Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 5 Things to Know Before Starting the Game – CNET

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a sequel to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake and the second in a trilogy of games modernizing and expanding the 1997 classic Final Fantasy VII. As such, it’s a middle chapter in a series of games and has a lengthy average playtime of 70 to 80 hours — so there’s a lot that might be helpful for players to know going in. 

Like the game it follows, Rebirth is an action-filled role-playing game (otherwise known as an action-RPG), with real-time combat and lots of customization in how you arrange your assortment of characters. Remake had a pretty linear story, confined to the gloomy industrial city of Midgar. Rebirth, on the other hand, has massive and beautiful open world areas, with a seemingly endless stream of side quests, minigames and areas of interest to explore. 

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I’ve played more than 70 hours of Rebirth and I still have three chapters of the game to go, so I can confidently say this game is enormous — and probably has something for everyone. On the flip side, however, there are sure to be activities and sections that won’t tickle your fancy. Just know that much of the game, including most of the open world areas, is totally optional. 

That said, I’d recommend going through as many side quests as you can — each pairs Cloud with either Tifa, Aerith, Barrett or another member of the party on a little adventure that varies in tone from whimsical jaunt to tender backstory exposition. Going on these side quests raises a relationship meter for each party member as they open up to our spiky-haired protagonist. 

Many of the minigames are optional, but they often have rich rewards waiting for players who beat the high score. They’re pretty transparent about what you’ll earn, so I won’t spend time on which ones are worth doing — but I will recommend completing the Segway minigame. It’s pretty easy, requiring only that you have Cloud scoot around on the dorkiest transit mode in the game for a set distance, and the prize you win is an equip-and-forget accessory that’ll set you up nicely for the late game. 

For the rest of the tips, I’ll be as spoiler-free for Rebirth as possible, with light references to mundane stuff found in areas later in the game. Here are five things to know when starting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Recap: What happened in Final Fantasy VII Remake

Heads up: This section contains slight spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Remake. They’re slight, but if you haven’t yet played the game, I’m advising you now not to spoil it for yourself!

The first game in the trilogy set the tone for what’s to come in a series that adapts and expands the original 1997 game into a trilogy. So there are plenty of side characters and moments in Remake that weren’t in the original… or were very different.

The conceit at the center of Remake is that Cloud and company’s adventure diverts from how Final Fantasy VII originally played out — and eventually they have to directly fight the ghostly Whispers trying to keep the party on destiny’s set path. It’s a clever way for the game’s creator, Square Enix, to modernize some of the most cherished parts of the much-loved original game while giving players something new to chew on — namely, should the story they know so well be changed?

Square Enix has its own official recap of Remake, which is available in the main menu of Rebirth and on YouTube — the shorter three-minute version is above, but the five-minute version has more context. However, there are plenty of additional characters and references that will pop up in Rebirth, so I recommend a lengthier recap: this 12-minute video by Another Eden Adventures is helpfully thorough. 

Because Rebirth continues Remake’s diversion from the plot of the original Final Fantasy VII (though it’s pretty faithful until the last hours of the game), you’ll get the most out of the story by having played the classic game. But it’s by no means essential: I got only halfway through the original and I’m still over the moon about Rebirth.

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The game’s backgrounds beg for photos.

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Watch this: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Bringing an Old Story Into a Vast Open World

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