Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on: Vincent, Cid, and the FITS System explored in the Whirlwind Maze

Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the closing chapter of the remake trilogy, launches April 8, 2027 on PS5. At Tokyo Game Show 2026, Square Enix gave press a playable demo set in the Whirlwind Maze — a combat-heavy slice of the main story featuring two newly playable characters, a brand-new mechanic called the FITS System, and a boss fight against Jenova Deathmourner.

Vincent fights in two modes: ranged gunplay and monster transformation. Chaining standard firearm attacks with Square escalates his unique abilities through three tiers — Blood Moon, Execration, and Retribution — each hitting harder than the last. Holding R1 shifts him into beast form, where he moves on all fours and slashes with claws; holding Triangle in that form staggers enemies faster. The trade-off is a rising Chaos meter that chips away at his maximum HP the longer he stays transformed. Cid, meanwhile, is a spear-wielding airborne fighter. Hitting Square at the exact moment a blue aura flashes around him chains into aerial follow-ups — Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive, and Ground Pound. His Triangle fires Target Spear, chargeable up to five projectiles, and pinning enemies with those spears powers up abilities like Skydive and Burst Spiral. Both characters felt distinct and immediately readable in the demo.

The FITS System — Function-Integrated Tactical Suitwear — is Revelation's new character-customization mechanic. Players choose from four FITS types: Warrior, Knight, Black Mage, and Summoner, each unlocking a different set of abilities. Cloud entered the demo with Summoner equipped, letting him call Ifrit, Shiva, Titan, and others directly from the command menu for a limited duration. Activating FITS again while a summon is already on the field triggers Pledge Roar, a high-damage finisher. The Whirlwind Maze itself sets a strong atmospheric tone — cliff faces to shimmy along, parkour vaults over ledges, howling winds, aurora-like light ribbons, and black-robed figures scattered along the path before Sephiroth waits at the end.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation closes out a trilogy that began with Remake in 2020 and continued with Rebirth in 2024, both of which expanded the original 1997 PS1 classic into multi-game epics. The April 8, 2027 release date gives Square Enix roughly three years between each entry — a consistent cadence. The Tokyo Game Show demo is the first time the public has had hands-on time with the game, and the introduction of Vincent and Cid as full playable party members — both fan favorites from the original — is likely to generate significant excitement heading into the final stretch of the trilogy.