James Mastromarino/Square Enix
Almost 25 years ago, on the Fourth of July, I rode on a parade float, ate a hearty breakfast of all-you-can-eat pancakes, waded in the local pool, and walked in the woods before the town's big fireworks display. I played. That night at a friend's sleepover, 11-year-old me and five of her friends took turns playing Final Fantasy 7.
Mouths agape in the light of an old-school television, we watch as the game's spiky-haired protagonist rides an imposing motorcycle and cuts down hordes of pursuing enemies with a giant sword. cheered.
Like many other gamers, Final Fantasy 7 will always be one of my all-time favorites. The game almost single-handedly popularized the role-playing game style outside of Japan and established a new standard for cinematic storytelling.it was event in the history of the game.
In 2020, Final Fantasy 7 Remake continues that pioneering legacy. Most fans expected a faithful recreation of the old field. However, publisher Square Enix turned the game on its head. As it turns out, it wasn't a remake at all. This is a sequel that expands the original's five-hour Midgar opening section into his 40-hour epic with brand new combat, fleshed-out characters, and a fully realized, bustling city.
The second part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, “Rebirth,” was released on February 29th, and it achieved incredible high prices as a work that further enhanced the appeal of remakes. But the steps it takes to establish its own identity feel more like a remix of outdated game design rather than the signature innovation I've come to expect from this series. When Rebirth works, it's great, but when it drags on; Really Drag.
James Mastromarino/Square Enix
Don't spoil your appetite with dachao beans
The 2020 remake ended on a cliffhanger that caused the trilogy to deviate from the original storyline. Rebirth's fresh twists are really fun, but its formulaic open-world design hampers its momentum.
It's not an open world, but bad. After the group leaves Midgar's claustrophobic space, it makes sense story-wise. But it's not much better than Ubisoft's checklist quests, which felt outdated a decade ago. There are diamonds in the rough (I recommend pursuing Protolerics in Junon), but you'll have to sift through hours of filler to find the good ones.
Trust me, there are many good things. Rebirth is a maximalist, explosive reimagining that's far more expansive than I expected. We take all the memorable moments from the original and turn them up to 11. 30+ mini games, most of which are good. Queen's Blood is a collectible card game clearly inspired by The Witcher 3's Gwent, and may be the best Final Fantasy minigame since Triple His Triad.
James Mastromarino/Square Enix
I'm good with numbers, so let me explain in detail. In this review, he spent 75 hours fully completing the many regions and questlines with due care. It would take another 20 hours to play the game 100%. If you omitted most of the side activities, the story could have been completed in 45 hours. I know this because the editor spent that much time on it. To explain this, here's a handy visual aid:
If you like open world games, give it a try. But don't fill up on chips when the gourmet main story awaits.
the whole gang is here
The remake trilogy's greatest strength is that it further develops characters that have been established over two decades. I didn't think I'd be able to watch it any more, but Rebirth has made me fall in love with the original cast even more. Yuffie quickly became my new favorite. Red XIII and Cait Sith are both wonderfully reimagined. And cloud. A sweet and moody cloud. He remains dreamy and tormented.
Rebirth is especially good at evolving believable group dynamics now that all party members are in the fight (though Sid and Vincent aren't playable yet). Add in gorgeous cutscenes and incidental banter, and you have a compelling story about how these wonderfully random people (plus a lion dog and a robot cat) come together to save the world. It's really touching how much everyone comes to care about each other. Aerith and Tifa develop a particularly strong bond.
square Enix
Relationships are also built into the gameplay mechanics. By completing character-focused side quests or choosing certain time-limited conversation options, Cloud increases his bonds of friendship with party members. This emphasis also applies to excellent combat, with flashy new synergistic abilities that encourage you to experiment with combinations of each character. Eventually, you'll be paid a unique scene (basically a date) by Bond, which will feature at some point in the story. This is really fun.
No, I'm not crying, it's just allergies…Okay, yes, I'm crying.
There are plenty of moments where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's music (which is astounding, as you'd expect), its setting, and its characters combine into an unparalleled experience.
After hours of innocuous exploration, I entered the Inn in Under Junon and the song “On Our Way” started playing. I went from room to room, conversing with my beloved party members, observing their expressions and conversations with interest. I smiled. I burst into tears. I felt like I was back in 1998 and discovered my new favorite game.
square Enix
All I want to say is, please keep up the good work, Square Enix. You can see how impossible it was to please everyone. Final Fantasy 13 was too linear, so I opened Final Fantasy 15 and had mixed results. Final Fantasy 16 then tried to take the series further into action, but it wasn't well-received by many fans.
We don't know what the final installment of the remake trilogy has in store, but we're sure it'll make you cry tears of joy while groaning in frustration at the boring gameplay. No matter what it looks like or what it's called (I recommend Final Fantasy 7 Refinance), I'm going to play it.
James Perkins Mastromarino contributed to this review.