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[Draugoth]

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is getting Previews this week, beware of possible spoilers below

I rode a Chocobo and befriended a dolphin in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth​

After a hands-on demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I finally have some answers. Well, sort of. My preview highlighted how both combat and exploration have evolved while showing me new playable characters and locations like Junon for the first time. Even after one hour of playtime, though, its approach to story remains a bewildering mystery … and that's exactly what I was hoping for.

Team synergy​

The first piece of my demo takes place in a flashback. A young Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth find themselves in Mt. Nibel, climbing through a dark cave. While there's a little dialogue, this chunk mostly served as a reintroduction to Final Fantasy VII Remake's excellent combat system. The fundamentals remain the same, as players can attack in real-time and slow the action to a near standstill to navigate menus. What's new, though, is a greater emphasis on team attacks.

Expanding on Episode Intermission's combos, Rebirth introduces Synergy Skills, a new combat layer that emphasizes party team-ups. When holding down the block button, I can press a face button to perform a duo attack with my party members. Even more devastating Synergy moves act as two-character limit breaks that can really turn the tide of battle. A climactic boss against a hulking monster would end with Cloud and Sephiroth pulling off a dazzling Synergy attack with more sword slashes than I can count.

And yes, that means Sephiroth is a playable character this time.

Staying unpredictable​

While the first demo focused on combat, the second was entirely focused on exploration. Here, the team finds themselves in a small open-world area outside of Junon. Before walking into the fishing town, I have some time to wander around on a Chocobo and do a few open-world-style activities. Scattered combat trials would have me trying to beat a pack of enemies within a time limit while completing a checklist of tasks in battle. I could follow Chocobo chicks to discover fast travel markers and get plumes that could be traded in to customize my bird's armor. I could even find a wealth of materials, which I could use to craft items and in turn complete micro-objectives for a bit of experience.

It's not a full open-world pivot. The area I explored was probably comparable to some of Final Fantasy XVI's wide fields, but it already feels like there's significantly more to do and see in those spaces. That should come as great news to those who took issue with Remake's corridor-like level design. Just as the original Final Fantasy VII opens up once players leave Midgar, so too does Rebirth. That's great news considering that iconic areas like the Golden Saucer are making a return here.

While all of those changes are exciting, I wouldn't call them surprising. Rebirth looks and plays like its predecessor with some new touches that align with a lot of its modern peers. What I was hungrier to see is just how much the sequel would be willing to get weird, adapting some of the oddest parts of the eclectic original. And the end of my demo would assure me that Square Enix isn't holding back

Upon entering a small town south of Junon, a local would immediately beg for my team's help. She'd lead us to a lake where we'd find Yuffie in a boat, being hunted by Bottomswell. It's a boss fight from the original game but naturally recontextualized to act as a new character introduction. All hope seems lost for Yuffie until Rebirth finally gives me the kind of bizarre moment I craved: A dolphin pops out of the water to lend a helping fin. It's a hilariously left-field moment that confidently preserves a piece of the original game.

My battle with Bottomswell is as thrilling as any fight in Remake, with my party peppering it with spells and long-range attacks while dodging watery whirlpools. When I land the last strike, I transition into a ridiculously enjoyable cutscene where my dolphin pal helps Cloud finish the massive water snake off. It all ends with a picaresque parting shot as Cloud poses with the dolphin, rainbow overhead.

It's that moment that sells me on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth more than anything else I played. Sure, it's always nice to revisit Remake's ingenious combat system, and the extra duo system brings even more personality and party interaction to it. The semi-open-world pivot is a nice touch too that I'm sure will give me a lot of good reasons to marvel at Square Enix's meticulous world design. But what I love about Remake is its entirely unpredictable nature. The way it takes ideas from the original, brings them to new extremes, or subverts them, is what makes that experience so special. Rebirth's retooled dolphin sequence has me confident that it has the same wild energy in abundance.

At Final Fantasy VII Remake's conclusion, a title card teased its sequel by calling it an "unknown journey." I can already see why after a bit of playtime. I still feel like I haven't even seen 1% of what Rebirth will have to offer — even I was shocked watching its recent State of Play trailer despite having actually played it by then. I'm ready to grab that dolphin fin and let it take me as far out into the ocean as it can go.

 

[Elder Legend]

Probably will be a GOTY worthy contender for 2024. Can't wait.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

When will it be coming to GamePass?

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

The milking *must* go on

 

[Lokaum D+]

strong GOTY contender for 2024

 

[killatopak]

Lets goooooo! I get to control Sephiroth.

 

[German Hops]

GOTY 2024.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I do have a desire to try out a segway in the near future after seeing the Rebirth trailer

 

[skit_data]

Wow, this early?

 

[Danjin44]

 

[saintjules]

Previews this far out? Interesting...

 

[Unknown?]

Hype is massive and growing!!

 

[Bkdk]

Certainly looks more and more like ff16 is just a spinoff of the series.

 

[Astral Dog]

Certainly looks more and more like ff16 is just a spinoff of the series.

well we knew what FFVII Remake project was going to be about, a super ambitious 3 part saga ,probably the biggest Square Enix project to date (outside maybe Kingdom Hearts 4),it was planned this way to meet the expectations of the fans and to carry the company for 10+ years

FFXVI,is also an important project it shouldn't be called a mere 'spin off' even if Nomura's team is not making it, Square Enix simply decided to have both big singleplayer FF projects developed around the same time rather than just focusing on a Remake

Its kinda like what Capcom does with Resident Evil

 

[Lokaum D+]

 

[Kakax11]

Waiting for someone to mention the usual 720p downscaling

 

[Danjin44]

Its too hot!

 

[Killjoy-NL]

When will it be coming to GamePass?

It will come to GP at the 100M sub milestone in 2027.

 

[Thabass]

Spoiler

Seeing that you can control Sephiorth in battle makes me the happiest person on earth right now.

 

[TheDarkPhantom]

Not watching or reading anything, like I said in another thread, already know this will be my GOTY frontrunner for 2024, can't fucking wait.

 

[[Sigma]]

Watched Max's video, will check out Easy Allies and Push Square's previews as well. I loved Remake so I have high expectations of this.

 

[Heisenberg007]

This looks fantastic, as expected!

Another fantastic game is incoming!

 

[Lethal01]

best RPG combat of all time bar, none, period

Just put everything else in the trash

 

[mckmas8808]

Wow, this early?

They MUST be confident in this game. Because 5 month early preview is nuts!

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Holy shit, looking at some of the preview footage, looks and sounds crazy!

New menu

Thanks to YukiOnna
More interview stuff from various JP outlets:
- Main Path is 40+ hours long at least; Side content and areas double that to over 100; Go off the main path and get lost in the world
- Nomura is not allowed to talk about Zack much, but he is an important character in this title and his side will be told in a way that has him uncover mysteries
- Nojima and Nomura have been working on the plot & scenario since Remake's development; they had long ago decided the game design elements
- Kitase says the 3rd games main scenario is done, they are working on the structure of side quests, the Ending, and which characters appear
- Menu background will change alongside the time of day in the world
- Characters (like Yuffie and Vincent) are squarely depicted in the main path of the story so players can interact with them proper
- Various field actions: jumping off, climbing small cliffs & ledges, and swimming to explore the continents.
- Chocobo's handle special actions: exploration abilities, climbing larger cliffs and mountains, flying, etc.
- Chocobo customization is extensive because you will be exploring a lot with your Chocobo and able to use it in the Chocobo Race
- Item Crafting; as your proficiency level goes up, you will gain access to more items to craft (armor, accessories, etc.)
- Items crafted are sometimes required for field exploration and quests, so use it lots and gather materials across the world
- Some mini-games have been repurposed into other locations outside the Gold Saucer

 

[GymWolf]

Fool me once...

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

For the OP. I'm not watching any of them though!

Video previews





















Articles

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hands-on report – playable Sephiroth, Chocobo exploration, Junon and more

Two-part Tokyo Game Show demo gives us a tantalizing taste of what’s to come next February.

blog.playstation.com

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Preview - An Hour With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's Combat And Open(ish) World - Game Informer

We checked out two demos of the upcoming sequel and spoke to its principal designers to answer some burning questions.

www.gameinformer.com

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is Remake supercharged

One of my favourite things to do in Final Fantasy 7 Remake was to simply look up. Finally you could see the plates of M…

www.eurogamer.net

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reaffirms itself as my most-anticipated JRPG by keeping me guessing

A Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gameplay preview leaves me desperate to learn and see more

www.gamesradar.com

Preview: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Has a Playable Sephiroth

Our PS5 impressions from a hands on event

www.pushsquare.com

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is bigger, bolder, and better than the excellent FF7 Remake – hands-on

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth doesn’t want to reinvent the wheel, but is content to iterate. A good job, then, that it’s iterating on the best FF since the PS2 era.

www.vg247.com

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth expands upon what made Remake great | RPG Site

During a hands-on session at Square Enix HQ we had the chance to play the upcoming follow-up to RPG Site's RPG of the Year for 2020.

www.rpgsite.net

Seven new Mechanics that change up the game in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | RPG Site

Here's seven interesting mechanical changes and additions we noticed in our first hands-on with FF7 Rebirth.

www.rpgsite.net

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: The First Preview - IGN

www.ign.com

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth hands-on: Broader horizons and deeper combat

We played two demos for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second chapter of what’s set to be a three-part remake of the 1997 RPG. This is a sequel, so of course there are new tricks. This time, there’s a new focus on characters teaming up to attack together.

www.engadget.com

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Building On Remake's Gameplay In Smart Ways

In Rebirth, Square Enix is aiming to make meaningful additions to Final Fantasy 7 Remake's gameplay to tell a bigger story.

www.gamespot.com

 

[Knightsoftheround]

Fool me once...

First game was class tho

 

[Porticus]

There's any info about Corel Prison?

Seeing that the player is gonna be able to arrive to the Gold Saucer I guess that part should be playable?

 

[GymWolf]

First game was class tho

A class full of shit, i agree.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Not watching and holding strong, but more footage for the weak.

(also 1080p again S-E when the game looks so excellent in 4k 60fps? )

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

 

[sigmaZ]

Feels like antithesis of the murk that was FF16.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

- Various field actions: jumping off, climbing small cliffs & ledges, and swimming to explore the continents.
- Menu background will change alongside the time of day in the world

XVI could have done with this kind of world interaction and time of day in general.

Very much sounds like FF has finally met what people love about Xenoblade.

Rebirth should be the series template going forward.

 

[Lethal01]

45 minutes, no commentary

 

[phaedrus]

 

[RoboFu]

A class full of shit, i agree.

I didn’t think I was going to like the first one but ended up playing through it 4 times. I cannot wait for this in FEB.

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Haha nailed it

 

[Zones]

The milking *must* go on

Says...

 

[GymWolf]

I didn’t think I was going to like the first one but ended up playing through it 4 times. I cannot wait for this in FEB.

And i'm happy for you buddy

I completed the game once and it was enough to send me on rehab with britney for 6 months.

 

[saintjules]

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Square Enix Answers 6 Burning Questions About Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Find out why the game is two discs, if you can transfer data from Remake, and more.

www.gameinformer.com

How Did Rebirth's Development Compare To Remake's?​

Rebirth launches on February 29, a couple of months shy of Remake’s fourth anniversary. According to Hamaguchi, Remake’s development cycle was around four years, making the turnaround for Rebirth, a much larger game, seem relatively quick. It’s especially impressive since Square developed and released the PlayStation 5-exclusive Intermission story expansion and Intergrade upgrade in between.

Hamaguchi credits working on Intermission/Intergrade for the smoother dev cycle, as it allowed the designers to become more intimately familiar with the PS5 (which Rebirth is exclusive to) and finish Rebirth within a similar timeframe despite its larger scope.

“But at the same time, we were able to keep the development time [down] and be able to release in sort of this normal or standard time while having this immense volume of content,” Hamaguchi says through a translator. “So that's something that we're very confident about and very proud of.”

Impressive.

 

[mejin]

Jesus....this looks and sounds like a dream...

Square will deliver a masterpiece

 

[Lokaum D+]

graphicaly it looks like FF7 Remake, not good as 16 imo and i 100% ll miss the epic boss fights of 16 too.

that said, i cant wait to play this game.

 

[sigmaZ]

The only thing I find annoying about these games is triangle as an action button. It's the most unintuitive design choice I've seen in a square game.

 

[sithlord23]

 

[sithlord23]

Cid confirmed?!

 

[Sethbacca]

This seems early as hell for a game coming in February.

 

[Cert.in.Death]

It will come to GP at the 100M sub milestone in 2027.