Final Fantasy has been such a massive franchise that spanned across decades and across multiple console generations. There’s been some truly standout installments from this long-running series as well. One of the more beloved games of the series was Final Fantasy VII, a title that blew up in multiple markets when it initially launched in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation. Since then, fans worldwide have pleaded for Square Enix to return and bring out a remake for this JRPG installment. Fortunately, in 2020, we finally got the first part of this remake. Since this game installment was so massive, the developers could only deliver the game in parts. We’re going to receive Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment to this trilogy remake, in 2024.
Square Enix Answers 6 Burning Questions About Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
21.09.2023 - 04:43 / gameinformer.com / Yoshinori Kitase / Tetsuya Nomura / Naoki Hamaguchi
After playing Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for the first time (check out my full impressions here), I then spoke with director Naoki Hamaguchi, producer Yoshinori Kitase, and creative director Tetsuya Nomura to seek answers to some burning questions. That includes how much narrative ground Rebirth covers, the decision behind splitting it between two discs, and if there’s any form of data transfer between Remake and Rebirth.
Rebirth launches on February 29, a couple of months shy of Remake’s fourth anniversary. According to Hamaguchi, Remake’s development cycle was around four years, making the turnaround for Rebirth, a much larger game, seem relatively quick. It’s especially impressive since Square developed and released the PlayStation 5-exclusive Intermission story expansion and Intergrade upgrade in between.
Hamaguchi credits working on Intermission/Intergrade for the smoother dev cycle, as it allowed the designers to become more intimately familiar with the PS5 (which Rebirth is exclusive to) and finish Rebirth within a similar timeframe despite its larger scope.
“But at the same time, we were able to keep the development time [down] and be able to release in sort of this normal or standard time while having this immense volume of content,” Hamaguchi says through a translator. “So that's something that we're very confident about and very proud of.”
When I asked what Rebirth’s stopping point will be, Tetsuya Nomura confirmed the story runs up to the end of the Forgotten Capital (a.k.a. The City of the Ancients). However, as anyone who finished Remake should know, Nomura stresses that Rebirth will not follow events in the same order or manner as the original game.
Square Enix also confirms there will be no shared progression between any version of Remake and Rebirth. That means you won’t be bringing over the gear and materia earned in the first game.
“While there is sort of this story that they are following throughout these different titles, [Rebirth] is sort of supposed to be a standalone on its own,” Hamaguchi explains. “So there's no particular sort of growth parameters or abilities that you will be carrying over from the previous title.”
However, Hamaguchi does reveal that players with Remake/Intergrade saved data will receive an unknown summon materia at the start of Rebirth.
Rebirth is so big that Square is splitting it between two discs. Hamaguchi states that the game is 150GB, with 100 on one disc and 50 on the other. However, you won’t be swapping discs like fans did with the original. Due to the PS5 architecture, players will first install the entire game by inserting both discs. After that, only one of them will be needed to play the full game.
Hamaguchi explains the decision to split
Square Enix Reveals Special Meaning of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Art
When it comes to video game hype, game developers will do all kinds of things to get their fans ready for what’s coming, including leaving plenty of clues or “insights” into various promotional materials for the game to see if they notice them. For Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix has already dropped a couple of trailers highlighting the game world’s larger scale and the characters you’ll see in it. They’ve also dropped hints about the game’s story, including whether a certain character will die at the end of the title. But now, Square Enix has revealed something interesting about a key piece of art.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Gets New Details and Will Be At NYCC!
It’s interesting how much information is coming out about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in recent weeks, given that the title won’t launch until early next year. It’s possible that Square Enix doesn’t want you to forget about the game and thus build up the hype for many months until it’s at a “fever pitch.” Or they just think that right now is the best time to do the reveals! Either way works in the minds of gamers. The good news is that today was one of those “reveal days” because plenty of information was dropped about the title.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s Open Ended Approach Was a Response to Remake’s Linearity Criticism
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is going to be a much more open experience than its predecessor, and it seems like fan feedback was among the reasons behind this.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3's Ending Will Tie Into Advent Children
Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that the third game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy will "link up" to Advent Children if you play all the way through to the end.
Square Enix Breaks Down Red XIII In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
When Square Enix decided to not only remake one of the best RPGs ever but divide it into several parts to truly flesh out the story and characters, there would always be “sacrifices” in each game that players would have to deal with. In the case of the first remake title, one of the sacrifices was limiting the story to the Midgar saga and thus restricting who you could get in your party. The original title only let you control Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith. However, in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, many more characters will be available to you for use in combat. That includes the epic Red XIII.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth pre-order guide
The latest installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy launches on Feb. 29 exclusively for the PlayStation 5. Dubbed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, this iteration builds on the first game that takes place exclusively in Midgar. The sequel promises to be much bigger, taking Cloud Strife and company to plenty of regions filled with mini games, quests, and other challenges — some of which were not present in the original 1997 game.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth details regions, exploration, world intel, mini games, and combat
Square Enix has released new information and screenshots for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth introducing some of the game’s regions, exploration, world intel, mini games, and combat.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – TGS 2023 stage event gameplay, Grasslands mini-games trailer
Square Enix showcased over 30 minutes of gameplay footage and a new trailer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth focused on mini-games playable in the Grasslands during its Tokyo Game Show 2023 stage event.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Game Director Confirms This Will Be A Standalone Experience
Fans have been pleading for years, hoping that Square Enix would provide a remake of the beloved Final Fantasy VII video game. This title launched back on the original PlayStation. Of course, we now know this remake was finally put into production, but it won’t be a complete experience with just one game. In fact, the first part of the remake has already been published, and you can enjoy it right now. However, if you’ve already played the first game in the remake collection for Final Fantasy VII, your eyes might be set on that next installment, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Final Fantasy VII REBIRTH Hands-On Preview
Stepping onto the slopes leading up to Mt Nibel, I felt transported in time. Back in 1997, when I was ten and first jumping headlong into the world of RPGs, I found myself standing on these very slopes, watching the backstory between Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth play out.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth first hands-on previews, gameplay, and screenshots
Media outlets have gone up with the first hands-on previews of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which include new gameplay footage and screenshots of the Final Fantasy VII Remake sequel.