FF7 Revelation Sets Up a Rude Awakening for Cloud

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation opens immediately after the events of Rebirth, thrusting Cloud and his allies into the Northern Crater as they pursue Sephiroth. The demo revealed a sequence where the party experiences the intoxicating effects of Mako energy, with characters like Barret and Cid commenting on its disorienting influence. Tifa’s persistent denial of Cloud’s deteriorating mental state becomes a focal point, while Yuffie voices concerns about a potential Shinra invasion of Wutai. The Northern Crater receives a visual overhaul, transforming from a drab pit into a trippy cosmic landscape with crystalline formations and shimmering auroras.

The demo introduced two new playable characters: Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind. Vincent operates as a hybrid of Barret and Red XIII, featuring long-range attacks and a transformation into the Galian Beast for tanky, slower melee strikes. Cid’s combat revolves around rapid polearm stabs when holding the basic attack button, complemented by dragoon-style leaping plunging attacks. Both characters are designed to match Cloud’s power level, raising questions about future balance adjustments in the full game.

A new FITS system allows party members to customize skill loadouts, with Cloud’s Summoner FIT enabling elemental attacks via Ifrit, Shiva, or Titan. The system also introduces Synergy tag-team attacks when the ATB gauge fills, though the reviewer found these additions less compelling than the core combat. The demo suggested that FITS may add unnecessary complexity to an otherwise streamlined action-driven combat system, though its full implementation remains untested in the final build.

Storywise, Revelation accelerates character development through banter and callbacks, including a change to Red XIII’s in-game name and voice to reflect his true identity, Nanaki. Sephiroth returns with a new voice actor, Travis Willingham, replacing Tyler Hoechlin, and taunts Cloud while revealing a black-and-white recreation of the Nibelheim incident. The demo concluded with Cloud’s determination to uncover more of his past, setting the stage for the trilogy’s conclusion on April 8, 2027.