Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Could Be Teasing Advent Children DLC

After my recent interview with director Naoki Hamaguchi, I am more confident than ever that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is going to do more than just conclude the original story in a new fashion. It is going to expand on everything we know and love about this world and its cast of characters while also delving into additional materials found across different games, films, or other mediums entirely.

I’m not alone in hoping for this eventuality either, with Naoki Hamaguchi confirming that he and his team at Square Enix view the remake trilogy as a fully-fledged retelling of the Final Fantasy 7 Compilation, which features the mainline game and additional materials like Dirge of Cerberus and Advent Children. We’ve already seen the former materialised in a number of ways, while the feature film has always been considered the bedrock of this reimagining that everything is built upon. That being said, could Revelation tie everything together?

Judging from recent DLC leaks courtesy of the Epic Games Store, there could be a chance.

Is Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Getting Post-Launch DLC?

According to the aforementioned leak, it is all but confirmed that downloadable content is in the works for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but what form this takes remains unknown. Earlier this week saw the Epic Games Store page for Revelation receive a large update which included a number of downloadable content additions added to the database. One of these makes direct reference to a ‘Story Expansion Pass’, which isn’t something Remake or Rebirth had.

Remake did receive a Yuffie Kisaragi expansion in the form of Episode Intermission, but this was simply a more compelling and logical way to introduce an optional character into the plot and have an excuse to deliver a spruced-up PS5 version. Rebirth received plenty of ports to other platforms alongside some extra features, but additional content is almost non-existent. So, whatever this Story Expansion Pass entails, it’s breaking new ground for the series, and might just continue the narrative once the credits roll. Well, I sure hope it does, at least.

Story stuff aside, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if the rest of the listed items consist of some pre-order accessories and summon materia like the previous two games, or perhaps even a new outfit or job pack that builds on some of the new mechanics being introduced.

There are more things listed than I expected, and I doubt Square Enix will be revealing anything until much closer to launch. I’d love to know how much the pass is going to cost, since it will go a long way in letting us know whether we should expect something slight or an expansion of sorts.

Could Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Get An Epilogue Expansion?

Additional story content for Revelation could come in many forms, especially if Square Enix is serious about representing every part of the compilation. We could see an updated form of Before Crisis, a Japan exclusive mobile title released in 2004 that focuses on The Turks. You also have Last Order, a 25-minute OVA from Madhouse that wasn’t well received at the time due to how it differed from events seen in the original game, but who says it couldn’t simply be redone to better depict how things went down from Zack Fair’s perspective?

Dirge of Cerberus was already extensively represented in Episode Intermission, but we still have yet to meet loads of original characters who would become both friends and enemies of Vincent Valentine, which I have to assume are eventually going to be canon to Remake, Rebirth, and Revelation.

There are plenty of other supplemental materials across the vast compilation, but few matter more than Advent Children. This feature-length animated film was a huge part of my childhood despite its relative mediocrity, and is equal parts beloved and condemned for how it depicts certain characters and builds on the game’s narrative.

Revelation could use this polarising reputation to its advantage and arguably produce a whole new Advent Children with a completely different narrative, viewing it as a nuanced epilogue to the events of this trilogy as we’re provided with a snapshot of how characters settle into a world which is no longer ruled by Shinra or threatened by Sephiroth. It’s like when your favourite anime ends, and you spend the last episode on the verge of tears, both happy for all of these characters you’ve fallen in love with but also devastated you might never see them again.

I would love to spend a bit of time with everyone back in the comfort of their communities, perhaps preparing for a reunion of sorts to celebrate one year of saving the world. Back in 1997, the game ended very abruptly, but that didn’t make its last few moments any less impactful. However, these characters are so iconic and so well realised within the Remake trilogy that I want to spend more time with them and see how they are changed by the trauma of saving the world and the joy of being able to live within it now that freedom is an absolute.

Maybe we can hop between them for a handful of hours before everyone gathers at a rebuilt Seventh Heaven to mourn the loved ones lost along the way, but never forgetting their sacrifices meant everything. I just know that Aerith and Zack are looking down from beyond the afterlife, that is, if Revelation doesn’t bring them back.

I picture it as Revelation’s equivalent of Final Fantasy 10’s Eternal Calm, which featured no actual gameplay but was rather a collection of cutscenes designed to drive the story forward and provide a glimpse at Spira during peacetime. I’d want to control Cloud and company in this instance, but only so I can feel close to all the characters I care deeply for. I wouldn’t say no to some extra combat and hidden boss battles as well, but only if it feels right.

Whatever form the story expansions take, whether it delivers a remade Before Crisis, a reimagined Advent Children, or a compelling mixture of everything, I can’t wait to see it. Back in 2005, Advent Children had to deliver a returning villain and new threats to truly justify its existence, but I would honestly rather the Remake trilogy took its time to give players true farewells to these characters instead of making them all go through further hardship. Make it comfy, make it heartfelt, and make it bid farewell to this trilogy in style.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation