Summary
Fans of chocobos got some good news from Square Enix, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthrevealed that a new feature called the “chocoboutique” would be added to chocobo ranches throughout the game. This new feature coming toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill add some new layers of customization to the feathered steeds that were not in the originalFinal Fantasy 7.
As one of the eponymous mascots of theFinal Fantasyseries alongside moogles and cactuars,the chocobo has been a mainstaysince its debut inFinal Fantasy 2. While most chocobos across theFinal Fantasyseries are used as land-based mounts or as faithful feathered companions in combat, some of these ostrich-like birds have taken flight in order to achieve bonus objectives. In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, chocobo breeding and chocobo racing were two of the game’s major side features that players took part in at various points in the game. However, completionists who wanted to collect every materia, including the Knights of the Round summon materia, would spend plenty of time dealing with those features in order to access the fabled gold chocobo.
But come February 29, chocobo enthusiasts will soon have another form of gameplay to look forward to. On social media, theFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdevelopment team shared a picture of a dark-feathered chocobo wearing some unique barding and a cap as part of the chocoboutique feature. Aschocobo taming and treasure hunting were confirmedforFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthin previous posts, the new boutique will add a new layer of customization for players to interact with. It remains to be seen how chocobo bardings, saddles, caps, and feather colors will be obtained inFF7 Rebirth,and how many options there will be to pick from.
While othergames in the series such asFinal Fantasy 14have allowed players to choose and customize various chocobo bardings, saddles, armor, and feather colors in the past, they were purely for cosmetic effect and for posterity. As forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s take on chocobo customization, Square Enix stated that a chocobo’s gear sets will affect how the bird performs at the chocobo races in the Gold Saucer. Only time will tell what that will entail.
On social media, initial reactions to the new chocobo boutique have been positive. Between the chocoboutique andthe new dynamic difficulty modethat will add a new flavor to combat,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthlooks to top its predecessor in various ways.
