In this special article, in view of the launch, we want to see with you what to know before going to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the sequel to the 2020 Remake
February will definitely be a hot month for all the most passionate gamers. From Granblue Fantasy Relink to Persona 3 Reload, from Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League to Skull & Bones. Let’s all admit it though: the title that is making even the least fans of the franchise jump in their seats is definitely Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The game, developed by Square Enix, is arriving next February 29th exclusively on PlayStation 5. And anyone, even those who didn’t particularly appreciate the turn taken by the ending of the Remake, anyone is really waiting for it. Also and above all the undersigned.
A look at the Remake… or rather at Remake
Before moving on to the topic of this article, we want to look back for just a moment. We at Final Fantasy 7 Remake have spoken to you extensively in a dedicated review, which you can find by clicking here. Although it was actually a very high caliber game, well packaged and thought out, the thing we still can’t digest is that subtitle “Remake”. Considering the drift that is very far from the 1997 original, We can’t talk much about Remake. This fake bitterness, however, does not take away the curiosity to find out exactly what Director Tetsuya Nomura and Producer Yoshinori Kitase are aiming for. Having abandoned the idea of having a real remake of the original game, what should we expect from this sequel? Or rather, given the topic of this article: what should we know before diving into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
WARNING: THERE WILL BE SPOILERS ON BOTH THE REMAKE AND THE ORIGINAL GAME.
Where does it start from and where will it end? | Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: what to know
Final Fantasy 7 Remake was entirely focused on the Midgar section of the original game, which is to say that Rebirth will take us out into the vast area outside of the dystopian city. After defeating the Whispers and (hopefully?) starting to tempt fate in a completely unexpected way, Cloud and company will continue with their fight against Shinra, while intensifying their efforts to stop Sephiroth’s dark plans. As is now clear, just as Remake did, Rebirth will also deviate from the game’s original story in some key aspects.
What will be the ending of Rebirth?
As for the alleged ending of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we already know that will culminate with the party’s fateful encounter with Sephiroth in the Forgotten City. Does this mean Rebirth will end with that Aerith scene? We don’t actually know. This is because, given the direction taken by the Remake, it is likely that things will change in Rebirth. Until we actually have the game in our hands, the turns that the narrative can take are practically infinite. Tetsuya Nomura, in an interview with Game Informer, said:
I think the world we’ve depicted it in evokes a new emotion and feeling for both players who played the original Final Fantasy 7 and newcomers.
Playable characters: from Zack to Sephiroth, passing through Vincent | Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: what to know
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will expand the cast of playable characters compared to Remake. Obviously, Cloud, Barret, Tifa and Aerith will be playable once again, while Red XIII, who appeared in Remake as an AI character towards the end, will join the party. Additionally, Yuffie, who we played in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade in the INTERmission Episode, will also be a playable character, as will the newly introduced Cait Sith. The most interesting thing is obviously the addition of Sepiroth and Zack as playable characters in some sections.
Zack Fair: the return of the true Hero
Zack’s death told in the story of Final Fantasy 7 Crisis Core (find our review of the remake by clicking here!) was one of the lowest, saddest and most shocking moments in the gaming careers of many of us. And it was also one of the most defining moments of Cloud’s entire arc. However, at the end of Remake, we clearly saw that in this new version of the story, Zack Fair is still alive. How this is possible will be explained in Rebirth, as well as how it is possible that, at this point, both Zack and Cloud have a Buster Sword (parallel timelines?), but in any case the place given to Zack within the narrative will be decidedly wider.
Sephiroth: the fallen angel and his new role
Sephiroth has already had a more prominent role in Final Fantasy 7 Remake than he had, up to that point in the story, in the original, where he became an active participant in the events much later. Rebirth will continue in this vein, with Square Enix having confirmed that Sepiroth will have a much larger role to play. Naoki Hamaguchi ha affermato:
We felt it was necessary to have this very clear representation of how he became the person he is now in Rebirth. Even as the developers leading this game, seeing Sepiroth discover the truth and fall deeper and deeper into darkness, like falling from grace, and having that reflected in the expressions on his face, we could really feel compassion for him. Over the course of Rebirth, I believe players will be able to not only relate to and understand Cloud, but also Sepiroth through this game.
Yoshinori Kitase instead added:
Remake covers the player’s encounter with Sephiroth, and now, within Rebirth, we wanted to make Sephiroth the primary antagonist, the target for the characters to pursue on their journey. In the original game, Sepiroth wasn’t seen much on the world map, but we wanted to include that element in this title.
Vincent Valentine: the return of the former Turk
Vincent Valentine is one of the most significant characters that Cloud and the party clash with after leaving Midgar in the original Final Fantasy 7. Of course, the former Turk will rejoin the group in Rebirth. However, he will not be a full member of the party, given that it will be introduced in the late sections of the game, as happened with Red XIII in the Remake. Vince will therefore accompany the party, but only as a character controlled by the AI. Meanwhile, Square Enix has confirmed that he will be voiced by Matt Mercer, already known for his performances as Ganondorf in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Minsc in Baldur’s Gate 3, Cole Cassidy in Overwatch and Goro Majima in Yakuza: Like to Dragon.
How long does it last? | Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: what to know
How long is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? We have already told you about it in a dedicated article, click here, but it is also right, in a summary article, to take up such an important topic again. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be decidedly bigger and longer-lived than its prequel: Square Enix has confirmed that, despite ignoring the optional content and following only the main plot, it will take more than 40 hours to complete. Ten more, roughly, than Remake.
The secondary content will obviously be central to the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth experience, as well as to most of Square Enix’s works, and in addition to trying to reach a certain level of quality in the side quests, the developers have also included a surprising level of amount. According to what was confirmed by the company, in fact, players who face a good part of the secondary content will easily be able to reach 60 hours of total gameplay. For completionists instead? We will be approaching 100 hours of overall gameplay. Take a few days off if you can.
PlayStation 5 exclusivity | Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: what to know
Just like Final Fantasy XVI (here’s our review!), Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will also be launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The exclusivity window, however, this time is only three months. However, this does not mean that at the end of this window the game will automatically arrive on other platforms, especially considering that Remake has not yet arrived on Microsoft platforms four years after launch. We can more likely expect a PC version in the future. Not too far at that.
Let’s wait!
And that’s it for what to know before venturing into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. February 29th still seems too far away, yet it is approaching by leaps and bounds! Let us know what you think of this new path taken by the history of Cloud and company, we will continue to keep you updated with all the news, guides and reviews on gaming and tech themes! And if you are interested in game keys at advantageous prices, we recommend you take a look at the InstantGaming catalogue!