Posted in: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VII, Games, Square Enix, Video Games | Tagged: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Exploring Final Fantasy VII Rebirth With The Latest Preview

We played an expanded preview of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, as Square Enix prepares for the game's launch later this month.

The crew at Square Enix invited us out to experience a special preview of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, bigger than any of the previous ones they've held. The last time we had a chance to tackle the game was back at New York Comic Con 2023, in which we got to see two pieces of a limited gameplay session. This time around, we were brought out to Los Angeles for a special event where the team was kind enough to let us play sections from the first two chapters of the sequel, giving us a much clearer picture of what this title would entail.

The first half that we got to play through took us back in time to Nibelheim, as we go back in time to the hometown of Cloud and Tifa, as well as what we would consider the beginning of all the horrors we would experience from Sephiroth. We're not going to reveal a lot of the story because if you already know, you know. And if you don't, we're not going to spoil a ton of things for those who want to experience the game for themselves. The shorthand to this is that Cloud and Sephiroth have arrived in town to investigate something, which is when they come across Tifa for the first time as our humble guide when she was a bit younger.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth takes us through an extended path into the mountains to a piece of the game we already experienced in NYCC 2023, but this time, we get to see the aftermath of that portion of the game as we return to find more of what has slowly been ticking away at Sephiroth since coming back. Pain and sorrow follow in what was once a disturbing experience way back when into an all-new kind of torture, as you experience a catastrophe in an entirely new way that will hit the heart of any longtime Final Fantasy VII fan. When you experience that new way this part of the story is told in Rebirth for the first time, you won't soon forget it.

From here, we're taken into Chapter 2 of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, where we find ourselves shacking up in Kalm, on the run after the events from the first game as Cloud, Tifa, Barrett, Aerith, and Red XIII gain their bearings and attempt to figure out what to do next. Some of the town will seem all too familiar to everyone, including the clock tower the town prides itself on. In this part of the game, we were introduced to a few new elements revolving around refining weapons and getting items. But the biggest addition was the new minigame of Queen's Blood, which everyone around town seems to be playing. This is a strategy card game that is easy to pick up and learn, but becomes increasingly hard to master. A lot of players will undoubtedly end up spending hours trying to beat anyone on the street playing it, like hunting down Pokémon trainers.

Eventually, you make your way out into the grasslands and swamps of the area outside the city walls, which is where a good chunk of your adventuring and grinding will begin. At some point, you'll come across Bill, who needs your help from time to time finding things and getting around. Which is something you know all about. he offers to lend you a hand by pointing you to his Chocobo Ranch. This is where you'll learn to catch, train, and ride chocobos to get around, along with all of the mechanics you'll need to know about handling them and getting them to help you go places you couldn't reach on your own. You also find out about rest stops and other places you'll be able to activate for your characters and how to best use your feathered friends.

Another item of note you'll come across is Chadley returning to the mix, but more in a remote way. He's here to tell you there are several towers spread throughout the world that used to be run by Shinra, but they've now gone to ruin. He'd like you to visit each and every single one of them, put one of his special nodes into the tower for him to gather information, and in return he'll provide you with info about what's around each one. Pretty much like from Assassin's Creed when you climb one of the high towers. It may seem tedious, but this is the best way to find out everything that's going on around you and help you find all of the small items and jobs in case you want to 100% this game. You're going to need it as this place is massive, and there is so much to do; we'd need an entirely different post to cover it all.

The last element to talk about is the enemies. You're going to be grinding a LOT in this game. But that's kind of the way it is with every Final Fantasy title. Enemies are all over the place, just hanging out, ready to be attacked or to attack you if you get too close. You'll need to stay on your toes when it comes to these battles, because some you can just sneak attack in and get off without any issues, while other battles will leave you feeling less than stellar and probably left for dead. Keep an eye on your health, who you're using for every battle, and how you manage healing between items and people like Aerith, who can heal you. Also, be ready to die a lot, especially with major bosses, as they will kill you dead almost immediately if you're not prepared.

Overall, I absolutely loved this preview of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. I have nothing against Remake, but this is clearly what Square Enix wanted the first game to be. Whether that be due to time crunch, failed mechanics, or just not being able to get it done the way they wanted it, I personally feel like this is all the stuff they wanted you to experience the first time around four years ago. Rebirth is an amazing experience that takes everything about the original game and expands on it in new and fascinating ways. This is the remaster I wanted for years. And soon it will be all of our as the game will launch on February 29 for the PS5.

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