Fans of theFinal Fantasy 7sub-series have a lot to look forward to in the next couple of years, from the Yuffie DLC being added toFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’sPS5 upgrade to the two upcoming mobiles games:Ever CrisisandThe First Soldier.Ever Crisisplans to compile the entireFinal Fantasy 7timeline into one game, but the one major thing it won’t include isThe First Soldier.
The First Soldieris a battle royale-style game set in Midgar, coming to Android and iOS devices sometime this year. As of now, it will only be made available on mobile devices. The trailer is pretty straightforward about whenThe First Soldiertakes place, specifically confirming that it is set in Midgar 30 years before theevents ofFinal Fantasy 7.That meansThe First Soldierwill feature the oldest version of Midgar fans have ever experienced, but it may end up playing a surprisingly important role in the overall timeline.
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Fans Expected The First Soldier to Be a Sephiroth Prequel
The First Soldierwas expected to be a prequel, even before details were revealed. Square Enix trademarked the title back in December, leading to a few months of speculation before the game was actually revealed at the recent State of Play event. Fans originally thoughtThe First Soldierwould explore Sephiroth’s origin story, which makes sense considering Sephiroth was always assumed to be the first official SOLDIER.
SOLDIER recruits are marked by their exposure to Jenova cells, which grant them superhuman strength and other abilities. Early SOLDIER recruits were experimented on with Jenova cells, but Sephiroth was unique in that he was the only person to be born having already been injected with the cells. Professor Hojo injectedSephiroth’s mother, an Ancient named Lucrecia Crescent, with Jenova cells that mutated the unborn fetus. As a result of possessing both Ancient and Jenova DNA, Sephiroth became the most powerful hero in all of Midgar.
When fans became aware ofThe First Soldiertrademark, they began to speculate that it would coverSephiroth’s journey to becoming the most iconic villainin video game history. So, fans were right aboutThe First Soldierbeing a prequel- and while the game is going to be something entirely different, they might even have been right about whereThe First Soldierultimately fits into the timeline.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is Actually a Prequel About SOLDIER’s Origins
The First Soldierisn’t about Sephiroth at all, but it may take place around the same time as the events described above. The trailer describesThe First Soldieras a battle royale gamewhere gamers play as SOLDIER recruits, vying for the chance to be the first one. It’s unclear if Square Enix defines the “first soldier” as the first recruit to be initiated into the ranks or the first to receive Jenova cells, but either way, it’s not Sephiroth. The trailer makes it seem like the first SOLDIER could be anyone, giving the player a chance to make history.
Battle royal games typically don’t follow a specific narrative, butThe First Soldierwill probably have some Easter eggs for fans to discover that show how it’s related to the timeline. If SOLDIER is being formed, that means that Jenova experiments have begun and Lucrecia Crescent could be pregnant with Sephiroth during the game. Lucrecia and Professor Hojo are very likely to make cameo appearances in the game. At the bare minimum, they’ll definitely be referenced. As time goes on, the game may allow players to experience some ofSephiroth’s never-before-seen background story.
While players likely won’t be involved with Sephiroth’s ascension through the SOLDIER ranks, they may get to see some of it from the outside. Meanwhile, gamers will be battling one another for the coveted chance to become history’s very first SOLDIER.
The First Soldier Takes Place Before Crisis Core
There are currently two other games that serve as prequel spinoffs to the events ofFinal Fantasy 7.Crisis CoretellsZack Fair’s storywhileBefore Crisiscovers the rise of the Turks. The oldest version of Midgar and SOLDIER players have seen so far isCrisis Core,which takes place seven years beforeFinal Fantasy 7.
The First Soldieris a much bigger time jump, taking place 23 years beforeCrisis Core.Two decades can make a huge difference, and players might find that SOLDIER doesn’t look how they expected. While some characters or references toFinal Fantasy 7will most likely probably appear in some form, majorSOLDIER characters like Zack and Cloudwon’t have any role in the game. Instead, fans will get to climb the ranks of SOLDIER themselves.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldieris coming to Android and iOS mobile devices sometime in 2021.
