Fans and critics alike heavily praised Final Fantasy 7 Remake after its many years in development, but that isn't to say that everyone considered the game to be perfect. One of the surprises waiting for players was that while Red XIII would make an appearance in the title, he wouldn't actually be playable. Now, the reasons behind that decision have been made clear by Final Fantasy 7 Remake's developers.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is just one part of a multi-part project reimagining the story and events of the PS1 classic. Unfortunately, there's a chance that the second part of FF7 Remake could be delayed due to Square Enix's employees needing to work from home since the coronavirus pandemic began, but in the meanwhile, players can always revisit the first part.
Speaking in an interview with IGN, Final Fantasy 7 Remake team members Producer Yoshinori Kitase, Co-Director Naoki Hamaguchi, and Co-Director and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima discussed some of the adaptations made to the original Final Fantasy 7 in the Remake. One of the topics touched on why - despite the fact that he can fight alongside the party - Red XIII can't be directly controlled by the player.
According to Hamaguchi, the developers ultimately chose to make Red XIII unplayable because he's introduced so late in the game. Specifically, Hamaguchi stated, "...As he appears towards the end of this game we were careful about disruptions to the overall tempo that may occur by treating him in the same manner as other main characters, who appear earlier."
Hamaguchi also noted that for those who have never played the original Final Fantasy 7, it could be confusing to have a new character introduced shortly before the Remake comes to a close. This is a rational consideration, especially since even veterans to the series needed to learn all over again how to best use Final Fantasy 7 Remake's party members, as the combat system has been completely transformed from the original turn-based RPG.
However, there's good news for fans of Red XIII. While some may have worried that he would never be playable, that's doesn't seem to be the plan. Hamaguchi noted that since the Remake will have multiple parts, "I believe there will be opportunities to control Red XIII in the future." It's a bit unclear if this means he'll operate like a standard party member or not, or if there will only be certain circumstances to play as him. Regardless, though, it sounds like players won't have to solely rely upon mods to make Red XIII playable in the future.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PS4.
Source: IGN