7 things to look forward to in Final Fantasy VII Reborn

This article is sponsored by Square Enix.

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It’s time for Final Fantasy VII to return. On February 29th, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was released exclusively on PlayStation 5 and continues the three-part remake of the original game.

As the name suggests, Square Enix reimagines the story of Cloud Strife and his friends traveling across the world to stop Sephiroth from ending it. At the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cloud and his allies leave the industrial city of Midgar to pursue him.

Rebirth picks up where Remastered left off, taking players into a wider, more diverse world beyond the borders of Midgar. As a result, Rebirth includes more exploration, making the adventure more open-ended than its predecessor. It’s filled with enough quests and mini-games that your entire playtime will easily last over 100 hours, so it’s easy to get overwhelmed by its sheer volume. That’s the purpose of this list: to help you break down the most exciting elements of the game.

Here are seven of the most anticipated additions to Final Fantasy VII Reborn.

Part One: Legendary Stories of the New Era

One of FFVII’s strengths is its story, and this carries over to the new game. “Remastered” made it clear to returning fans that it didn’t follow the script exactly. Reborn follows the same trend, reshaping familiar scenes and hinting at new twists on their inspirations. Rather than simply repeating history, Rebirth builds on the source material, transforming vast areas in the open world, side quests that deepen the world’s lore, and captivating interactions between the main cast.

The remake tells the story of Cloud’s return to Midgar and his relationships with Tifa, Barret, and Aerith. Red Thirteen reaches the end of the game. It then sends them away as they leave the city to hunt down Sephiroth – eventually meeting other allies like Yuffie and Kate Sith.

The remaster expands the first five hours or so of the original game into a fully featured 30 to 50 hour RPG, and Rebirth’s expected playtime could easily match (or even exceed!) that number as it leads The gang makes it all the way to the Forgotten Place capital.

That is to say, You can start from rebirth without playing the original FFVII or the remake. You just lose some of the context needed to understand a particular reference.

Zone 2: World of Wonders

Rebirth opens up the world of FFVII in a way that the remake couldn’t. The remaster breathes life into Midgar and its many sectors, which is no small feat. However, Rebirth expands Final Fantasy 7’s new world into a full map that players can look forward to visiting as the crew enters the world of Gaia.

Every part of the original that was a blip is now crammed into exponentially more content. These locations sometimes even hide secrets from the characters’ pasts, such as Cloud and Tifa’s childhood memories in Nibel, and Red XIII’s origins in Cosmo Canyon.

The Grasslands are a verdant landscape of open plains and swamps that provide a lush and refreshing contrast to the polluted streets and slums of Midgar, serving as a starting point for rebirth. Others such as the jungles of Gongaga, the seaside resorts and deserts of Corel, and the rocky mountains of Nibel further add to the diversity of the world of FFVII. Each of them has evolved from the smaller, low-resolution forms of the past into detailed settings that contain stories that transcend the surface level. Just like Midgar expanded from 5 hours to 30 hours, these could easily add a few hours of gameplay to the original content.

So complete some side quests, try out some mini-games, and talk to your companions. There’s no rush: enjoy the thrill of catching ostrich-like chocobos, or just relax on the beaches of the Costa del Sol.

Part Three: Traveling in Fashion

Rebirth includes a number of mounts and vehicles that can be used to traverse the world.

Chocobos—the Final Fantasy series’ oversized bipedal bird mascots—are back in a variety of colors and abilities, even if you can’t breed them like you could in the original game. Their color represents their ability to climb steep cliffs, soar into the sky and spray water. The Buggy, a giant ATV-like eight-wheeled vehicle, also returns in Reborn with a new design and purpose. Wheeled balance bikes that resemble real-life hoverboards have debuted on the Costa del Sol for the first time and offer rewards based on how far you ride. Expect to experience a variety of rides before the race is over.

Zone 4: Combat Redefined

The original Final Fantasy 7 featured a “real-time combat” system, but Rebirth abandoned that system in favor of one that blended real-time action with strategic menu commands. It pays homage to the original but modernizes it to make combat faster and more action-packed, even before new synergy abilities arrive.

Each character also has their own unique play style. Tifa’s martial arts deals heavy damage to a single target, Barret attacks from a distance with his cannon, and Red Thirteen blocks hits to fill his revenge meter before unleashing it for more damage. Rebirth encourages you to test different teams of characters to fully appreciate and exploit their different strengths. Folios (aka skill trees) further embody Rebirth’s experimental spirit, with the ability to reset and reselect skills to find different playstyles.

Part 5: Teamwork makes dreams come true

Speaking of bonds, you’re not the only one who can take advantage of them. Reborn builds on the remastered combat system, adding new mechanics and deepening its complexity.

Synergy abilities combine characters’ powers to launch powerful attacks. It doesn’t change the remake’s combat, but it fills in the gaps and makes you feel more rewarded for attacking weaknesses and maximizing your character’s strengths. Each possible pair of playable characters has unique synergy abilities and animations, as do the flashy ultimate abilities seen in similar games.

For example, one of Iris and Barret’s synergy abilities involves the former donning a pair of sunglasses and attacking enemies from a distance with ammo and magic. Meanwhile, Cloud rides Cait Sith and the two charge towards their enemies, Cloud slashing at them with his Buster Sword.

You must unlock each synergy to see them in action, further establishing the relationships between the cast through comedy and cool animations.

Part 6: Bonds are everything

Your bonds aren’t just for fighting bad guys, either. Of course, improving your relationships with party members or raising the party’s overall level will affect your synergy in battle. However, Rebirth adds a social simulation-like aspect that used to be hidden in the original version and expands upon it.

Rebirth increases your interactions with allies, including how you respond to them in conversations, use them in combat, and complete missions with them. These “bonds” influence certain scenes, such as the date at the Gold Saucer theme park, an iconic event in the original game.

Area 7: Minigame Madness

Mini-games are one of the main draws of Rebirth. It includes not only games from Remastered (such as strategy game Condor Castle), but also remasters of the first FFVII game, and even brand new games that debuted in Rebirth. There are dozens of these mini-games you can take part in, ranging from the action-packed Chocobo Racer to more relaxing ones, like playing classic Final Fantasy 7 music on the piano.

Each mini-game is connected to the world or its characters in some way. Square Enix has even redesigned marching games like Junon Parade, which challenges players to perform Shinra marches by timing button presses, as a rhythm action game in Rebirth, making it more challenging and exciting. Other games, like Wild Run, feature Red Thirteen in a Rocket League-like simulation, giving us more screen time with the characters, even in mini-games.

Queen’s Blood is a new card game that stands out as a challenge that you can join players from around the Reborn world. It features a 3×5 grid, and players can strategically accumulate points through the value of cards that have special abilities, such as destroying their opponent’s cards and other nasty moves that may trump their opponent’s strategy. Queen’s Blood even has its own storyline that runs throughout the game.

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That’s not even all Final Fantasy VII Reborn has to offer. These seven things should help you understand what to expect and why Rebirth is such an important part, but we can only adapt to the breadth of content and focus behind each addition.

New players will still be able to enjoy Rebirth, even if they haven’t played the original, remastered, or any of the FF games at all. If you want to know more, you can check out our Final Fantasy VII Rebirth review – don’t worry, this article will be spoiler-free.