Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth

About the Game

• Game: Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth
• Genre: Action RPG,Action-Adventure
• Consoles: PS5
• Published:Square Enix
• Developers: Square Enix
• Released: February 2024

In 1997 Square Enix(SqE) created a game that stigmatized the gaming world. That game was Final Fantasy Vii, which to this day has a great influence on the space and inspires new developers when creating new games. In 2020, Square Enix released Final Fantasy Vii Remake, which would "relive" the adventure of Cloud and his company. The Remake, however, was not exactly a remake of the original as a new adventure awaits the heroes of the series in the Remake Trilogy.

In June 2022, Square Enix celebrated the game's 25th anniversary with an online event where they announced various projects (Figures, jewelry, toys). They even showcased the remaster of Crisis Core:Final Fantasy Vii and the upcomming Mobile games( Ever crisis and First soldier). At the end they included the first teaser for Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth. From June 2022 until January 2024, Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth had a noticeable presence in various online gaming events and in various interviews at events (comic cons etc.) in which Square Enix was present. With each new trailer, the game had a positive response and this was shown by the fact that the game won from two different award shows the awards “Most wanted“ and “Highly anticipated game” of 2024. In February 2024, the company released two -part demo so that all players can get a taste before its final release.

Standard

Included the game alone

Deluxe Edition

Included the game, a steelbook, an art book and a CD.

Collector's Edition

Included the game, a steelbook case, the art book, the CD and 19 inch of Sephiroth Statue.

Story of the Game

Before we talk about Rebirth, we will answer the main question ""Do I have to play the Remake to play Rebirth?"" The answer is not necessarily as on the Title screen there is the Recap of Events option which will show you in a video the story of Remake. But the video will not cover the relationship of the heroes, which will make you miss the jokes and references between the heroes. One thing was certain after the end of Remake (2020), the creators were free to do whatever they want with the script as the heroes of the story defeated the whisperers of fate causing them to go against their destiny with the possibility of changing their fate.

The scenario of Rebirth continues from the end of Remake: Mission Intergrade with the heroes of the series located in the Kalm region. Cloud tells his story with Sephiroth so that everyone knows what their goal is. At the same time they try to keep their heads down as Shinra tries to find them as they are held responsible for Avalanche's terrorist acts. Rebirth tries to keep the story close to the original FFVii(1997) by adding small changes that help the character development of the heroes and give us a clearer explanation of the events. Eg.In 1997 Tifa never talked about telling Cloud's story, resulting in the title Tifa the liar. In Rebirth Tifa makes the effort to talk to Cloud as well as other team members. Also the way how Yuffie joins the team is completely different and not optional.

The team members make it their goal to find Sephiroth who they consider responsible for the serious state of the planet but also for their own personal reasons. Their mission will take them to different areas as they hide from Shinra and at the same time collect evidence that they believe will lead them to their goal. They will pass through familiar areas, meet familiar faces as well as new ones. On the other hand, Shinra has its own plans for the planet as well as for itself, as Rufus Shinra officially takes over as president.The new president seems to have his own plans and priorities which help to show his character but also add new elements to the story.

The creators made it clear from the beginning that they wanted the new adventure of the heroes to have the sense of mystery and adventure into the unknown that the original had without spoiling the image of FFVii, which is difficult since the heroes and the story are well known. The opportunity was given to them through Zack and also Sephiroth. Sephiroth often plays mind games with Cloud and his friends, always creating a sense of surprise as you never know where and when he will appear and what he will do. At the same time, various questions are raised by the fact that Zack is alive. Through Zack, various questions from the Remake will be answered and other unforgettable original stories will be created.

Thoughts on the story

Gameplay

Rebirth's deep gameplay makes Remake's deep gameplay feel like a Demo
Hard statement to say, but if you played both games you will understand. Square Enix's sequel, like the Remake, allows you to play the game in classic mode or active mode. The difference between the two modes is at the time of the battle. In classic mode, the Ai takes over the movement of the heroes as well as the basic attack, block and dodge. Players take on special techniques that need mana (MP), use of items, techniques that need ATB bar, Limit breaks, Summons and synergy techniques. In active mode the player takes over all the movements of the heroes.

Rebirth allows you to choose the party you want to play with. The team should include three people unless the scenario calls for less. The people you did not select in the party will be in the background during free movement and also during the battle. When you fight you will see them fighting in the background but their damage will be non-existent. This way the team gives a realistic image and makes the heroes act like a normal team of heroes exploring and fighting together. Its worth pointing out that all the heroes will level at the same time. So if you never played with Aerith(unless she was a mandatory member) she will still be at the same level as Tifa, Barret etc.



Each character stands out in their field and fight differently from the other. For example, Cloud and Tifa are melee characters who need to be close to their opponent, while characters like Aerith and Barret are long range heroes who keep their distance from their target and fight with spells and bullets. The heroes that existed in the Remake as well as Yuffie(DLC Intermission(2021)) have their familiar mechanics from the previous title. New heroes join the team in the form of Red XIII and Cait Sith who have their own unique mechanics. It should be noted that each hero gets a point where we control them in a dungeon. All of them have unique mechanicks such as Barrets shooting points, Yuffie's ninja acrobatics, Cait Sith tunnel traversal and Red XIII wall crawling. In Rebirth we are also given access to other heroes (Zack Fair and Sephiroth) who will not be accessible all the time. Afterwards the heroes Cid and Vincent will join your team but they will not be playable. They will be controlled by Ai and will be similar to Red XIII from the Remake who just followed us in the background. They ll most likely be playable heroes in the next game.

The game has a large number of Materias and skills which allow you to experiment and find a play style that suits you. Materias are divided into different categories, such as support (cure, barrier), magic attack (fire, thunder), physical attack, passive buffs (Atk Up, MP Up). Each character based on their equipment can have a specific number. Materias are found on the ground, bought from shops or vending machines and given to you from main/side content as prizes. On the other hand, the weapon skills of each hero are unlocked based on the mastery of the weapon, just like in the Remake. You should find the weapon with the skill you want, and use it in battle. After you master the skill, you unlock it, and you can use it without the specific weapon equipped. These things are returning from Remake however their numbers are heavily increased

In addition to Materias and Weapon Skills you can unlock Synergy skills. Synergy skills are techniques in which party members work as a team. There are two types of techniques. The offensive and defensive ones. Offensive techniques help heroes mainly attack by combining techniques similar to the Kingdom hearts III Tag team event. For example, Aerith can put a spell on Cloud's blade to make it do more damage and also to throw projectiles. On the other hand, defensive techniques help heroes defensively through block or boost stats. For example, Aeirth can call a party member to her to protect her while she prepares her attack. Successful use of synergy, helps to charge the limit bar. Synergy techniques are unlocked from the skill tree via skill points and indicate which party members should be on the team. Finally, their frequent use and your relationships with the characters play an important role in unlocking new ones.


On the battlefield, you can summon Summons to help you but you can also overcome your limits (Limit break). Summon Materias work excactly like in the Remake. During battle, you will see the Summon bar fill up. When this is done you can call the Summon that the hero has. This entity will come to the battlefield and fight alone. You can use its techniques through Summon Abilities. Before the Summon's time runs out, you'll see it do a cinematic attack before disappearing. Weak Summons appear faster than stronger ones. Summons Materias are given to you from the story or with Chadley's side quests. Limit breaks, as in the Remake, use a limit gauge (bar) which is created during the battle. Limit break is a cinematic attack with high damage. These techniques are unlocked with their frequent use but also with the use of synergy skills.

While exploring the open world you can roam freely on foot, with Chocobos or even with vehicles. On foot move more slowly but you can climb various mountains. Chocobos help you move faster and can sniff out various treasures. If Chocobo displays “?” head, you can smell the ground and this will reveal the way to the item. After you find it you have to dig it out with your beak. There are different types of Chocobos, some can jump high, some can climb walls and some can swim/fly fast in water. Vehicles on the other hand, are similar to Chocobos but move faster and do not have special abilities.

What is in Sephiroth's plan, what will be the fate of the planet and what is Zack's role in this new adventure of Cloud and his company?

Improvements from Final Fantasy Vii: Remake

A major criticism of the Remake was that its Air combat was not the best as the heroes jumped in the air, hit three times and landed. The DLC that first introduced us to Yuffie showed improvement, and this is mainly due to the fact that Yuffie is a ninja. In the new game the close range heroes after pressing the dodge button, if you press the attack button they will do a type of attack while if you hold it down the heroes will do a rush attack and continue with gas combos. If at the end of the combo you add air dodge you can continue the rush attacks staying in the air the whole time. In very simple words, as we saw Cloud in the cinematic (Remake, in the film Advent Children, etc.) moving quickly with acrobatic movements but also attacking with projectiles, now you can do it in the game. Heroes like Tifa can be launched on air using a synergy attack.

Then through the Options menu you will find various life quality changes that will help you as you play the game. These changes may be to the zoom option during combat, which will help you get a better view of the battlefield. Another useful change during combat is the action camera which will allow you to switch targets with the press of a button during your combos or automatically rotate to the target you are fighting. Other smaller details are in the use of mini map or compass, the change between quick menu and block(L1/R1) and the addition of a line in the UI on climbable surfaces. All of these options and more create a better experience for each player.

Another big criticism that saw an improvement is the Ai of the Party members as well as the villains. In the Remake, free party members usually stood still in open areas, took little damage, and ate up(got hit) all the bad guys' attacks. In the new game, the team normally hits bad guys doing normal damage and dodges incoming attacks. On the other hand, the bad guys, unlike the prequel, don't just attack your own hero but also the party in general. You're their main target, but they won't directly lock on to the hero you're playing or that you changed during battle, and they won't all lock on to you as your allies are also considered a threat.

Post Game Content

Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth is a game filled with many activities and minigames that everybody will enjoy. Some of the minigames are mandatory during story missions but they re also available outside of the story. The biggest difference between Remake and Rebirth is the Open world formula. The fear in Open world games is usually the feeling of emptiness or the exact opposite where the world has too much stuff which is usually tedious and doesn't reward the players enough for the time spent. Rebirth is one of the games that offers a lot to the player in the form of cosmetics, mini-games, side quests, collectibles and the whole sense of adventure and exploration. After the main adventure of Cloud and his company, you can explore the world created by Square Enix and find, play and discover the mysteries of Final Fantasy Vii.

To unlock the map, you will need to help Chadley and MAI with their research and locate the antennas. When you unlock the map you will be able to see where there is treasure, encounters, shrines, mako springs, moogle houses etc. As you explore the world you will discover various pieces of music that you can play in the piano minigame. If you approach a piano you can freely play music by pressing the buttons on the stick and you can open the menu with the songs you found and play them. Also like the Remake and Crisis Core Reunion, you can find various weapons and Materias on the ground or in chests. Some treasures are products such as figurines, stuffed animals, etc.

Each area has its own minigames which you will unlock through the plot or Side content. In Costa Del Sol for example you will play a shooting game, a version of Rocket league with Red Xii and others. In Gold Saucer which is an amusement park you will find a lot of mini-games. You will find racing in Chocobo Racing, you will defend the planet in Galactic saviors which is similar to the Gummi ship from the Kingdom hearts series, combat challenges etc. In each area you can play Queens Blood which is a well known card game. Queens Blood is very interesting and deeply developed that players will most likely sink hours in the game. In each area you can find various NPCs who will want to play/fight against you. Some of them will unlock optional cutscenes for you as they have their own plot. Similar to Fort Condor minigame released with Intergrade DLC(2021). Speaking of which, Fort Condor is back with new rules and new pawns. Rebirth is full of minigames which are optional but also during the main missions there are various areas with minigames.

What stands out in Rebirth, and will be a reason to play the game again and again, is the bond mechanism. During the game you will have to choose various dialogue options that affect your relationship with the other heroes in and out of battle. Also most Side quests give you time to spend with party members while on a mission. You'll learn about Barret's relationship with Marlene, get to know Red XIII better, and general information about your companions. The one that stack with me the most was Cisney and her information regarding Zack. Each adventure applies your bond with the heroes and various cutscenes will be activated depending on your bond. It is something similar to the mechanism of Remake(2020) which allowed us, based on our choices, to see either Aerith, or Tifa or Barret the night before the mission in the Shinras building.

Sound and Graphics

FFVii (1997) after the adventure in Midgar, had given players the opportunity to travel to different regions with the help of Open world. Rebirth provides the exact same opportunity. Of course unlike the old one and with the help of PS5 and Unreal Engine 4 the world looks nicer and more alive than ever. Each region (Costa Del Sol, Gold Saucer, Gongaga etc.) stands out in its field and in its appearance. Both the heroes' and monsters' models have been upgraded and look better than ever. The in game cutscenes as well as the CGI scenes show us Square Enix at its best. There are various small visual details that fans new and old will appreciate. For example some of the collectibles are things you can buy in real life, at some point of the game a receptionist wears a pin with Clouds face which you can get online etc.

Beyond the incredible images in the visual field, the game impresses in the audio as well. According to the game producer Yoshinori Kitase the game includes more than 400 music tracks. The new main theme song “No Promises to keep” was written by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu and the incredible performance comes from Loren Allred. The cast of Final Fantasy Vii: Remake (2020) returns to their roles alongside the voice actors of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy Vii Reunion (2022). New talents as well as major actors such as Matthew Mercer and J Michael Tatum join the cast as the game world grows. The acting accompanied by the music will make you cry in some scenes, laugh in others, while during the battle (Boss or encounter) they will leave you with a satisfying feeling.

Final Fantasy Vii Rebirth similar with Remake was only released for the PlayStation 5 as it is a time exclusive. For this reason, the creators exploited the power of the PS5 as much as they could. In the virtual domain, the developers added dynamic lightning which adds realism to the image. In the sound field, the game uses the Tempest3D (if you wear a supportive Headset) which allows you to hear different voices and sounds from different angles as if you were present in the world. In the gameplay, the creators take advantage of the quick loading times and the power of the platform, resulting in a clean result at 60 fps. Finally, they added various minigames and areas that take advantage of DualSense and adaptive triggers.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, “Final Fantasy vii: Rebirth” is a game worthy of its name that sets the bar high for the third and final game in the series and for the quality of Square Enix's AAA Games. The script will strongly play with your emotions as each character has a deep development. The feeling of "I know what awaits me" does not apply as various changes small and large give the feeling of surprise. The ending may not be what you expect. The voice acting along with various musics with the help of the images create incredible scenes that will be engraved in your memory like in 1997 and 2007 with Final Fantasy Vii (PS1) and Crisis core (PSP). With the help of PS5, the whole feel of the game changes with the use of haptic feedback and adaptive triggers.

The gameplay in the sequel took what worked well in the first one and capitalized on the negative criticism that existed and created perhaps the ultimate experience to date. There are strong improvements in various areas of the game, from the interesting open world, to the multiple activities, to the aerial combat, to the renewed Ai (Party and Enemies), etc. Rebirth gives you a large number of new mechanics during battle as the number of playable heroes, Materias, Summons, Synergy Skills, Weapon skills, Heroes Combination skills, etc. has increased. Traversal is also superios as they introduced various Chocobos with unique mechanics and a couple of vechicles. The game will keep you busy for a long time as the main scenario alone takes at least 40-45 hours to complete. For the platinum trophy it will take more time as you will have to complete all the side content, find various collectibles and beat the game again on the highest difficulty level etc.

Other Links you might be interested in

• Sonic the hedgehog Diorama
• Kingdom Hearts III Sora & Mickey Ichiban Kuji
• Kingdom Hearts III Sora & Roxas Ichiban Kuji

• Final Fantasy XVI
• Forspoken
• Final Fantasy Vii Remake : Intergrade