Final Fantasy 2. Why FF2? What hidden nugget of knowledge did I find amongst the internet’s sea of information that points to this old entry receiving the AAA makeover? It’s not a nugget I found online, but a detail I noticed while replaying Final Fantasy 7 Remake on hard mode.
Minor FF7R Spoilers ahead:
In the mission where you accompany Jessie to her parent’s house in order to steal her father’s Shinra ID card, there’s quite a lot of detail in this tastefully decorated room; pictures of Jessie from her acting days, a slew of medical devices, knick-knacks, mementos. One area that’s a bit sparse are the books – except for one small set of books on a dresser.
The books appear identical except for the titles on their bindings, implying that they are part of a series. Their titles are roman numerals one through seven, with number two missing, as if someone has pulled it out to review.
A little spark lit within my heart. Could this be a sneaky tease from Square Enix?! Pretty cool if so, and quite suave of them to hide it within their first major remake! I continued my replaythrough, and found the exact same set of books within Aerith’s house.
Yeah yeah it’s likely just an asset being reused throughout different portions of the game. Or maybe Square Enix pulled FF2 off the shelf for a look.
I consider myself a major Final Fantasy fan, having played all of the main entries except for FF2 funnily enough. And I don’t think I’m alone in that. One thing I’ve noticed is that you generally don’t hear FF2 come up as anyone’s favorite in the series. I’ve never heard much about the plot, its characters, its systems, hell anything really. To all of you FF2 diehards (if such a thing exists), no offense but it’s just observation.
If Square Enix decides to remake FF2 next, they would have a freedom that was impossible with FF7R. FF7 is often considered the fan-favorite of the series, having hit PS1 in ’97 and holding a firm place in our hearts since. When remaking a beloved classic like that, one with its own universe of spin-offs, the stakes are about as high as can be. You succeed, you make that sub-franchise shine even brighter. You fail, you tarnish the once-pristine reputation of a universally loved game and immediately afflict your fanbase with berserk. Square Enix succeeded, and they’ll have to face the equally high stakes when FF7R-2 emerges from development.
The stakes for FF2R would be nonexistent in comparison. They can experiment with new systems, plot points, graphical styles, whatever. It would only be beneficial to FF2 – I mean what’s the worst that can happen, FF2 fades even further into obscurity? Doubtful.
This theory is of course wild speculation based upon a single detail I noticed. But damn wouldn’t that be cool if it wound up being true. Game developers do have a way with hiding hints and easter eggs within their works, maybe this is one in the making.
After exploring the idea a bit, it kind of makes sense. A FF2 remake would refresh a main entry that has otherwise remained unloved and unseen, while giving Square Enix the chance to try something new with something old.
Thanks for reading!
Players' Journal 