Yuffie-senpai and her hunky ninja subordinate are here to crush giant robots and nab Materia.
There’s a lot to like about Final Fantasy VII Remake, what with its gorgeous visuals and modernized gameplay systems. There’s even an upside to splitting the 1997 original’s narrative into a multi-game series, since it allows for more time to take closer looks at the world and characters that have captivated gamers for over 20 years.
One big downside, though, is that the more thoroughly constructed story means that not every member of Final Fantasy VII’s iconic cast showed up in the first Remake game when it was released last year. But there’s a late arrival to the party on her way, with developer Square Enix’s announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, an upgraded PlayStation 5 version of Remake which will feature ninja girl/Materia thief Yuffie!
Trying to blend in with the citizens of Midgar while wearing a Moogle-hooded cloak, Yuffie has come to the city as an agent of the Wutai government to, what else, nab some Materia. Joining Yuffie on her mission is new character and fellow shinobi Sonon, who makes a point of calling her “senpai” in his Japanese-language dialogue.
▼ Or “boss” in the English trailer
▼ Sonon
▼ Does Yuffie’s return mean Square Enix needs to reopen voting for the “best female character in Remake” poll?
Backing up Yuffie and Sonon is a team of Watai operatives whose names are currently unknown.
While Yuffie’s first appearance in the original Final Fantasy VII is as an antagonist of sorts, here her crew is in cahoots with Avalanche, the resistance organization that Cloud, Tifa, and Barret are part of. However, the preview trailer has Sonon quickly dismissing the idea of making direct contact with the rest of the core cast, out of concern that they’re under heavy surveillance by Shinra, Avalanche and Wutai’s common enemy.
As such, the Yuffie portion of Intergrade looks like a standalone section within the rest of the game, and in addition to complete physical and download versions of Intergrade, the Yuffie Episode content will be offered as reduced-price downloadable content for owners of the PlayStation 4 Remake who upgrade to the game’s PS5 version, which is a free upgrade in North America and just 100 yen (US$0.96) in Japan (with the Yuffie Episode a separate purchase after the upgrade).
▼ And yes, Yuffie and Sonon observe proper ninja running technique.
Other things to look forward to in Intergrade include numerous visual improvements to textures, lighting, and environmental effects, faster loading times, and a photo mode (no word on whether or not this is causing Square Enix as much trouble as Lightning Returns–Final Fantasy XIII did preventing upskirting).
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Episode Luffie release worldwide on June 10.
Source: Square Enix
Top image: YouTube/スクウェア・エニックス
Insert images: YouTube/スクウェア・エニックス (1, 2)
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