Square Enix confirms return to Final Fantasy VII

One of the most popular RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy VII, is set for a revival, with Square Enix unveiling a new title set after the events of the first epic story - but only in the form of a CG movie.

The title has been unveiled thanks to scans from a Japanese magazine, which reveal that the new movie will be called Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, and will be set two years after the events of the original game. Both Cloud and Sephiroth return in the title, albeit in new guises, as the film departs from the anime stylings of the original game and favours more realistic character designs, similar to those in Final Fantasy X.

The text of the article reveals that the movie will be released on DVD first, rather than receiving a theatrical release. It's normal in Japan for high-quality animated series to get their first airing on DVD rather than in the cinema or television - direct to video (or "Original Video Animation", OVA) there has rather different connotations, meaning that a title was too good for television broadcast rather than being too poor for cinema showing.

Our personal theory is that this CG movie is designed to revive interest in the game before Square Enix launches into a full-scale game based on the classic title - with a PlayStation Portable Final Fantasy VII title being a strong possibility.

Rather less likely are some of the more insane rumours being posted around the Internet today - such as the rather odd suggestion that the movie will be released as an interactive DVD for the ill-fated Nuon platform.

Update #1: Full translation of the text confirms that it's a movie, not a game