‘Final Fantasy VII Remake’: Square Enix Explains Changes To Tifa’s Body

The “Final Fantasy VII Remake” reveal during the recent E3 2019 received mixed reactions from fans. While most fans are hyped over the game’s graphics, gameplay mechanics and the fact that the game now has an official release date, some aren’t really happy about one thing in particular: how Square Enix changed Tifa’s body.

Those who are familiar with the 1997 classic and know how bar owner-turned-brawler Tifa Lockhart looks like will surely notice the changes Square Enix made to her, as well as to all characters. One particular change that was made to her, however, sparked frenzy among many netizens, Polygon noted.

As seen in this website, a lot of netizens are expressing their disappointment over Tifa’s reduced chest size. Many of them ridiculed Tifa’s new look and expressed their disapproval over how the game devs redesigned her.

She’s a brawler

Square Enix likely foresaw that this will be an issue with many players, and so it went on record to give a very good explanation as to why it decided to enhance how Tifa looked for the upcoming “FFVII Remake.”

In an interview with Famitsu, “FFVII Remake” director Tetsuya Nomura explained that “it was necessary to restrict her chest.” While the developers were focused on giving Tifa an athletic look that would be perfect for her character, Square Enix’s ethics department pointed out that she shouldn’t look “unnatural” in a fight, which meant the team had to reduce her chest size.

The team was then able to retain Tifa’s iconic look by giving her a fitted white tank top, a black mini skirt and black underwear. The trailer showed how the new costume gave Tifa a battle-ready brawler look without taking her original appearance away.

Wait, an ethics department?

A representative from Square Enix told Polygon that the game company does have an ethics department that helps them decide what to put in their games.

“In the Square Enix Japan studios,” the representative said, “the Ethics Department is actually a group within the company that evaluates game content to make sure it is aligned with the anticipated age ratings standards across the globe.”

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) gave “Final Fantasy VII Remake” a “T for Teen” rating. The ESRB website notes that “during the course of the game, a goddess-like character is dressed in a low-cut top that displays moderate amounts of cleavage.” It’s unclear if this refers to Tifa or to another character in the game (like Shiva).