Yuffie was encountered on the world map, and thus it made sense for Square Enix to roll her into a more linear sequence so both newcomers and veterans alike are able to grow familiar with her new story. These circumstances are somewhat comedic when you think about, although they make perfect sense when you consider exactly how Final Fantasy 7 Remake will need to approach the introduction of certain characters. By inserting the events in Midgar from FF7R Episode Intermission into that journey, we can show the feelings that she had towards that incident that are usually hidden behind her cheery personality, and that will tie into her story further down the line.” “Compared to Vincent, who was canonically sleeping in a coffin under the Shinra Mansion and so could not be moved around, Yuffie was journeying around the world as a materia hunter. “Yuffie, the heroine of Episode Intermission was not guaranteed to join your party in the original game, but that actually made her a character that we had more freedom to expand on the backstory for,” Toriyama-san tells us. Related: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Developer Says The Last Of Us Part 2 Is A Benchmark For Video Game Diversity
The answer is simple - he’s busy taking a nap. We’ve already seen the materia hunter emerge as part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade’s Episode Intermission DLC, and recently had a chance to talk with co-director Motomu Toriyama to break down Yuffie Kisaragi’s inclusion in the remake, and why exactly she was chosen ahead of Vincent Valentine. But with coming chapters of the ambitious remake, they are now poised to become permanent members of your party. Yuffie Kisaragi and Vincent Valentine were optional characters in the original Final Fantasy 7, so you could play through the entire game without ever recruiting them.