Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has what it takes to be Game of the Year

As a long-time Final Fantasy aficionado, I can hardly put into words what Square Enix previewed during the latest State of Play broadcast. The publisher has packed an incredible amount into the game. For me, it’s a dream come true. Exactly what I’m looking for in a reinterpretation of Final Fantasy VII. Why not see for yourself?

My highlights

Over the last few months, Square Enix has been releasing more and more details about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It’s the second of three remade instalments of the original game. As a result, some of the scenes that appeared in State of Play don’t really reveal anything new. That being said, we did get a couple of gems. Here’s a quick round-up of my highlights.

Temple of the Ancients

What a start to this episode of State of Play. Cloud and Sephiroth cross swords, the villain demanding the Black Materia. We then see the Turks’ Tseng setting down the keystone and the Temple of the Ancients rising out of the jungle. Quite the spectacle. The dungeon here almost drove thirteen-year-old me crazy, so I’m already excited to see how the inside will look in the new version.

Zack and Aerith’s reunion

This brings us to the first mystery of the presentation: Zack holding Aerith in his arms, saying, «I’m back, Aerith». He strokes her cheek. Is she dead? Still alive? Does the game involve alternate realities? Or is it all just a dream? Scores of questions already raised by the ending of Final Fantasy VII Remake. I’m psyched about hopefully getting some answers. These very changes are what make the new edition so exciting for a FF VII veteran like me.

Character clothing in Costa del Sol

Admittedly, fashion isn’t my thing. Nevertheless, I always find myself wondering why the characters in games don’t get uncomfortable wearing the same clothes all the time. While characters in the original Final Fantasy did change clothes, the outfits obviously didn’t look half as good in 1997 as they do today. Barrett the tank in his sailor outfit and Cloud in his loud shirt are just hilarious.

Games within the game

The PlayStation 1 era Final Fantasy games are known for their numerous mini-games and unique interactions. Rebirth continues in a similar vein, starting with sucking up Mako, continuing with adaptive-trigger and dual-sense-controller interactions and ending with familiar mini-games in the Gold Saucer amusement park. They take me right back to my teenage years, and now look just as I would’ve wanted them to look back then. Rebirth builds on every little aspect. Safe to say, playing the piano is much more complex than it was in the PS1 days. There’s also a new card game. I’m already looking forward to spending countless hours playing the mini-games.

An expansive, mostly open world

The world map is back with a vengeance. State of Play laid bare what’s been clear for a long time now: the game’s eight explorable areas are huge – and look stunning. This is what I felt was missing from Remake and last year’s Final Fantasy XVI. There’s plenty to discover. Secrets like the kind hidden throughout the original game.

There seem to be more opportunities to interact with the world than in the first part of the Remake trilogy. You can control every character and take advantage of their abilities. Barret shoots at objects, opening up previously inaccessible areas. The same goes for Tifa’s grappling gun or Red XIII, who runs up walls.

Synergy Skills

Rebirth’s gameplay builds on Remake, with the most significant new addition being Synergy Skills. These allow characters to team up and carry out special attacks in pairs. In addition to the character and weapon levels, there’s now also a party level. The higher this is, the more skills you unlock on the skill board. You can reset this at any time and try out different character combinations.

The demo

At the end of the broadcast, Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura had another surprise up his sleeve. As I’d already suspected beforehand, there’s a demo. In it, you play the beginning of Rebirth, starting with the Nibelheim flashback. You explore the village of Nibelheim and Mt. Nibel as a young Cloud or young Sephiroth. The kicker? The demo will be updated before the game’s release on 29 February. In contrast to the linear Flashback part, you’ll be able to freely explore the area around Junon.

Unfortunately, it looks like you won’t be able to transfer your progress from the demo to the final game, as was the case with Final Fantasy XVI. I’ve already played through the demo, and I’ll share my impression of it with you in the next section.

Goosebump moments

It’s one of those moments when I feel like I’ve been transported back to my teens. As I march towards Mt. Nibel with Cloud, Sephiroth and the two Shinra soldiers, the track Toward Mount Nibel starts playing. The camera zooms out, allowing my gaze to wander into the distance. I get goosebumps. It’s exactly how I felt in 1997 as I was making my way to the Mako reactor for the first time.

Of course, I now know what’s in store for me there. But to experience it in today’s graphical splendour is next level. A lot of it reminds me of the original. Sephiroth in the reactor or in the basement of the Shinra Building, for instance. The scenes in Rebirth play out exactly the way I remember them in the original. Yet again, Square Enix demonstrates what constitutes a good remake. But it also shows how brilliant the original was in terms of staging and storytelling, despite the limitations of the era.

Not much new compared to Remake

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that the beginning of Rebirth plays like Remake. After all, the second part of the trilogy seamlessly picks up where the first left off. The controls, skills and the like are all the same. You don’t have access to all the same skills, Materia and such that you did at the end of Remake. Which makes sense, as you’re playing a two-years-younger version of Cloud in the flashback.

There aren’t many new gameplay elements in the first two hours of the demo. But there are definitely some. Mako vacuuming or climbing, for example. Towards the end, you also get a glimpse of the Synergy attacks. It doesn’t feel like enough to me, so I’m left wanting more. Basically, the demo has achieved exactly what it was supposed to.

God Mode with Sephiroth

Yep, you heard right – you can play soldier par excellence Sephiroth. When controlling him, you’re in God Mode. Something you don’t quite suspect at first glance, as Sephiroth has a similar HP to Cloud. But nothing survives a hit from our white-haired warrior’s blade. Naturally, he’s also equipped Materia to a much higher level than our spiky-haired friend. Unfortunately, you can’t take them away from him. On the whole, Sephiroth makes the beginning of Rebirth too easy. Mind you, that’s understandable given that this section is supposed to be considered as a sort of tutorial.

Not all that glitters is gold – there are some ugly textures

Rebirth looks great in the trailers. The demo gives you time to look at the game in more detail. There, it becomes apparent that it doesn’t all look good. Some of the textures are ugly. Admittedly, though, this is nit-picking.

It won’t take as long for a PC version of Rebirth with better graphics to come out as it did with Remake. The PS5 exclusivity period is set to last until at least 29 May – just three months. When the first instalment came out, it took another year for the PC version to appear.

Despite my criticism, I can’t wait for the release

The demo has elicited exactly the kind of reaction from me that it aimed to achieve. I’m now desperate to play the finished game and immerse myself in the world of Final Fantasy Rebirth. My criticism could apply to any other demo. After all, it only gives you a little taste of the finished game.

The gameplay I experienced and, most importantly, what the State of Play broadcast revealed, give me reason for optimism. If you ask me, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an obvious contender for game of the year. Here’s hoping it won’t disappoint me the way the initially promising Final Fantasy XVI did last year.