When Square Enix invited us to preview Final Fantasy 7 Remake back in 2019 there were a lot of questions regarding how the current-gen (at the time) title would adapt a PS1 classic for the modern age. With a more action-heavy focus, there were concerns that the spirit of FF7 would be lost. Luckily, Final Fantasy 7 Remake was a huge hit and its shakeup of the series’ turn-based formula won fans over.
Now, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is on the horizon and the new question is whether Square Enix can maintain the momentum coming out of Remake’s shocking conclusion. The studio invited Game ZXC to be one of the first to play Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth at its Los Angeles-based studio, offering a small slice of what’s in store for fans in the sequel.
Having now seen the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer during last week’s State of Play, fans know that the game will adapt the middle portion of the epic JRPG series. The footage included hints at key scenes from the open world portion of the game, as well as some introductions for fan-favorite characters like Cait Sith and Vincent Valentine. There was even the promise of playing as/with Sephiroth in the Nibelheim flashback.
What Square had on offer for us was a small snippet of that Nibelheim section, which featured Cloud and Sephiroth learning a little bit more about the connection between the planet and Mako. It culminated in a stunning boss fight meant to highlight some of the ways Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth uses synergy to take its combat to the next level.
As with any of the other characters in Final Fantasy 7’s Remake universe, Sephiroth has his own combat mechanics. Players will attack with the square button like Cloud but Sephiroth’s Masamune has a unique combo focus. As players land consecutive hits with Sephiroth they will be able to build towards a different finisher by pressing triangle. Sephiroth also has a second stance like Cloud, only his is parry-focused.
Playing as either Cloud should feel familiar to Final Fantasy 7 Remake fans, but it is the opportunity to take control of Sephiroth that is the big selling point. Sephiroth is as advertised – a powerful combatant capable of devastating foes with his massive blade.
The big new additions for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are the synergy abilities. Any time that players use a skill (via the slowed down tactical mode) they will earn a charge towards a synergy ability. These are like team-up moves, where two characters work in tandem to (usually) deal devastating damage to an enemy or enemies. They are another way for Square Enix to get flashy with its combat animations and look very cool in action.
Much like in the PS1 original, an opportunity to see Sephiroth in action is worth the price of admission and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth doesn’t disappoint in that sense. Getting to control the villain is a common trope but when it’s one of the most iconic baddies in all of video games it’s hard not to get excited.
Story-wise, th demo has some slight hints that Rebirth is following the original’s flashback storyline but there wasn’t enough to really tell. The interaction between Sephiroth and Cloud has that expected air of a master questioning a novice, and the main boss battle of the demo has some really cool cinematic sequences.
The other component of the demo was a semi-open world segment in the present day, as Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII are headed to Junon. It was light on story but it was an additional opportunity to see how the combat system has evolved in Rebirth. Of course, there were more synergy abilities to check out, but the party system has been slightly tweaked to allow for quick switching out of combat. Mixing and matching three of the five team members allowed for the same type of strategizing that was present in Remake but it has been expanded for Rebirth.
This was also a chance to play as Red XIII as part of the party and to see his moveset. Red’s combat is focused on the same direct attacks as Cloud or Tifa but he also has a Vengeance mode that charges by blocking damage. The more punishment that Red XIII withstands the stronger the retaliation via his Vengeance attack.
In addition to the usual resource collection and treasure hunting, this more open area offered an opportunity to gain enemy intel. At specific sections of the area, there were combat encounters (or hunts) that triggered and had three objectives. One encounter, for example, tasked the team with pressuring an enemy, staggering an enemy, and preventing the enemy from triggering a certain attack. If the player accomplished all three of those goals and then defeated the group they would earn three nodes of Fiend Intel.
It wasn’t clear what would happen once the player had collected a full row of Fiend Intel nodes but completing these challenges seems to offer one more thing to do in the world beyond grinding XP and collecting resources. Moreover, the objectives usually teach the player how best to engage with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s systems and how to exploit the weaknesses of some of the game’s enemies.
This portion also concluded with a boss fight and the reintroduction of a familiar character. Boss fights are still a highlight of the FF 7 Remake universe and this one had a little bit of strategy to it. It wasn’t on the level of an MMO boss fight but there were some small mechanical similarities. Beyond that, though, it just feels good to wallop a massive boss.
While only a small taste of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, this demo (which will also be available at TGS 2023) was exactly the appetizer that Square Enix needed. It refreshed the memory of what made Part 1’s combat so fun, showcased how combat is evolving with the synergy abilities, let us ride a Chocobo, and gave the smallest of story teases. Of course, Remake did more than retell the same story with better graphics and the expectation is Rebirth will shake up the status quo even further. It has the potential to really blow up the established canon and create something that feels totally new.
Strictly from a gameplay perspective, though, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth seems to hit the same high bar as Part 1. Square Enix promises more of everything in this game and while we didn’t see a ton of examples of that, the gameplay was as engaging as ever and the action looks just as incredible.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second chapter of Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Once again, the story follows Cloud Strife and other members of Avalanche as they take on Shinra and Sephiroth, a mission that takes them out of Midgar.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Released
- February 29, 2024
