Many people grew to know most components of the unique Remaining Fantasy VII by coronary heart, and that’s each superior and heartbreaking. However how many people are conscious of the complete extent of the Compilation of Remaining Fantasy VII prolonged universe that Sq. Enix kickstarted within the mid-aughts, in celebration of its seventh anniversary?

I positive wasn’t for a protracted whereas, however now I really feel like I’m prepared to speak about this wackily bold try at multiplatform, multi-genre, multi-generational storytelling.

Remaining Fantasy 7: The First Soldier: Thirty years earlier than FF7

Though The First Soldier takes place lengthy at the beginning else within the collection, it solely got here out in 2021, seemingly in an try to make financial institution on the battle royale craze.

Yeah, you bought that proper. First Soldier is a battle royale title the place 75 wannabe members of SOLDIER fought it out for the large job. Boy, if Cloud appears like a fraud typically, think about how the SOLDIERs should really feel if that is how they ended up getting the job. Although The First Soldier featured some cool concepts reminiscent of attending to trip Chocobos and, effectively, not a lot else, it failed to achieve traction and Sq. Enix canned the factor just a little over a 12 months after launch.

Remaining Fantasy 7: Ever Disaster: Sephiroth’s episode, 15 years earlier than FF7

This can be a gacha-style recreation that largely retells the occasions of the OG FFVII and different associated media, nevertheless it additionally has a prequel section devoted to Sephiroth who, at 14, was already a complete homicide machine.

Disaster Core: Remaining Fantasy 7: Seven years earlier than FF7

Disaster Core is the crown jewel of the Remaining Fantasy VII compilation, because it’s each the sport that started experimenting round with the sort of gameplay we’d later see in additional actiony FF titles, and in addition as a result of it’s a prequel that tells a narrative followers truly need to see.

Disaster Core exhibits us the life and instances of Zack, Cloud’s mentor and protector. If you happen to choose different media, Final Order is an anime that takes place throughout the identical time, but in addition focuses on another occasions and tells the occasions of Disaster Core in another way.

Earlier than Disaster: Six years earlier than FF7

Okay, it’s unusual that the sport referred to as Earlier than Disaster takes place after the one whose identify suggests it takes place on the very core of the disaster. Nonetheless, possibly that was simply Sq. Enix getting us prepared for the clashing timelines it might introduce with Remaining Fantasy 7: Remake.

Earlier than Disaster is a cellular recreation that places gamers in command of the Turks, the recognized bunch of crooks who work for Shinra as the corporate units in movement the marketing campaign of environmental destruction that results in AVALANCHE’s pushback, and the beginning of the unique recreation.

If you happen to play Earlier than Disaster, then I have to warn you that you simply’re canonically chargeable for many of the issues on the planet of FF7. Congrats.

Remaining Fantsy 7, and in addition Remake and Rebirth

Okay, you most likely know the gist of the plot of the unique Remaining Fantasy 7. A easy mission towards a megacorp turns right into a battle towards an alien deity and a vile super-SOLDIER named Sephiroth who needs to destroy the world. Spoilers, in the event you haven’t performed the unique but, however our heroes kick Sephiroth’s ass and handle to avoid wasting the world within the nick of time. Fairly simple.

Issues solely get actually difficult whenever you notice Remake and, I assume, Rebirth, don’t merely happen on the identical time or rehash the identical precise occasions. Remake makes it fairly clear that it’s not only a remake, because it creates a very new chain of occasions which may, sooner or later, fully diverge from all the pieces we’d count on to occur. Rebirth may change issues even additional, too.

Be prepared for the brand new trilogy to trigger wrinkles for this listing, canon-wise.

Creation Youngsters

Creation Youngsters is the direct, CGI-animated movie sequel to the unique FF7. It has Cloud and co. dealing not simply with a brand new virus that’s wreaking havoc among the many inhabitants, but in addition with a bunch of Sephiroth acolytes who attempt to truly handle to resurrect the person for one final(?) battle towards Cloud.

Creation Youngsters is an absolute blast in relation to motion, nevertheless it appears like a very pointless addition to the plot. If you would like my recommendation, benefit from the unique model and ignore Creation Youngsters Full, because it provides little greater than irritating exposition and low cost drama to the entire thing.

Dirge Of Cerberus: Three years after FF7

Cloud is seemingly on trip as Vincent takes the function of the protagonist in Dirge Of Cerberus. The concept appeared nice, as he’s the edgiest character of the bunch, however this recreation wound up being a bit divisive amongst followers.

Though it places on a Satan Could Cry impersonation with capturing and the FF character that the majority resembles Dante, Dirge winds up being a lesser plot a few B-tier risk for Vincent. If Dirge Of Cerberus have been an anime, it might be 100% filler.

The unique Remaining Fantasy 7‘s ending cutscene

Okay, this may be dishonest as a result of that is only a cutscene and never a recreation, however let’s not finish this on Dirge of Cerberus. Insead, let’s hop again to the unique FF7.

The true ultimate ending of FF7 takes place 500 years after we cease Sephiroth and the meteor. We see that the once-industrially corrupted panorama has been changed by some lush fields of inexperienced, which is code for “blissful ending.”

Honorable point out: Remaining Fantasy 7 G-Bike

I didn’t have G-Bike on any particular level within the timeline, as a result of I prefer to consider that Cloud simply will get to take it for a trip each time the hell he needs to.

Remaining Fantasy VII: Rebirth comes out on February 29 for the PlayStation 5.