The upcoming conclusion to the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, titled Revelation, has offered a tantalizing 25-minute demo that, rather than providing closure, has left players with a wealth of new questions about the saga's endgame. The demo, set just after the events of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, places players in control of Cloud Strife alongside two new party members: Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine.
Both Cid and Vincent showcase their distinct combat styles. Vincent can seamlessly transition between a long-range human form and a close-quarters Galian Beast form. However, the Galian Beast form drains Vincent's health over time, requiring careful management of the transformation. His human form features abilities like Blood Moon for heavy charged shots and Reckoning for rapid multi-shots, while the Galian Beast form boasts Damnation, a powerful aerial spinning attack. Cid, on the other hand, employs a more direct approach with his lance, offering range and aerial combat opportunities. His Focused Charge ability is particularly effective at quickly staggering enemies. Cid can also 'mark' up to five enemies simultaneously, amplifying his damage output against them.
Cloud, in the demo, utilizes the new FITS job system as a Summoner. This allows for quick, on-demand summon appearances rather than prolonged periods. The demo features Titan as a summon, who intermittently appears to deliver powerful blows to enemies before vanishing.
The narrative segment of the demo, set in the Northern Crater, sees Cloud and his allies searching for Sephiroth. Along the way, they encounter shambling hooded figures who appear to guide them, some of whom merge with fiends to form larger monsters. One such figure is revealed to be Broden, the innkeeper from Kalm, who transforms into the boss Gigas when merged with a fiend, raising questions about his unique transformation.
Further complicating matters, multiple party members begin exhibiting signs of Mako exposure, notably Nanaki's uncontrollable laughter. This Mako exposure is also linked to Cloud's visions and hallucinations, casting doubt on the reality of the events unfolding in the demo. The chapter abruptly shifts to a black-and-white version of Nibelheim before the team enters a smoky portal, leaving the player to question the validity of the experience.
The demo culminates with the group confronting Sephiroth, who draws attention to numbers on the shamblers' arms – identifiers for individuals injected with Jenova cells by Hojo. Sephiroth's pointed question about Cloud's own number adds another layer of mystery, particularly given prior knowledge of the original Final Fantasy VII. The final boss of the demo is a new Jenova form, Jenova Deathmourner, whose presence in the crater poses questions about its origin following the events of Rebirth.
Despite its short 25-minute duration, the demo for Revelation has generated significant intrigue, underscoring the depth of the narrative still to be explored in the final chapter of the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga. The trilogy's conclusion is slated for release in April.