Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth arrives as the highly anticipated middle chapter of Square Enix's ambitious remake trilogy, and it delivers an experience that feels both intimately familiar and refreshingly new. From the moment Cloud and his companions step into the vast open regions beyond Midgar, it becomes clear that this isn't just a simple retelling of the 1997 classic—it's a bold reimagining that respects its source material while carving its own path through destiny's uncertain waters. The game opens up in ways that the more linear Remake never could, offering sprawling environments that invite exploration and discovery at every turn. Where Remake felt constrained by Midgar's claustrophobic steel and concrete, Rebirth breathes with the freedom of open skies, rolling grasslands, and diverse ecosystems that showcase the full power of the PlayStation 5. The transition from the industrial dystopia of Midgar to the natural beauty of Gaia's wider world creates a palpable sense of liberation that mirrors the characters' own journey toward an uncertain future. This expanded scope doesn't come at the expense of the intimate character moments that made Remake so compelling—if anything, Rebirth uses its additional breathing room to deepen relationships and explore the psychological complexities of its beloved cast in ways that feel both earned and essential to the overall narrative.
Rebirth refines the hybrid combat system introduced in Remake, striking an even better balance between real-time action and strategic menu-based commands. The addition of new Synergy Abilities creates spectacular team-up attacks that feel both mechanically satisfying and visually impressive, encouraging players to experiment with different party compositions and tactical approaches. Combat encounters feel more dynamic and varied than before, with enemies that demand different strategies and environmental hazards that keep battles from feeling routine. The materia system returns with meaningful expansions, offering deeper customization options that allow for genuine build diversity. Boss battles represent some of the series' finest moments, combining pattern recognition, resource management, and split-second timing in encounters that feel epic without being overwhelming. However, the open-world activities can sometimes feel disconnected from the main narrative thrust, with certain side quests and mini-games padding the experience rather than enhancing it. The traversal mechanics work well enough for getting around the expanded environments, but they lack the polish and fluidity found in other open-world titles. Despite these minor shortcomings, the core gameplay loop of exploration, combat, and character progression remains compelling throughout the 50-plus hour adventure.
Rebirth's narrative walks a fascinating tightrope between honoring iconic story beats from the original game and introducing new elements that keep even veteran players guessing. The character development stands as the game's strongest asset, with Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and the rest of the party receiving meaningful growth arcs that feel organic rather than forced. The relationship dynamics between party members evolve naturally through both major story moments and smaller, intimate scenes that showcase the voice actors' exceptional performances. Aerith's characterization particularly shines, presenting her as someone aware of her fate while still maintaining the spirited optimism that made her beloved. The game's exploration of themes like identity, loss, and the weight of destiny feels mature and thoughtful, never talking down to players or oversimplifying complex emotional territory. However, the introduction of multiverse and fate-alteration elements, while intriguing, sometimes threatens to overshadow the more grounded human drama that forms the story's emotional core. Certain plot threads feel overly convoluted, and newcomers to the series might struggle to follow some of the more esoteric narrative developments. Despite these concerns, the story succeeds in creating genuine emotional investment in its characters and their journey, culminating in moments that will leave longtime fans both satisfied and eager for the trilogy's conclusion.
Visually, Rebirth represents a significant leap forward for the series, showcasing some of the most impressive character animations and environmental design seen in a modern JRPG. The transition from Midgar's industrial setting to diverse natural environments allows the art team to demonstrate remarkable range, from sun-dappled forests to stark desert landscapes that feel alive and believable. Character models show incredible attention to detail, with facial animations that convey subtle emotions and personality quirks that bring the cast to life in unprecedented ways. The summon sequences and limit break animations are nothing short of spectacular, featuring cinematic direction that rivals the series' legendary cutscenes. Nobuo Uematsu's classic compositions receive masterful arrangements that honor the originals while adding new orchestral depth and complexity. Voice acting across both English and Japanese tracks maintains the high standard set by Remake, with performances that feel natural and emotionally authentic. The sound design creates an immersive audio landscape where everything from sword clashes to ambient environmental sounds contributes to the overall atmosphere. While some texture pop-in occasionally breaks immersion during rapid traversal, and certain lighting effects can appear inconsistent across different times of day, these technical hiccups rarely detract from what is otherwise a stunning audiovisual presentation that sets new benchmarks for the series.
Running exclusively on PlayStation 5, Rebirth generally maintains solid performance across its various visual modes, though some technical issues prevent it from achieving technical perfection. The Performance Mode delivers smooth 60fps gameplay with only occasional frame drops during particularly intense combat encounters or when loading new areas. Quality Mode prioritizes visual fidelity and mostly succeeds in maintaining stable frame rates, though some players may notice minor stuttering during complex particle effects. Loading times are impressively brief thanks to the console's SSD, making fast travel and area transitions feel seamless. However, the game does suffer from some stability issues, including rare but noticeable crashes during extended play sessions and occasional audio desynchronization during cutscenes. Texture streaming can sometimes struggle to keep up during rapid camera movements, resulting in temporarily blurry surfaces that resolve within seconds. These technical shortcomings, while not game-breaking, do occasionally interrupt the otherwise polished experience.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth succeeds as both a worthy successor to Remake and a compelling standalone experience that pushes the beloved franchise into exciting new territory. While it occasionally stumbles under the weight of its own ambitions—particularly in balancing open-world content with narrative pacing—the game's strengths far outweigh its weaknesses. The refined combat system, exceptional character development, and stunning presentation create an adventure that feels epic in scope while remaining emotionally grounded. Veterans of the series will find plenty to love in both the faithful recreations of classic moments and the bold new directions the story takes. Newcomers may find some narrative elements confusing, but the strength of the character relationships and moment-to-moment gameplay should carry them through any confusion. Despite some technical rough edges and pacing issues, Rebirth stands as a remarkable achievement that honors its legendary source material while charting an exciting course toward the trilogy's conclusion. It's an essential experience for JRPG fans and a strong contender for one of the generation's finest games.