Final Fantasy VII Remake details Sephiroth, Shinra, Aerith abilities, Shiva summon, more; Tifa and Sephiroth visuals

Square Enix has released new information and screenshots of Final Fantasy VII Remake highlighting the Sephiroth, the members of Shinra Electric Power Company, Aerith’s abilities in battle, the Shiva summon, the Train Graveyard, and the Shinra Building. Additionally, Square Enix revealed two new visuals featuring Tifa and Sephiroth and shared 11 developer comments.

Get the details below.

■ New Visuals

■ Characters

Sephiroth (voiced by Toshiyuki Morikawa in Japanese)

Sephiroth is famed as the finest member of Shinra’s elite SOLDIER unit. His gallant efforts in the war with Wutai made him a hero—and he’s inspired many brave youths to join SOLDIER.

Sephiroth is believed to have died during a top secret mission, but there may be far more to the story than people know…

■ Shinra Electric Power Company

President Shinra (voiced by Genzou Wakayama in Japanese)

The current president of the Shinra Electric Power Company raised the company up from a small arms manufacturer to the massively powerful conglomerate it is today.

He can be generous to his allies, but when it comes to business he’s utterly ruthless. He’s willing to use cutthroat business tactics to make a profit – and eliminate anyone who gets in the way.

Heidegger (voiced by Katsumi Chou in Japanese)

As well as being the director of Public Security, Heidegger has been President Shinra’s right-hand man since the early days of the company. He’s just as ruthless as his boss, and will do anything to get what he wants—even sacrifice his own subordinates.

He’s trusted implicitly by the President, and this has made Public Security the most powerful department within Shinra.

Roche (voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese)

This 3-C SOLDIER turned rebel is also known as Speed Demon.

He loves bikes, speed and anyone who can give him a challenge. His comrades, however, find him annoying – he constantly squeals his rear tire and makes them choke on fumes of burnt rubber.

■ Battle Introduction: Aerith

These next screenshots demonstrate how Aerith fights. A press of the square button will make her launch a ranged magic attack.

By pressing square in repeatedly, or holding the button, successive attacks can be unleashed. In addition, the number of targets hit will increase, and attacks will cover a wider area.

Unique Abilities

By pressing the Triangle button, Aerith will unleash her unique ability—“Tempest.” You can also charge the attack by holding the Triangle button—at maximum charge it will explode repeatedly after it hits an enemy.

“Soul Drain” lets Aerith absorb MP from a foe. As she specializes in magic attacks, using this skill will be a necessity in tough fights.

“Lustrous Shield” allows Aerith to summon a magical barrier, which will keep enemies at bay and block projectiles. What’s more, any attackers who come into contact with the shield will take damage.

■ Summons

Characters in Final Fantsy VII Remake can use Summon Materia—orbs let them summon an intensely powerful ally into the fight.

Shiva

The Queen of Ice Shiva is one such Summon. This frosty figure gives an icy glare to enemies and a loving smile to allies. She skates around the battlefield, and manipulates the air to freeze enemies in the blink of an eye.

Once summoned, Shiva will fight automatically, but you can also issue commands to make her use specific abilities. “Heavenly Strike” creates a giant glacier and smashes it down onto an opponent!

Summons are governed by a special gauge—when it’s empty they’ll disappear… but just before they leave, they’ll deliver an especially powerful move.

In Shiva’s case, it is “Diamond Dust” a move fans of the original Final Fantasy VII may remember. Shiva encases enemies in ice and then shatters them in spectacular fashion:

■ New Story Episodes

Final Fantasy VII Remake takes many locations from the original game, and redesigns and reinterprets them to add additional depth.

The story is more detailed too, with more dialogue, story sequences and a greater portrayal of citizens’ lives.

The Train Graveyard

The Train Graveyard is a perfect example of this. Originally used during the construction of Midgar, this area has since become a junkyard for old and abandoned trains. Strong winds make the rusting carriages creak and groan, and odd high-pitched sounds echo over the area.

You may remember this location from the original Final Fantasy VII. In that game, there was no dialogue here, but in Final Fantasy VII Remake, characters will talk to each other as they explore the maze of wreckage.

The new game also adds a new story into this area, with multiple event scenes:

■ The World of Final Fantasy VII Remake

The Shinra Building

Here’s a look at another area of the game. The headquarters of the Shinra Electric Power Company is a 70-story skyscraper in the center of Midgar.

Up on the upper levels you’ll find the offices of President Shinra and the directors, and a Memorial Floor, where you can learn all about the history of Shinra. Alternatively, head to the Visual Entertainment Hall where you can see the latest technology being demonstrated.

Of course, the first thing you’ll see is the expansive entrance:

Inside the building, you can take a look at some of the Shinra cars on display:

Or to unwind, why not head up to the Relaxation Floor?

Final Fantasy VII Remake is due out for PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020.

View the screenshots at the gallery.

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