When you think about Cloud Strife from the Final Fantasy series, there are probably three things that come to mind. First, you might think of his obvious emotional trauma and repressed memories. Second, you probably think that Zack Fair is the better protagonist. But third, you think of his Buster Sword. While making Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix admitted to toying with one of these aspects of Cloud’s character. Here’s a hint: it’s the six-foot-tall Buster Sword in the room that the team thought would “weaken the sense of realism.” Strange to think about when you think of Final Fantasy.
Square Enix Devs Thought Cloud’s Sword Would “Weaken the Sense of Realism”
There is no denying that both Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are much more gritty and realistic than the original game in the series. The tone is much darker when you can experience the story with detailed graphics, but even with better graphics, Final Fantasy isn’t something anyone would call “realistic.” After all, there are fantasy and sci-fi elements scattered throughout the games. In the case of Final Fantasy 7, you have massive generators that power a city by feeding on the lifeblood of the planet.
This is why it is weird when Square Enix admits that the devs thought Cloud’s famous Buster Sword might “weaken the sense of realism” in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Recently, director Naoki Hamaguchi spoke to YouTuber Julien Chieze, saying, “While making Remake, there was this aspect of the weight and how Cloud swings [the sword] around with one hand that sort of felt like it would weaken the sense of realism, you know?”
The director went on to say that the team had a “discussion about whether [they] should give Cloud a more realistic version of the Buster Sword.” Thankfully, they decided that the sword was “just too iconic” to be changed and that if they had “made it just a regular old sword, players wouldn’t accept it.” It is weird to think that we almost received a remake of Final Fantasy 7 with a different reality where Cloud had a normal sword.
