PS5 platform
The much-anticipated Final Fantasy Remake of 2020 succeeded in doing what many fans thought was impossible: it added significant new elements to the beloved PlayStation classic while staying true to its essence. The game is regarded as one of the greatest ever created. The same amazing accomplishment as its predecessor is accomplished by Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which doubles down on desire to create a better sequel while carrying on (but not finishing) the tale that Remake started.
This is seen when one of the game’s screen-swallowing bosses gets struck by Cloud Strife’s renowned Buster Sword, the second hero. Turn-based combat from the original was riskily abandoned in the remake, but the decision was made because of a highly satisfying and deep real-time battle system. Rebirth adds clever, strategic layers to this template, expanding it and improving it in some way, providing a richer experience without adding more complexity. The end product is a strong, user-friendly system that not only lets each green warrior shine individually but also, and more importantly, highlights their cooperation.
expands notably on the success of its outstanding predecessor to provide another amazing title
Exciting growth will see you improve each character’s abilities on your own, but the new “synergy” feature will have you just as invested in developing your party’s ability to defeat adversaries by cooperating. With these unique powers, players could throw the recently playable Red XIII—fangs first—against a bunch of enemies, or Aerith could transform Cloud’s blade into a weapon that spews out magic and causes havoc.
While returning and new heroes continue to make an impression on the battlefield, Rebirth pleasantly allows them equal opportunity to shine outside of fight. To be honest, the game’s greatest asset is how well-developed each playable character is. In addition to learning more about the complex connections and simmering conflicts within the group through flashbacks and side-quests, important missions also allow us to delve further into the personal histories of each party member.
The main plot of Rebirth, in which our heroes continue to hunt down the legendary Sephiroth while attempting to rescue the planet from the Shinra Electric Power Company, isn’t quite as coherent, and there are sporadic pacing issues that disrupt the immersion. That is, of course, mostly because there are so many amazing extracurricular activities available. There are countless diversions across the vast universe that beckon you to stray from the main route. The larger story’s rhythm can be broken by the lengthy periods of time you’ll unavoidably lose to engaging in everything from the dangerously addicting Queen’s Blood card game to Chocobo races, even though the majority of the extra content is interesting.
Though these are minor complaints, you could easily spend 100 hours immersed in this magnificent, graphically stunning game. The only issues are shoddy narration and a too large map. Rebirth substantially improves on its fantastic predecessor, offering more character-focused storytelling and more complex gameplay to create a stunning game deserving of the Final Fantasy VII moniker.