It’s time to get out of Midgar. If you’re a fan of the original Final Fantasy 7, you know that game finally opens up in second half of the first disc, with Cloud and the gang setting off into the wider world of Gaia in pursuit of Sephiroth. As such, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a tougher game to make as it comes with a lot of expectations, more content to recreate, and a lot of build-up from the ending of FF7 Remake. Square Enix has reinterpreted and refreshed all of the enemies, environments, and plot points while adding new, modern elements that still treat the original game with respect. The amount of work that has gone into FF7 Rebirth is truly staggering, and though several parts of the game feel stretched out and encumbered, it follows through on its potential.

The next world

This review will be purposefully vague on the storyline of FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth to keep spoilers to a minimum, though anyone who has played through the original game will more or less know what happens. FF7 Rebirth, as a direct sequel to FF7 Remake, comes with several lingering plot threads that are addressed throughout the story. A recap video of the events in the first game is available in the main menu in case you need a refresher.

New cutscenes, conversations, and side quests alter the original plotline enough that it still feels like a fresh take, while the general framework has mostly been kept intact. Revisiting all of the familiar story beats, while listening to modern orchestrations of familiar tunes, is delightfully nostalgic. The party worries about Cloud’s memory, Barret and Tifa want to take down Shinra, Red XIII wishes to return home, and Aerith hopes to learn more about her past. Short scenes involving another character are mainly spliced between chapters, lending an air of mystery on the overarching timeline. It’s not until the latter half of the game that events more significantly deviate from the source material, introducing various elements to the lore that weren’t there before.

The majority of the side quests and protorelic missions spread throughout each region of the world provide opportunities for the party to interact with new characters as well as NPCs from FF7 Remake. Completing these tasks, along with choosing specific dialogue options, also adds relationships points between Cloud and one of the party members. This impacts and provides more options for a particular cutscene later in the game — a mechanic which FF7 fans will recognize. The game doesn’t shy away from adding tongue-in-cheek humor either, especially when it comes to Red XIII riding chocobos and getting mad when humans treat him like a pet.

However, FF7 Rebirth has some trouble sticking the landing, particularly in the last third of the story. How some characters are integrated into the party feels like a missed opportunity and it’s done in an awkwardly deliberate way. Also, the ending reveals a lot of information, but it’s told in a tangled, murky, erratic sequence of events. While it tries to be intriguing by raising as many questions as it answers, it sacrifices clarity for the sake of complex plot structure.

Reforged in battle

Much of the real-time combat system from FF7 Remake has been carried over with a few additional mechanics like synergy skills and abilities. Hitting enemies with basic attacks builds the ATB meter and segments of this gauge can be used to cast spells, use items, and perform character abilities. Enemies also have a stun meter that builds quickly if you’re able to pressure them, typically done by exploiting their elemental weakness or evading their strikes with proper timing. Once it’s full, they become staggered for a long time during which any damage dealt is multiplied.

Each party member has different strengths, so changing which character you control during battle can be strategically useful. In fact, the story has numerous sections that force your group to split up, so you will want to be well-versed with how each character works anyway. Out of the starting party, Cloud and Tifa are strong at dealing single-target damage, Barret and Aerith have long-range attacks, and Red XIII has a multi-hit spinning attack that builds stagger and ATB quickly. 

In addition, each party member has access to limit breaks as well as a synergy meter that increases every time ATB is used. This fuels powerful synergy abilities that can give two members temporarily larger ATB meters, access to higher limit break levels, or unlimited MP for a short time. Meanwhile, synergy skills can be used freely and which ones you can use depends on your current party makeup.

FF7 Rebirth provides many opportunities for character progression beyond basic leveling. Obtaining a wide variety of materia and giving them AP from battles is vital, making materia slots on weapons and armor crucial for keeping pace with enemies and bosses in the long run. Every new weapon you find allows a character to learn an ability from it permanently, and various accessories you can purchase or craft from materials can increase base stats and grant immunities to status effects. Also tracked is Party XP earned by defeating story bosses and completing minor world intel objectives on the map. As this increases in level, your party will unlock new options on their skill trees that can be learned by spending skill points. 

The main weakness of the combat system is that it’s finicky on occasion. Evading homing attacks, particularly the swallow ability from land worms, is more difficult than it should be. Figuring out limit levels is tricky too since you have to learn the appropriate skill synergies on the skill tree and then track limit level increases on your own in battle. Since using items takes one ATB charge, using them in battle is a rough call when abilities and spells tend to be better options. It’s not until you earn the Item Economizer materia or have Mist potions on hand that using one is worth the action economy.

Overlapping audio is an occasional problem as well. As you explore a town, you’ll sometimes walk around a crowd of NPCs and all of them begin talking at the same time to the point that you can barely make out what they’re saying. In fiend battles on the map, a new AI character named MAI will interrupt the fight by spewing out facts about the enemy. It’s supposed to be helpful, but alongside the intense music and special effects, her dialogue is a distraction that you can’t turn off. 

Gold Saucer-eyed

One of the best parts of FF7 Rebirth is seeing every environment expanded to an incredible degree. The first town of Kalm has beautifully detailed streets and shops, while the opening Grasslands region has green rolling hills, watermills, and trickling streams. Those are merely starters compared to several cities later on, like Cosmo Canyon, Costa Del Sol, and the Gold Saucer, that are even more impressive. The level of detail just in the number of objects that fill each area is incredible. This remains consistent as you progress from one chapter to the next, even as regions become more complex to navigate.

Fortunately, dealing with the rougher terrain is by and large resolved by riding a chocobo. Not only are chocobos faster than walking on foot, but they also make grabbing resources easy and can sniff out hidden treasures on the map. Much of these are materials that can be sold for gil or transmuted into items and equipment. Specific regional versions allow you to reach restricted areas as well, like mountain chocobos being able to climb the side of cliffs. You can locate chocobo stops too that give you a chance to rest and provide another point for fast travel.

On the downside, around half of all the activities on the map amount to busywork. Similar to viewpoints in Assassin’s Creed, activating remnawave towers will reveal locations of nearby points of interest. But finding every tower, life spring, summon sanctuary, fiend battle, moghouse, cache, excavation site, and more is exhausting. The chocobo stealth activity and the Moogle Mischief mini-games are especially burdensome (and the Moogles look more like koala bears for some reason). Even if you aren’t a completionist (like I am), you are encouraged to finish as much as you can to earn Party XP, purchase powerful materia from Chadley, and unlock combat simulator battles.

Otherwise, most of the mini-games are enjoyable side diversions that add a lot of flavor. Queen’s Blood, a three-lane card game that’s similar to Triple Triad from FF8, requires a lot of strategy in placing cards on the field, and there are players in every town that you can challenge. Out of all the activities at the Gold Saucer, chocobo racing is the main attraction and plays very close to Mario Kart. In addition to Chadley’s combat simulations, there are a few other arenas for more intense fights. The piano performance mini-game from the demo appears throughout the journey too. Other mini-games from the original game have been recreated here, including the Shinra Junon parade and Fort Condor. Doing well at all these games awards strong materia, weapons, and accessories, so while many of them are optional, completing them is time well spent.

Completing the main campaign and every world intel mission takes around 100 hours, more so if you decide to tackle optional content that unlocks after you finish the story. Some chapters feel stretched out more than they should be, with some levels that go on for too long and activities that repeat themselves across every region. Tying the more mundane tasks to one of the party members, similar to how side quests are done, would have helped alleviate the tedium.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Final Verdict

Through its expanded story, fantastic graphics, and abundance of side activities, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth vigorously continues the momentum from FF7 Remake. While some parts of the game are too slow or padded for the sake of content, the majority of the experience is a pleasant ride through nostalgia. It will be curious to see how progress, if any, is carried over to the next game, given all the exploration and items that you can obtain here. At any rate, FF7 Rebirth lives up to its promise as a love letter to the original game and solidly sets up the third and final title in the trilogy.

Disclosure: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PS5 code provided by publisher.

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Now that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth critic reviews are out, the game has settled for a Metacritic score of 93/100, earning universal acclaim and becoming the series‘ second highest-rated game to date. Rebirth’s development team is understandably esctatic, with director Naoki Hamaguchi taking to Twitter to release a statement about the game’s metascore.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reviews shower praise at the direction

Hamaguchi revealed that Rebirth’s development team set a goal of achieving a Metacritic score of at least 90/100. Hamaguchi believes that earning universal praise will enable Square Enix to meet another goal: reaching new players and existing fans alike.

“This wonderful result was only possible thanks to the entire development team’s hard work and dedication, so I’d like to thank them from the bottom of my heart,” Hamaguchi wrote. “I’ve been supported by the press, community, influencers, and the PR team, and I can’t thank them enough. Let’s continue this positive momentum through the launch of the game, everyone!”

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will release on Thursday, February 29, exclusively on the PS5. Creative director Tetsuya Nomura has pleaded with players to not post spoilers without proper warnings. You can read his message in full below:

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Square Enix‘s Naoki Hamaguchi has dropped a hint about the release date window for Final Fantasy 7 remake’s part 3. The third installment, which has yet to be titled, might be out by early 2028 as it seems to be following the same trajectory as FF7: Rebirth.

Square Enix has made progress on Final Fantasy 7 remake part 3’s script

In an interview with YouTuber Julien Chieze (via GamesRadar), Hamaguchi was quizzed about FF7 remake part 3, to which he said that he’s unable to divulge too much but can say that the development team has made progress on the script.

“Of course, I cannot tell you what stage we are at, but we have already made progress on the script and we are thinking about certain developments,” Hamaguchi said around the 41-minute mark in the video below. “When we got to the end of the development for Remake, we started talking about a sequel with [writer Kazushige Nojima] and I think we can say that we are in the same situation today.”

FF7 Remake and Rebirth release dates are about four years apart, so Hamaguchi’s statement suggests that we’re looking at an early 2028 release window, if not sooner.

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The highly anticipated crossover between Apex Legends and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is officially here, with Electronic Arts sharing a new trailer for the event and what will be included.

The crossover event is set to begin on January 9, 2024, and will include new cosmetics, iconic skins, and more all themed around the world of Final Fantasy VII. In total, there will be 36 new items added into the game inspired by FF7, with iconic skins for both Horizon and Newcastle as well as sticker sets and more.

Check out the trailer for the crossover below:

According to a blog post on EA’s website, the 36 items will be rewarded randomly via event packs, with no duplicates being given. The mythic item for the event is a Buster Sword cosmetic for the game’s R5 weapon.

Six iconic legend skins will also be available for direct purchase in the game, including skins that make Apex Legends characters look like some of the more iconic characters in Final Fantasy VII.

As far as gameplay goes, the world of Apex will also be introduced to Materia in the form of a new BR Takeover. This mode will see a Buster Sword R2R5 placed in the game, with players able to fight for and pick up the weapon and wield it to try and win. You can also build up meter to use a Limit Break ability with the sword, and even collect Materia, which will give players increased effects and other bonuses.

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The ongoing Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy will seemingly have the 2005 film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children in mind, according to the game’s director.

What did Tetsuya Nomura say?

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Tetsuya Nomura — who directed Advent Children, as well as both Final Fantasy VII Remake and the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth — was asked about how the trilogy of games will handle things like Advent Children, which also takes place in the world of Final Fantasy VII.

According to Nomura, the trilogy will “link up” to Advent Children in some way. He noted players won’t have to worry about whether or not things are connected by the time they get to play the trilogy.

“If you play right through to the end, it will link up [to Advent Children] so you don’t need to worry about that,” said Nomura.

Advent Children took place two years after the events of FInal Fantasy VII. It focused on the appearance of a trio that kidnaps children and infects them with a disease.

The next game in the ongoing Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is set to be Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which will release on February 29, 2024 for the PlayStation 5.

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Former PlayStation executive Shawn Layden has said that Sony scoring Final Fantasy 7 instead of Nintendo was “probably the biggest sea change move” for the company’s gaming division. After the series made its mark on Nintendo, the original FF7 released in 1997 on the PlayStation 1 to resounding success.

It was Sony Music that convinced Square to release Final Fantasy 7 on PS1

In an interview with Games Industry, Layden warned against non-gaming companies like Amazon and Netflix attempting to disrupt the industry, in response to which he was asked how Sony’s case was different considering it was also non-endemic to the games industry at one point in time.

Layden argued that Sony understood that entertainment “was its own beast,” and its electronics division sought help from the music division to go after games. It was, in fact, Sony Music that convinced Square Enix (then Square) to release FFVII on PS1 instead of Nintendo.

“PlayStation knew that we couldn’t do what Sega and Nintendo did and [provide the bulk of the software], we didn’t know enough how to make it,” Layden recalled. “We had to be the third-party platform, so we had to get Namco, Square, EA, Activision. Those Sony Music guys are the ones that got Square to move Final Fantasy 7 off of Nintendo and onto PlayStation, probably the biggest sea change move.”

Layden concluded that despite Sony not being endemic to the games industry at the time, it knew how to bring entertainment into the mix.

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January 31 has been officially declared as Final Fantasy 7 Day by the Japan Anniversary Organisation (JAO), marking the 25th anniversary of the game’s PS1 release in Japan. The designation highlights the impact the title has had on the Japanese games industry and the overall medium of video games.

Final Fantasy 7 Day celebrates the impact of the game worldwide

We’re delighted to announce “Final Fantasy VII Day” has been officially registered in Japan, to commemorate the anniversary of the launch of the original game.

To celebrate, here’s a special message from Yoshinori Kitase, producer of the Final Fantasy VII remake project. pic.twitter.com/GBphY8AYR4

— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) January 31, 2023

Square Enix marked the occasion with a statement from Yoshinori Kitase, who worked on the original FF7 and is now the producer of FF7 Remake. In it, Kitase reminisced about the game’s creation and how it marked the beginning of many things for him and his team:

The 31st of January 1997, the day that Final Fantasy VII came out, was not just a significant day for the Final Fantasy series, but also marked when so many big things started moving for those of us who worked on the game.

I remember being overwhelmed at the breakneck speed with which video game technology was evolving, but also dreaming big things for the future.

With the establishment of this official anniversary day, I will now always remember these things, and hold them dearly in my heart.

With the official designation of this anniversary, FF7’s significance and impact on the world will be remembered for years to come. And with the release of the FF7 Remake trilogy, the story of this classic game is being carried forward to a new generation of players. The second entry, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, releases this Winter, and work has already begun on the third and final game in the series.

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Square Enix has said that it opted against Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PS4 version because the game is graphically intensive and needs the power of the PS5’s SSD. Rebirth is part 2 of the Final Fantasy 7 trilogy, the first part of which released on the PS4 and came on two discs. News of the second part skipping last gen disappointed some, but in a series of interviews with Japanese publications, series’ executive producer Yoshinori Kitase and Rebirth creative director Tetsuya Nomura have justified their decision to go PS5 exclusive.

Square Enix’s statement on lack of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PS4 version

“It’s exclusive to PlayStation 5 because of the graphical quality, of course, as well as SSD access speed,” the developers said, according to a translation provided by Gematsu. “Since the adventure unfolds in a vast world after the escape from Midgar, loading stress is an extreme bottleneck. We felt we needed the specifications of PlayStation 5 to overcome that and travel the world comfortably.”

Elsewhere, Kitase and Nomura explained why the upcoming installment is called Rebirth. The duo said that “Remake” (part 1’s title) and “Rebirth” have similar meanings in context. “Also, if we called it Remake 2, it might give the impression there will be a 3, 4, 5, and so on… as well as that 2 only exists because of 1,” they added. “This also means that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth can be enjoyed sufficiently on its own.”

Apparently, Square Enix took a long time to announce Rebirth because the developers were still undecided on how many installments they wanted to make. However, the team knew that there would be multiple parts from the start, before setting on a trilogy.

In other news, Western Digital’s PS5 SSD is now officially licensed by Sony, and Sony’s acquisition of Jade Raymond’s Haven Studios is now complete four months after its announcement.

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Many were skeptical when rumors of a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII remake were being thrown around yesterday, but they turned out to be correct. Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is the official name of the HD remaster of the PSP game and it’s coming to several consoles and PC.

Introducing Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is the action RPG prequel to Final Fantasy VII. The game tells the story of SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair, a younger member of the paramilitary organization. He sets out on a mission to find a missing SOLDIER called Genesis Rhapsodos, who himself went missing during a mission in Wutai. Both Zack and Genesis’ stories are linked to those of several well-known Final Fantasy VII characters such as Cloud, Sephiroth, Aerith, and Tifa.

Not only will the graphics be getting an overhaul in the “true remaster”, but there will also be updated 3D models, full voiceovers for the characters, and new music arrangements. Whether the game will feature an altered storyline is yet to be seen bearing in mind the character will be appearing in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which was also announced exclusively for PS5 today. This suggests a different timeline for what has been seen already.

Crisis Core was originally released exclusively on the PSP but the remaster will be coming to many more platforms, all for the first time. Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion HD remaster will be coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC this winter.

In other news, the aforementioned Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second part of the remake series and it’s making its way to PlayStation 5 next winter. Elsewhere, Capcom finally announced Dragon’s Dogma 2 during the 10th anniversary stream, but very few actual details of the game were divulged.

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Square Enix finally gave fans their first glimpse at Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 during the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Celebration stream. Called Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part is being created so it can be enjoyed by both fans of the original game and newcomers alike.

What we know about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has completely ditched the Remake moniker. The game tells the story of Cloud and his friends as they embark on a new journey that focuses on scenes the group witnesses after leaving Midgar. Series Producer Yoshinori Kitase says they’re “aiming to make Final Fantasy VII Rebirth an even more gripping and memorable experience than Final Fantasy VII Remake.” Rebirth is being designed so it can be enjoyed regardless of whether players have ever touched any of the Final Fantasy 7 games before. Series Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura even said “new players might even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy VII journey with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.”

All three of the Remake series games are interconnected and, as such, development has already started on the third game whose name was not revealed. The name “Rebirth” was deliberately chosen for the second game while “Remake” was chosen for the first, and Nomura hopes to reveal the intention behind these names in the future. Development on Rebirth is currently in full production and “is proceeding at an astonishingly fast pace” according to Kitase. The game is due to be released exclusively on PS5 during winter 2023/24.

In other news, Capcom has finally announced Dragon’s Dogma II but only via the briefest of mentions during the 10th anniversary stream. Elsewhere, Housemarque has said a sequel to Returnal is still a possibility, but it’s not going to happen until after their next game which is a brand new IP for PlayStation.

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