Summary
Of all the characters fromFinal Fantasy 7, none of them stand out quite like Cait Sith, who will make his triumphant return inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As a robotic cat with a penchant for fortune-telling, he is usually seen riding a stuffed Moogle and has a knack for captivating his audience with hisunorthodox character design. Among his most unorthodox features are his combat mechanics, which have been known to be a bit of a double-edged sword.
Although his familiar personality will surely carry over toFinal Fantasy 7Rebirth, Cait’s battle mechanics have changed almost entirely for the better in the remake. Since his approach to combat in the original game often resulted in some of the game’s most frustrating moments, this is arguably a decision made for the better.
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Improves Cait Sith’s Combat From the Original Game
Cait Sith’s Luck-Based Mechanics in the Original Final Fantasy 7 Were a Double-Edged Sword
Cait Sith’s combat mechanics in the originalFinal Fantasy 7have long been a bit of a divisive topic. Without a doubt, Cait brought something rather unique to the table inthe eccentric puppeteer dynamic Cait Sith shared with his stuffed Moogle partner. As the player entered commands to inform Cait of his next move, he would then bark orders at the Moogle through his megaphone. While these mechanics certainly made Cait an interesting character to witness in battle, they provided little more than entertainment.
Where Cait Sith’s original combat mechanics divided fans was in their over-reliance on chance. Cait Sith’s true potential was tied tohis two Limit Breaks, Dice and Slots, both of which relied heavily on luck. During a Slots attack, for instance, a slot machine determined Cait’s next move. This occasionally resulted in Cait dealing some of the best damage in the game, but it could also wipe out the entire party of allies if the slots stopped on the wrong combination.
Cait Sith’s unpredictability provided an entirely different approach to combat inFinal Fantasy 7and added to the excitement of battle. Unfortunately, this element of unpredictability would often shine through the most during moments when Cait would inflict fatal damage on the party. Thankfully,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis reintroducing Cait Sithwith updated battle mechanics.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Separates Cait From His Moogle and Gives Him More Abilities
Square Enix has made it clear thatCait Sith’s luck-based mechanics from the originalFinal Fantasy 7are making a return inRebirth. That being said, the developer used Cait’s chance mechanics as a foundation to start from, rather than making it the character’s emphasis. One major way Cait is improved inRebirthis in the fact that he begins battle without his Moogle and can perform a mixture of normal and luck-based attacks.
Cait can also summon his Moogle to the fight, which changes his combat mechanics entirely. He can then either fight from atop the Moogle or jump off and fight alongside it, and his abilities change accordingly. There are some attacks Cait can perform while aboard the Moogle that he can’t do on the ground, and vice versa. If the Moogle’s HP reaches zero when Cait is not on board, it disappears, but he can summon the Moogle back to the fight shortly thereafter.
The news of Cait Sith’supdated battle mechanics inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthlooks like a welcome improvement on his concept. It will be interesting to witness Cait now fighting alongside his Moogle, and, although this is a major change to the way he approaches battle, he looks like he can still match the fun he added to the original 1997 game.
