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Final Fantasy 7 Remake producer Yoshinori Kitase has explained why Sephiroth features in the first part of the game set in Midgar.
Sephiroth, one of the game's main antagonists, doesn't appear outright in the first part of the original 1997 version. In an interview with IGN, Kitase explains why the decision was made to bring the silver-haired threat into the first part of the remake.
"In the original players had no prior knowledge of that world or many of its characters, so I really wanted to build Sephiroth up as this really major threat," Kitase - who directed the original 1997 release - explains. "You don't see him, you see the after of what he's done. You hear rumours about him to build up the fear of this massive evil presence without actually seeing it."
Years later, the characters have become a big part of popular culture, with the release of films based on the world such as Advent Children. Now, as Kitase points out, more players are aware of who these characters are, even if they haven't played the original release, which is why Square Enix didn't feel the need to hold him back and hide so much.
Kitase went on to offer more explanation as to why the 'man in the black cape' appears from the start this time around: “Looking at the the remake overall, it's clear that Sephiroth is going to be this massive presence overarching throughout the whole of the story, and this rival of Cloud’s throughout the whole story, "So I really felt I want to include that in this first game in the project, to really have that feeling of him as a really clear presence right from the start.”
Because of the episodic nature of the remake, the first part that's set to release on April 10 only takes place in Midgar. In the lead up to the release date, Sephiroth has already appeared in quite a few trailers for the remake, and it's interesting to gain some insight from Kitase about why the one winged angel shows up "right from the start."
In other news, Square Enix has announced you can now download a demo of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PS4, which lets you try out the first chapter. You'll also get your hands on an exclusive theme for your PS4 that will become available a day after the game launches on April 11.
Want to read more? Check out our hands-on preview of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
