Fans of the original 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII know the game forward and back. In fact, many have feared that the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake might hold no surprises for longtime players.
However, that’s not to be.
Square Enix has been very clear from the start. This is an all-new look at the world of Final Fantasy VII, and while there will be many story elements that will feel familiar to players, there will also be a number of new features added to update the game for its 2020 release.
While the original Final Fantasy VII had its share of mini games, it did not have very many side quests. Sure, there was the hours upon hours of grinding called Chocobo breeding, and the secret Weapon bosses, but the game never had a wealth of off the beaten path tasks the way that RPG’s like Mass Effect or Dragon Age do.
That is apparently changing. Square announced via the game’s official Twitter account that Mercenary Quests were coming to Final Fantasy VII Remake.
“A new feature in Final Fantasy VII Remake are mercenary quests, which vary as you progress through the game,” Square said in the official tweet.
Three screenshots were included, showing off an example of a very early mercenary quest in the Sector 7 Slum. In this quest, Cloud and Tifa are helping to clear out monsters in exchange for rewards.
The existence of mercenary quests makes a lot of sense in the story of Final Fantasy VII. Cloud Strife, our main protagonist and playable hero, first joins the rebel group Avalanche as a mercenary, taking part in their planet-saving missions in exchange for payment.
In the remake, they seem to be leaning hard into Cloud’s role as a mercenary, which was dropped in the original early on. Side quests are a tremendous addition to any RPG, and they help add a ton of extra game time for players.
They’re also typically a good way to level up your characters and earn more currency to purchase advanced items and weapons. While players might not get an insane amount of side quests in this game, it’s good to see that we’re getting something new and exciting.
Aside from Chocobo breeding, which was exhausting in the original game, players could also challenge the super powerful Weapon bosses and run around trying to find the ultimate limit breaks and weapons for their favorite characters.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be releasing worldwide on April 10, 2020 for the PlayStation 4 console.
