The co-director of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is praising The Last of Us Part 2, thanking it for its role in video game diversity, especially for the LGBTQIA+ community.
According to Final Fantasy 7 Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama, he notes that Naughty Dog set a benchmark. The Last of Us 2 became a measuring stick for diversity within the gaming industry as a whole. He notes that it helped him expand on the nature of LGBT in JRPG titles.
FF7 Remake director puts TLoU2 as benchmark
In an interview with TheGamer, Toriyama lauds the value of TLoU2. While the entire game experience is a sharp stick to the heart of its fans, the game did something right. The game, though not the first, helped thrust diversity even further.
The Last of Us Part 2 had bisexual romance, of all things. It also had transgender characters and a lesbian heroine who is both strong and sharp. Such move seems to be a great inspiration to what FF7 Remake is trying to achieve.
“The Last of Us Part 2 really delivered on its consideration for diversity,” said Toriyama in the interview. “Right down to the UI, and I would imagine that the cost of debugging on that game was massive. However, having achieved that makes it a great game that sets a benchmark for the industry.”
“I think that expressing diversity with LGBTQ+ inclusion is an important issue for everyone involved in making content, not just people making games. In Final Fantasy 7 Remake, we rebuilt the original game using the latest technology, but we felt that it should not stop at the technical side and we needed to update the story content being shown in line with modern sensibilities.”
Square Enix overhauls notorious crossdressing scene
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is doing its best to show their push towards diversity in their game. Fans should look no further at the crowd favorite Honey Bee Inn scene. Here, Cloud crossdressed as needed for the inn.
In the original game, this scene was played for laughs, using the idea of crossdressing as a joke. It was a product of its time when the original title came out in the mid-90s. Now, Honey Bee Inn is more tastefully done.
The Last of Us Part 2 did its best to create a strong, inclusive story rife with nuance. Regardless of the divisive player opinion on it, it did justice to its representation of LGBTQIA+.
The Part 2 for Final Fantasy 7 Remake should still be ways away. It’s interesting to see what Toriyama has in-store for fans.
Featured image courtesy of Playstation/Youtube Screenshot