Summary
The release ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthrepresents a bit of a watershed moment for theFinal Fantasy 7remake project. Not only does it vastly expand on the setting and mechanics ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthserves as the de facto template for the third and final chapter in the trilogy, setting up the open-world elements that players can likely expect in the concluding installment. One of the more contentious decisions made by Square Enix forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas how the game handled carrying over progression fromRemake, and there will likely be some similar concessions made betweenRebirthand the third entry, especially where Summon Materia is concerned.
Despite collecting 9 different Summon Materia inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthtasks players with starting from scratch and recollecting summon spells via three different methods. The Magic Pot and Moogle Trio summons were available as pre-order bonuses forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and both Ramuh and Leviathan are the only two to carry over fromFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeor Episode INTERmission save files. But the other 10 summons available in the game needed to be collected via normal progression. Severaliconic summon spells fromFinal Fantasy 7are still missing in the remake trilogy, and the third installment has a few ways it could handle their collection based on the other two games.
Save File Transfers From Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Could Kill Two Birds With One Stone
While there’s no denying thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas been hugely successful with fans of the original, the game has been subject to some criticism where its open-world pacing is concerned. Sections ofRebirthdo occasionally suffer from apparent bloat due to the open-world nature of the game and the many activities players can engage with on their way to completing the critical path. WithRebirthopening upthe world ofFinal Fantasy 7and few regions remaining to explore in the third installment, giving players the option to carry over theirRebirthsave file and all progress earned therein would be a great way to address both the open-world pacing and the need to recollect summons.
Most of theSummon Materia inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthare obtained by naturally progressing through the game’s regions and then defeating them in Chadley’s Combat Simulator, so it would seem like a disservice to the player to make them repeat that whole process in the follow-up. Instead, the third chapter of theFF7remake trilogy could carry over either specific portions or all of a player’s progress inRebirthsimilar to theMass Effectsequels, eschewing the need to repeat sections of the game and giving returning players more options when it comes to their starting Summon Materia.
Only a Few Summons Remain to Collect in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy’s Conclusion
Excluding Gilgamesh, who doesn’t appear as a summon in the originalFinal Fantasy 7, there aren’t many Summon Materia left for players to collect in the third installment of theFF7remake trilogy afterRebirth. The team behindRebirthhas already hinted at theinclusion of Knights of the Roundin the third game, but the existence of the remaining 5 Summon Materia included in the originalFinal Fantasy 7is still up in the air. If players start the third chapter of the trilogy with all their collected summons fromRebirth, it might lessen the impact of collecting any new ones included in the final game.
It would be a shame to not include summons that previously appeared in other installments of the remake trilogy in the final game, just as it would likely upset longtime fans to not have iconic summons fromthe originalFinal Fantasy 7not show up. It’s possible that a middle-ground approach of starting players with just a handful of previously acquired Summon Materia (just like how player progress carries over fromRemaketoRebirth) would be the ideal solution to the problem of making sure all ofFinal Fantasy 7’s summons get their due without forcing the player through tedium.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
