Regardless, there's been talk about Tifa's redesign for the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the decision to not return to her original look. The game's director
Tetsuya Nomura told
Famitsu in an interview on Tuesday that the decision was due to Square Enix's "Ethics Department" and that it was "necessary to restrict her chest." This fed into further controversy about "censorship" and appealing to "Western ethics." However, despite its name, Square Enix's Ethics Department is less about morals and more about following age restriction guidelines.
A representative from Square Enix
explained to gaming website Polygon that, "in the Square Enix Japan studios, the Ethics Department is actually a group within the company that evaluates game content to make sure it is aligned with the anticipated age ratings standards across the globe (CERO, ESRB, PEGI, etc). In this case, we want a new generation of gamers to experience Final Fantasy VII Remake and are working very closely with the company's internal experts to make sure all of the game's content is appropriate."
Breasts can affect a game's rating, according to the ESRB's own explanation for Final Fantasy 7 Remake's (T)een rating. Besides mentioning blood, fantasy violence, language, and mild suggestive themes, the ESRB brings up one character's ample boobs.
During the course of the game, a goddess-like character is dressed in a low-cut top that displays moderate amounts of cleavage.
The description seems to reference Jenova, who appears topless in the original inside an experiment tank. Besides, Nomura mentions in the interview that Tifa's redesign was also driven by her purpose in the game. She's an athletic fighter and staff wanted her to have a more muscular, fit look.
