On March 1 to 3, the Filipino gaming society experienced the ultimate victory fanfare as Square Enix held an official launch party for Final Fantasy VII (FFVII) Rebirth at SM City North EDSA, The Block Atrium. This comes a day after the worldwide release of the much awaited game, marking the first time ever that an official gaming launch event was held in our country. To add to the fun, it was also attended by none other than Director Naoki Hamaguchi himself.

Dubbed as one of the greatest video games of all time, FFVII was originally released on Playstation in 1997. Over the years, its worldwide acclaim had given rise to numerous game spin-offs which included an animated series (Last Order), a full-length movie (Advent Children), a Playstation Portable prequel Crisis Core, light novels, and a whole lot more. As its story kept expanding and expanding, longtime fans were still longing to see the OG game rebuilt with cutting-edge cinematic graphics that Square Enix is known for.

It wasn’t until 2020 that the world first saw the actualization of this dream with the release of FFVII Remake on Playstation 4 which was the first in the trilogy. From the pointed polygons and mashed pixels we loved in 1997, we got the entire game revolutionized with an expanded storyline, ultra HD graphics, and a more complex gameplay system. Now, after 4 years of waiting, we finally get to experience the highly anticipated 2nd installment of the remake.

The launch event was significant for many reasons. To reiterate, this was the first ever gaming launch event ever done in our country. The Philippines has always had a huge market for video games – just look at the long queues at our local gaming stores during release day – and yet, we never get official events held here, that is until FFVII Rebirth came along!

We’ll take you down on the highlights of this awesome launch event.

The Gold Saucer Experience

At SM North’s The Block Atrium, we were welcomed with a gigantic arc with Cait Sith’s round moogle face. All around it were panels that were unmistakably FFVII – the character concept art from the OG game remade into the Rebirth version, the TV screens playing the gorgeous trailers of the game. If you listen closely to the background music, you would hear the overly upbeat theme of “Gold Saucer” and “Cinco De Chocobo” just like in the game. It was a good homage to the real Gold Saucer in FFVII which was this gargantuan amusement park filled with wondrous games.

Fans flocked the event starting from the opening day until its closing on March 3. Upon entering, they were handed a Gold Saucer ticket that would require them to get stamps from playing the different mini games inside the venue. In the Battle Square, they could practice their target shooting skills as they aim at known FF fiends like Cactuar, Toad and Tonberry. In the Chocobo Stop, they could snap photos while chilling at the benches under the blue waiting shed (which serves as rest areas in the actual game). At the sides, there was the replica of the post with the chocobo weathervane. If you’re up for a challenge, there was the Materia Capture, a crane catcher machine where you win tote bags as prizes. For the Skywheel Square, remember the ferris wheel in Gold Saucer? In this version, it serves as a photobooth with fireworks in the background (if you know, you know). As souvenirs, attendees get to take home printed polaroids free of charge).

Glorious Prizes at Gold Saucer

What are games without prizes, right? Upon completing the stamp rally in the ticket, participants were asked to drop their ticket stubs for a chance to win at the raffle which was conducted hourly. Various official FFVII merch were up for grabs including Moogle and Cactuar plushies, Rebirth Deluxe Edition and for the grand prize at the end of the day, the much coveted Collector’s Edition including One-Winged Angel Sephiroth’s 19-inch statue. For the last day, they even added the life-sized standees of the three main characters to sweeten the deal: Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth.

Experience Rebirth

Of course, the launch would not be complete without the actual game trial. In the middle of the venue, there were PS5 consoles that showcased different segments of the game. Attendees got to experience playing the game themselves while roaming around the venue.

Meeting Director Naoki Hamaguchi

On top of the Gold Saucer experience, Filipino FFVII fans got to meet Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of FFVII Rebirth who flew in on the 2nd day despite his busy, globe-trotting schedule. Before this, he also went to Los Angeles and Korea. When he heard that there will also be a launch event in the Philippines, he made sure to be there. This was such a treat for fans since the actual director of the game (no less) personally took the time to visit the event.

It was a great time for fans as not only did they get the chance to have their FFVII memorabilia signed by the director, they also had the opportunity to talk to him and take photos with him. He was very accommodating with fans’ requests and answering their questions in a relaxed manner. Meeting him face-to-face was such a pleasant experience.

Trivia from Naoki Hamaguchi

Naoki Hamaguchi cheerfully answered questions submitted from fans via social media.

According to him, he respects FFVII so much, so he tried his best to adapt it in the best way he could. When asked whether he felt pressured about taking on such a big project, he said he preferred to call it “love” instead of “pressure”. Along with the development team, they have so much love and passion for the game so they gave their all to make Rebirth while adhering to the heart of the original game.

He was hesitant to choose his favorite part of the OG game that was included in Rebirth, but he eventually said that Barret’s backstory stood out. He said fans could expect a dramatic scene that could possibly bring them to tears.

When he was asked to choose one materia he could use in real life, he chose the Assess Materia which has the ability to see an opponent’s stats, as well as their weaknesses and strengths. He added, “it’s important to be able to know a person’s heart”.

As for the much awaited date in Gold Saucer, he was asked to pick which character he would like to go on a date with. At first, he told the audience to focus on that part of the game, eliciting a curious jeer from people. Ultimately, he revealed it would be Red XIII.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s Launch Event in the Philippines is indeed an event worthy of a victory fanfare. It marks the first and hopefully, the beginning of many, many more. As Naoki Hamaguchi said in closing, he was glad to come here to see the passion of Filipino FF fans, and that he hopes to do another event here soon. Similarly, we could only wish for the same, as we wait for new video games to be released in the near future.

by Sandra Mae Laureano