The team at Square Enix has been cooking up a special treat for Final Fantasy fans. In addition to FF7 Remastered Intergrade, which was revealed during today’s State of Play stream, the studio has also been working on a couple of new mobile titles. One of them is called Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier, and it’s a battle royale spin on the action-heavy formula established by the FF7 Remake.
The Final Fantasy series has had several mobile games so far, but this one is a little bit different. The story takes place in Midgar 30 years before the events of FF7 Remastered, at a time when the Shinra Corporation is first putting together the Soldier Project. The game follows a potential Soldier recruit as he learns more about the job’s duties, pitfalls, and most importantly, how to fight.
Based on the newly-released trailer, the action looks rather unlike any other Final Fantasy game so far. It features real-time battles that take place from both first- and third-person perspectives, with a heavy focus on PvP combat. Numerous characters are seen wielding guns, but there are also hand-to-hand combat segments for when things get up close and personal.
And, of course, there are plenty of Final Fantasy staples. Many of the locations seem to be directly inspired by those in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Potions and/or healing spells also appear to be in the mix, as do summons: Ifrit joins the battlefield at one point. There are even enemy creatures returning from FF7 Remake, though it’s not entirely clear how often players will battle with enemies as opposed to human opponents. Plus, since we’ve already theorized that the FF7 Remake will be in three parts, it’s likely that the events of The First Soldier will come into play throughout future games.
Either way, we shouldn’t have to wait long to learn more. Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier is scheduled for a 2021 release date on both iOS and Android mobile devices. The specific release date is so-far unknown, but chances are good Square Enix will step in with more details over the next few months.
