Summary
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 will feature the famously tough Weapon bosses.
- FF16’s Eikons can inspire the design of the Weapons to create challenging and cinematic battles in Remake Part 3.
- Square Enix could potentially rework and iterate on the Weapon encounters by letting fans control Summons similar to Eikons in the final chapter.
Last year Square Enix delivered Final 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 Rebirth was much larger in scope than 2020’s FF7 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, like The Highwind airship. In addition, players can expect to see the Weapons, some of the famously toughest boss encounters in FF7 and throughout the entire series. These were briefly glimpsed in Rebirth, and given how Square Enix so far has reimagined various aspects, it can look to combine recognizable elements of the original Weapons’ designs with Final Fantasy 16‘s Eikons to make the former all the more memorable in FF7 Remake Part 3.
Related
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Will Likely Be the Hardest in the Trilogy for One Specific Reason
The Final Fantasy Remake trilogy has already proved to be challenging with its first two entries, but the third chapter will likely raise the bar.
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:
- Sapphire
- Diamond
- Emerald
- Ruby
- Ultimate
Emerald and Ruby Weapon were not in the original Japanese version of FF7, 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 that Final Fantasy 7‘s Weapon bosses will present just as much of a daunting endeavor again in FF7 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 of Final Fantasy 16 was the battles between its Eikons. Resembling kaiju-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 3 will likely be pulling out all the stops, and this presumably will extend to the Weapons. Taking a cue from FF16 for 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 of FF7‘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 with FF16‘s Titan, which mirrors Shadow of the Colossus and God 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 on Final 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 with FF16‘s Eikons without disrupting existing gameplay too much, but still offering a cool new twist. Whatever other surprises or major alternations FF7 Remake Part 3 might have in store, looking to FF16‘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.
- Released
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February 29, 2024
- ESRB
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T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence