I already theorized this when the last teaser hit, but I'm pretty much convinced that the main reason they held off showing Tifa in the last teaser is that they want to use her to showcase the new action-focused battle system.
Ask someone what their favorite scene was in Advent Children and you'll almost certainly get "the Tifa fight in the church" as the answer. I even recall claims back then that the official CG image of her in the church was the most Google searched image at the time.
Pretty ladies destroying hordes of enemies have always been a big media grab, but it's especially a big draw now after blockbuster hits like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel (contrary to the hilariously pathetic cries of manbabies online). And considering there's a pivotal moment where Tifa becomes the main playable character AND pulls Cloud out of his emotional slump, I really do believe that when this Remake is concluded that her status as the most popular character after Cloud and Sephiroth will be cemented....and I wouldn't say it's impossible she rises above one or both of them. I've recently seen streams from popular YouTubers who love the crap out of FFVII and was surprised to learn that they've chosen Tifa as their all-time favorite character, even after Cloud.
That's why it's so very, very important that Square makes sure she gets an accessible design appreciated by almost everyone, instead of specifically catering to the hentai side of the fandom. I really hope they got their priorities in order.
Ask someone what their favorite scene was in Advent Children and you'll almost certainly get "the Tifa fight in the church" as the answer. I even recall claims back then that the official CG image of her in the church was the most Google searched image at the time.
Pretty ladies destroying hordes of enemies have always been a big media grab, but it's especially a big draw now after blockbuster hits like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel (contrary to the hilariously pathetic cries of manbabies online). And considering there's a pivotal moment where Tifa becomes the main playable character AND pulls Cloud out of his emotional slump, I really do believe that when this Remake is concluded that her status as the most popular character after Cloud and Sephiroth will be cemented....and I wouldn't say it's impossible she rises above one or both of them. I've recently seen streams from popular YouTubers who love the crap out of FFVII and was surprised to learn that they've chosen Tifa as their all-time favorite character, even after Cloud.
That's why it's so very, very important that Square makes sure she gets an accessible design appreciated by almost everyone, instead of specifically catering to the hentai side of the fandom. I really hope they got their priorities in order.