When Square Enix decided to not only remake one of the best RPGs ever but divide it into several parts to truly flesh out the story and characters, there would always be “sacrifices” in each game that players would have to deal with. In the case of the first remake title, one of the sacrifices was limiting the story to the Midgar saga and thus restricting who you could get in your party. The original title only let you control Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith. However, in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, many more characters will be available to you for use in combat. That includes the epic Red XIII.
Red XIII was in the first remake title, but he appeared late in the game and was only used as a kind of “support” character where you could guide him to do things like turn on levers and such. You couldn’t control him in a fight. With his combat debut brewing, Square Enix took to their blog to outline what the “lab rat dog” could do. Apparently, he’s a blast to play. The blog notes that his style can be labeled “Aggressively Defensive.” How does that work?
Well, he has a lot of aggressive attacks that will seriously damage foes. But, if the foes can block or defend against his attacks, it’ll fill up his “Vengeance Gauge.” Once it’s got a charge, you can activate it to make Red XIII even stronger and faster! You can even use that mode to drain the life from enemies and give it to Red, thus keeping him healthy and always ready to strike again.
Plus, like the other characters, he’ll have special abilities and Limit Breaks to help you change things up and deliver even more devastating damage to foes. His first Limit Break is “Bloodfang.” He’ll unleash damage on foes while also healing himself. With “Howling Moon,” he can extend the amount of time he’ll stay in Vengeance Mode, which could easily turn the tide of battle if you use it correctly.
Another thing that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also brings is “Synergy Attacks” to the mix, and the blog outlined what Red XIII could do if he’s teamed with Cloud Strife, Aerith, or Barrett. There will be plenty of options for you to use, and all of them point to this game’s battle system surpassing what was available to players in the original title.
All this just makes the wait for February all the harder.
