History VideoGame / FinalFantasyVIIRebirth

* MistakenForRomance: When the group reaches Barret's hometown of North Corel, an obnoxious man asks him if Tifa is his new wife.

** Barret's Evil Overlord costume during the Gold Saucer play looks a lot like Golbez from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''. During the ''Loveless'' play, Cloud performs a [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXV Warp Strike]] and even summons the sword very similarly to how Noctis calls his, down to the particle effects.

** In the final battle with [[spoiler:Gilgamesh]], he will refer to Cloud's weapon as the Buster Sword and demand it, not matter what weapon Cloud is using and even if you never used the Buster Sword against him in previous battles.

* ScizoTech: While ''Final Fantasy VII'' has always had elements of this, it's very amusingly used with [[Gilgamesh Island]]: a serene Japanese garden with industrial pipes coming out of the walls.

** In the alternate Zack timeline, the people of Midgar believe that the world is ending due to the Whisper tornado having ravaged the city [[spoiler:and a glowing white tear having opened in the sky]].

*** You get the option to automatically skip the Interlude chapters [[spoiler: where you briefly play as Zack. In the case of Chapter 14, this also includes Cloud's visit, skipping past that to when Cloud returns to the Sleeping Forest and fights Whispers]].

** Of its own map, no less! The wider world maps tend to enlarge the various regions relative to the land masses they sit on. This is most present with the Eastern Continent: when the world map expands to show both it and the Western Continent, Midgar, the Grasslands and Junon take up much more space on the landmass, which is more accurate to their in-game size. This is of course for RuleOfFun when you get to Chapter 13 and it's revealed that [[spoiler: all the regions are connected together in one big open-world, much like the Overworld map in the original game]].

* BackportedDevelopment: Gongaga has been significantly fleshed out, and is now dripping with references and call-outs to ''Crisis Core'', as it was Zack's hometown. This includes Cissnei, who is now effectively the town mayor as she's [[spoiler: upholding her promise to look after Zack's parents, which has extended to a genuine love of Gongaga and her citizens]].

** The beginning of the game features sections where all you can do are basic attacks, then later are crawling on the ground. [[spoiler: These are used again when Cloud appears in the Sleeping Forest, for fighting the Whispers and struggling to catch up with Aerith against her Whispers]].

** On the noticeboard [[spoiler: that Zack and Biggs examine with the Avalanche poster]], there's an advertisement for Banora White. These are the "dumbapples" from Angel's hometown of Banora in ''Crisis Core'', and a second poster is for Banora White apple juice (the factory for this is a major location in ''Crisis Core''). There's also a poster for "Clear Icicle" mineral water, a nod to the Icicle Inn that appears just after the point in the story ''Rebirth'' ends.

** In the scene where [[spoiler: Cloud saves Aerith but also doesn't, there are flashes to Aerith's death where Cloud talks while holding her rather than stammering in grief. This refers to when Cloud tells Sephiroth all the things Aerith can no longer do in the original game]].

** One of the instructional prompts in the Temple of the Ancients tells the player to "Knock down more debris to create a way across". The party does do this... by [[spoiler: accidentally knocking down an ''entire tower'' that happens to forge the way across]].

* FaithInTheFoe: Tseng has such trust in Aerith's Cetran instincts that when he asks [[spoiler: if the Temple of the Ancients is the Promised Land, he immediately trusts her when she says she doesn't think so. Aerith even points this out to him]].

*** At the end of the play, Cloud/Alphried is told that he is a puppet of fate, who can only dance until his strings break while he still can. [[spoiler: After extended periods where Cloud has free will, he becomes even more of a puppet for Sephiroth (who controls Whispers, arbiters of fate) in the Temple of the Ancients, doing his bidding even when not directly under Sephiroth's control and is seeing and doing things against the wishes of the party by the end]].
*** Also at the end of the play, Alphreid can ask the narrator his future with Rosa. He says that the future is the culmination of choices, making each path difficult to predict, but stories that start with a chance encounter always end with a tearful farewell. [[spoiler: This refers to the multiverse aspect of the Remake project (as demonstrated by the Zack Fair interludes and the branching in Chapter 14). It also foreshadows that Aerith, whom Cloud met by chance on the city streets, is doomed to die, or at least depart the mortal plane]]. Barrett / Varvados also questions if Cloud's / Alphreid's vengeance will overpower his love for Aerith / Rosa. [[spoiler: This alludes to Cloud's need for the Black Materia (driven by Sephiroth) that pushes him away from his friends.]].

** While there is ''some'' blood shown, a lot of the blood during [[spoiler: Aerith's ''[[AmbiguousSituation apparent]]'' death]] is hidden between the camera angles and character positions in the scene. It can be briefly seen to be pooling in one shot, but is mostly out of frame or concealed.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Despite being wanted fugitives with six-digit bounties on their heads (and ''half a million gil'' in Aerith's case), the party can roam about the Junon aerodrome completely unimpeded despite the president's inauguration happening that day, and can slip into a disguise as it's assumed they are soldiers who haven't changed into their uniform yet. Even then, Cloud still carries his massive sword on his back while in disguise in the Junon city itself, which absolutely nobody comments on. This discrepancy isn't resolved until Chapter 8 where [[spoiler: Reeve alters the faces on the wanted posters]], but until then the party can still win a Queen's Blood Tournament on a cruise ship, play tourist in Costa del Sol and walk through a town where everybody has ''very'' good reason to turn Barret in.

** After rounding up all the chickens in O Chicken, Where Art Thou, Red XIII confidently says that Kazhra will take good care of them. [[spoiler: As thanks for rounding them up, Kazhra kills one of them to make a meal for him and Cloud]].

** For those unfamiliar with the original game, finding all four Lifesprings in the Nibel Region's coastal area will spoil that [[spoiler: Shinra rebuilt the Nibelheim town into a Mako Poisoning center, well before you return to Nibelheim to discover it was rebuilt]].

* MotiveDecay: While Yuffie's obsession for Matera never wavers, she [[spoiler: completely forgets her intent to steal all the party's Materia by the end of the game and becomes a proper part of the team instead]].

** During the final boss fight, [[spoiler: after fighting with Cloud Zack arrives at Aerith's flowerbed in a black void, and has all of his HP and MP restored. This is visually identical to the Healing Wave Limit Break in ''Crisis Core'', which had the exact same effect]].

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: The trailers for the game aren't exactly subtle about the fact that things are going to be different this time around. This is best shown at the end of the "First Look" trailer where [[spoiler:a very much alive Zack Fair reaches the Gates of Midgar]] and made even clearer during the "State of Play" trailer where [[spoiler: Zack and the comatose Cloud from his timeline are extensively featured]].

** And finally, Aerith relives [[spoiler:the death of her mother, Ifalna, after trying in vain to get help for her.]]

* AdaptationalDiversity: The Shinra forces in Upper Junon have a noticeable number of female members among them, most significantly the Commander of the Seventh Infantry. All previous works in the ''Compilation of Final Fantasy VII'' franchise had shown the rank-and-file Shinra troopers and field officers as being exclusively male, even as recently as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' and its ''Intermission'' DLC story.

** Concept art of Priscilla corresponding with her original character model had her in a rather revealing bikini and sarong combo in the original Storyline. She now wears a floral top and has shorts under the sarong for ''Rebirth''.

** There are several hints that [[spoiler:other versions of Aerith besides the one from the Chihuahua timeline are actively looking out for the party and the "main" Beagle timeline's Aerith. During Costa del Sol, Aerith tells Cloud that he is going to meet "her future self" one day, to which he says he will keep an eye out. When Tifa nearly dies in the Lifestream, she sees visions of her friends telling her to fight on, and most do calmly but the vision of Aerith yells her name and arrives like she ran, and in the montage of all of them only her face is visible, implying that she is more real than the others. At the Forgotten Capital, when Cloud approaches the praying Aerith at the altar, she can be heard "talking to herself" that she doesn't know the correct way to pray and is looking for guidance, the implication being she's not just monologuing, but actually having a conversation with a more knowledgeable Aerith from another plane of existence. The Aerith who shows up to help Cloud in the final battle doesn't actually say anything one way or another if she is indeed the same Aerith who has fought alongside him up to this point, though her dialogue subtly implies she ''isn't''. [[note]]"I saw what you did back there, Cloud. Thank you." is a ''very'' odd choice of words for something you were right there to witness, but makes a lot more sense as a different version of Aerith observing events from afar.[[/note]] That said, with Aerith's seemingly expanded powers, at this stage there may not even be a meaningful distinction, which adds even more ambiguity]].

** Having a cleared saved data file from the demo will allow you to skip the Nibelheim {{flashback}} section in Chapter 1. This saves you the effort of needing to go through it a second time, since you've already seen everything there is to see in that part.

** The Costa del Sol minigames in Chapter 6 are optional when using the chapter select, since you keep your costumes from the first go-around and can change into them straight away.
** During a certain stage of the FinalBoss fight, every party member sans Yuffie is given all four basic element spells up to the second rank, because the boss needs elemental weaknesses exploited for maximum effect. Yuffie, meanwhile, can provide her own elemental damage at range with one of her abilities. That way, no matter what your party composition is or how much you've used elemental damage materia, you can't end up in an unwinnable situation.

** If Cloud isn't accompanied by someone through the Gold Saucer, Red stays at the Battle Square and is a selectable ally through the coliseum challenges but won't follow Cloud out, so no matter what you can have help to beat them when you first arrive.
** The NewGamePlus mode has a few further quality of life improvements from ''Remake''. For players who would like to experience different permutations of sequences like the Gold Saucer dates, the player can explicitly set which outcome they would like, to avoid needing to replay many chapters to manipulate the RelationshipValues to get the desired outcome. Dialogue options themselves also indicate how much of an impact they have on the relationship with the party member in question for players looking to roleplay a specific outcome. Finally, players can choose from several options on importing side quest data when replaying a chapter, such as resetting quest data for the purposes of the replay, or keeping all completed quests in this state if the player wants to focus on the main quest or missed content. Some small matters that won't affect the plot are retained, such as Sylkis greens collected in the Dustbowl, so that you won't get slowed down.

** The first piano you can play is Tifa's during the flashback chapter. The last is the piano in her rebuilt room in the present Nibelheim, and the last piece for the sidequest is even played there.

** All three of Cait Sith's predictions are now accurate to some degree:

** The Gold Saucer play has more foreshadowing for the game's finale. Cloud/Alphried is told that he is a puppet, fated to dance until his strings break, and [[spoiler:Cloud becomes even more of a puppet for Sephiroth after the play, doing his bidding even when not directly under Sephiroth's control and is seeing and doing things against the wishes of the party by the end]]. The staff wielding Rosa is said to be fated to part with the hero and is the one to defeat the Dragon King Varbados using the power of the Phoenix, a creature known for living and dying, and [[spoiler:Aerith seemingly both lives and dies at the end, and it is her power that proves most critical to saving Cloud and the party from Sephiroth. But no matter her fate at the end of the game, the party must go their own way without her]].

** [[spoiler:Cloud's status as a Jenova cells carrier in danger of becoming a Sephiroth clone]] is hinted at in several instances. In Costa del Sol, Hojo says that Cloud is here for the Reunion, if unconsciously, and calls the Robed Men his brothers. Robed Men have a tendency to be drawn to him, like in a Corel side quest when one points to him, and multiple times he finds one looking at him a few feet away.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: When the final boss battle begins, [[spoiler:everyone except Cloud starts with their limit breaks fully charged. This is because only Cloud is able to see or at least perceive Aerith still alive in some form, thus leaving him in a calmer state of mind, whereas the other party members are seething with rage due to only seeing the outcome where she died at Sephiroth's hand]].

** The mechanics behind the party for the final boss gauntlet are very finicky and hard to pre-plan and also impossible to see in the first run. Every character is [[spoiler:placed 1-5 according to their affection ratings, their place at the White Whisper battle, and the order they joined Cloud since ''Remake''. Jenovah Lifeclinger is at first fought with Cloud with 1 and 2, then 4 and 5. Sephiroth Reborn is fought with 1, 3, and 4, then 2, 3, and 5]].

* InterfaceScrew: Whenever the gaps in Cloud's memories become apparent or Sephiroth tries to exert control over him, he gets a sudden migraine--signified by the screen becoming staticky. Cloud's retelling of the events of the Nibelheim Incident in particular starts glitching out via StaticScrew, such as skipping over his interaction with his mother due to the gaps in his memories. Towards the end, [[spoiler:he's briefly shown from a first-person perspective wearing a Shinra Security Officer uniform before glitching back to the SOLDIER First Class uniform]]. In the ending, a similar effect [[spoiler:seems to affect Tifa, and she sees Aerith's blood disappear and reappear]].

** Elena's Mythril Mines encounter has nods to her events in the original game. Elena can throw a solid punch and she and Cloud trade dodges, a nod to their interactions at the Icicle Inn, where she could lay out Cloud if he didn't dodge her punch.
** The latest iteration of the Fort Condor minigames uses the core ''Final Fantasy VII'' cast as field commanders, and they appear as high-resolution takes on their original polygonal [=PlayStation 1=] incarnations.
** The inclusion of Gilgamesh in this game continues the trend of him being added to new releases of previous ''Final Fantasy'' installments. At the end of the sidequest involving him, he namedrops the Warriors of Light, the recurring title for various ''Final Fantasy'' heroes, but most likely referring to the group from his origin game, ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'', as he mentions he has "unfinished business" with them. There's also his "It's morphin' time!" line, which he's been saying a variation of since the ''[=FF5=]''[='=]s Platform/GameBoyAdvance localization.

** The Gold Saucer's exterior appearance has been greatly expanded compared to 1997, but if you look closely the original design is still there sitting on top of the central saucer!

** The Protorelic side quest has many call backs to [[spoiler:Gilgamesh's varied appearances throughout the games. He first has a duel with Cloud one on one, then fights the full party, than transforms for the final bout, much like ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV''. He is suffering from amnesia before the final battle restores his memories, much like how he is found wandering the Interdimensional Rift, also in ''V''. He brings out various weapons in the final battle and his greatest move is Ultimate Illusion, much like in ''XII'']]. During one of the last Protorelic cutscenes, [[spoiler:Gilgamesh calls Cloud a thief for taking the Genji equipment. Making the Genji equipment yourself is accomplished by transmuting them with Pirate Jetsam. It has been a running gag ever since ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'' that you get the Genji equipment by stealing it from Gilgamesh. He also says that Cloud will never get his hands on the Genji Shield, a nod to the fact that no playable character in the world of ''Final Fantasy VII'' uses a shield]].
** As you are going to the Nibelheim reactor with Yuffie, she mentions making a Spec Ops Unit known as the "Yuffie Recon Patrol" or Y.R.P. It is also the same initials of the group you play as in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX2'' (this time standing for Yuna, Rikku, and Paine).

** Late in the original game, Cid tells Cloud how he once watched ''Loveless'' but fell asleep halfway through. Here he does the exact same thing and falls asleep during the parties play.

** Several times in the game, Cloud enters a fugue state and acts more like an extension of Sephiroth's will rather than his own person, especially once he starts quoting Sephiroth directly, and ''especially'' when Cloud quotes him before Sephiroth has actually said it. It's never not Serious Business when this happens. It gets even worse [[spoiler:when the party enters the Temple of the Ancients. Cloud, while still seemingly lucid, becomes very cold and uncaring towards his comrades (when he, Barret, and Tifa get separated from Aerith, Nanaki, and Yuffie, his first concern is continuing towards the Black Materia rather than regrouping with them). To make matters worse, in the battle with the Demon Walls, he can be heard giggling to himself throughout the fight like a lunatic. It all shows that he is falling closer and closer under Sephiroth's thrall]].
** One of Roche's defining characteristics is his love for his custom motorcycle, he is basically never seen without it and especially loves fighting while riding it. During his [[spoiler:second rematch with Cloud, the first thing he does is ride it out of an aircraft to crash-land and explode it without a care, resulting in the fight being fought on foot, similarly to Sephiroth and other traditional [=SOLDIERs=]. It quickly becomes clear that he is on his last legs and only cares now about a final battle with Cloud before he succumbs to SOLDIER degradation, whilst taking on a few hints from Sephiroth]].

** When Gilgamesh reclaims the pieces of the Genji armor and readies to fight Avalanche, he shouts "[[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers It's morphin' time!]]"
** Staggering Gilgamesh may cause him to exclaim a phrase very fitting for him: ''"[[Film/MontyPythonAndTheHolyGrail Tis but a scratch]]."''

** The subtitle for Junon Protorelic Phenomenon 3, where Gilgamesh pretends to be a DamselInDistress during a game of Fort Condor, is [[Franchise/SuperMarioBros Princess in Another Castle]].
** When Yuffie first offers to join the group, she does a transformation monologue straight out of ''Anime/CuteyHoney''.

** Using Yuffie's "Art of War" and "Supreme Art of War" back-to-back may cause her to shout "[[UsefulNotes/MuhammadAli Run like a chocobo, stab like a Tonberry]]!"

** In the alternate timeline, the people of Midgar believe that the world is ending due to the Whisper tornado having ravaged the city [[spoiler:and a glowing white tear having opened in the sky]].

** and finally, Aerith relives [[spoiler:the death of her mother, Ifalna, after trying in vain to get help for her.]]

*** Yuffie is present aboard the ''Shinra-8'', having snuck in by disguising herself as a Sephiroth Clone, which gets her in trouble when she's confused for one of them.