Square Enix Explains Why Tifa's Chest Is Smaller in Final Fantasy VII Remake

You probably haven't ever heard of Square Enix's ethics department, but it has an impact on the games you play from the publisher. For example, it has provided advisement for Final Fantasy VII Remake, and one of the things the ethics department told the development to do was "restrict" Tifa's chest size, which was unrealistically proportioned back in 1997 when the game released on the classic PlayStation.

"It was necessary to restrict her chest," said director on the game Testuya Nomura while speaking to Famitsu via Eurogamer. "For the developers, modernising Tifa's design meant creating an athletic look, complete with abs, while retaining her iconic white tanktop and black mini skirt outfit. But, as the ethics department pointed out, Tifa shouldn't look 'unnatural' during action scenes, so her chest was 'restricted.' This resulted in black underwear and a fitted tank top for the remake."

As you will know, these type of adjustments aren't incredibly uncommon when it comes to remaking games from yesteryear, which often had some pretty unrealistic proportions when it came to female characters. The most famous example of this is probably Lara Croft in the old Tomb Raider games.

Of course, many didn't even notice the slight design tweak, but some fans did, and some weren't happy about it, and are even less happy now knowing the changes were prompted from an external force. That said, it's a pretty sensible adjustment, but it's odd Square Enix announced it to the world, opening itself to criticism.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is in development for PlayStation 4, and its first part is poised to release next year on March 3. For more news and media on the remake, click here. Meanwhile, for more information on the game itself, here's an official elevator pitch:

"Final Fantasy VII Remake is a reimagining of the iconic original game that re-defined the RPG genre, diving deeper into the world and its characters than ever before. The first game in this project will be set in the eclectic city of Midgar and presents a fully standalone gaming experience that provides a great starting point to the series.

"Along with unforgettable characters and a powerful story, Final Fantasy VII Remake features a hybrid battle system that merges real-time action with strategic, command-based combat."