Are Final Fantasy VII and X/X-2 connected? (Interesting!)
Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 3:43 pm
I came upon this very interesting FAQ that translates parts of the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega. http://faqs.ign.com/articles/698/698416p1.htmlI copy and pasted the part concerning the connection between Final Fantasy VII and X. ****Translations concerning the plot-related connection between FFVII andFFX/X-2**** (007)As some fans of Final Fantasy VII, X and X-2 may or may not know, the worldsof the two games share a plot-related connection. The connection's existancewas established during an interview with Yoshinori Kitase (lead developer ofthe Final Fantasy series) and Kazushige Nojima (the scenario writer of FinalFantasy VII, Before Crisis, Advent Children, Final Fantasy VIII, Final FantasyX, Final Fantasy X-2 and the Kingdom Hearts series) in 2002, as featured inthe Final Fantasy X Ultimania Omega guidebook, an official Square-Enixpublication.This interview established that there would be a connection between the twoworlds, though it didn't detail it. However, based on what was later revealedto be the connection, it's clear that it had already been conceived, asKitase hints at it with his final word on the subject. In 2003, the exactnature of the concept was finally revealed in the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania,having been hinted toward by a few elements of the game.Nojima revealed that Shinra of the Gullwings, an Al Bhed child prodigy andinventor of various machinery, would attempt using the remains of Vegnagun --the behemoth machina Shuyin tried to destroy Spira with -- to extract lifeenergy from the Farplane and use it to power machines. Shinra would attemptdoing this as a result of his analysis of the Farplane late in the game.During this diagnostic, Shinra concluded that there was a great deal of energyfloating around inside the Farplane, and that it was most likely the lifeforce of Spira, which could be extracted and used as a power source; however,he concluded that it would take generations to properly implement the idea.Further of note is that Nojima explained that the Al Bhed entrepeneur Rin alsowas interested in extracting mako from the Farplane, and that he providedShinra with the funding to make the attempt. For his part, Rin's desire to dothis is revealed during the game should he be uncovered as the culprit behindcovering up the malfunctioning machina disaster on the Mi'hen Highroad.Nojima went on to say that Shinra's attempts to use Vegnagun's remains failedand that he was unable to complete the concept of mako-extraction, just asShinra had predicted. However, some 1000 years later, once space travel becamepossible, Shinra's descendants would go on a voyage to the world of FinalFantasy VII. There, at some point in the future, they would be successful inutilizing the concept, and would provide electricity from the Planet for aprice; these descendants would found the Shin-Ra Company of Final Fantasy VII.The connection would again be hinted toward in the Final Fantasy X-2:International+Last Mission (released in 2004) game's Last Mission scenario, inwhich Rikku revealed that Rin and Shinra had begun working together. Next,the Final Fantasy VII Ultimania Omega guidebook (released in September, 2005)also brings forth mention of the concept, and, finally, the connection mayhave received further indication through Dirge of Cerberus (released inJanuary, 2006) and the Advent Children Reunion Files book (released in May,2006), in which it is established that the Shera airship seen in AdventChildren and Dirge of Cerberus runs on ancient, lost non-mako technology thatCid discovered. This technology very well may have originally belonged toShinra's descendants, as they are the only previous inhabitants of VII's worldindicated to have been in possession of advanced technology, and because theinterior of the Shera bears some aesthetic resemblances to those of theFahrenheit and Celsius airships that figure prominently into FFX and FFX-2(though the Shera's interior bears more of a resemblance to the Celsius').***Interview with Yoshinori Kitase and Kazushige Nojima in the Final Fantasy XUltimania Omega*** (Page 191)**FFVII and FFX are connected?!**--"Previously, with a conversation in the FFX Scenario Ultimania, you madecertain inferences, and since it's been about half a year since then, is thereanything new you'd like to clarify about FFX?"Kitase"That's true...... Now that FFX International is out and we're in the future,I'm in a predicament; it really isn't that hard to think of another story[set] in that world; room for expansion was left possible there without toomuch difficulty, don't you think? Speaking conversely, FFX received a splendidreception and made us think of adding to it."Nojima"After FFVII was finished, we were easily able to add Zack's open[-ended role]into the International version. But, with X, there was an older story with apartly-finished world and an opening that this new one could be added to and[, in doing] so[,] complete it."Kitase"So, you could say [in terms of] time, Nojima-san decided to designate it toact as a sequel to VII, if you follow me."--"It's a sequel to VII!!"Kitase"Well, there was a joke right there. Simply put, in VII's ending, Holy came,and the next thing you knew, it was over without closing things up, and thenit was the "500 years later" [scene] in the future. There's a large marginburied there. A margin for the imagination. Nojima-san and Toriyama are goingto be filling something of that with VII, though, while they're at their bestand can do it."--"So, will it become a sequel to VII's story?"Nojima"I have a strong feeling that they're going to be connected."--"Huh, so VII and X ARE connected?"Nojima"Well, there's not many specifics to it. I know that what becomes of peoplewhen they die is among them; you could say that it's basically the same. Both[concepts came to] function along the same line of thought as I wrote thestories. Sometimes my thoughts just flow out like that, even though pyrefliesdistinctly aren't green."--"When you speak of the dead becoming [something] green, do you perhaps[mean]......?"Nojima"Yes. In my mind, pyreflies and VII's Lifestream are the same substance."Kitase"Nojima-san's even considering making use of an idea like this -- [with] anaddition to the idea of life origin -- in a sequel to FFX International.That's just a little bit of the thought that's been going into what to do withVII."Nojima"That's right. There's something like the Lifestream [in X's worldalso]......."--"'An addition to the idea of life origin'......does that mean you're goingto revise life origin concepts or something?"Nojima"I can't say......it's a secret (laughs)."Kitase"It's a surprise with how someone from the story conducts theirself withregards to the Farplane."***Interview with FFX-2 creators from the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania***(Page 723)**"So, what of this child, Shinra......"**--"Among these latest stories, 'connected' is one of the key words becomingapplicable, isn't it?"[Daisuke] Watanabe"I personally like the word 'connected,' but there's one aspect where thatapplies well."Nojima"During the game's progression, various vague things will be tied together toreveal it."--"For example, the name 'Shinra' suggests a connection with VII? There's[what's said] in the 'Graduation Mission' scenario [ -- 'graduation'referring to Shinra being soon to leave the Gullwings -- ], and the 'I am notalone in my thinking' line from the 'Rin's Detective Work' scenario seems tohave some particular significance."Nojima"Actually, it does. After quitting the Gullwings, Shinra received enormousfinancial support from Rin, and began trying to use Vegnagun to siphon MakoEnergy from the Farplane. But, he is unable to complete the system forutilizing this energy in his generation, and in the future, when traveling todistant planets becomes possible, the Shin-Ra Company is founded on anotherworld, or something like that....... That would happen about 1000 years afterthis story, I think."--"So VII's story is after that?"Nojima"Well, you could say the feelings I have are like that. When I think about thecharacters, those are the kinds of feelings I already have. Shinra is a goodchild, but his descendants are going to end up becoming like the president [ofShin-Ra] (laughs)."Watanabe"With you said about VII, after seeing your episodes with Shinra, one of thepeople on the [development] staff said that the first shot of the BevelleUnderground 'gives the impression of somewhere else.'"[Motomu] Toriyama"Certainly; it looks like the opening shot of Midgar in VII."***Information on Shinra of the Gullwings in the Final Fantasy VII UltimaniaOmega*** (Page 563)Shinra is a boy who supports the Gullwings, the group which the mainprotagonist, Yuna, belongs to. He carries a name that gives him an associationto the Shin-Ra Company, and he is researching a method that could utilize theenergy of "the life force that flows through our planet." The results of thiscannot be seen in FFX-2, but maybe one day his descendants will establish a"company that supplies the energy of the planet"?(Accompanying screenshot caption)The words of Shinra, which can be heard at the end of the story. This worldhas something similar to the Lifestream that is worthy of attention.***Interview with FFVII creators from the Final Fantasy VII UltimaniaOmega*** (Page 571)--"At E3 (the world's largest game show, which was held in America), as a demofor the PS3, the opening of FFVII was shown; was its purpose to serve assomething of a preliminary announcement?Kitase"Well, in regard to that, please think of it as a mere demonstration. Becausethe production period for its imagery was [going to be] so short, we made theopening of FFVII, as it was easy to represent. Beyond that, there is noparticular deeper meaning.--"In that case, it's not a remake; when might you be making something toserve as the direct continuation of FFX-2?"Kitase"Producing something like that holds the same problem as a remake [of FFVII],as our schedule just isn't open for it [right now]."After reading through ALL of that, it's hard to disagree. It's just so weird that the characters of FFX are, in some way, the ancestors to FFVII's characters. I think the part about Shinra (the character from FFX-2) finding a way to extract power from the Farplane is the biggest clue. It directly parallel's Shin-Ra's activities in FFVII. And people say FFX-2 doesn't have a reason to exist...HA! This stuff just blows my mind.Skim through it and tell me what ya think. 