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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth begins with a dizzying spin on its pseudo-familiar narrative, but it’s the slower, more methodical pace of its story that really establishes it as a must-play RPG. The second installment in the trilogy that began with Remake has the same quality and polish that permeated its predecessor, and the decision to pay greater attention to its cast pays off at nearly every turn. For Square Enix, it’s another mark of excellence for a franchise that has seen no shortage of Game of the Year contenders in recent years; for the trilogy of games following Cloud, it’s reassurance that the segmented release schedule is the right call.
FF7 Remake played with fire when it significantly altered its presentation of a beloved classic. While that decision ultimately paid off with resounding critical and sales success, there was always a lingering question – where do they go from here? A major twist towards the end of the first chapter of a trilogy only truly works if it is the genesis of an even greater spectacle later. And if nothing else, FF7 Rebirth is a lot of spectacle, full of both brooding and genuine joy in equal measure. The middle entry in a trilogy can sometimes suffer from bridging the gap between an interesting hook and a satisfying conclusion, but the savvy structure of Rebirth‘s pacing makes for a standalone endeavor worth the time it takes to explore it.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
FF7 Rebirth improves on an already successful formula and bridges the gap between its trilogy’s beginning and end in an enthralling way.
- Combat is more fun than Remake with each character serving an interesting role
- Story’s focus on its characters makes for emotional, engaging scenes
- More variation in settings introduces aesthetic and gameplay diversity
- Mind-boggling number of minigames creates so much extra to do
- Open world suffers a little from the “sandbox Assassin’s Creed tower” formula
- Introduction of Cid & Vincent Valentine as unplayable party members is a bit of a tease
FF7 Rebirth’s Story Takes Center Stage & Thrives
One Of Gaming’s Best Ensembles
Rebirth once again follows Cloud Strife as he and his increasingly diverse collection of rogues attempt to save a world that’s being threatened by two different evils. On one hand, there are the machinations of Sephiroth, who falls into the tried-and-true camp of “villain who wants to change the world by ending it”; and on the other, the existence of the Shinra Company, which, if left alone, would destroy the world simply by sucking its Mako energy dry. One of the biggest draws to the original Final Fantasy 7 was its message of environmental protection, and FF7 Rebirth similarly denounces corporate interests as inherently evil exploitation of the common citizen.
It’s remarkable how much of that original story is even more applicable today, and the narrative team doesn’t shy away from staring directly at that ugliness. Shinra looms large over every chapter in Rebirth, whether as a direct antagonist attempting to end the Avalanche group’s rebellion or as a lingering, malignant tumor on the planet in areas it has absorbed all value from and left discarded and ailing. While Sephiroth is the most active evil, the passive insidiousness of Shinra helps create a world that feels like its details matter.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Hands-On Preview: Through The Eyes Of A Newcomer
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a significant evolution of Remake, and it’s shaping up to be a far more in-depth RPG, boasting a more ambitious scope.
While many of Rebirth‘s story beats are familiar to those who’ve played the classic adventure, the divergence between the original FF7 and the retelling now becomes wider as the plot progresses. Instead of just completely breaking open the mold, however, these schisms often appear as underpinnings in moments that already existed in the original timeline. Major additions exist and enrich the journey, but by and large many of its biggest scenes manage to both stay true to the original intent while innovating, even modernizing, the second-by-second unraveling of a fairly complex plot. It’s a rewarding experience that both serves to create a standalone tale for newcomers while stashing away countless minor references and homages to those who are more familiar with Gaia.
The main attraction is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s cast of characters. Cloud’s role as protagonist is much more compelling than the extremely quiet amnesiac he was in the original game (though, of course, he’s still both of those things). Excellent voice acting lends depth to the emotions Cloud feels but doesn’t always voice, and flashbacks of memories help establish his thought process behind the stoicism of his actions. The true stars of the show are, once more, Tifa and Aerith, whose budding friendships and camaraderie often help make scenes feel a little lighter and more like a group bonding through shared trauma and victory. The amount of extra insight into both also serves to heighten their importance in the plot, and it would be fair to say that FF7 Rebirth is a game with four protagonists, not one – Barret has his still-excellent character arc in Corel to make sure you’ll cry at least once.
Even more traditional “side” characters get star treatment, too. Cait Sith, Red XIII, and Yuffie all have multiple main and side quests involving them, and their motivations for their actions are shown, not told, which is a welcome adjustment. Cid and Vincent Valentine also appear, and though it’s frustrating neither actually gets to participate in this chapter, even the nonplayable party members get important, necessary roles within the story. And that’s doing a disservice to even less present roles, like the reappearance of villains from the first game or recurring characters having left Midgar for their own personal reasons.
Callbacks to past FF7 characters also make for an emotionally-charged tale, and the whole world of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth evolves and shifts the same way you’d expect the real one to. The people of Gaia have motivations and interests that extend beyond the main party’s world-saving quest, and they’ll disappear and reappear at various times that align with those selfish desires. This may be Square Enix’s best world design ever from an environmental perspective, with dozens of memorable cast members supplementing a stellar group of protagonists.
FF7 Rebirth Is Peak Final Fantasy Combat
Stylish & Innovative Battles Populate The World
It’s no secret that FF7 Rebirth combat is going to be divisive among audiences – the same was true of Remake, too. Porting a purely turn-based work of art into something with much more action proved to be a hot topic that didn’t amount to as much as some may have thought, however. The systems in place in Remake made it enjoyable without overwhelming tactitians who prefer a slower place; in the wake of that, Rebirth improves those mechanics and creates magic with its rotating character playstyles and impeccable fight design.
One thing that’s notable first is how accessible FF7 Rebirth is. Difficulty settings allow for some pretty heavy changes to the way combat flows, with the easiest mode doing more than enough to carry even the most unfamiliar through action-heavy brawls. Harder content/modes also exist and are rewarding thanks to a heavier emphasis on strategy, team micromanagement, and smart materia layouts. These options, alongside Action or Classic combat (the latter of which makes basic attack inputs/dodges for a player so that they can instead focus on ATB bar management), mean there will be fewer people shut out from enjoying Rebirth, regardless of how much they yearn for the glory days of turn-based skirmishes.
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Having tested each option, the easiest difficulty does definitely remove some of the intensity of the game’s excellent combat, but it’s a nice failsafe to have. Synergy is big in Rebirth, too, with synergy abilities factoring into some huge swings in tempo during hotly contested battles. The bigger the boss, the more important these attacks are, unlocking bonuses like free MP spells for a short period or access to more powerful Limit Breaks.
Seamless swapping between party members also makes FF7 Rebirth combat relatively smooth to manage, though the ATB charge rate for AI-controlled party members is noticeably worse than when controlled by a player. That said, controlling each character during combat is encouraged thanks to their rewarding and fun differences in style. Tifa’s quick combos, Aerith’s wards, Red XIII’s Vengeance system and Barret’s Overcharge all have their uses and can contribute to smart executions of plans that trivialize difficult content. Unlocking further combat planning through the skills menu – most reminiscent of Final Fantasy X‘s Sphere Grid – can reward forward thought and incentivize using combinations of party members who might otherwise be left alone.
There’s very little to complain about when it comes to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s approach to design philosophy, especially in combat. Open-world fighting isn’t that time-consuming, bosses are unique and interesting, and there’s no shortage of over-the-top, tongue-in-cheek meetings that make even the most “filler” of challenges well worth the exploration. Rebirth really feels like it has refined Remake (and to a lesser extent some of the ideas of FF15) into the best version of an almost-turn-based-but-still-action system, one that blends familiar input elements with the freedom of positioning and on-the-fly problem-solving.
FF7 Rebirth’s Open World Could Have Been A Little Smaller
Open World Design Gets Almost Everything Right
The open world of FF7 Rebirth is remarkable. I was admittedly a little leery of the fact that the second installment would cover so much ground of a desert region in Corel/Cosmo Canyon – that kind of biome can be a death sentence for fun if it’s not handled well. It’s a pleasant surprise, then, that these two regions are actually among the more fascinating explored within the game, and that the overall variety found in its many areas creates a vivid sandbox that’s only flaw is that it’s perhaps a little too large.
Wrangling chocobos and riding them across a gorgeous depiction of Costa del Sol’s coastline hits as good as you might expect. Aesthetically, few games look as pleasing as Rebirth does at nearly every turn. The world of Gaia isn’t exactly teeming with life – there aren’t that many random battles on any map, so there can be stretches of very little to do – but that’s made up for by the extra content available. Cloud and friends can take quick breaks from attempting to stop the end of the world to, for example, chase cactuars or find a lost cat. Sidequests and World Intel function as the two most prevalent methods of delivering extra gameplay, and both succeed at doing so in a way that enriches the game’s atmosphere.
Sidequests are the superior option, however, and by a fairly observable margin. Every sidequest is tied to a specific character in the party and can deepen Cloud’s relationship with them (remember, this is the Gold Saucer date part of the trilogy, perhaps more important than stopping Sephiroth!) These quests can sometimes start a little slow but are genuinely written with care and have some unique aspects of combat tossed into them as a sweetener – but the reward is always more interactions between Cloud, his party, and the world around them. That, and some Folio manuscripts that increase the amount of skill points a character has access to.
World Intel is a little more hit-or-miss. A questline that chases pieces of a treasure is one of the best in the game, and finding rare fiends to kill and fuel the game’s simplistic crafting system is a treat; running between Assassin’s Creed-esque information towers that don’t even de-fog the map is not. FF7 Rebirth would have benefitted from some of the fluffier content being weeded out and environments condensed ever-so-slightly to create a more dynamic throughline between main and side experiences. It’s a minor stumble, and completionists will surely love the ability to sink more time into achieving 100% in all of the game’s exploration, but it’s one that does sour the awe-inspiring moments of strolling through Gaia’s biomes.
Naoki Hamaguchi On FF7 Rebirth’s World Map, Character Synergies, & Huge Side Quest Content
Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, discusses the biggest goals and challenges of the next entry in the remake trilogy.
Several Smaller Games In A Trench Coat
FF7 Rebirth Minigames Are A Delight
One of the original Final Fantasy 7‘s beloved quirks was its insistence that every task, no matter how small, could warrant a minigame element. Whether it was a highway chase or getting some squats in at the gym, if a story element could be gamified, FF7 rarely chose not to. While Remake embraced that philosophy, Rebirth is bear-hugging it so tightly it’s never going to let go. The sheer number of ridiculous minigames and silly side content is, quite frankly, outrageous. There’s really no reason that the developers needed to include an engaging FF7 Rebirth chocobo racing element or a space shooter; they’re both here, though, and done well enough to be genuinely fun distractions.
I think the charm that emerges from the implementation of these game modes also enhances the overall experience. There’s something endlessly entertaining about the idea that our stoic mercenary protagonist can so easily get wrapped up in a Rocket League-inspired, Red XIII-starring carnival game. He’s just like us, in that way, minus the Mako-infusion in his blood and the chronic bouts of amnesia. Humanizing Cloud used to feel like it would be difficult, given that previously discussed stoicism, but all the whimsy injected into this version of FF7 makes it possible.
That’s before getting into Queen’s Blood, the trading card game of FF7 Rebirth. Not only does it have a storyline that borrows from Yu-Gi-Oh! of all places, but it’s also one of the best tabletop variants included in any Final Fantasy. Strategizing and deck-building are both deceptively deep, there’s a tournament to test your skill in, and it’s very easy to lose an hour to chasing down worthy opponents and beating them for their best card. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthdoes not miss a beat with its minigames, which are all worth checking out in their own right.
Final Thoughts & Review Score
5/5
There’s something in FF7 Rebirth that pushes it past its minor open-world stumbles and into the realm of greatness. I think it’s best summed up in a later scene involving a play; to avoid spoilers, I won’t go into too much detail, only that the scene itself neatly ties together a major storyline, a minor development, and a FF7 series staple that’s long gone under-explored all at once. That’s basically the entirety of Rebirth, a game that never wavers in its commitment to exploring the new while honoring the old. For every great innovation in combat or new discovery about a character, there’s a return to a classic interpretation of lore or a familiar foe making its way into the mix to keep things in balance.
What felt like an impossible task in Remake has since been one-upped in FF7 Rebirth. Improving directly upon Final Fantasy 7 always felt like a dangerous proposition, and Remake smartly switched things up to avoid having to do so directly. What Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth does is challenge the idea that FF7 can’t be topped within its own in-game universe; in my eyes, that’s already been done, in the middle game of a trilogy no less, and now we’ll just have to wait and see if Square Enix can stick the landing on what’s been an incredible, must-play two-parter thus far. I can’t wait to see where the team takes this series next.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and will see Cloud and his friends set off beyond the walls of Midgar to explore the world, stop Sephiroth’s machinations, and see the world outside their slum prison. Now that the whispers of fate no longer guide the characters along the pre-destined path set in the original PlayStation classic Final Fantasy 7, the heroes (and villains) will shape the future. The game will still visit prominent locales and revisit crucial story points, but it will be a more significant departure from the first game from the source material.
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy 7
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix Business Division 1
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG , Adventure
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
- T
- Prequel(s)
- Final Fantasy 7 Remake , Final Fantasy 7: Dirge of Cerberus , Final Fantasy 7 , Crisis Core -Final Fantasy 7- Reunion
