A save editor will allow players to finally take control of Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Red XIII for a limited period of time.
Red XIII, also known as Nanaki, is Cloud’s trusty lionesque companion that—much to the ire of fans everywhere—is no longer a playable character in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and instead appears as an assisting guest character.
Until now, that is.
Kingdom Hearts enthusiast Luciano Ciccariello (Xeeynamo) has developed a save editor originally meant for Kingdom Hearts 3 can also be used to modify Final Fantasy 7 Remake saved files. This allows players to manipulate the game in various ways.
Not even 2 weeks from Final Fantasy VII REMAKE and you can already play as Red XIII, teleport anywhere, spawn out of bounds, create Materia, change background music and more, by using the latest version of Kingdom Save Editor!https://t.co/VwTACm6veD
— Luciano Ciccariello (@xeeynamo) April 22, 2020
Xeeynamo’s Kingdom Hearts 3 save editor
One of the more interesting functions of the save editor is its ability to allow players to fully control the previously non-playable Red XIII in-battle for a short while.
While this comes as great news for fans of the character, these moments, unfortunately, don’t last very long since Cloud’s party resets after certain cutscenes take place.
FF7R Red XIII gameplay in combat. He has battle quotes, dodge and blocking. But you can't change his equipment, use magic or limit breaks. But he controls really well and his dodge is quite fast, probably on par with Tifa's
Mod by @xeeynamo #FF7Remake #FF7R体験版配信中 pic.twitter.com/HFdAO0GnyR— Dengo – عبدالله (@DENGOJIN) April 22, 2020
Turning Red XIII into a playable character isn’t the only thing the save editor is good for, however. It also allows players to exploit their party’s Materia and teleport to various locations around the game world, among other things.
Here is a full list of features that the save editor is capable of:
- Add, modify or remove Materia
- Add, modify or remove Inventory items
- Add, change or remove Materia installed into weapons
- Character teleportation to different locations or Out of Bounds
- Play as Red XIII
- Advanced features to research undiscovered content in the save
Red XIII as an AI-controlled guest character
According to Final Fantasy 7 Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi, the reasoning behind their decision to ultimately turn Red XIII into a non-playable character was his stunted character development.
In the remade version of Final Fantasy 7, Red XIII joins Cloud’s party fairly late into the game so Hamaguchi felt that there would not be enough time left in the game’s storyline to fully enjoy his personality and growth as a full-fledged character. This prompted developers to include him as a guest instead.
In a recent interview, Remake Co-Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed what a lot of people were either fearing, or speculating. But did also confirm some good news regarding Red XIII. #FF7R #FinalFantasyVIIRemake #FF #SquareEnix #RedXIII
Watch Here: https://t.co/JzvsxQQrBp pic.twitter.com/8kkgmzzIGG
— Soldier_1stClass, Namazu Dad (@Sold1st_class) March 2, 2020
“We thought that the best way to have him involved was as a guest character,” Hamaguchi explained further. “He’ll be using all of his old really nostalgic moves, and you’ll see that. We felt that was the best way of showing him off as a character and who he is.”
There may be no immediate plans to reveal Red XIII as an officially playable character, but there’s always hope that that may change with the likely arrival of Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s PC version.
Image courtesy of Final Fantasy 7 Remake/Twitter