I’m still wrapping my head around the narrative rewrites in Junon, wondering if this is another case of Tetsuya Nomura indulging creative impulses that alter the original vision unnecessarily. Nomura often gets unfair criticism across online fandoms, but the structural divergences here definitely stand out.

Ultimately, players will debate whether the remake project surpasses the 1997 classic. Many will comfortably declare “both are great,” but splitting the original into a multi-game trilogy inherently diluted its commercial momentum and narrative punch. Time will tell if the financial return satisfies Square Enix, or if the trilogy’s budget impacts future single-player projects.

Here are a few captures of the massive Junon mako cannon. Even with my creative grievances, Rebirth remains an extraordinarily entertaining adventure.