It’s time to get out of Midgar. Should you’re a fan of the unique Ultimate Fantasy 7, you recognize that sport lastly opens up in second half of the primary disc, with Cloud and the gang setting off into the broader world of Gaia in pursuit of Sephiroth. As such, Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a more durable sport to make because it comes with loads of expectations, extra content material to recreate, and loads of build-up from the ending of FF7 Remake. Sq. Enix has reinterpreted and refreshed the entire enemies, environments, and plot factors whereas including new, trendy parts that also deal with the unique sport with respect. The quantity of labor that has gone into FF7 Rebirth is actually staggering, and although a number of elements of the sport really feel stretched out and encumbered, it follows by way of on its potential.
The following world
This assessment can be purposefully imprecise on the storyline of FF7 Remake and FF7 Rebirth to maintain spoilers to a minimal, although anybody who has performed by way of the unique sport will kind of know what occurs. FF7 Rebirth, as a direct sequel to FF7 Remake, comes with a number of lingering plot threads which might be addressed all through the story. A recap video of the occasions within the first sport is on the market in the primary menu in case you want a refresher.
New cutscenes, conversations, and aspect quests alter the unique plotline sufficient that it nonetheless appears like a recent take, whereas the final framework has principally been stored intact. Revisiting the entire acquainted story beats, whereas listening to trendy orchestrations of acquainted tunes, is delightfully nostalgic. The occasion worries about Cloud’s reminiscence, Barret and Tifa wish to take down Shinra, Crimson XIII needs to return residence, and Aerith hopes to be taught extra about her previous. Brief scenes involving one other character are primarily spliced between chapters, lending an charisma on the overarching timeline. It’s not till the latter half of the sport that occasions extra considerably deviate from the supply materials, introducing varied parts to the lore that weren’t there earlier than.
Nearly all of the aspect quests and protorelic missions unfold all through every area of the world present alternatives for the occasion to work together with new characters in addition to NPCs from FF7 Remake. Finishing these duties, together with selecting particular dialogue choices, additionally provides relationships factors between Cloud and one of many occasion members. This impacts and offers extra choices for a specific cutscene later within the sport — a mechanic which FF7 followers will acknowledge. The sport doesn’t draw back from including tongue-in-cheek humor both, particularly in the case of Crimson XIII using chocobos and getting mad when people deal with him like a pet.
Nevertheless, FF7 Rebirth has some hassle sticking the touchdown, notably within the final third of the story. How some characters are built-in into the occasion appears like a missed alternative and it’s completed in an awkwardly deliberate manner. Additionally, the ending reveals loads of data, nevertheless it’s informed in a tangled, murky, erratic sequence of occasions. Whereas it tries to be intriguing by elevating as many questions because it solutions, it sacrifices readability for the sake of advanced plot construction.
Reforged in battle
A lot of the real-time fight system from FF7 Remake has been carried over with a couple of extra mechanics like synergy abilities and skills. Hitting enemies with fundamental assaults builds the ATB meter and segments of this gauge can be utilized to solid spells, use gadgets, and carry out character talents. Enemies even have a stun meter that builds shortly in the event you’re capable of stress them, sometimes completed by exploiting their elemental weak point or evading their strikes with correct timing. As soon as it’s full, they turn out to be staggered for about a very long time and any harm dealt is multiplied.
Every occasion member has completely different strengths, so altering which character you management throughout battle could be strategically helpful. Actually, the story has quite a few sections that drive your group to separate up, so you’ll want to be well-versed with how every character works anyway. Out of the beginning occasion, Cloud and Tifa are robust at dealing single-target harm, Barret and Aerith have long-range assaults, and Crimson XIII has a multi-hit spinning assault that builds stagger and ATB shortly.
As well as, every occasion member has entry to restrict breaks in addition to a synergy meter that will increase each time ATB is used. This fuels highly effective synergy talents that may give two members briefly bigger ATB meters, entry to greater restrict break ranges, or limitless MP for a short while. In the meantime, synergy abilities can be utilized freely and which of them you need to use depends upon your present occasion make-up.
FF7 Rebirth offers many alternatives for character development past fundamental leveling. Acquiring all kinds of materia and giving them AP from battles is significant, making materia slots on weapons and armor essential for holding tempo with enemies and executives in the long term. Each new weapon you discover permits a personality to be taught a capability from it completely, and varied equipment you should buy or craft from supplies can enhance base stats and grant immunities to standing results. Additionally tracked is Occasion XP earned by defeating story bosses and finishing minor world intel aims on the map. As this will increase in stage, your occasion will unlock new choices on their ability bushes that may be discovered by spending ability factors.
The primary weak point of the fight system is that it’s finicky every so often. Evading homing assaults, notably the swallow skill from land worms, is tougher than it ought to be. Determining restrict ranges is difficult too since it’s important to be taught the suitable ability synergies on the ability tree after which monitor restrict stage will increase by yourself in battle. Since utilizing gadgets takes one ATB cost, utilizing them in battle is a tough name when talents and spells are typically higher choices. It’s not till you earn the Merchandise Economizer materia or have Mist potions available that utilizing one is well worth the motion economic system.
Overlapping audio is an occasional drawback as nicely. As you discover a city, you’ll typically stroll round a crowd of NPCs and all of them start speaking on the identical time to the purpose that you could barely make out what they’re saying. In fiend battles on the map, a brand new AI character named MAI will interrupt the battle by spewing out details concerning the enemy. It’s presupposed to be useful, however alongside the extraordinary music and particular results, her dialogue is a distraction that you could’t flip off.
Gold Saucer-eyed
Among the finest elements of FF7 Rebirth is seeing each atmosphere expanded to an unbelievable diploma. The primary city of Kalm has fantastically detailed streets and retailers, whereas the opening Grasslands area has inexperienced rolling hills, watermills, and trickling streams. These are merely starters in comparison with a number of cities afterward, like Cosmo Canyon, Costa Del Sol, and the Gold Saucer, which might be much more spectacular. The extent of element simply within the variety of objects that fill every space is unbelievable. This stays constant as you progress from one chapter to the subsequent, whilst areas turn out to be extra advanced to navigate.
Thankfully, coping with the rougher terrain is by and enormous resolved by using a chocobo. Not solely are chocobos quicker than strolling on foot, however in addition they make grabbing assets straightforward and may sniff out hidden treasures on the map. A lot of those are supplies that may be bought for gil or transmuted into gadgets and gear. Particular regional variations let you attain restricted areas as nicely, like mountain chocobos with the ability to climb the aspect of cliffs. You’ll be able to find chocobo stops too that provide you with an opportunity to relaxation and supply one other level for quick journey.
On the draw back, round half of all of the actions on the map quantity to busywork. Much like viewpoints in Murderer’s Creed, activating remnawave towers will reveal areas of close by factors of curiosity. However discovering each tower, life spring, summon sanctuary, fiend battle, moghouse, cache, excavation web site, and extra is exhausting. The chocobo stealth exercise and the Moogle Mischief mini-games are particularly burdensome (and the Moogles look extra like koala bears for some purpose). Even in the event you aren’t a completionist (like I’m), you might be inspired to complete as a lot as you may to earn Occasion XP, buy highly effective materia from Chadley, and unlock fight simulator battles.
In any other case, a lot of the mini-games are pleasurable aspect diversions that add loads of taste. Queen’s Blood, a three-lane card sport that’s much like Triple Triad from FFVIII, requires loads of technique in putting playing cards on the sphere, and there are gamers in each city that you could problem. Out of all of the actions on the Gold Saucer, chocobo racing is the primary attraction and performs very near Mario Kart. Along with Chadley’s fight simulations, there are a couple of different arenas for extra intense fights. The piano efficiency mini-game from the demo seems all through the journey too Different mini-games from the unique sport have been recreated right here, together with the Shinra Junon parade and Fort Condor. Doing nicely in any respect these video games awards robust materia, weapons, and equipment, so whereas lots of them are non-compulsory, finishing them is time nicely spent.
Finishing the primary marketing campaign and each world intel mission takes round 100 hours, extra so in the event you resolve to sort out non-compulsory content material that unlocks after you end the story. Some chapters really feel stretched out greater than they need to be, with some ranges that go on for too lengthy and actions that repeat themselves throughout each area. Tying the extra mundane duties to one of many occasion members, much like how aspect quests are completed, would assist alleviate the tedium.
Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth Ultimate Verdict
Via its expanded story, incredible graphics, and abundance of aspect actions, Ultimate Fantasy 7 Rebirth vigorously continues the momentum from FF7 Remake. Whereas some elements of the sport are too gradual or padded for the sake of content material, the vast majority of the expertise is a nice journey by way of nostalgia. It will likely be curious to see how progress, if any, is carried over to the subsequent sport, given all of the exploration and gadgets that you could receive right here. At any charge, FF7 Rebirth lives as much as its promise as a love letter to the unique sport and solidly units up the third and closing title within the trilogy.
Revamped, nostalgic story
Detailed environments and reorchestrated music
Wealth of aspect actions and mini-games
Crimson XIII is a beast in fight and performs comedian aid
Did not expertise any crashes and bugs
A couple of characters are built-in awkwardly
Points with overlapping dialogue
Some content material is mundane, gradual, or padded
Disclosure: Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth PS5 code offered by writer.