Let the games begin...
⚠ Warning
Spoilers for Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VII Remake ahead. Proceed with caution.
It’s a great time to be an RPG fan. With a slew of fresh titles out, there’s no shortage of games for fans to sink their teeth into, however, one may rise above the rest this year after a historic renaissance into the modern generation. Final Fantasy VII had been proven to be a masterpiece of yesteryear’s creative storytelling in role-playing games, and has only cemented itself further as one of the greatest to grace fans of the original, and newcomers that had yet experienced the classic in its original telling. Unequivocally, no secret to those that have sunk hundreds of hours into the 2020 remake, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is brewing quite the storm, setting another showdown between our unlikely band of heroes and Cloud’s former mentor gone corrupt with newfound unworldly powers, Sephiroth.
With expected events to take untimely twists that change the course once written for AVALANCHE, a new origins tale between worlds is only presumed to collide with what was a closed chapter in Final Fantasy VII’s illustrious campaign of thirty odd years, re-opened. Diverging timelines that carry respective complications for their alternate events, seen in the ending of Remake and subtle changes showcased in Rebirth. Assuming Rebirth dissects more overlapping events that evolve the arching story from second chapter to penultimate act, this could be one of the biggest swerves seen in gaming history. Is Sephiroth responsible for skewing events? Retelling an entire timeline in his favour?
As we edge closer to its official release, Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth’s mysterious premise continues to be extrapolated further without deviating far from the original, but enough that fans have already been clued-in on Cloud and the crew’s whereabouts, while a small preview given this week by Square-Enix showcases our antagonist’s turn to the dark side, setting Cloud and Tifa’s hometown a blaze, including his home where it’s presumed Cloud’s mother, Claudia, met her untimely demise. Outlining an unbelievable tale that tells us Cloud’s broken past as a SOLDIER with his former mentor, the shameful crimes committed by the devious First Class leader-gone-rogue, in utter disbelief after he discovered his conception was artificial, expressing his anger by maliciously wiping out an entire town of innocent people.
While key moments converge with the original timeline, the events that unfold in Remake deliver the recourse set by the early initiation of Sephiroth after his presumed death at the hands of Cloud, only to discover that the One-Winged Angel was indeed alive and well, but how? If the ending of Remake was any indication, AVALANCHE had stepped through a black hole that has ultimately torn the fabric of time, leading them to the unknown. Zack Fair’s status teased, the crew stuck in unknown territory, Sephiroth’s unyielding destruction of humanity and the hunt for the Black Materia that lead AVALANCHE in an essential rat race against its foes. If you have yet to play the Demo, now available exclusively on PlayStation 5, I highly recommend you give it a go before diving into the full game on February 29.
Differences between Remake and Rebirth’s gameplay are minute, but enough to ascertain a new structure for battle. The synergy mechanic demonstrates a snazzy cinematic finishing move that has your party work in tandem against enemies, dealing a final blow much like a Persona All-out attack. The ability to switch-out between protagonists during the adventure is an attractive feature for those that look to mix things up, rather than maining Cloud for the entirety of Rebirth’s campaign, but this is only in fixed segments. I was quite giddy getting my grasps on Sephiroth, as I slung my blade through hoards of enemies. Much like the Remake demo, Rebirth gives players a quick two hour introductory, along with a cinematic recap of the events from the gang’s last adventure through Midgar.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is going to set the video game world on fire, leaving us begging for more.
Graphically, the title trumps its prequel with astounding detail. Environments are awe-gazing, and will have you take moments to simply stare at the beauty of simply the lighting and shaders subtly hitting cliffsides, while lush environments aren’t necessarily evident, there’s plenty of shrubbery that dances in the wind, coinciding with the relaxing atmosphere of Cloud’s hometown. Performance-wise, the title gives players the choice again to choose either Graphical fidelity that prioritises over detail, but caps the title’s framerate to 30FPS for those looking to get the most out of their 4K displays or an enhanced Performance mode that caps the refresh rate to 60FPS but suffers in the graphical department. Personally, either ain’t too bad but if you’re looking to get the best experience from your first playthrough of the title, I would recommend Graphical fidelity mode.
So, we countdown the days until Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth launches with a plethora of questions unanswered as it pertains to how the second part of this three header has changed the course of history for fan favourites, and how the title will guarantee to have us elated beyond joy, but to expectedly crush us as we trudge right unto a pivotal arc in Final Fantasy VII’s most divisive chapter. It goes without saying, that the suspected changes made in Rebirth could very well leave fans feeling vulnerable and vengeful all over again, but this is all part of the plan to incite, entice and attract the enthusiast and the newcomer to what is touted the greatest story ever told in the longstanding history of its franchise. Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is going to set the video game world on fire, leaving us begging for more.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth releases on February 29, 2024 for PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - Square Enix
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an upcoming action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix, scheduled to release for the PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. It is a sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the second in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game Final Fantasy VII.
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