Two of the biggest questions when Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced were whether the Honey Bee Inn arc would remain, and whether Cloud would be disguised as in the original if that were the case,
Well, thanks to the many trailers released by Square Enix in recent months, we know the answers to both are 'yes'. We can also see the many changes that seem to have been made to this infamous set-piece.
The Honey Bee Inn in 1997
Located in Wall Market, the Honey Bee Inn is a rather... special place. Hostesses are dressed like bees, and the rooms are decorated rather suggestively.
It's a completely annexed area in the 1997 game, which Cloud can visit, alone, thanks to a membership card given to him by a patron at the entrance.
Inside, it's possible to eavesdrop on the occupied rooms. which leads to some rather funny situations. The highlight is a sauna session with a large group of bodybuilders. The musical theme accompanying this sequence contributes to the unease, confirming that is one of the funniest and weirdest of the game.
The Honey Bee Inn in 2020
In Remake, the Honey Bee Inn no longer looks to be a love hotel. From the excerpts and images broadcast so far, we can see that it now looks more like a cabaret club, especially since the word "Inn" is no longer mentioned in the name.
So, with this new version, Square Enix is still incorporating the Honey Bee, while sweeping away the naughtiness of the 1997 original, thanks to the words of its owner — "true beauty comes from the bottom of the heart [...] being a man or a woman doesn't matter."
It's also here that Cloud will change into his feminine costume for the meeting with the lecherous Don Corneo, instead of the Clothes Shop in the original. This way, the Honey Bee could no longer be just an additional side quest, but an integral sequence imposed by the script.
You can watch this sequence in the theme song trailer published a few weeks ago.
Square Enix have released a video of the three preorder bonus summons coming to Final Fantasy VII Remake — the Chocobo Chick, Carbuncle, and Cactuar.
