One of the most exciting showings at E3 2019 was, without a doubt, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Square Enix not only showed off gameplay and a new trailer, but they also announced a release date of 3 March 2020. The game has changed quite a bit but everything seems to be for the better and the combat looks awesome. However, it seems that there was actually a bit of controversy surrounding one character, Tifa Lockhart. More specifically, her chest size and how it has been reduced in the remake.
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Honestly, I can’t believe there is even a discussing surrounding this, as it is the developer’s decision and Tifa Lockhart in the original Final Fantasy 7 did have an exceedingly large chest if you ask me. According to reports, Tifa Lockhart’s chest size reduction was a decision made by Square Enix’s ethics department so that she can look more natural.
The director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Tetsuya Nomura, reportedly explained in a new interview with Famitsu as translated by Digital Foundry, that:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#ff33e3″ class=”” size=”22″]It was necessary to restrict her chest. For the developers, modernising Tifa’s design meant creating an athletic look, complete with abs, while retaining her iconic white tanktop and black mini skirt outfit. But, as the ethics department pointed out, Tifa shouldn’t look “unnatural” during action scenes, so her chest was “restricted”. This resulted in black underwear and a fitted tank top for the remake.[/perfectpullquote]
So what is an ethics department for a game publisher and what exactly do they do? Well, according to a Square Enix representative (as reported by Polygon), it was explained that:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”#33f6ff” class=”” size=”22″]In the Square Enix Japan studios, the Ethics Department is actually a group within the company that evaluates game content to make sure it is aligned with the anticipated age ratings standards across the globe (CERO, ESRB, PEGI, etc). In this case, we want a new generation of gamers to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake and are working very closely with the company’s internal experts to make sure all of the game’s content is appropriate.[/perfectpullquote]
Final Fantasy 7 Remake will release on 3 March 2020 and with Tifa Lockhart’s chest being much smaller than the original.
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What do you make of this reduction and should there even be a debate surrounding this change by the developer? Let us know in the comment section below and check out the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trailer from E3 if you haven’t already.
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