Some of the details that connect the Final Fantasy 7 Remake to the original are grand, standing front-and-center like the Hell House that makes the transition from random enemy to impressive boss fight. However, some of the smaller details hide so well in the differences between the original Final Fantasy 7's gameplay and its remake that players are still discovering them for the first time.
This exact phenomenon is what happened to Reddit user LetterOK3512, who pointed out a small detail in the game's benches that act as rest areas throughout Final Fantasy 7 Remake's dungeons. Interestingly, the original poster isn't the only one to have missed the details in the two years that the game has been released, with commenters on the post noticing the callback for the first time now that it has been pointed out.
The specific detail in question is the design that has been painted onto the benches in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, with both words that call potions an energy drink and a small diamond shape on the left side of the backrest. It's this diamond shape that calls back to the original game, as this was the shape that save points took in that game, also offering a small point of respite both for marking checkpoints and allowing players to mass heal with tents. Considering how helpful these benches can be across both a first playthrough, as well as Final Fantasy 7 Remake's brutally difficult hard mode, it isn't uncommon for players to use them for relief when finding one without looking further than surface level.
In further comments in the original post, other players coming back to look at the game after two years also noticed this bench detail for the first time. So, even though plenty of players might have seen the save symbols on the benches, it's easy to quickly pass over some of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's details when playing through the rest of the game's bombastic spectacle. With the many references to the original title, it's likely that most players have missed one or more of these details.
Many of the smaller details in the remake help to elevate it and set up big expectations for Final Fantasy 7 Remake's second part. In a time when some games seem to still be in the past with lower resolutions, choppy frame rates, or stuck on older consoles, it's uplifting to see the effort on display for Final Fantasy 7. If there was ever a game that Square Enix would pull out all the stops for, it would be this flagship title of the Final Fantasy series, and it continues to go a long way to excite fans for the next installment in the remake series.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.