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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second chapter in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, is coming February 29, 2024, and thanks to a few trailers and some lengthy statements from Square Enix, we know a surprisingly large amount about what it has in store for us.
Like Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth will be a (somewhat) new adventure featuring familiar faces and plot points. With Midgar in the rearview mirror, Cloud and his party begin their expedition to hunt down Sephiroth and get to the bottom of, well, a lot of things. Though we don’t know exactly how faithful Rebirth will be to the original Final Fantasy VII, here’s a roundup of everything we do know–including how to preorder the upcoming game. We should know even more soon, as a Rebirth-focused State of Play stream is coming soon, on February 6, and might bring with it a playable demo.
Table of Contents [hide]Release date and platformsWhere does the story go from here?So what do we know about the story?Can we still expect some of the original Final Fantasy VII’s minigames and iconic moments?Will my progress from Final Fantasy VII Remake carry over to Rebirth?TrailersGameplayPart 2 of a trilogyHow to preorder
Release date and platforms
During Sony’s September 2023 State of Play, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is coming exclusively to PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. For those keeping track at home, this is nearly four years after the first part in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy was released. While no release date for the third and final installment has been mentioned, we likely won’t be waiting quite as long to see how the story ends. Creative director Tetsuya Nomura stated the team is already working on part three.
As of right now, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. While not particularly surprising (the current-gen console will have been out for over three years by the time of release), this might be disappointing for fans who played the first entry in the Remake trilogy on PlayStation 4.
On the bright side, Square Enix has confirmed Rebirth’s exclusivity window will only last three months. While it might not be immediately after this window is up, it’s likely the game will come to PC. However, considering the first entry in the series is still not available on Xbox, I wouldn’t count on Rebirth making its way over there.
Where does the story go from here?
Those who played Final Fantasy VII Remake know this series is not a direct remake of the original game, but rather a reimagining that exists separately and explores fate and determinism in a pretty interesting way–even if Nomura is still hesitant to call it a “parallel universe.” That said, we don’t know exactly how things will unravel this time around. Not to delve too deeply into spoilers, but after the events of Remake, our ragtag team is no longer bound to repeat the same events–meaning Rebirth isn’t necessarily doing so either. While trailers make it seem like the game will still be very similar to the original, exactly what will unfold is not entirely clear. Additionally, Nomura has repeatedly alluded to “surprising developments” in Rebirth. Similarly, game director Naoki Hamaguchi has teased a “big surprise” for a memorable scene.
And Square Enix is being awfully cheeky about how it’s changing the course of events too. A recent trailer teased an iconic moment in the story, which longtime fans will surely recognize. Plus it teased Cid Highwind, the last remaining main party member we haven’t yet met. But it also took some new liberties, like heavily featuring Zack Fair, who was not present at this point in the original story.
That said, Nomura has also stated that players don’t need to play Final Fantasy VII Remake to understand and enjoy Rebirth. Back in June 2020, the official Final Fantasy VII Twitter account shared a tweet stating, “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is being designed so that people can enjoy this game whether they know the original game or not. In fact, new players might even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy VII journey with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Cloud and his friends embark on a new journey in this game, and I believe that the scenes that they witness after leaving Midgar will give players a fresh, new experience.”
Game director Motomu Toriyama has also hinted that Rebirth will be an even bigger divergence from the established story. “As it says at the end of the game ‘The Unknown Journey Will Continue’, and Cloud and his friends will be on that journey for a while yet,” Toriyama said. “From here on in the Whispers cannot act to maintain the destined timeline, so fans can look forward to seeing what kind of future awaits the team.”
Toriyama is referring to the phantoms known as Whispers, which would appear every time the plot of Remake deviated from the story told in 1997’s Final Fantasy VII. By the end of Remake, Cloud and his party had successfully managed to defeat several concepts of fate, untethering itself from their destined path. Additionally, in a final encounter with Sephiroth at the edge of Creation, the antagonist cryptically mentions defying destiny and exploring a path that does not yet exist.
So what do we know about the story?
Trailers and the game’s developers have implied that Rebirth will still loosely follow the original’s footsteps, even if the order in which they occur is different. After their departure from Midgar, the gang will seemingly make their way to the small town of Kalm, where Cloud explains his and Sephiroth’s former friendship and what exactly happened in Nibelheim all those years ago. The trailers also showcase several other key locations, such as Junon, Cosmo Canyon, Costa del Sol, Mt. Corel, The Golden Saucer, and Nibelheim. That said, don’t expect to see Wutai make an appearance in Rebirth; Normura has stated that Yuffie’s homeland will not be available to visit until the third game in the trilogy.
However, this doesn’t mean we won’t be seeing the great ninja. Following Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Yuffie-focused DLC, Intermission, the materia thief will join up with the party in Rebirth. And while there is still no sign of Cid Highwind, the trailer shown at Sony’s September State of Play gave us a first look at Vincent Valentine and the fluffy-yet-fierce Cait Sith. It’s also important to note that Game director Naoki Hamaguchi and Nomura have stated that Yuffie and Vincent are no longer optional party members, and will instead be fully incorporated into Rebirth’s story.
As for where Rebirth will end, a PlayStation Blog post published just after this State of Play confirmed the game will take players all the way up to The Forgotten Capital, where “the greatest fate of Final Fantasy VII awaits.”
Can we still expect some of the original Final Fantasy VII’s minigames and iconic moments?
Absolutely. Sony’s September State of Play–and the company’s subsequent blog post–indicated that players can expect plenty of minigames–and one very special date–at The Golden Saucer. Rebirth will also feature Chocobo racing and battles against the game’s Weapons.
Will my progress from Final Fantasy VII Remake carry over to Rebirth?
For the sake of balancing, no. Hamaguchi said it was a priority to make each game in the trilogy one that could “stand alone in its own right,” so materia, experience, levels, items, and abilities will not carry over. However, Hamaguchi stated there will be special bonuses for those who played Remake.
Trailers
The first trailer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was revealed during 2022’s Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Celebration, and follows Cloud and Sephiroth as they embark on their final mission together as SOLDIERS. It then poses the question, “What is fact and what is fiction?” before jumping to a new scene: Zack carrying an incapacitated Cloud towards Midgar. Based on this trailer, it seems like Rebirth will follow the events of Final Fantasy 7 very closely, as it alludes to some pretty big reveals and iconic moments. It’s also worth noting this trailer shows off a noticeable improvement in graphics, proving Square Enix is making good use of the PlayStation 5’s upgraded hardware.
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Sony’s September State of Play gave us an even more in depth look at Rebirth, revealing a first look at key locations like Junon and The Golden Saucer, as well as future party members Cait Sith and Vincent Valentine. At the end of the trailer, Square Enix announced the game’s February 29, 2024 release date.
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Gameplay
GameSpot had the opportunity to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth shortly after Sony’s September State of Play. Here’s a look at the game in our hands-on preview.
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Part 2 of a trilogy
Shortly after the first trailer was revealed, producer Yoshinori Kitase confirmed the remake series will be a trilogy. Kitase shared this news and how it impacted Rebirth on Twitter, writing:
“Making the middle part of a trilogy has its own challenges, but there are plenty of classic second installments in the world of film that are defined by stunning story twists and deeper explorations of their characters. Often these second installments become a favorite amongst the fans. In the same vein, we are aiming to make Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth an even more gripping and memorable experience than Final Fantasy 7 Remake.”
How to preorder
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is now available to preorder at major retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and GameStop. In addition to the standard version of the game ($70), Square Enix is also releasing a Deluxe edition and a Collector’s edition. For details on what these versions include and more preorder details, check out our FF7 Rebirth preorder guide.
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