Square Enix has commemorated Final Fantasy VII’s 29th anniversary with a special message from creative director Tetsuya Nomura in which he looks back at early concept art for the game.
“This year marks the 29th anniversary of Final Fantasy VII, so next year looks set to be an even more special occasion,” Nomura writes in a message shared on social media. “Now, in celebration of this 29th anniversary, I sought out some past concept art and comments to share. However, much of it has already been published in various forms, and I couldn’t find anything truly new.
“Therefore, I shall repost some very early concept art that was quietly released once before, though without any particular commentary at the time. Note that when it was published previously, the explanation on the right-hand side was omitted, so this is effectively its first full public appearance.
“This was drawn during the very earliest plot stages of FFVII. In the foreground is an early design of Cloud, while the figure aiming a gun on the elevated platform is ‘Johnny the Needle,’ a character from the initial plot. He is entirely distinct from the Johnny who appears in the main story; Johnny the Needle’s elements were later incorporated into Reno. On the left staircase, there’s a character reminiscent of Avalanche who was still unnamed and without a defined role at this stage.
“Furthermore, unlike previous FF titles, this envisioned combat not on fixed battlefields but whilst moving through the city’s three-dimensional environment. Ultimately, this form of combat wasn’t realised in the original, but has been achieved in the ongoing FFVII remake series. In that sense, I’d be delighted if you could continue enjoying this grand project, where elements technically unachievable in the original are now being realised in the remake series.”
With over seven million copies shipped and sold digitally worldwide, in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, you follow the story of ex-SOLDIER operative turned mercenary, Cloud Strife, as he lends his aid to the underground resistance group Avalanche in the Mako-powered city of Midgar. In the fight against the shadowy Shinra Electric Power Company, Cloud and his comrades are thrust into a larger conflict to determine the fate of the planet.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade also includes an additional original story arc, FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, which brings Wutai ninja Yuffie Kisaragi to the forefront as she infiltrates the city of Midgar during the events of the base game.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is now available at retail and digitally on the Nintendo eShop for Nintendo Switch 2 worldwide.
