went to Solemn Gus. I personally had always wanted to use P-Funk music in a game some day, and thanks to him I was able to fulfill that long-held desire [laughs].

Interviewer: Speaking of music, we’ve got Akila, the singer who performed in Wall Market last game, holding a debut concert in Kalm this time.

Toriyama: He’s moved up in the world [laughs]. The characters I created just for kicks in the original game, like Johnny and the Shinra Middle Manager, have all been integrated into the story and sidequests this time, and it’s become difficult to maneuver them around freely. I wanted to make sure once again that I had at least one character in the Remake project that I could use however I liked—and that’s Akila. For the third game, I think I’ll have him do something even more spectacular [laughs].

Mundane dialogue takes on depth with emotion brought out by voice actor performances

Interviewer: Do you have a favorite line from among the dialogue you wrote for the game’s characters?

Nojima: I suppose it’s Aerith’s dialogue at the water tower. The second time you speak to her, her lines, tone of voice, expression, and swinging feet perfectly convey her feelings not just about the concept of having a hometown, but about her lack of anyone to share childhood memories with. It’s just spot on [laughs].

Toriyama: I’m a big fan of all the Red XIII–related dialogue—especially his conversation in Costa del Sol before playing Run Wild during the “Rendezvous in Costa del Sol” sidequest. By the way, the howl Red XIII gives when “Team Red, ready, set, go!” is called was initially missing a recording, but I found one in another scene and added it in.

Iwaki: As someone in charge of sidequests, it was really hard doing Red XIII’s lines. His speech style is different before and after visiting Cosmo Canyon, and since you can undertake sidequests at any point during the main story, we had to prepare lines for both cases.

Interviewer: I personally feel that one strong characteristic of Mr. Nojima’s scenarios is his use of simple, everyday greetings such as “welcome back,” which is uttered by both Aerith and Tifa.

Nojima: Phrases like “thank you” and “welcome back” are meaningful in and of themselves, but I think that having voice actors speaking instead of just subtitles can make them even more beautiful.

Toriyama: When you get the added emotion from voice actors’ performances, simple lines can become dramatically more profound. …Oh, I just remembered my number one favorite line. It’s during a Beck’s Badasses episode that happens during a sidequest in the Grasslands. At the very end of it, Cloud says, “Psych” [laughs]. As far as an ending to the quest, the episode lacked some punch, but thanks to Nojima adding that one line, everything came to a neat conclusion. It really is those casual lines that stick in your mind the most.

Nojima: This was the case in the last game as well, but the more realistically characters are portrayed, the harder it is to pick out which words will sound the least awkward in their mouths. And so I was very particular about having them speak as naturally as possible. Looking back now, there was quite a bit of elaborate dialogue in the original game, but in FFVII Remake and FFVII Rebirth, you should find it’s more restrained.

Interviewer: When Tifa returns from the lifestream beneath the Gongaga mako reactor, Aerith voices to her, “I’m so relieved.” What was the intention behind this line?

Nojima: I always wanted to have a character deliver a line with only their lips moving, and I’ve actually proposed the idea with several games in the past. But we’ve always had to display subtitles in case people think it’s a bug when the character’s mouth moves but no line is spoken. This time, I feel like I finally got to make that dream a reality.
Toriyama: There’s another scene that features a lip sync–only performance. I hope everyone will keep an eye out for it.

Interviewer: That’s another thing I was curious about. In the original game, Cloud has that memorable line: “My fingertips are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” However, it would seem those lines aren’t spoken this time…

Nojima: For my part, I felt that things like “tingling” and “burning” could be conveyed purely through the visual elements of the production, and that there was no need for them to be expressed through dialogue. I figured that even if the lines were absent, people familiar with the original game would be able to hear Cloud’s voice clearly in their head.

Toriyama: I can’t say much about that sequence of scenes, as I want to encourage a variety of interpretations from those who see them. However, I will say that after consulting with Nomura, we settled on an approach where we inserted a sort of flashback scene where you can see Cloud shouting those lines from the original game.

What end awaits the multiple worlds indicated by Loyal Little Stamp

Interviewer: This entry has confirmed quite a lot about the structure of the game’s world. Essentially, the world is undergoing change thanks to Cloud and his companions breaching the boundaries of fate. Is that right?

Nojima: Yes, that’s correct. It’s sort of like new worlds are being constructed after we step beyond the wall of fate in FFVII Remake… It’s a bit difficult to explain at this point without giving spoilers [laughs].

Toriyama: I think the ultimate structure of the world will become clear in the third game.

Interviewer: In the scene with Zack during the ending of the previous game, a picture of Loyal Little Stamp is shown that looks different from the one we saw throughout the main story, implying that this world is different from the one Cloud and his companions are in. However, this time, I was surprised to see even more different versions of Stamp.

Nojima: I’d like you to think of it as many worlds existing. However, it’s a little bit different from the concept of so-called “parallel worlds.”

Toriyama: Incidentally, during that scene where Zack is in the church after the final battle, we don’t see a depiction of Loyal Little Stamp. In that scene only have we still not revealed what world it is.

Interviewer: Right before the final battle begins, Sephiroth says, “I underestimate you.” Who is this line directed at?

Nojima: It must be Aerith. When Sephiroth started to put his plan to reunite the worlds into action, Aerith rose up to prevent it. At first, Sephiroth didn’t consider Aerith a major force to be reckoned with, but recognizing the obstacle she’s proved up to this point, he remarks on how he underestimated her.

Interviewer: Aerith’s white materia, which faded to being translucent, must surely still have some key role to play in future developments…

Nojima: Of course. The power originally enclosed within the white materia has, thanks to some outside influence, been lost, and the orb is now just a transparent vessel.

Toriyama: That’s something else you can look forward to in the third game [laughs].

Interviewer: Understood. So, would you mind sharing what you’re excited about for the third entry?

Iwaki: The next game will serve as the final stage for all the new characters we’ve introduced in FFVII Remake and FFVII Rebirth, so I’d like to create a story that does them justice. I hope players will look forward not just to the main story but the very episodes surrounding it.

Toriyama: When development began on the last game, I could hardly imagine it would evolve into a long-term project spanning roughly ten years. With the third game, I hope to create a title that will bring the world of FFVII to a grand conclusion.

Nojima: My work is actually almost complete, with the main scenario for the third game already written up. We’re surging full speed toward the trilogy’s ending now, and I think we’ll be able to deliver a title that will excite everyone, so please look forward to it!

(Recorded on February 2nd, 2024, at Square Enix)

Story and Scenario
Stellavista Ltd.
Kazushige Nojima
Noteworthy Works: FFVII, FFVII Remake, FFVII Advent Children, FFVIII, FFX, Kingdom Hearts

A Secret About the Game Only I Know
In writing the scenario for this game, I studied things like Buddhism’s Yogachara and Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious. I think referring to these should make it easier to understand how the world of this game is set up. They may even give you a hint as to how the story will conclude.
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Codirector
Motomu Toriyama
Noteworthy Works: FFVII, FFVII Remake, FFVII Ever Crisis, FFX, FFX-2, FFXIII, Mobius FF

A Secret About the Game Only I Know
In the scene in Nibelheim five years ago where Cloud opens the wardrobe in Tifa’s room, we created all the animations and vocal reactions for him searching its contents. We also had a voice track for him breathing harder, but it just seemed too over the top, and it was cut [laughs].
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Scenario Writer
Hiroaki Iwaki
Noteworthy Works: FFVII Remake

A Secret About the Game Only I Know
The classical poem Gilgamesh recites right before his final battle incorporates various phrases from the Tale of Genji to bear out his own connection with Genji, such as “evening mist” and “butterfly.” We also included terms like “cuckoo” and “calling bird” to draw an association with the kaodori.