Final Fantasy VII Rebirth -PS5- 10

April 10, 2024.

I just finished the final chapter of FF7Rebirth, as well as complete most of the side quests (34/36) and explore a vast majority of the map after just shy of 95 hours of playtime. This second installment of the reimagined FF7 saga continues the same outstanding level of quality that was established in the 2020’s “FF7Remake”, but it ups the stakes by expanding outside of the linear confines of Midgar into the open world setting of the whole globe.

Rebirth’s sense of adventure and exploration might just be the very best I’ve seen in a Jrpg. The amount of content here is staggering. Finding all the landmarks, towers, and crystals across each continent brought me such a grand sense of discovery. Completing each of the sidequests always had a sense of purpose by enhancing the finer details surrounding the main story, as well as further developing the personalities and backstories of all the characters. There was also a plethora of minigames that felt overwhelming at first, but were all fun and engrossing once I learned the ropes of each.

Rebirth’s combat system is also the best I’ve ever seen in the jrpg genre. It further polishes the brilliant system used in Remake, which combined hack&slash action with the ability to freeze frame and choose your next special attack or magic spell. The developers did a flawless job of making you feel in complete control at every moment in the blistering chaos. Each party member also has their own unique play style and attributes, complimenting the sense of teamwork in every fight. The relationship system between them to learn new techniques and influence certain moments in the story further deepened the gameplay.

No matter how many minigames or sidequests you strayed off to do, the game always did a great job of redirecting you back to the main path when you were ready to continue with the central narrative. Early on in the journey, Rebirth recounts many of the campy and light hearted story beats of the original 1997 game that gave the epic tale some much needed levity. But when the dramatic payoffs hit, they hit hard. Square Enix’s writers also did great job of expanding the lore and filling in a lot of the gaps that were in the 1997 original’s plot.

Rebirth also never loses sight of what made the 1997 original so brilliant in its storytelling, and that is the characters. Each member of the original game’s cast is lovingly realized and developed with impeccable voice acting and excellent writing, and they are just as endearing and unforgettable as they were back in 1997. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Barret will always be some of my favorite heroes in any rpg. And Sephiroth is still my favorite villain in any game, ever. Even many of the minor villains, like Scarlet and Hojo, get more time to shine this time around.

With FF16 last year and Rebirth this year, Squareenix (formerly Squaresoft) has reminded me why they used to be known as the best storytellers in the business. Every poignant moment of Rebirth’s narrative was nailed perfectly, the sense of adventure thrilled me, and I thought the ending was brilliant. I believe Rebirth to be a masterpiece, and I’m rating it a 10 out of ten. I loved the direction that Square took at the end of Remake in 2020, and I adore what they have done with Rebirth.