Final Fantasy fans will soon have a new entry to enjoy this month. The video game franchise is preparing to bring out Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This will be the next part of the beloved Final Fantasy VII remake, and with it comes more storylines to dwell into. One actor is eager for players to dig into some of these storylines, even if it’s not directly their own.
John Eric Bentley is the man who voiced the iconic character Barrett for the remake, and he recently opened up in an interview with Square Enix on the time spent on the latest installment. For starters, John is a gamer and was already familiar with the game, as he was a fan of the original release. However, once approached to voice the iconic Barrett character, John wanted to ensure he could deliver something that wasn’t just a caricature. In the eyes of John, Barrett shouldn’t just be viewed for their culture or community. Instead, players should see this man’s different layers, especially with the various relationships.
Of course, being an actor means ensuring you can hit the different arcs in the campaign. For instance, some very emotional moments deal with Barrett, which John admits is challenging, especially with actors not getting much notice of what scenes are being recorded at any given moment. However, since he was a fan of the original, he was prepared to endure some tough moments.
The only thing is that when we go into record, you never know what scenes you’re going to do! So, you have to be emotionally ready for anything that comes your way. So prep work has to go in usually, but because I was a fan of the original, I’m like: “Oh yeah, this is what where we’re going to do this.”
So, you have to prepare for it, but the emotional part for me is easy. But I’m not going to lie – in REBIRTH, he goes through it! There are scenes that I can’t talk about – and I can’t wait for gamers to experience that – where he takes you on a journey with relationships that are deep. And deep-seated.
John Eric Bentley – Square Enix
However, beyond that, the voice of Barrett can’t wait for you to play through the game. It’s a title with many interesting storylines, even besides the arcs you’ll find with Barrett. Still, there will be some thrilling moments that will help you understand Barrett if you can remember his past.
As far as experiencing Barret, I’m not a selfish actor. I want them to experience the journey that Tifa goes on, that Aerith goes on, the journey that Cloud REALLY goes on, the journey that Yuffie all of a sudden jumps into, the journey that a character who’s also a robot goes on…
But for Barret? I guess the only thing that I want people to understand is his past. If you understand his past, you understand his actions. If you experience his past, and what he’s dealing with, and the weight of the world being on this man’s shoulders as a leader, you’ll understand REMAKE better.
John Eric Bentley – Square Enix
That’s what I can’t wait for people to experience!
With that said, the developers are still working through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Just earlier today, the developers confirmed that they would be bringing out an update to enhance the graphical quality within the performance mode further, which you’ll see in the trial later this month. As for the Final Fantasy Rebirth release, the game is set to launch on February 29, 2024.
