Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC) Review

It is pretty well established at this point that this "remake" of Final Fantasy VII is more than the name implies. Anyone that has played the first part, simply titled Final Fantasy VII Remake, will remember the big changes to the plot that have allowed this trilogy of games to take a different path to that of the original PlayStation game. Whether that is good or bad is for the individual player to decide, but at this point, it is unlikely that anyone that massively disliked the changes in Remake will want to pick up and play the sequel, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, unless they are simply interested in seeing one of the best role-playing games of all time presented in a completely new way.

That curiosity is mighty appealing for fans of the classic title, though. Even if what is going on narratively in this remake series feels a lot like fanfiction, there is no denying the splendour at being able to see the world of Gaia and its various towns and regions in modern graphical glory. The majority of the story is true to the original Final Fantasy VII, and for that reason, playing through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a feast for fans that want to relive particular moments or trek through areas that brought them joy.

The crossing of the swamp that is home to the deadly Midgardsormr, the events leading up to the boarding of the ship, returning to Nibelheim. These are just a few moments that those that grew up on the 1997 classic will remember fondly, and re-experiencing them in this new fashion - although coming with a degree of apprehension at what changes may appear - is always engrossing. Yes, certain parts do lose a certain degree of magic due to the prevalence of Sephiroth, but there are many moments that are humorous and exciting despite being different, and it is always interesting to see how older scenarios have been reinterpreted here.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth really does continue where the previous game left off - confusion at what has transpired in the wake of the twist in the final chapter of Remake and all - but it actually opens in a way that means someone that didn't play Remake could actually jump in with Rebirth, even if it wouldn't be strongly advised. An optional recap movie helps get all players up to speed, while the opening chapter delves into the past that main character Cloud has with antagonist Sephiroth.

Move along a couple of hours, and Cloud and his Avalanche crew enter the open plains of Gaia - a previously memorable moment in the original PS1 title where players were introduced to the world map after leaving Midgar for the first time. This section is also quite awe-inspiring and showcases Final Fantasy VII's world in a manner never seen before. In fact, it is almost overwhelming. The grasslands are vast, littered with ruins and rundown buildings, which tell a history of pre-Shinra rule, and is a welcome underlining plot that helps to add another layer to the world's lore.

Unfortunately, this open world approach does come with all the formulaic elements of other games of this ilk, map towers and crafting materials and all, incentivising exploring every nook and cranny. Sidequests are thrown at you immediately, compounding that already overwhelming feeling from the expansiveness of the world, although much of it is busywork that requires going to some out-of-the-way area to search the ground for items or defeat a pack of fiends. Luckily, fast travelling to many points of interest is possible, massively reducing the time spent getting from A to B.

As optional content, though, players can safely ignore a lot of this stuff to concentrate on the story, although the quests do act as a means to view more humorous pieces of dialogue and develop character relationships that can have an effect later on in the game.

Final Fantasy VII was already full of strange, silly, and playful moments and characters, and it is great to see that Rebirth doesn't completely ignore this side of the original title. These new games could have easily doubled down on the serious and realistic side of things, but that isn't the case. Fans of FFVII will find amusement in how certain characters and segments have been incorporated into Rebirth, while a lot of fun can be had by anyone that appreciates breaks from simply fighting monsters.

Like in Final Fantasy VII Remake before it, Rebirth does stretch out some parts of the game more than others. Where one section may have been 30 to 60 minutes in the PS1 title, three to five hours can easily be accumulated in the equivalent scenario here. Sometimes it is for the better, while other times it has a negative effect, with Cloud being forced to participate in minigames. There is no question that Sephiroth's added presence means he loses his menace as opposed to the original, but that was already the case in Remake. Expect no different in Rebirth. Of course, if you pine for the silver-haired antagonist, you'll enjoy what these remakes are doing.

Characters are full of the personalities that made them so unique to begin with, but despite their allure and high quality voice acting, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth does take its time getting to the exciting moments. It seems Square Enix knew this, too, as story elements that wouldn't normally appear until much later in the original story show up sooner here. It doesn't feel right, at times, and as if things have been shoehorned in to make up for the more boring segments.

Again, though, observing Rebirth as its own thing, and remembering that this is simply not supposed to be an exact one-to-one retelling of the initial title, what is here is a fascinating role-playing game that is constantly setting the stage of bigger things to come. Slower moments can bring things to a halt on more than one occasion, but there is always a desire to keep pushing through to see what is on the horizon.

Combat has expanded slightly over Remake, mostly due to there being more characters to choose from this time around. The likes of Cloud and Tifa retain their playstyles, with Cloud able to switch between his offensive and defensive stances, while Tifa unleashes flurries of punches and kicks, but newcomers like Red XIII and Yuffie offer more unique styles that are better suited to particular enemies, such as airborne foes.

Battles are flashy, but there is a degree of strategy involved that rewards those that really make use of each character. It pays to switch to controlling each member of the battle group regularly, as it means abilities can be used quicker, but most fights can be smashed through by sticking with utilising one character if so desired. Bosses and tougher enemies do demand making use of more than just Cloud, though.

Although there are questionable, floaty environmental physics, where even metal toolboxes will fly up into the air if walked into, for example, this is a visually splendid game that really is a treat for fans already familiar with the original FFVII. Some personal irritations come in the form of the unchangeable font and icon sizes (such as for the crafting materials found throughout the field that can easily go missed), and while it's great that the button icons can be changed from letters to the preferred PlayStation symbols, they don't retain their iconic colours, making things harder on the eyes (the loss of button icon colours across all consoles in recent years is a sad trend in general).