After immersing myself in 75 hours of intense combat and inspiring cinematics, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has kept my adrenaline pumping from start to finish. This new instalment has surpassed its predecessor and introduced unique gameplay elements, such as improved combat and the thrill of open-world exploration, that have redefined the Final Fantasy experience.

A breath of fresh air

Unlike its previous contender, Final Fantasy VII Remake, which was centred around the dystopian city of Midgar, Rebirth opens the doors to a vibrant open world split into diverse regions. This new setting sparked a sense of adventure and curiosity in me. I was engrossed in researching world intel, from traditional tower formats to vast landscapes filled with secrets and challenges. This sense of discovery and exploration was a refreshing change, and I eagerly spent my playtime grinding each sector before moving on to the following primary mission. 

I noticed a significant boost in my party’s strength as I mastered the new combat mechanics. The fluidity and accessibility of the system ideally suited my play style, making each battle a thrilling test of my skills. The timed challenges against various monsters, where I had to strategise to exploit their weaknesses, were a significant highlight. As I progressed, I became more adept at handling stronger enemies, a testament to my growing skill and understanding of the game’s mechanics.

Rebirth also allows you access to a Chocobo. These galliform birds act as a form of transportation for the party to travel the map more efficiently, with each region providing a unique, versatile ability. In one region, the Chocobo can glide effortlessly over obstacles. At the same time, they possess the skills to scale vertical surfaces such as walls, implementing both practicality and variety in your exploration.

As well as completing world intel, you are rewarded with regional data points, a particular form of currency that can be spent on developing new material inaccessible any other way. You also receive unique material through combat simulations, varying from new summons that raise the stakes compared to the predecessor and material that prioritises a party member. Like Remake, these combat simulations tested your skill levels, compelling limited selected party members strategically and memorising their attack patterns. 

However, as I embarked through the vigorous open world, driven by the determination to wipe out all the world intel, I tended to find this experience feeling more of a chore rather than an achievement. Each region slowly grew increasingly repetitive and stale, losing my interest midway. Nonetheless, my experience still appreciated Square Enix’s immense game design and efforts to adapt to a vast and elaborate world, modernised from the original 90s version.

Breaking the ice

Rebirth’s combat system has been revamped with the return of synergy attacks, a combination of two-party members’ ATB usage, allowing for a coordinated offensive or defensive strategy within the battlefield. This new creative format addresses layers of depth to battles, as certain party members can experience increased staggering, access to powerful limit breaks, unlimited MP, and a three-bar ATB. This offers players new strategic flexibilities by rewarding teamwork that previously provided less satisfaction.

Rebirth’s enhanced skill tree can access new synergy attacks, offering a more visually appealing layout for players to navigate and customise their party’s abilities suited for their playstyles. You can require skill points by levelling up each character or acquiring skill books throughout missions, whether through a reward or a purchase from acquired vendors. 

Rebirth has enhanced its combat mechanics and significantly improved each character’s development. Each character now has a unique set of elemental abilities, previously only accessible through material, which adds a new dimension to gameplay. This change has made battles more dynamic and allowed for more versatile load-outs, enhancing the overall gaming experience. 

Yuffie’s compelling combat set returns as she exhibits her performance, previously introduced in Remake’s Intergrade DLC. She still proves to be an unparalleled force, wiping the surface by covering all elementals through the arts of ninjitsu. With the ability to clone herself and multiply, there’s no telling. I sensed a glimpse of feeling like Naruto, becoming an unstoppable force on the battlefield. Now coupled with party members, which previously in Remake you were a lone wolf, Yuffie’s potential is boundless as Rebirth continues to amplify the previous character’s skill set to the max.

Additionally, Red XIII is now playable and portrayed as one of the most versatile characters in the game. His Vengeance stance provides a unique perspective in combat by building defence into offence and staggering multiple enemies with vast, efficient combos, finishing enemies in no time. In addition, his devastating Stardust Ray became one of my favourite abilities out of all the rosters, as it efficiently staggered bosses repetitively, establishing him as the centre of attention for DPS.

In addition, synergy skills have expanded in this sequel, providing more fluidity during combat, which was limited to one character in the past. During my gameplay, Tifah’s synergy skills stood out specifically. She executed her physical attacks in mid-air, prompted by Cloud using his buster sword to propel her into the sky, allowing for more evasive dodging from enemy attacks.

The unknown journey continues

I have immersed myself in countless story games over the years, captivated by formidable antagonists, yet none have driven me into their dark, twisted embrace quite like Sephiroth. His manipulative and patronising presence shines through Rebirth’s breathtaking cinematic cutscenes as he disdainfully materialises out of thin air. His grand return relentlessly allowed me to fall back into Final Fantasy V11’s immense story as Rebirth painted for a more formidable darker tone. The main story exceeded my expectations, as it felt like I was binge-watching my favourite TV show, which kept getting better and better the more I traversed through the campaign. 

Each chapter was fused with unexpected plot twists that fulfilled my playthrough as I felt glued to my seat and my eyes peeled to the screen. This blended well with its crafted and well-written storyline, as each cherished character shined in the spotlight through the incredible voice acting. This elaborate approach amplified the impact of every character’s journey and embedded the overall gaming experience.

The highlight of my experience was fulfilled through the fantastic music and sound design, featuring over 175 tracks recorded for this game alone. The musical score laid the stepping stones for the theme of this genre; whether the focus was on revenge, love, loss, or grief, you truly felt evoked with all sorts of emotions, embracing the characters to life. This remake does not just retell the tale. Still, it reimagines it by infusing this beloved story, characters, and world-building, displaying the unmatched dedication to safeguarding and foretelling the essence of the original.

Rebirth takes the player on thrilling adventures and makes us think about real-life problems. It shows us how real-life issues like pollution, greed, and inequality affect our world, while the story and characters compel us to think about how we can make a difference in our world.

Minigame Central

I have never branched into a franchise with such overwhelming content as Final Fantasy V11 Rebirth, which is overpacked with countless minigames at your fingertips. Many of these minigames are scattered across all the regions, allowing you to escape the conquest of tracking down Sephiroth by engaging in action-packed and relaxing activities … this may be a bit of a stretch. Various minigames attract your party to endorse new mechanics every so often in the form of ‘mini-games’, which can frequently be enjoyable and challenging at the same time. By far, the minigame that stood out the most was ‘Queens Blood, ’ a strategic card game similar to the Witcher 3’s Gwent formula, which conflicted with its original storyline and led to my addiction craving for more. I loved the aspects of collecting new cards from opponents, mixing around with my decks and slowly becoming overpowered. 

On the other hand, while some of the mini-games kept me hooked for hours, a majority felt like unneeded filler, and I felt like I needed more on my plate. And don’t even get me started on how they seemed to be popping up left and right, delaying my progress in the story. I know I could have skipped them, but I didn’t want to miss out on anything. Ultimately, I just powered through them all, but I doubt I’ll be revisiting any of them anytime soon.

Conclusion

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has to be one of the most excellent remakes I have ever had the pleasure of journeying through, with a fascinating story compelling of well-crafted characters and worldbuilding. The campaign itself fed my immense hunger of impatiently waiting for the subsequent adaptation, as this sequel alone surpassed the previous assessor by the fluidity of combat, movements, and character arcs. Adding an open-world system provided more dignity for the new mechanics introduced and genuinely felt like a sandbox. Yet, the overwhelming side content staggered my playthrough and, in the circumstances, prevailed my boredom, leaving the question of whether less is more. 

Score: 8/10