10 things you may have missed in the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE demo

Easter Eggs, secret endings and more. How many of these have you discovered?

By Duncan Heaney

Tags: Final Fantasy,FINAL FANTASY VII Remake

The FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE demo’s been out for a few days now - hopefully you’re all enjoying it.

Now that many of you have gone hands-on with this exciting new RPG, we wanted to dive in and point out some of the things you may not have noticed.

Truth be told, we were going to do seven of these because… ha ha FINAL FANTASY VII, but even this relatively brief section of the game overflows with small details, Easter Eggs and more.

So here are 10 cool things you may have missed in the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE demo. How many did you spot?

Get the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE demo

1. You can see materia in weapon slots

Look closely at Cloud’s sword and Barret’s gun arm and you’ll notice the green materia embedded into it.

For those new to FINAL FANTASY VII’s world, characters equip these glowing orbs to gain spells and special abilities. Unlike the original game, in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE each character’s materia setup is accurately reflected in their appearance.

You can see this in the demo - Cloud only has access to Fire materia, so only has a single orb visible on his sword. Barret has both Thunder and Cure magic - and both materia can be seen on his weapon.

2. Posters contain some refreshing Easter Eggs

When Cloud and co first enter the train station at the start of the demo, you’ll notice a few posters stuck to walls. Take a moment to look closely at them, because you’ll spot some fun Easter Eggs.

For example, a couple of posters promote Banora White Apple Juice. Banora White is a type of fruit that’s referenced throughout classic PSP game Crisis Core: FINAL FANTASY VII.

3. Jessie has a lot to say about Cloud’s laser-dodging abilities

At one point in the demo, Cloud has to dodge lasers, cutting through the beams when they cycle off.

If he gets zapped, Jessie has something to say about it - you may have heard a few comments yourself if you mistimed the section. But if you keep getting hit, Jessie will continue to comment on your performance - and she has a fair amount to say.

Her attitude also changes, from initial concern, to admiration for Cloud’s resilience, to a growing suspicion that he’s doing it on purpose.

Which, in fairness, he probably is if it gets to that point.

4. Stamp the Shinra dog

Throughout the demo, Barrett calls Cloud “Stamp”, and asks if “Stamp can bite the hand that feeds him”.

His intention is clearly to suggest that the former SOLDIER still has loyalty to his former employer, Shinra - but did you notice that he’s referring to a specific dog?

If you look around you’ll see a few posters of the Shinra mascot Stamp. Don’t worry though - he’s still a good dog. Because they’re all good dogs, right?

5. You can toggle between radar, mini-map or neither with L2

The demo doesn’t really make this clear, so consider this more of a PSA: you can toggle a radar or mini-map with a press of L2.

The mini-map is useful for exploration - a trail shows where you’ve recently been, helping you remember which corners of the facility you’ve peered into.

Alternatively, you can toggle to a radar, which is helpful for keeping track of your objective. Or if you prefer a clear HUD, you can also turn them off entirely.

6. You can press the touchpad for more information about your foes

Have you tried pressing the PS4’s touchpad while in a fight? It’ll open up an information panel that tells you a little about your current target.

In the full game, you’ll need to equip Assess materia and use the associated ability to see more detailed data. It’s almost always worth it though - knowing enemy weaknesses is crucial for some tougher fights.

Plus it gives you a brief description of the foe - those are always fun to read.

7. The clock outside the train station matches the train arrival boards inside

If you’re looking for an example of just how much attention to detail there is in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, look no further than the clock outside the train station.

If you compare the time to the boards inside the station, you’ll notice that it’s around the same time. It’s these little touches that add up and help create something special.

8. Barret sings the FINAL FANTASY victory fanfare

No new FINAL FANTASY game would be complete without the famous victory fanfare, and this one is no different.

Combat and exploration are seamlessly integrated in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, but don’t worry - Barret’s still got you covered.

After a successful battle, he may sing the fanfare in his own inimitable style. Listen out for it!

9. The music changes dynamically

If you’ve played the demo, you don’t need us to tell you that the music in FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is incredible. But did you know that it changes dynamically depending on what’s going on in the game?

For example, when you enter combat inside the reactor, the soundtrack will subtly switch to a faster-paced, more action-oriented version of that theme. When combat’s done, it returns to the more sedate, menacing piece.

Or when you’re dodging lasers (or not - see #3) there’s an additional layer added onto the track just for this small section.

If you want a good way to hear the dynamic soundtrack, try temporarily turning the volume for voice and sound effects to zero. You’ll quickly hear how elegantly the music shifts and builds throughout the bombing mission.

10. There’s a secret ending scene

Cloud and Barret are out to bomb Shinra’s planet-harming reactor - but how long did you set the timer on the explosives?

You get a choice of a risky 20 minute countdown, or a more relaxed 30 minute escape window. Whichever you pick, you’ll get a tantalising bit of footage at the end of the game, but if you go for the shorter option, you’ll see a bit extra, featuring a glimpse at an iconic character…

Those were just a few noteworthy things tucked away in the demo - but it’s far from all of them.

Did you notice anything worth pointing out to fellow fans? Let us know on social media:

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE releases on PS4 April 10, 2020, and you can preorder it now:

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