Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review

Overview

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second chapter in Square Enix's ambitious reimagining of one of gaming's most beloved RPGs, and it is a triumph in nearly every respect. Where Remake confined players to the corridors and slums of Midgar, Rebirth throws open the gates to the wider world — the rolling grasslands outside Kalm, the golden beaches of Costa del Sol, the haunted forests of the Sleeping Village, and the frozen expanse leading to the Forgotten Capital. The result is a game that feels genuinely epic in scope, delivering on the promise that Remake's ending implied. Across its 60-plus hour runtime, Rebirth manages the remarkable feat of being simultaneously faithful to the original 1997 game and daringly original in its narrative choices. This is not simply a prettier version of a game you have already played — it is a reinterpretation that respects your memories while challenging your expectations, and it is one of the finest JRPGs ever made.

Gameplay

Rebirth's combat system takes the foundation established in Remake and elevates it significantly. The ATB system returns, but the addition of Synergy Abilities — powerful cooperative attacks between party members that build through combat — adds a new strategic layer that fundamentally changes how you approach encounters. Each party member plays distinctly: Cloud's balanced swordplay anchors the team, Barret provides ranged pressure and tank capabilities, Tifa's martial arts combos build stagger damage with devastating efficiency, Aerith controls space with magical zones, and Red XIII's acrobatic counterattack style is the most satisfying new addition. The Folio system replaces traditional skill trees with a more flexible progression path that encourages experimentation with different party compositions. Boss encounters are consistently spectacular — the fight against Jenova on the cargo ship is a multi-phase masterpiece, and the climactic battles in the final chapters are among the best the series has ever produced. The open world, while not as dense as dedicated open-world games, offers meaningful exploration with Chocobo traversal, regional intelligence gathering, and side quests that range from excellent character-driven stories to less inspired collectathons. The mini-games are abundant — perhaps too abundant — with Queen's Blood emerging as a genuinely addictive card game while others like the Fort Condor strategy minigame and various carnival attractions feel like distractions from the main experience.

Visuals

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the most visually impressive games of the generation. The transition from Midgar's claustrophobic urban environments to the vast open landscapes is breathtaking, and Square Enix has crafted a world that is rich with visual storytelling at every turn. The Grasslands stretch toward distant mountains with atmospheric haze that creates a genuine sense of scale. Cosmo Canyon's red rock formations glow under sunset lighting that is almost impossibly beautiful. The Gold Saucer is a riot of color and light, every attraction rendered with meticulous detail. Character models and facial animations are industry-leading, with subtle expressions during dialogue scenes that convey emotion with remarkable nuance. The cutscene direction is cinematic in the truest sense — camera work, lighting, and staging that would be impressive in a feature film. Performance on PS5 offers a choice between a 30fps quality mode with higher resolution and enhanced effects, and a 60fps performance mode that makes some visual concessions but maintains the game's beauty. Both modes occasionally dip in the most expansive open areas, but these moments are infrequent enough to avoid disrupting the experience. The PC version, arriving later, promises the definitive visual experience for those with capable hardware.

Story

This is where Rebirth both honors and challenges its legacy most boldly. The journey from Kalm to the Forgotten Capital follows the broad strokes of the original game — the flashback in Kalm, the encounters with the Turks, the revelations at Cosmo Canyon, the spectacle of Gold Saucer, and the devastating events at the Forgotten Capital. But Rebirth weaves in new narrative threads involving alternate timelines and the Whispers that fundamentally alter the meaning of familiar scenes. The character work is extraordinary. Cloud's psychological deterioration is portrayed with unsettling subtlety, the relationship dynamics between party members feel genuine and lived-in, and the emotional beats — particularly in the final act — hit with devastating force. Aerith's characterization deserves special mention: she is written with a depth and complexity that transcends nostalgia, and her scenes in the closing chapters are among the most emotionally powerful in JRPG history. The ending will divide players, as it raises as many questions as it answers and commits fully to the remake trilogy's divergent timeline narrative. But it is undeniably bold, and it ensures that the final chapter will be one of the most anticipated games in the medium's history.

Verdict

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a landmark JRPG. The combat is the best the series has ever offered, the world is vast and visually stunning, the story balances reverence and reinvention with remarkable confidence, and the soundtrack — featuring both new compositions and reimagined classics — is a masterwork. The open world has its share of filler content, performance occasionally stutters in the most demanding areas, the mini-game quantity borders on excessive, and the fact that this is the middle chapter of an unfinished trilogy means some narrative threads are left deliberately unresolved. But these are minor criticisms against a game of extraordinary ambition and quality. This is the JRPG against which all others in 2024 will be measured, and few will come close.