One of the most iconic battles in battles against Emerald Weapon and Ruby Weapon are some of the most infamous boss encounters in FF7, due to their ruthless difficulty, and the former will need a rework.
In FF7, once the player has acquired the submarine, Emerald Weapon spawns in the underwater world map. Emerald Weapon is a terrifying figure to behold, as it dwarfs the submarine, and it floats silently in the darkness beneath the waves. The battle against Emerald Weapon is even more horrifying, as it's one of the strongest bosses in the game, and it has an attack that deals damage equal to the Materia equipped by the party. Emerald Weapon is so iconic that it has had numerous crossover appearances throughout the series, even as a boss.
Cloud Strife and his friends will likely get another shot at Emerald Weapon in a future FF7 Remake title. The only question is how the developers will go about it. FF7 used a turn-based battle system, which meant the physics of the world never had to make sense; characters who wait patiently before hitting their enemies are just acting on the rules of a video game world. The is different, as it's action-oriented and involves characters being actively moved around the battlefield.
How FF7 Remake Could Handle The Deep-Ocean Emerald Weapon Boss
In FF7, Cloud and his friends can tackle the Emerald Weapon's underwater encounter as if it were any other boss, but there is a strict 20-minute time limit. The only way to by this time limit is by finding and equipping an Underwater Materia. The physical mechanics of this battle are never explained. The party is unaffected by being miles underwater, and they can hold their breath for 20 minutes (while also fighting a Lovecraftian behemoth). FF7 Remake is going to have to do things differently - or at least offer an explanation as to how the battle can logically take place.
FF7 Remake could make the Underwater Materia a requirement for the battle, perhaps also establishing that it creates a bubble of air beneath the waves. The battle could then work like a traditional boss fight, with the Underwater Materia explaining the air and movement issues. The location of the battle could also be moved, perhaps to the sunken Gelnika plane or the Underwater Junon Reactor. There's no reason the Emerald Weapon fight couldn't take place on the surface, too, possibly after being chased up in a pitched battle with the submarine.
The story of the sequels will go in new directions, so Square Enix has the chance to shake up elements from the original story. It's possible Sapphire Weapon might also get its own underwater boss battle, as it was defeated during a cutscene in FF7. The technology of the PS4 and PS5 allows for all kinds of exciting new scenarios, so a revamped Emerald Weapon battle could look quite different in the future.
