Saving the world is hard work, so taking breaks is always well-warranted. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and the rest of the party had fun at the beach in their own summer outfits, leaving Barret the only member of the quartet who’s all covered up.
That’s set to change in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, as the gun-armed mercenary will show his skin in a new host of bathing suit, uh, skins for the characters. A fresh gameplay clip unveiled at SDCC Málaga shows Cloud, Barret, and Red XIII at the hot springs and competing to see who can balance the most number of rubber Chocobos on their heads, for whatever reason, with a towel around their necks. A second teaser shifts focus to Cid and Vincent Valentine, the latter of whom apparently bathes in the same getup that he fights in. Hilarious, and very much Vincent-coded.
It’s unclear whether the rubber Chocobo-balancing segment will be a mini-game players can participate in, but the bigger draw is the interactive moments and permanent increase in max HP, as seen at the end of the cutscenes.
“Each hot spring offers a different glimpse into the characters’ everyday lives, and the outfits featured in these events can also be unlocked as skins. Explore the world, discover hot springs, and enjoy these special moments with your companions!” reads director Naoki Hamaguchi’s follow-up post on X/Twitter.
Those who played the 1997 original will recognise the throwback to the Great Glacier Zone, where a missable encounter with and battle against an NPC called Snow can also be triggered. In the larger scheme of things, the hot spring cosmetics complement the new FITS, or Function Integrated Suitwear, system in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, allowing players to change a party member’s appearance and combat capabilities based on their outfit. As noted in a previous hands-on preview, FITS options include Warrior, which enhances offensive capabilities; defensive magic specialist Black Mage; Knight, which tanks damage and provides defensive buffs for the party; and Summoner, which unleashes combos with synchronised summoned entities.
Among the other notable additions are Vincent and Cid as playable party members, the ability to control the Highwind, and grappling-gun movement. The highly anticipated sequel is set to release on 8 April 2027, with DLCs focusing on Vincent and Sephiroth rolling out over the following 12 months.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
