T5W#435-Top 5 Thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Theme Song Announcement Trailer

While the biggest news in the gaming world might be the recent Premiere Trailer drop of Grand Theft Auto VI, some may forget that the next chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Trilogy is fast approaching. During the Game of the Year Awards Ceremony last week, a new trailer arrived on the scene, showing us a lot more of where middle portion of this retelling of the classic story might take us.  Familiar faces, crazy action, gorgeous music and one particular moment that might be waiting to break everyones hearts all over again, February 29, 2024 cant come fast enough. It’s been a minute since I talked about anything FF related so on todays Top 5 Wednesday I’ll be covering my Top 5 Thoughts on the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Theme Song Announcement Trailer.

 
#5-Getting Lost in the Gold Saucer

While Rebirth is expanding the world of FFVII beyond the predominantly Midgar based Remake, one iconic area that could eat up a ton of player time is the Gold Saucer.  It’s the big amusement park are of FFVII with plenty of activities from gambling to rides to Chocobo Races.  This is where the group meets Cait Sith but it also looks like Cloud and the gang will be pulled into various other side missions, including a stage play that features a character we all thought had died in Remake.  We also see that the Ferris Wheel Scene from the original game will return.  Seeing as how Remake played up the love triangle between Cloud, Aerith and Tifa, it looks like Cloud and Aerith’s little intimate moment could push things in the flower girls favor, eh?
 

#4-The Gangs All Here

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks to be bringing the entire FFVII crew all together in all their next generation glory.  In Final Fantasy VII Remake, players could take control of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith and Barrett while Red XIII appeared towards the end as a supporting party player.  Cute Ninja Girl Yuffie had her own campaign in the PS5 enhanced Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade.  Now that we’re moving beyond Midgard, three other key party members will be making their Remake trilogy debut: Fortune teller Cait Sith; bad ass Vampire Vincent Valentine; and Cid Highwind, airship pilot and one of many Cid named characters to grace the entire franchise.  I’d say it’s pretty likely that players will get a shot at controlling each of these guys and Red XIII in addition to everyone you could play as in Remake.  If anything, I’m excited to see how Vincent controls because it could be a cool glimpse at what a Remake of Dirge of Cerberus could hold in store should it ever happen.
 

#3-More Zack (and Biggs?)

While Remake shook up the story of FFVII in small ways for its introduction, nothing rocked everyones world than the reveal that Zack Fair, Cloud’s fellow SOLDIER and Aerith’s Boyfriend, was still alive somehow.  One of the most popular theories surrounding his return is that the Zack we see is partaking in an alternate timeline from the original FFVII and there is evidence in the new trailer to support that.  Not only do we see Zack reflecting on the death inflicting injuries he originally sustained but we also see him chatting with Biggs, a member of the AVALANCE resistance group…both of whom look on a wanted poster of slain AVALANCE members, including Barrett and Tifa, both of whom are alive and well in Rebirth.  How Zack will factor into the overall plot will be a major facet of Rebirth and I wonder if it’s possible he could play a role in changing one of the most important parts of the narrative…but I’ll come back to that later.
 

#2-The Theme Song

As the trailer title suggests, the theme song of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is featured in the back half of the preview.  Sung during what looks like an epic stage play that the cast partakes in and sung by Aerith herself, the song is “No Promises to Keep” with vocals by Loren Allred and Lyrics by a certain familiar Final Fantasy Composer, to be more precise THE Final Fantasy Composer, Nobuo Uematsu himself.  The melody is very soft and inviting and Allred’s voice is nothing short of beautiful.  This theme reminds me a lot of the themes for the PS1 Final Fantasy games, specifically my all time favorite “Eyes on Me” sung by Faye Wong in Final Fantasy VIII.  The song goes perfectly with the cast having fun in Gold Saucer festivals and the high flying action and adventure and looks to be a welcome addition to the vast pantheon of iconic music from the Final Fantasy series.
 

#1-THAT Moment

Arguably no scene in the trailer stopped hearts dead in their tracks than the final few seconds.  As Aerith prays in a green lit chamber, she opens her eyes to see several black feathers falling around her. Even anyone who has never played Final Fantasy VII knows of this scene and it makes logical sense that the middle chapter of this Remake Trilogy might end on this dramatically heartbreaking moment that has left many a gamer at a loss for words but not tears.  Now…that said.  Remember back when I was talking about Zack?  There is a bit where he meets Marlene, Barrett’s adopted daughter, in a room where Cloud and Aerith are both unconscious and Marlene warns Zack that when Aerith wakes up, someone is going to kill her.  With this knowledge in mind…could Zack intervene and save Aerith?  Would it be at the cost of his own life and how would that affect the narrative going forward?  Whatever happens, it’ll be a helluva cliffhanger to start however long we’re gonna have to wait for Remake Part III.