Par Online Games VIP Editorial
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IGN's latest Final Fantasy VII Revelation preview examines a linear North Crater chapter, new Materia fragments, Cid's combat, and a Jenova boss.
IGN has published a new hands-on preview of Final Fantasy VII Revelation, focusing on an early Chapter 1 sequence that leads through the North Crater and into a boss encounter. The preview, written by Ryan McCaffrey, gives a closer look at the game's more linear, story-driven sections after earlier coverage concentrated on flying through its open world in the Highwind.
According to IGN, the demo began with Cloud's party arriving at the North Crater and following a mostly fixed route toward its center. The playable slice included a new Materia progression option, an updated approach to gathering crafting materials, combat testing with Cid and Vincent, the FITS system, and a battle against Jenova Deathmourner. IGN stresses that this was an early demo, so its balance and some of its systems may still change before launch.
The preview does not establish a final release date. IGN says the game is roughly six months away and refers to an April release window, but the source text does not specify the year or provide a more precise date.
IGN's earlier previews presented Final Fantasy VII Revelation as a very large game with an open world and many activities. This latest demo showed a contrasting structure. IGN describes the North Crater sequence as a linear descent that felt closer to entering a late-game dungeon than beginning a conventional opening chapter.
That contrast matters because a large open world can easily become the main subject of previews. IGN's new report suggests that the final game will still make room for tightly directed story sequences, rather than treating exploration as the only way it delivers its major moments. This is analysis of IGN's preview, not a hands-on verdict from OnlineGamesVIP.
IGN reports that the party entered the demo already equipped with substantial Materia and gear. The setup made the characters feel like developed versions of themselves, even though the sequence occurred early in Chapter 1. That equipment level is important context when considering the combat impressions, because the demo was designed to show systems and encounters rather than provide a reliable picture of the game's opening balance.
The North Crater itself was one of the strongest visual elements in IGN's account. IGN describes a crystalline, icy environment that remained impressive even when the demo was not using the game's Graphics optimization mode. The report connects this presentation to the visual standard established by Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, while stopping short of offering technical performance testing.
IGN found a new way to improve Materia during the demo. Instead of relying only on AP earned through combat, players can use Materia fragments. Each fragment adds one AP ratio to a Materia, according to IGN's preview.
The demo began with 200 fragments, which allowed IGN to put a large supply into Fire Materia. That raised the Materia by about one-third of a level in the short session. IGN could not confirm how players will obtain fragments in the full game or how scarce they will be, and the preview specifically treats the resource economy as unresolved.
For players, the important distinction is that fragments appear to provide a second progression route rather than replacing combat-based AP entirely. That could make specific Materia easier to develop when a player wants to experiment with a build. It could also create resource-management decisions if fragments are limited. Those possible effects are analysis based on the system described by IGN, not confirmed details about the finished game's balance.
IGN also reports that the Item Transmuter returns from Rebirth. The major quality-of-life change is that auto-loot is enabled by default in the demo. In Rebirth, IGN says, the option had to be unlocked by completing the campaign. During the new demo, the previewer could move through the level and collect crafting materials without repeatedly pressing the triangle button.
This is a small change with a potentially broad effect on exploration. If the setting remains in the final version, players who want to use the Item Transmuter should face less interruption while moving through areas. IGN confirms the default setting in its demo, but does not establish whether other gathering or crafting rules have changed.
IGN's demo used Cloud, Cid, and Vincent as its default party. The previewer immediately tested the newer characters, with Cid receiving the clearest attention. IGN describes his combat as rhythmic: after one or two standard attacks, players wait for a blue mist effect before attacking again to trigger a stronger strike.
Those enhanced attacks appeared powerful enough to stagger a standard enemy quickly in IGN's session. However, IGN also reports that ordinary enemies were defeated with little effort, including larger enemies that arrived with short presentation scenes. The preview repeatedly cautions that the sequence took place in the first chapter and that the demo's balance could change.
That warning limits what can be concluded about the full combat system. Cid's timing mechanic may be a meaningful part of his identity, but the short demo does not show how it behaves against a wider range of enemies, under pressure, or in a more demanding party setup. IGN's hands-on account establishes the mechanic's basic shape, not its final difficulty or depth.
The preview also tested FITS, although IGN could not move FITS jobs between characters. Cloud was assigned the Summoner job, which allowed him to call Ifrit, Shiva, or Titan by spending one segment of the ATB meter. IGN says the summons enhanced attacks with fire or ice effects, but found the associated Synergy attacks more compelling.
As described by IGN, Synergy attacks work in a familiar way. Players use abilities to fill a meter, and using enough abilities with specific characters unlocks a powerful attack. The summons add a notable variation because only one character needed to build ATB for the demonstrated Synergy attacks. In practice, however, most enemies died before IGN could fill the requirements.
That result is worth watching rather than treating as a final judgment. The system could become more important against bosses, stronger optional enemies, or encounters designed to survive several ability rotations. The source confirms that IGN saw the mechanic in action, but it does not provide enough evidence to assess the complete FITS job roster, job-swapping rules, or long-term progression.
The North Crater sequence builds toward Jenova Deathmourner
IGN reports that the descent eventually introduced large groups of Sephiroth clones. During the sequence, Cloud experienced one of his familiar visions of Sephiroth. The preview avoids explaining the specific content of Sephiroth's taunts, but says players familiar with the original PlayStation version of Final Fantasy VII may recognize the direction of the scene.
The encounters then escalated as creatures fused with the clones to create larger enemies. IGN faced Gigas before reaching a later confrontation. The previewer managed to charge one of Cloud's Ifrit-based Synergy attacks during the Gigas fight, combining the summoner's traditional Hellfire imagery with Cloud's sword. IGN notes that Gigas was defeated before the attack animation finished.
After more encounters, IGN describes a crowd of Sephiroth clones surrounding a purple glow. A cutscene followed, ending with Jenova Deathmourner emerging from one of the clones. IGN identifies that creature as the main boss encounter in the demo and says it provided a stronger test than the smaller enemies that came before it.
The supplied preview text ends while IGN is describing how the Jenova Deathmourner fight plays. As a result, the available source does not establish the boss's complete attack pattern, phases, weaknesses, rewards, or difficulty. It also does not confirm whether this exact encounter will appear unchanged in the retail game.
The most useful takeaway from IGN's report is structural. Final Fantasy VII Revelation may combine the scale of its open-world sections with concentrated linear chapters that push the story forward. Players who were concerned that exploration would overshadow dramatic progression have some evidence that the developers are retaining a more directed format, although one demo cannot show how often the game will switch between these approaches.
The systems shown in the preview also point toward a more flexible progression model. Materia fragments could give players another way to strengthen specific spells, while default auto-loot reduces friction around crafting materials. Cid's timed attacks and the FITS Summoner setup suggest that individual party members and jobs will continue to offer different combat rhythms.
These are promising areas for players to track, but they remain observations from IGN's short demo. The preview does not establish the final balance, the total number of jobs, the complete Materia-fragment economy, or the amount of optional content connected to the North Crater chapter.
- IGN's source text does not provide a specific release date or release year, only an April window and an estimate of roughly six months until launch.
- The final availability and rarity of Materia fragments are not explained.
- The preview does not confirm whether the early-demo equipment and enemy balance represent the finished game.
- IGN could not test moving FITS jobs between characters, so the broader job-management system remains unclear.
- The supplied text ends during the Jenova Deathmourner section and does not provide the boss fight's full details.
The next useful evidence will be a longer demonstration of the game's progression and combat outside the controlled early demo. Players should especially watch for clarification about Materia fragments, FITS job assignment, the final difficulty curve, and the balance between open-world activities and linear story chapters. Until then, IGN's preview offers a focused look at one North Crater sequence, rather than a complete assessment of Final Fantasy VII Revelation.