'Final Fantasy 7' Remake Rumors: Release Date Delayed Due to Design Changes

By Ela Teodosio, Christian Post Contributor Monday, February 12, 2018

Rumors say the "Final Fantasy 7" remake will be delayed amid recent massive changes in Square Enix's role-playing game.

Following the "Final Fantasy" 30th Anniversary celebration of the science fiction franchise, fans who attended the event revealed that Square Enix made huge design changes in several characters through brand new screens. They were also surprised by the appearance of director Tetsuya Nomura.

One of such characters is Cloud Strife, who reportedly now looks more like its original version first released in 1997. Older fans would remember that he was a bit of a dork.

According to one fan in the audience, Nomura and development leader Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed this by saying, "While Cloud may look this way, he was a dork. I believe those of you who played the original would understand what I mean by saying he's a dorky character."

Hamaguchi reportedly got the thumbs up from Nomura for the back to basics design of the Buster Sword-wielding hero, who is expected to show his fun side in the upcoming remake.

Fans also noted that some members of Avalanche, the rebel group that hires Cloud as a mercenary, also received a new look. Fans noted that Biggs looked "super handsome," while Jessie was described as "cute" and Wedge as "refreshingly chubby."

While all these sound exciting for the franchise's loyal audience, all the design changes could also mean that production for the remake will be delayed. The first episode of "Final Fantasy 7" remake is expected to arrive in early 2019, with more details supposed to be revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 in June.

The upcoming remake is based on "Final Fantasy 7," which was originally released in 1997. After overwhelming requests from fans, Square Enix announced in 2015 that it is working on a complete remake of the said title. Analysts say that the remake will showcase a different gameplay, which will be more combat and action-focused than the original.