FF7 Remake’s Honey Bee Inn Scene Almost Included Pole Dancing

New insight from Square Enix reveals that the Honey Bee Inn scene in Final Fantasy VII Remake nearly included pole dancing in its dance-off segment. Final Fantasy 7 Remake changed a lot of the original game, not just with the inclusion of the ghost-like Whispers but also in how combat works and by allowing players time to get to know more of the title’s secondary characters, and the new Honeybee Inn is considered by many to be one of the most iconic locales in the remake.

The Honey Bee Inn was a notable landmark in the original Final Fantasy 7, but FF7 Remake added a rhythm-based dance-off to the location. It’s unlike any of the gameplay that came before it, but it helps the locale be more memorable as a result, and is only one of the many changes FF7 Remake makes to the story and gameplay of the original Final Fantasy 7 to make the game more accessible to modern audiences.

An interview with the game’s co-director Motomu Toriyama at Square Enix included some of the behind-the-scenes processes that went in to creating FF7 Remake’s dance-off. Toriyama explains that the team commissioned professional dancers to help with the choreography of the game’s Honey Bee Inn section and that the segment went through multiple corrections in the process of recording it. One of the many changes made to FF7 Remake‘s Honey Bee Inn was that there was originally going to be a “pole dancing scene included” in the segment. The team ultimately cut Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s pole dancing scene “due to the impact on the rating,” implying that content could have elevated the game beyond its Teen ESRB rating.

Currently, it’s unknown when Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 will release. This year saw the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the PS5, an upgraded version of the game that added new story DLC starring returning character Yuffie. Due to the events of the story of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, specifically in regards to both that game’s original ending and the new one shown in FF7R Episode InterMISSION, the story going forward seems like it could go in any direction compared to the original Final Fantasy 7.

This look behind-the-scenes of the Honey Bee Inn segment of Final Fantasy 7 Remake shows just how many changes it went through over the course of development, as well as how much of the original Final Fantasy 7 was changed and why. Whatever part 2 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will have in store, it is likely that the story and the gameplay moving forward will continue to impress in the same way as the Honey Bee Inn continues to dazzle many players.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is available on PS5.

Source: Square Enix

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