Here’s what we’re looking for from FF7 Remake Part 2’s story

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is in development, and fans might be wondering what’s in store when it comes to the game’s story.

The first installment in the three-part series incorporated a slew of new characters and a number of key changes to the story right out of the gate. Big changes were also teased to be incoming for the latter portions of the game, to the point that it’s unclear what might be in store for the second and third installments of the FF7 Remake trilogy.

It’s worth looking back over what happened in the original game and the first FF7 remake title to figure out what might be coming in the second one. Be warned, there are massive spoilers ahead for both the original game and for the FF7 remake.

Is the FF7 Remake story different?

The FF7 Remake story is different in a number of ways that will have a big impact on how the story plays out across the series.

During the first game, the biggest difference is the slate of new characters that were introduced to the game. That will be felt across the entire FF7 Remake series moving forward, as characters such as Corneo lackey Leslie Kyle, anti-AVALANCHE grifter Kyrie Canaan, and Cloud’s biker rival Roche are likely to get proper character arcs.

A number of characters from the original Final Fantasy 7 also play a much bigger role in the story. Wedge is killed off alongside Jessie and Biggs to set up the party’s attack on Shinra headquarters in the original game, but he survives and helps the team in the latter parts of the FF7 Remake. Johnny also goes from a minor character in the original to getting a fair bit of screen time in the remake.

That said, the differences in the FF7 Remake story will become much starker in the sequels. The ending battle of the first FF7 Remake title involves Cloud and the party defeating the Whispers to effectively create an alternate universe. The game ends with the reveal that Biggs somehow survived the plate collapse and Zack survived the attack by Shinra soldiers that previously led Cloud to Midgar. 

Those differences set up a number of new plot points to see through, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Though Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and Barret are technically the victors at the end of the game, it’s implied that the big winner when the credits roll is Sephiroth. The original title ends with his defeat at the hands of Cloud, so an alternate reality opens the door for him to make the necessary changes to his plan in order to succeed.

What happens after FF7 Remake’s story ends?

Final Fantasy 7 Remake ends with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, and Red XIII leaving Midgar for the first time in the game. What happens from there is a globetrotting adventure that focuses on two particular plot threads.

First is world-building through a demonstration of how toxic Shinra Electric Company is on a global scale, both literally and figuratively. The party visits a number of cities that have either been ravaged by Shinra’s greedy exploitation of natural resources, or effectively annexed and turned into military bases by the company. The party encounters both the Turks and members of Shinra’s executive board, who are looking to use the mayhem around the globe to advance their own ends.

Alongside this is an exploration of Sephiroth’s discovery of Jenova, what powers this bestows upon him, and how he plans to use those powers to essentially become a god. It is revealed that Jenova was a creature that traveled to the world of Final Fantasy 7 on a meteorite, with the impact creating a wound in the planet that caused a massive amount of Mako to coalesce to the area. Sephiroth plans to use the Black Materia to cast Meteor in order to make this happen again, with the goal of absorbing the Mako into himself.

Upon discovering this, Cloud and the party secure the Black Materia in order to protect it from Sephiroth. Once they get it, Sephiroth begins the long-teased Reunion, taking control of all the mysterious black-cloaked figures that have been in a semi-vegetative state. In a major plot twist, Cloud’s strange behavior and fits of amnesia were actually signs of his being among these people, which leads to him attacking Aerith and handing over the Black Materia to Sephiroth. 

This forces Aerith to leave the party and head to the Ancients’ Promised Land to stop Meteor by casting Holy with the White Materia. Before she can do so, Sephiroth appears and kills her.

Cloud reclaims the Black Materia and it’s confirmed that the player is yet to actually come face-to-face with Sephiroth, and all the “Sephiroths” they have encountered so far have actually been transformed pieces of Jenova or the black-cloaked figures in disguise. They push on to find the real Sephiroth, who has been encased in ice and crystallized Mako the entire time, only to have Cloud hand over the Black Materia once again.

The most logical ending point for FF7 Remake Part 2 comes at this point, where Cloud seemingly dies after falling into the lifestream and the enormous Weapon monsters come alive and begin attacking cities around the world. This would see the final installment sending the party to fly around the world saving cities, shut down Shinra, and go through with the climactic showdown with Sephiroth.

Then again, given how much story there is to address and how Square Enix has become progressively more vague in regards to how many installments the FF7 Remake series will receive, it’s possible the FF7 Remake winds up being a four-part series.

What will happen in FF7 Remake Part 2?

FF7 Remake Part 2 will likely kick off with Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith, and Red XIII leaving Midgar, and possibly being joined by Yuffie following her own chapter in the Intergrade expansion. The team will likely then explore the world, chasing after rumors of Sephiroth reemerging and Shinra looting and polluting.

It’s unclear how far the story will advance relative to the original but the biggest thing to look forward to will likely end up being the new party members that joined after the first disk of the original Final Fantasy 7. The complete party in FF7 included:

• Cloud Strife
• Tifa Lockhart
• Barret Wallace
• Aerith Gainsborough
• Red XIII
• Cait Sith
• Vincent Valentine
• Yuffie Kisaragi
• Cid Highwind

By the end of the FF7 Remake story, players only have access to Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, and Aerith as proper party members. Red XIII is a non-customizable “guest character” that fights alongside the party but can’t be controlled normally. Yuffie is a player character in her standalone chapter but doesn’t actually join Cloud during the story of the game. Finally, Cait Sith appears for a moment but only as a cameo appearance during a cutscene.

With how the story progresses, it’s likely that the complete party will be assembled by the end of FF7 Remake Part 2. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Barret all handle differently in combat and it should be exciting to have even more characters to choose from. 

The major plot points that are almost guaranteed to be addressed in FF7 Remake Part 2 are the backstories of Red XIII and Barret, as well as the destruction of Cloud and Tifa’s hometown. 

The Gold Saucer with its casino stylings and the secluded Cosmo Canyon are two of the first major destinations after the party leaves Midgar, with these areas serving as the stage for explorations into the origins of Barret and Red XIII, respectively. From there the party heads to Nibelheim, the previously razed hometown of Cloud and Tifa. Strangely, the city is still standing.

It’s unclear how far FF7 Remake Part 2 will progress into the story and what areas might end up getting cut from the games in order to speed up development. Unless things go in a wildly different direction from the original, fans can look forward to these particular story beats.

Will FF7 Remake let us save Aerith?

It is possible that Aerith can be saved in the FF7 Remake series, but Square Enix hasn’t discussed the matter to this point. 

Wedge, Biggs, and Zack were killed in the original Final Fantasy 7 but were outlived by their FF7 Remake equivalents. There’s a real possibility that fan-favorite supporting character Jessie will join those three as well. Because the FF7 Remake story is set to split off from the original in the sequel, that opens the door for Aerith to survive.

Aerith’s death is one of the most iconic moments in all of video games, but the major story beats from the original game can still be hit without having Sephiroth kill her. The big question is whether Square Enix would throw out such a memorable moment in order to go all-in on showing fans that this is a completely different story. 

Though many are unnerved over the possibility of such a radical change, it would be up to Square Enix to make that risk pay off.

When is FF7 Remake Part 2 coming out?

There is no word yet on when FF7 Remake Part 2 may be coming out, but the most optimistic projections would likely see the game launch in 2022. The Intergrade episode to the first FF7 Remake title was something of a trial run for the development of the game on PlayStation 5, and that trip around the block seemingly helped to speed things along with the  team getting familiarized with the new hardware. This could lead to a sooner release date for FF7 Remake Part 2.

FF7 Remake Part 2 is currently in full development, with any plans for extra DLC related to the first game being nixed in order to ship the sequel as quickly as possible. Creative director Tetsuya Nomura stated that the goal is to get the game ready “as soon as possible.”