Good FITS: Cid & Vincent Elevate the Ensemble in Final Fantasy VII Revelation - Preview
by Evan Norris , posted 5 hours ago / 448 Views
When it comes to fan conventions and video game expos, Square Enix comes to play. This is certainly true of New York Comic Con, a four-day celebration that brings together 250,000 guests and takes place just weeks after a pivotal event for the video game industry, the Tokyo Game Show (TGS). This Comic Con was particularly special, since it hosted the North American premiere of the Final Fantasy VII Revelation demo from TGS — a 35-minute on-foot section that introduces two new playable characters ahead of the game's launch on April 8.
The demo takes place in chapter one, close to the beginning of the game. It's not the exact first scene — "nobody's ready for the first scene", teased Chad Concelmo, Square Enix Senior PR Manager — but very close. Cloud Strife and his band of adventurers have begun their descent into the Northern Crater in search of the villain Sephiroth. From a narrative perspective, the demo gives players plenty to chew on. There's a reunion with an old ally, an extended flashback sequence featuring Zack, and several eerie, unsettling hallucinations in which Sephiroth needles Cloud.
That said, the demo exists primarily to showcase the talents of two new playable characters, Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine. Each plays differently and adds something unique to the ensemble. In fact, I'd argue these newcomers are immediately two of the more interesting combatants, mechanically speaking. It was tough to swap in the old guard after dancing around the battlefield with the new guys.
As a Dragoon, Cid wields a powerful lance imbued with draconic powers. The key to maximizing his potential is timing his standard attacks. After pressing the square button a couple of times, a blue aura surrounds Cid. If you press square again during this window, you can execute several follow-up attacks, including "Turbulence", which launches the target into the air; "Stinger", a flurry of stabbing blows; and "Top Gear", a quick rush attack at the target from mid-air. Not only that, but players can hold down the triangle button to mark up to five enemies, thus increasing the damage dealt to them. Overall, Cid's combo potential and his ability to close the gap between enemies make him an essential part of the team.
As cool as Cid appears during the demo, he pales in comparison to Vincent, who immediately became my favorite. Vincent is an agile, evasive gunslinger who fires off a variety of special shots. During his assaults, red markings will appear briefly over his body. If players press the triangle button at the right time, they can trigger several omega abilities, which appear to be linked to the number of basic attacks performed and the character's class, which is tied to the new FITS (Function-Integrated Tactical Suitware) framework.
But that's not all. If players hold down R1, Vincent will transform into the Galian beast, a hulking monster that can deploy "Damnation" to instantly pressure foes. While the beast does tremendous damage, it takes a serious toll on Vincent. If you remain in the monstrous form too long, you will increase the hero's chaos level and decrease his max HP. Luckily, you can revert back to human form to restore max HP.
Because he can switch between long-range projectile artist and short-range bruiser, Vincent is essentially two characters in one. I can't wait to see more of him in the finished product.
Apart from pulling at some narrative threads and showcasing the talents of Cid and Vincent, the Revelation demo teases the aforementioned FITS framework, which is essentially a job system. I couldn't switch the FITS around (they were locked to each character) but I got a sense of how they function in battle. Cloud was set to the Summoner FITS, which allowed him to conjure up entities like Ifrit, Shiva, and Titan. Tifa wore the Black Mage FITS, which granted her access to higher-level spells, e.g. Firaja. Some of the costumes were a bit over-embellished, but from what I understand you can layer each character's original outfit on top without losing any unique skills.
Thanks to the FITS system and the inclusion of Cid and Vincent, Final Fantasy VII Revelation appears to keep things fresh and interesting, even for fans who've sunk hundreds of hours across Remake and Rebirth. The game also appears to provide plenty of emotional payoffs, if the Nibelheim flashback is any indication. The wait for April 8 will be a long one.
