Yes, this is it. This is the game we were hoping to get when a Remake of the cult classic Final Fantasy 7 was first announced. We dreamed of seeing our favorite characters like Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, and Sephiroth in playable glorious 4K. And while Final Fantasy VII Remake partly delivered on that promise, it is in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that the dream becomes fully realized.

Where FF7R felt padded, FF7RB is just absolutely stuffed. There’s so much to do but it never feels overwhelming. The gameplay’s pacing seamlessly takes you from exploration to combat to mini games and back again in a dynamic and satisfying loop. 

Full disclosure, as of writing we’re about 60 hours into the game. We have acquired all the playable party members revealed in previous news and events. We have yet to finish the game so we wouldn’t be able to spoil it for you. The review code was provided by the publisher. 

Without further ado, here’s our journey through Final Fantasy VI Rebirth so far. 

A whole new (open) world 

One of the biggest promises of FF7RB is that it will open up the world just as it did in the original game, and open up it truly does. However, instead of an actual big open world, what the team at Square Enix did is make open zones that players can freely explore. It’s a setup that works perfectly for this particular world and story. 

The open zones are littered with activities whose rewards may aid you in battle. While some of them may be optional, it’s prudent to play and improve your chances in beating the game. 

These activities are called World Intel. Our favorite researcher, Chadley, is back to facilitate this mechanic. The World Intel is a slew of different activities with mini story lines. Some feel essential, some don’t. Each activity ends with a meaningful reward and none of them ever feel like a chore. 

The World Intel and Quests are different but connected. Some Quests require that you tick off certain things from the World Intel. The ones labeled as Quests are the ones that are entirely optional.

The first open zone you’ll be in is the Grasslands. If you want to experience a big chunk of what the game has to offer, it’s prudent to complete the whole World Intel and Quests in this area. 

Here you will be introduced to battle mechanics, the card game Queen’s Blood, unlocking Summons, acquiring Chocobos, and much, much more. The best part is every single quest line is of high quality. They’re all voice acted with their very own cutscenes that range from amusing to borderline epic. 

Exploration inspirations 

There was a report that said FF7RB was inspired by games such as Ghost of Tsushima, Horizon Zero Dawn. If you played either of those games, the inspirations will be apparent. 

You may have seen some previews already where you need to activate towers to identify key locations in open zones. While activating the towers is key to completing World Intel activities, some of these activities can be encountered without exactly knowing where they are. 

For instance, when a Lifespring area is nearby, you’ll see and hear a bird that will guide you to its location. It’s very similar to how you find resting hot springs in Ghost of Tsushima.

A similar mechanic is in play for Chocobo stops where you can rest to recover HP and MP. Cute, little chocobos will be in the vicinity and will prompt you to follow them. They will then lead you to these Chocobo stops. 

The level of presentation is similar to, if not better than, Horizon Zero Dawn. Every single quest line is fully voice acted, looks incredible, and does not feel like throwaway side quests.  

Unlocking Summons

One key World Intel activity you definitely would want to see through completion is the one where you unlock Summons. In the open zone, you’ll find glowing relics that you need to break. After breaking, the light escapes and leads you to more glowing relics until you find your way to the Summon’s shrine. 

You’ll need to do this at least three times in a single open zone. Each shrine you unlock, you get the option to face a weakened version of the Summon. You’ll definitely want to do this as even in their weakened state, the Summon battles can be challenging.

There’s also no point in grinding since the Summon will sync with your level. 

Queen’s Blood 

Queen’s Blood is the card game fresh and new for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This one you’ll definitely want to learn as well as some great moments and dialogue happen through this game. 

We’ll let the game do the explaining of the mechanics for you. But one tip we can share is to always try to keep pushing to get more areas where you can drop your cards. It gets pretty tricky as you level up but it’s rewarding when you start piling wins and ranking up. 

Like most of the side activities in this game, Queen’s Blood offers plenty of amusing moments as well as an overarching narrative that’s both mysterious and intriguing. 

Mini-games Mania

When game director Naoki Hamaguchi said there will be no shortage of mini-games in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he wasn’t kidding. Literally at almost every turn, there’s a mini-game to keep the entire gameplay fresh and entertaining. Most importantly, these are present in both the main story, the World Intel activities, and the Quests. 

By definition, the mini-games are anything that is outside of both combat and exploration. They put the player in unique situations that can only be accomplished by completing tasks within the bounds of the mini-games’ rules. 

FF7RB is littered with these and the best part is that, structurally, they fit seamlessly into the world and gameplay. You’ve already experienced one of them in the demo. The Piano-playing part is totally skippable, but it just works in the context of the story, the world, and the game in general. 

Other mini-games are tied into the story, turning what otherwise would be just another boss battle into a thrilling encounter. We won’t say more as these may be spoilers but just brace yourself because the game will throw a lot at you. 

The Gold Saucer

We can’t talk about mini-games without mentioning The Gold Saucer. If you played the OG game, you mostly already know what to expect. There is a ton to do here and some of which lead to incredible rewards. 

The Gold Saucer is one of the most fun segments of the game due entirely to the variety of gameplay you’ll experience when you’re there. 

Everything from racing, boxing, shooting, and more. Name it, and The Gold Saucer probably has it. 

And yes, the whole thing is structured as a date. Who you go with is fully dependent upon how you develop your relationships with each of the party members. 

Bonds and relationships 

The relationships with your party members change through some key dialogue moments as well as combat. Their reactions to how you answer them are pretty telegraphed which means it should be relatively easy for you to pick the right response in key dialogue moments. 

Another factor is in combat. Specifically, the Synergy Abilities. We’ll discuss this in a bit more detail later on, but essentially, the more times you use Synergy Abilities with certain party members, the deeper your relationship with them becomes. 

While there’s no way to retroactively change your answers, you can always check the status of your bonds with the party members by pressing a single button while in exploration. 

Let it Sync in

Barrett and Tufie Synergy Ability

Synergy Abilities is the biggest addition to combat from FF7R to FF7RB. We got a taste of it in the InterMISSION DLC featuring Yuffie with Sonon but it’s greatly expanded in this game. 

This is introduced early on in the game as you deal with the events that happen in Kalm. The way they work is that each pairing in your party has unique synergy abilities. They have different effects too. Some expand your ATB Gauge, some are for damage dealing, while others are for defense and counters. 

To unlock and level up Synergy Abilities, you have to access Folios – essentially the Skill Tree in this game. Each battle you earn points you can use in these Folios. And the Folios expand as you acquire and level up weapons as well as Skill Arts items unique to each party member.

Synergy Abilities are like extra skills you can execute in battle. There are lower skills that you can execute every time. Simply hold the block button and press the corresponding button to perform the lower skills. 

Meanwhile, there are also special attacks that feel like Limit Breaks. These Synergy Abilities can often help turn the tide of battle or help you deal with enemies more quickly. These special attacks, though, take time to be available. The Synergy Ability gauge can be seen as four tiny indicators underneath your ATB gauge. 

It’s also not very hard to manage. It works seamlessly with the action-tactical combination of combat in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The best way to think about it is to just hack away like you normally would and unleash it upon your opponents like a Limit Break once it becomes available.

Visual presentation, dialogue, and music

The game’s blurry Performance Mode in the initial demo released was a hot topic online. Our recommendation is to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in Graphics Mode. If you were enamored with the cutscenes from the PlayStation 1 Final Fantasy games and hoped for the day that those visuals become playable, well, we are here. That time has arrived. 

FF7RB in Graphics Mode literally looks like you’re playing these cutscenes. Yes, it’s not necessarily a new thing in gaming especially with the Horizon and Death Stranding franchises already in existence. But for people who grew up playing the first 3D Final Fantasy games, some of the visuals here will look unreal. 

There’s just as much care placed into the dialogue and music. The lines are written well, delivered perfectly, and matches the tone of each scene without taking away from the tone of the entire game. 

While you expect that from the main story line, just as much care and attention to detail was placed on sideline stories. In particular, Madam M’s dialogue is so cheekily written I can imagine how much fun the writers had putting those words together. 

Music, meanwhile, is absolutely phenomenal. You’ll remixed/reworked versions of some tracks already heard in Final Fantasy VII Remake as well as new soundtracks that range from somber to absolute energizers. A standout here is the music in that one frog mini-game in Junon. Make sure to not miss it. 

Final Fantasy VII realized 

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the game we all envisioned when a remake of the original Final Fantasy VII was first announced. It’s packed to the brim with mini-games, activities, and quest lines that are all worth your time, with a main storyline that is captivating, enthralling, and awe-inspiring. 

In both overall gameplay and presentation, this is about as close to perfect as you can get. We don’t usually do scores but if we had to, FF7RB is an easy 10/10. It has the perfect mix of heartfelt scenes, gasp-worthy setpieces, fun adventures, and a grand tale that should resonate to anyone who comes across it. With this installment, FF7 truly does feel like it has been reborn.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is out on February 29, 2024 for the PlayStation 5.