Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date and latest news
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out now
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The long wait forFinal Fantasy7 Rebirthis over. The second chapter in Square Enix’s three-part remake of the 1997 classic came out earlier this year and, with it, a new spin on some old-school adventures.
During ahands-on with a preview buildofRebirth, we got to see the third-person fantasy action role-playing game (RPG) for ourselves and we were very impressed. Its fluid combat and gorgeous cutscenes not only do justice to the original but meaningfully improve on its predecessor,Final Fantasy 7 Remake, in every way. We’ve played the final version now, too. Be sure to check out ourFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthreview.
While it certainly follows in its predecessor’s footsteps,Rebirthisn’t a carbon copy of the game that spawned it. New battle mechanics, story beats, and opportunities for exploration have been added, not to mention some significant changes to the narrative which could substantially shake things up in the long run. Read on to find out more.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: cut to the chase
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date and platforms
TheFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthrelease date was February 29, 2024.It is currently only available on PS5 consoles.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer
The latest trailer forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis four minutes of jaw-dropping excitement. Called the ‘Final Trailer’, this four-minute preview shows off some scenes from the Temple of the Ancients, while also giving us more of a look at Cid, Vincent, and even Zack.
While you can see the trailer below, we advice caution since it arguably contains minor spoilers for the game. Still, if you don’t mind seeing a couple of story beats ahead of time, the Final Trailer makes for a great watch.
We also saw the release of the short yet punchy’Destined for Rebirth' trailerin January as well asa trailer for the game’s theme song,No Promises to Keep,which was revealed in December 2023. The trailer shows off scenes from the upcoming game as well as its tear-inducing theme song. We advise bringing tissues for this one.
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Those keen for moreFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcontent can find the2023 Summer Games Festtrailer as well as theRelease Date Announce Trailerand thefirst-look traileronFinal Fantasy’s official YouTube channel.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gameplay
TheFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthtrailers have all shown off the game’s combat mechanics. At a glance, we seem to be in for more of what we got withFinal Fantasy 7 Remake: a satisfying action RPG with slick swapping between characters and a pause mechanic to help with decision-making.
As you carry out normal attacks, you’ll build up an action gauge which can be cashed in for more complex techniques through the command menu. These might be spells or more specialized attacks tied to your character’s weapon. Just like inRemake, every character inRebirthhandles differently, each with their own sets of abilities and approaches to battle.
During our hands-on with a preview build of the game, we got to experienceRebirth’s battle system first-hand. More polished than its predecessor, the responsiveness of the controls and freedom of movement gave the likes ofDevil May Cry 5andFinal Fantasy 16a run for their money.
What’s more, improving on systems tentatively introduced inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthintroduces powerful synergy attacks - special moves performed by two characters at once. In addition to run-of-the-mill tag team techniques, you can use by spending action points as usual, you also have access to a suite of more powerful synergy attacks that not only offer strong effects butalso show off the emotional dynamicbetween the two party members using the move.
Off of the battlefield,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthintroduces new Chocobo riding mechanics as well as a range of new minigames, all of which were teased in the release date trailer. There’s also asizable explorable world, full of monsters to fight and secrets to discover.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth story and setting
In terms of story, we don’t know much aboutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. If it were more of a straight-up remake, then we’d have a far clearer idea about where the narrative is headed. ThoughFinal Fantasy 7 Remakemostly stuck to the script of its original counterpart, there were a few significant differences that could signal a radical shift for the plot. Either way,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill be taking us out of the sprawling dystopian city of Midgar, across lush forests and foreboding badlands on a quest to pursue the villainous Sephiroth.
The Whispers, ghostly antagonists keen on preserving the originalFinal Fantasy 7timeline, were a key element inRemake.According to ablog postin which co-director Motomu Toriyama spoke aboutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, these ethereal meddlers aren’t going to be around to keep the timeline in order this time around.
“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,” co-director Motomu Toriyama says in the final installment ofSquare Enix’sFF7 Remakeblog series. “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.”
SinceFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeended with the defeat of the Whispers, this narrative decision by Toriyama makes a lot of sense.
The Theme Song Announcement Trailer from the 2023 Video Game Awards has given us plenty more tidbits, too. Not only does it give us a proper look at Vincent and Cid, but it also gives us a sneak peek at Zack and Biggs' roles in this newcanon. In the original timeline, both characters perished tragically, but it looks as though these two will be joining forces after the events ofRemake. We also see Zack looking after a sleeping Cloud later on in the trailer. This means that the two will have a reunion of their own inRebirth- a meeting that could have big ramifications for both of their character arcs.
We also know from an interview withFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthco-director Naoki Hamaguchi that Zack’s role in the story will allow players to “experience and understand more of theFinal Fantasy 7worldview” including the “policies and rules governing [the] world.” This likely means that Zack’s sections in the game will deal with yet unseen aspects of theFinal Fantasy 7setting. We can’t wait to see what this entails.
Will Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth come out on PS4 or Xbox?
Unfortunately forPS4owners,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthisn’t a cross-gen release like part one of the trilogy. We expect, however, that likeFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, Rebirthwill also arrive on PC at a later date once its PlayStation exclusivity deal runs out. Though, it’s worth noting that this hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Conversely, the game is unlikely to come toXbox Series XorXbox Series S, given the fact thatFinal Fantasy 7 Remakestill hasn’t made the trip toMicrosoft’s consoles.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth news
A new relationship system can “alter portions of the story"Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas anew system for tracking the affinity of party membersthat can “alter portions of the story,” according to co-director Naoki Hamaguchi. “ForFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,a lot of people understand that there’s that very famous date scene on the gondola coming. So because people sort of know where this is heading, if it was still kept in the dark and they didn’t know roughly what level of affinity they were with each character, this could be quite stressful for the players.”
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo is available nowIn a special State of Play event, it was revealed thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthnow has a fully playable demoavailable on thePlayStation Store. This reveal came alongside a brand new trailer as well as over ten minutes of yet unseen game footage.
Game director teases “loads” of minigames forFinal Fantasy 7 RebirthFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthco-directorNaoki Hamaguchi has teasedthat there will be “loads of minigames in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. He also spoke more about the chocobo racing, stating: “We’ve adapted the chocobo race into a very modern racing game, so that’s quite a big difference from the original.”
Here’s our list of thebest PS5 gamesfor you to check out now that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now here, as well as our run-down of thebest PS5 exclusives.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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