Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Players Think New Moogles Look Creepy

gamerant.com:

Fans and players of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are reacting to one minor, but potentially divisive, element of the game: The game's updated designs for the iconic Moogle creature. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remixed the looks of the Moogles for the new title, leading to some fans reacting in mild horror at their new look.

As a series, Final Fantasy is rarely completely consistent between major entries, including when it comes to Moogle designs. Long serving as one of the series' many mascot designs, Moogles originally debuted in Final Fantasy 2 looking like strange, cat-like plush creatures with bat wings. In Final Fantasy 12, they took on a more naturalistic appearance, looking rabbit-like and taking a full place as one of the peoples of that game's world. In the massive open world of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Cloud and the party will see Moogles at the Moogle Emporiums, special shops that can be unlocked by completing the Moogle Mischief minigame.

The Moogles of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth have been changed significantly from their incarnation in other games, including in the original PS1 version of Final Fantasy 7. While the original versions kept the cat-like features seen in previous games (including Final Fantasy 6), the rebooted versions of Moogles are rounded, with bear-like ears, mammalian eyes, and rodent-like front teeth. Commenters across the internet reacted to the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Moogle changes with amusement and some disbelief. Some objected to the fact that the Moogles have teeth and a more human-like facial arrangement, calling them 'creepy.' Others declared that review scores for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should be docked a point over the new Moogle designs.

In Japan, one viral Twitter post compared the new Moogle design to the Moogle design shared by Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16. The post, using 'Mohguri,' the Japanese name for Moogles, likened the differences between the two designs to the contrast between what someone looks like on their online