Final Fantasy VII Revelation May Revisit Vincent’s Story Through DLC

With hype for Final Fantasy 7 Revelations, the concluding chapter in Square Enix’s remake trilogy, slowly building, fresh comments from director Naoki Hamaguchi have fuelled speculation that Vincent Valentine, one of the franchise's most beloved characters, could be making a comeback.

A lot of fans expected Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to receive story-based DLC similar to the Yuffie-focused update for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but Square Enix did not take that route. The development team focused more on Final Fantasy 7 Revelations than on downloadable content to shorten the time between large releases.

That choice may have put the brakes on further content additions, but it hasn't completely closed the door on future additions.

Recently, Hamaguchi told Famitsu that the final game in the trilogy is coming, although spin-offs and other content based on unexplored stories could still be considered. Vincent Valentine isn’t a needed character in the original 1997 title, but he’s still one of the most iconic characters in Final Fantasy 7.

He was so popular that the PlayStation 2 spin-off Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII expanded on his story and gave him the major role. As for why they didn’t produce DLC for Rebirth, Hamaguchi said the team opted to devote all of their efforts into finishing Final Fantasy 7 Revelations as soon as possible.

The director noted that after the release of Rebirth, the studio received several requests for downloadable material. The team felt players would benefit more from a quicker release at the end of the trilogy than from waiting longer and dividing resources between the core project and extra material.

Hamaguchi added that Square Enix could address the remaining issues if players request them in sufficient numbers once the game is released.

That might incorporate stories from spin-off games. That comment makes many fans want to play Dirge of Cerberus again in some fashion, immediately. Vincent's story feels like something that could be expanded on further down the line, either as its own expansion, a reworked storyline, or as content to include in the gameplay systems of the remake trilogy.

It’s particularly intriguing to think of new material centering on Vincent given Final Fantasy VII Revelation is expected to put more focus on the character than prior games in the remake series.

With the gameplay, character models, and world-building tools of the game already in place, Square Enix may be able to build on Vincent’s story without having to start from scratch. Development costs are rising across the board, and more teams are trying to build on what exists rather than starting from scratch with every new project.

This strategy has enabled several large franchises to produce content more quickly, while yet preserving quality. One example that sticks out is the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. In a world where games take over ten years to develop, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to release three major RPGs in seven years.

Initial reviews for Dirge of Cerberus were mixed. Still, it has maintained a loyal fanbase, largely because of its focus on Vincent Valentine and the development of his personal story.

Any subsequent adaptation need not be a carbon copy of the original game's format. The remake trilogy demonstrated that Square Enix is ready to take enormous leaps with its previous games while maintaining the core characters and themes. One option to revisit the spin-off and expose it to new players could be to tell Vincent's narrative in a new way within the remake series' game framework.

For now, Square Enix is still hard at work finishing up Final Fantasy 7: Remake. But Hamaguchi’s latest statements make it sound like Vincent Valentine’s quest may not be complete just yet, even when the trilogy is.