Final Fantasy News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

One of the mini-games with the most depth in is Queen's Blood, an intricate card game you can often win if you manage to build a strong deck. You can buy powerful new cards from vendors as your party arrives in different regions throughout story Chapters. Winning matches in Queen's Blood may seem easy at first, but it can become challenging as opponents use unexpected strategies.

In , Fort Condor’s Hard Mode is optional — but that doesn't mean completing it will go unrewarded. Fort Condor is a recurring (if greatly expanded) mini-game from the original . It's a real-time strategy tower defense game in which a variety of units are placed on a two-laned battlefield. The end goal is to destroy the enemy's headquarters, or to run out the clock with more towers remaining. Finer points of strategy come from calculated unit placement, and a rock-paper-scissors system of strengths and weaknesses.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi recently weighed in on the possibility of expansions for the Queen’s Blood card game in the wake of its popularity. Just like Final Fantasy 7 Remake before it, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands on the story of the 1997 original and includes many new side quests and bonus activities. Chief among them is Queen’s Blood, a card game that can be played in the lands beyond Midgar’s borders.

In the world of video game soundtracks, you can’t get much more iconic than Nobuo Uematsu. Most well-known for composing soundtracks for the first nine Final Fantasy games, the musician has gone on to write tracks for many subsequent entries to the franchise, most recently penning the tearjerking theme song for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, No Promises to Keep.

Johnny's Treasure Trove is one of the most expansive side activities in — considering the laundry list of tasks it involves, a good reward seems almost inevitable. Unlike most side quests and mini-games in , Johnny's Treasure Trove isn't focused on a single activity. Instead, it's more of a dressed-up completion list akin to 's Curiosities. In order to complete Johnny's Treasure Trove, players will have to complete chocobo races, win Queen's Blood Tournaments, and find all the buried PLAY ARTS figures in .

Magic Materia in are green orbs that allow characters to cast spells, but the best of these items to get first have stronger magic than you might expect. Unlike purple Independent Materia or red Summon Materia, Magic Materia are simple to use. Instead of giving party members new abilities or stat increases, you gain spells that cost MP to cast during a fight.

Different Materia in can be collected in the first Chapters of the game to give your party magic, support, or other buffs that give them the best tools to overcome early obstacles. There are five types of Materia that you can get, but each offers something unique. Equipping these items will give you great tools to excel against any enemy your team faces.

The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director, Naoki Hamaguchi, expressed surprise at the “yellow paint” becoming a topic of discussion on social media. Hamaguchi addressed the ongoing debate surrounding the use of yellow paint in the game while also providing reflections on various Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth aspects.

's map isn't truly open-world; it's divided into regions, and further areas are unlocked as the player progresses through the story. The regions themselves are pretty wide open, though. Each one comprises a significant bit of real estate on ’s larger Gaia map, and they’re all interconnected, even if players can only travel between them after reaching certain milestones in the story.

Tifa Lockhart is Cloud's childhood friend and a romanceable character in . If you play your cards right, you can take Tifa on a wonderful date at the Gold Saucer and cement your relationship with her. However, this requires forming the strongest bond with her out of anyone else in your party.

Fans of the series should pay special attention to 's Protorelic quests. Technically labeled as Phenomenon Intel on the map, these quests are better known by the names of the mysterious artifacts they're centered around: the so-called Protorelics. These technological antiques are highly sought after, especially by resident expert Chadley, who can reverse engineer them into useful items. Completing Protorelic quests also contributes to the gang's overall Party Level in FF7 Rebirth.

While exploring Costa del Sol in , players can partake in a «Cactuar caper» hunt with the Shinra Middle Manager. The Middle Manager becomes more important for Queen's Blood players later on, but for now, he needs help finding four hidden pink Cactuars scattered throughout town. Luckily, "" is quick to complete and should not be too tricky for most players.

Rumors concerning the details of a Final Fantasy 9 game have surfaced on Twitter. Final Fantasy has been particularly popular recently, as Final Fantasy 16 released in June 2023, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was released on Leap Day, February 29 this year. Audiences may be wondering what the next move for the series is and if their favorite will be remade. Some hope to see a Final Fantasy 9 remake on the same scale as Final Fantasy 7's remake trilogy. The most recent installment, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, takes a significantly shorter game and expands on every detail, leading to a runtime of roughly 41 hours for most gamers.

In a recent interview, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida expressed his intent to make the critically acclaimed MMORPG more challenging in the future but stopped short of saying what he would exactly do. While Final Fantasy 14 developed a reputation as a stress-free experience during Endwalker, Yoshida stated that he and the developers had gone a bit far in that regard, and wanted to dial it back.

A strange scene in has Aerith speaking to someone with an unfamiliar voice through a half-closed door in the Junon Inn. The party first visits the seaside village of Junon in Chapter Four, having trekked through the Grasslands outside Kalm and the monster-infested Mythril Mine in pursuit of Sephiroth. It's there that they initially meet Yuffie in , but, exhausted after rescuing her from a hungry sea monster, they decide to take a break.

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida gave fans waiting for the game's PC port some good news, as he stated in an interview that the port is in the «final optimization stages» of development. Yoshida also stated that the PC version of Final Fantasy 16 may release a demo before launch, but did not disclose exact dates for the demo or the game.

The PC version of Final Fantasy XVI is currently in the “final stages of optimization,” according to producer Naoki Yoshida. A demo is planned before release for users to determine whether the game can run on their PC.

Square Enix isn't ruling out the possibility of a third Final Fantasy 16 expansion, a senior company official has said. But that is not to say that fans should expect more Final Fantasy 16 DLC after The Rising Tide.

features shiny new versions of some of the most iconic moments from the original game. Among those moments is the Gold Saucer, where Cloud can go on a date with one of his companions. Although almost every companion is an option for this scene, the two most popular choices are Tifa and Aerith.

Bringing the once-doomed MMO Final Fantasy XIV back to life and directing the latest mainline title of the long-running franchise isn’t enough for Square Enix superstar Naoki Yoshida. In a new interview with Famitsu, Yoshida chatted at length about his desire to direct yet another major game for Square Enix.

The party member Cait Sith has seven different weapons you can unlock in to give this cat and moogle combo a variety of new abilities. Although you don't recruit this character to your team until later in the game, their fighting style is unique from everyone else. Those looking to make Cait Sith even stronger will want to look for his weapons in Chapter regions.

In the days that followed after the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, some of the staff at Square Enix talked about the challenges that went into creating a massive project that could live up to players' expectations. Despite Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth releasing nearly four years after Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the developers expressed the concerns they had about putting it together.

All of your Summons in can be upgraded when you visit Divine Intel locations scattered in the regions of each story Chapter. These shrines host a rhythm mini-game you can complete to strengthen the powerful allies you call upon from red Materia. Interacting with Divine Intel spots will also let you make boss fights against the strongest summons much easier.

The gun arm of Barret returns in to aid the planet and your party, but this iconic character has several different weapons you can find that give him his best abilities. Discovered in purple chests across large Chapter regions, you can find tools to help Barret grow stronger. However, some weapons provide better skills to learn than others along your journey.

Final Fantasy 14 recently announced its ninth annual 14-Hour Broadcast is scheduled for April 12, starting at 8 P.M. PDT. Taking place a few months before the release window for Dawntrail, Final Fantasy 14 fans are hoping to learn some new information about the upcoming expansion during the livestream.

With the success of eyes are naturally turning to other classic and beloved games that would benefit from a remake or remaster. There are many games whose true potential was limited by the technology they were made with. As technology has improved, and continues to do so, it presents a wonderful opportunity to re-imagine some of the best games of years gone by and bring them to a whole new audience.

Getting the hang of combat in can be a challenge, but there's one optional setting that can make it easier to master without decreasing the actual threat that enemies pose. Building on the system established in, features a fusion of dynamic action combat with the menu-based ability, spell, and item options that return from the original It can be a lot to wrangle, and it's sometimes possible to get tripped up by the hectic nature of battle even when keeping a good handle on the system itself.

The Fafnir Rifle is a fantastic late-game weapon for Barret in . It has above-average Attack and Magic Attack stats and, notably, an incredibly powerful ability called Point Blank. This abilityconsumes all of Barret's ATB charges to create an immense concussive blast. Using this ability to quickly finish off a weak enemy or to disperse a dense crowd will be key for some of the game's later fights.

Though is known as the game that popularized perhaps the most widely-known mount, the Chocobo, actually has multiple modes of traversal in the expansive open-world RPG. In addition to a wide array of different Chocobo types that are obtainable — including flying Chocobos — there are also other modern vehicles people can obtain throughout the game.

With such a large world with many open-world locations, it's no wonder that has quite a few collectibles to hunt down, including piano sheet music. Unlike some collectibles, the piano music sheets have a purpose; once one is collected, you can play that song with a guide. These sheets are scattered across the map, and collecting them all is a challenging task.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of FF7 Rebirth.]

The PS5 and PC release ofhad DLC content that can't be played on PS4, but it's actually a surprisingly necessary add-on, as it includes important story information that's relevant to . The DLC stars the impetuous ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, following her on a covert mission to infiltrate Midgar during the events of. Yuffie is the only playable character in her DLC, though there is a guest party member called Sonon, who fights alongside her throughout her story.

Finding ways to level up members of your party fast in is the best way to deal with various challenges found throughout your adventure. As enemies and bosses get stronger in later story Chapters, your team needs to be prepared for tougher fights. Taking the time to farm EXP through different tasks will let your party grow in strength to face future obstacles head-on.

doesn't explain all its systems perfectly. It leaves many things open for players to explore and discover on their own. Sometimes, these things are fun to experiment with, like 's Skill Cores and the new Folio system of progression. Other times, they seem like unintended omissions.

Fort Condor is one of the many mini-games available in . It is based on the Fort Condor defense mission from the original PlayStation release in 1997. Many strategies still apply for unit types, but the mode has been further streamlined.

The yet-untitled third installment in the Final Fantasy Remake series will remain exclusive to PlayStation consoles. After years of rumors, speculation, and hope from legions of fans, Square Enix finally released the first chapter of its modern reimagining of Final Fantasy 7 in 2020. Final Fantasy 7 Remake only told a fraction of the original’s plot, with the recently-released Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth continuing from when Cloud and the party leave Midgar until the fateful trip to the Forgotten Capital at the end of the old FF7’s second disk.

has two key visual modes in Graphics and Performance, and deciding which one is the best way to play can be a tough choice. This form of split graphics settings was popularized on the mid-generation upgrade models of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and it's persisted in the current generation as a way to let users choose a balance between frame rate and visual fidelity. Different games have different trade-offs, however, and the decision in has different implications than it did even in

Tifa is the best close-range fighter of your team in next to Cloud, but she can't take down the biggest enemies without her best weapons. Scattered throughout different Chapters of the story, you can find new gauntlets for Tifa to use in battle. Each of these weapons has a unique ability that Tifa can learn to make her an even stronger fighter for your party.

Dynamic difficulty is a newly introduced feature in , and it could be the right fit for anyone who isn't too enthused by the other options. Although most games in the series were originally released without difficulty settings, the remake trilogy is far from the first time that the franchise has experimented with options. added an Easy mode to the first couple of games, for example, and it's become a more consistent inclusion from onward.

's biggest change to Red XIII might seem jarring, but there's a perfectly good reason for it. The second chapter in the remake trilogy makes a lot of changes to the original 's story, not least of which are the changes to its characters. Although Red XIII debuted near the end of, he's playable for the first time in . The sequel also delves more deeply into the Shinra lab rat-dog's backstory, just as the equivalent section of the original does.

Fans and players of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are reacting to one minor, but potentially divisive, element of the game: The game's updated designs for the iconic Moogle creature. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remixed the looks of the Moogles for the new title, leading to some fans reacting in mild horror at their new look.

boasts the largest playable party in the remake trilogy to date, but it's not complete from the start — characters like Yuffie and Cait Sith take time to join. With nine playable characters, adds depth and variety to the mix of real-time combat and Active Time Battle pioneered by. Each character has their own unique playstyle, from Cloud's up-close, fast-paced sword swipes to Aerith's potent spells and positioning-dependent buffs. Experimenting with different party compositions is half the fun. The other half is mixing and matching Materia with 's Skill Core system.

One of the summons you can unlock in is the Phoenix, a fiery bird your party has to beat in an intense boss battle. Fought in the simulations of the NPC Chadley, defeating this powerful beast will give you a new Materia that can call upon the creature. Having the Phoenix on your side as an ally can be extremely helpful in future challenging battles.

There's a lot to do in the Grasslands area of , and it might quickly become tempting to follow the thread of the main story and leave some content behind to revisit later. Although is an open-world game, the divisions between its zones can complicate the idea of jumping between different ones. It's easy to end up wondering if there's any way to go back after finishing Chapter 2 and progressing on to Junon, but the answer may not immediately present itself.

attracted a fair share of criticism despite its overall acclaim, and one particular note of complaint has reappeared in As updates to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, it's no surprise that the remake games are prime targets for critique. Although it's definitely possible to make valid points about their weaker elements, one that's gotten a lot of practice in the past is ultimately a fairly minor issue to fixate on.

One way to get some Sylkis Greens to feed Piko in is to complete the Conniving Caglio’s Swindling Seminar. Available starting in Chapter 8 when Cloud is unceremoniously incarcerated in the Dustbowl, this quest involves speaking to Caglio’s pupils to determine which of them is telling the truth. In return for the correct answer, Caglio will provide a Sylkis Green for your Chocobo companion.

Players have been gushing about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth since its launch last week, and there’s a good reason for that: the game is incredible by all meaningful accounts. Just as important, the title expanded upon the game’s lore, world, and more to ensure that gamers had the best experience within it. Remember, the original “remake” title was set entirely within Midgar, with the team at Avalanche only getting out of the city after a clash with Sephiroth. However, while the Square Enix team did make the world vast, they ensured that there was still plenty to explore within the next entry, which will finish the story.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has claimed a patch to address the game's graphics in performance mode is in development and will be released soon. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launched on February 29 after much anticipation. The story continues on from the previous game's ending, following Cloud and his party as they find a way to stop Sephiroth and save the world. One of the things that Rebirth was praised for was its presentation, having incredibly detailed graphics.

One big draw of is the chance to play as Cloud Strife and company, and the action-oriented reimagining of the original game's combat offers a lot of opportunities for fun with each of them. That being said, not every playable character in is created equal. While some are immediately engaging to pick up and play, others offer slightly less in the way of thrills.

Aerith is a kind and supportive character in , acting as one of the main characters and a central love interest. She is the go-to romantic partner for Cloud. If her Bonds of Friendship are higher than anyone else's in the party, she will join Cloud at the Gold Saucer for a beautiful culmination of your romantic pursuits.

might just have the most minigames of any entry in the series, but they're most concentrated at the Gold Saucer. A veritable minigame paradise, the Gold Saucer is a returning location from the original. It's a glittering palace of entertainment on 's map, a monument to delight and debauchery, and the best place to take a break from endless combat encounters.

Arguably the main protagonist of , Cloud Strife can wield several weapons throughout your adventure, but the best ones give him even greater skills. Each massive sword this 1st Class SOLDIER can use gives you access to a new ability in combat. Additional bonuses from these weapons could make the difference between victory and defeat in tough battles with your party.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for the endings of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Crisis Core.]

The producer of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has revealed that he had to stop playing The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom while working on the latest game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth recently wrapping up development, the producer has been understandably too busy with his own game to see Link’s adventure to its conclusion.

After a wait that felt like eons, has finally been released on PlayStation 5, now leaving PC players wondering how long they will have to avoid spoilers before the game is available for them as well. Currently, Square Enix has not officially announced that will come to the PC, although there are many indicators that it will. took a while but did finally launch on the PC, which would make it very unusual for this second portion of the trilogy to not land there as well.

It can be hard to know how Cloud's companions really feel about him, but one hidden feature makes it very clear. has always been known for its rich, memorable cast of characters, and the remake trilogy follows suit. includes more playable characters than, even taking the time to flesh out some of those party members the original game overlooked.

The discussion of whether Tifa dies in or not has been ongoing since the game’s very announcement. The second title in the remake series has finally arrived, ending years of waiting and answering some of the most hard-pressing questions. Tifa’s death has been speculated since the end of, which saw the party led by Cloud Strife leaving Midgar behind and setting off into the broader world of Gaia in pursuit of Sephiroth, in an attempt to stop his malefic plans for the world.

It has been some time since Kingdom Hearts 4 was in the news, but what some thought could be the first official look at the game in some time has emerged alongside the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. An image shared on the game's official accounts to celebrate the wide release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ignited speculation about Sora's new circumstances in Kingdom Hearts 4.

With an adventure as epic as the one told in and its predecessor,, there is a plethora of content to enjoy. Although the storyline will continue in the next game of this trilogy, there may still be more that a player wants to see and do with Cloud and the party within the adventure of. The game is designed as a full standalone title, and even those who played the original will find surprises and new engaging things to hold their interest in .

The development team behind Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth didn’t always know when the game was going to end, and it could have left off at a different point in the original’s story. After almost four years, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has finally been released, continuing the story of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Sephiroth, and the rest of the cast that fans know and love from the original Final Fantasy 7 and its many spin-offs. Just like Final Fantasy 7 Remake before it, FF7 Rebirth only retells a fraction of the 1997 PlayStation classic’s plot, picking up where its predecessor left off with Cloud and his friends escaping Midgar.

It’s finally here! Yes, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is finally here, and that means that gamers can FINALLY continue the story of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, Red XIII, and the new friends they’ll make along the way as they travel through the world of Gaia and attempt to stop Sephiroth! But before you go into your adventure, there is one last message you should hear. Specifically, the leads behind this incredible remake title came together for one last “thank you” and a statement about the game’s launch and what it means to them to have this game out amongst players finally.

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.]

Fans of Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line on the Nintendo Switch are finding themselves unable to play the popular Switch rhythm game for an odd reason. The Final Fantasy rhythm game spinoff series has received multiple iterations since the original game debuted on the 3DS in 2012, allowing players to play along with their favorite Final Fantasy tunes. The series saw multiple releases on 3DS and recently welcomed its first console launch with last year's Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line on PS4 and Switch. Now, fans are finding themselves unable to log into the game for a curious reason.

As the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth began worldwide, Square Enix announced that some copies of the game sold in Japan and Asia were mislabeled, with the Data Disc and the Play Disc having their labeling switched during manufacturing. Square Enix posted a notice on social media and gave affected Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth players instructions on how to get around the issue.

Here’s a story that honestly has a bit of “history” attached to it in a way you might not recall. You see, in the earliest days of gaming, the phrase “going gold” meant that you had finished the game and put everything on a literal gold-style disc so you could hand it off to the people making copies of your game and thus get them into the hands of the public. The problem is that if you gave the people the wrong disc? You were screwed. What does that have to do with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Well, in Japan, a certain ‘mistake’ has come to life with how the discs were printed.

A recent patch for has altered the game's ending by tweaking one of Aerith's most iconic lines. released in 2020 as the first of three games planned for the new series. The next,, releases on February 29.

We’re almost there! We’re almost at the release date for the second title in the “remake saga” for Square Enix’s beloved title. The game is anticipated in so many ways it’s hard to define, so that’s why you might be surprised that Final Fantasy VII Remake, the game that kicked the remake saga, has just gotten an update! Given that it’s been four years since the initial remake title dropped, you might have to wonder why they’re updating anything now. The answer is that some small changes to Tifa and Aerith have been done to possibly “tie into” the upcoming game more.

In the video game industry, many people stick around with the company they’re attached to for quite a while for multiple reasons. They might just like the company they work at. Or, they might be trying to gain “higher ranks” there. Another reason might be they know that their talents or ideas might be more appreciated at that particular company because they’ve worked there for so long. But, on the other side of things, people sometimes depart gaming companies somewhat randomly, including because they want to “move on to a new challenge,” which is what the creator of Final Fantasy did after a while at Square before it became Square Enix.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake has received a new surprise update almost four years after its original release, fixing bugs but also breaking one popular mod. The second installment of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is about to be released, and it seems that Square Enix is trying to polish the previous game a bit for people who may be playing it this week.

In an interview that took place days before the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, game director Naoki Hamaguchi stated that he had no idea during the game's development that Sephiroth would be included in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a DLC fighter. Hamaguchi also stated that none of the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth development team had a clue at the time either, and claimed that he only found out when the public did.

The reviews are in for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, with the game finding itself as the fifth highest-rated Final Fantasy game to date. When Square Enix first announced its plans to remake Final Fantasy 7, many assumed that the game would be a simple redo of the original, but with upgraded graphics to meet modern standards. Instead, Square Enix went in a very different direction, greatly expanding on the original to the point that the story is being told over the course of three games.

Nobuo Uematsu, the celebrated composer behind the iconic soundtracks for much of the Final Fantasy series, has said he probably won’t score a full video game again. While Uematsu didn’t rule out creating the main themes for future games, he said that his days of scoring an entire game are likely over - leaving his last complete soundtrack as the OST for mobile-exclusive RPG Fantasian.

Can you feel it? Can you? If so, you’re likely a gamer who wants to get their hands on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth the moment it comes out on Thursday. That’s a key thing to state: it comes out on Thursday! After years of waiting after the release of the first remake title, the sequel is almost here, and gamers can’t wait to see what the title is like in full. To their credit, Square Enix has been doing its job with hyping up the game to nearly insane levels. They even released a massive number of review codes so that nearly everyone would sing the game’s praises, and it worked!

A humorous new Red Bull ad features the iconic energy drink brand teaming up with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, in anticipation of the launch of the long-awaited RPG. With the debut of the next entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga less than a week away, fans have been treated to plenty of updates about the game. The sequel will bring players outside the city of Midgar, opening up the world of Final Fantasy 7 and introducing new playable characters like Red XIII and Cait Sith. Now, Square-Enix and Red Bull are teaming up to celebrate the game's release.

Square Enix will soon give fans more news aboutFinal Fantasy 14: Dawntrail and Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide, as the company will appear in two panels at the upcoming PAX East 2024 convention in Boston. Square Enix stated that its Final Fantasy 14panel will be hosted on Saturday, March 23, and the Final Fantasy 16 panel will start on March 22.

In another promotional push for the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Japanese credit card provider Epos revealed special Cloud Strife and Sephiroth VISA cards exclusive to the country. It's not the first piece of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth merch to have come out, but these credit cards will be great for hardcore fans who want to collect anything that has the game stamped on it.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a week from release on February 29, and Tetsuya Nomura has one important request for fans regarding spoiler warnings when streaming and posting online. Fans expect Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to deliver on four years' worth of excitement since the release of the first installment of the Final Fantasy 7Remake trilogy. That does not account for the 26-year legacy Final Fantasy 7 has, along with the series' legacy in general. From the climactic ending of Remake as well as theFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo, it seems that there are many surprises lying in wait once fans return to this game's world.

Look, when something anticipated is about to drop or come out? The last thing anyone wants is to get spoiled because they accidentally came across something online or heard someone talking about it. Another thing to consider is that many people get advanced copies of things like video games and thus are allowed to do streaming and various videos highlighting the product they got access to. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a week away from release, and the reviews for the title paint it as something incredibly special. But for Tetsuya Nomura, he wants to ensure that those with the title right now don’t spoil too much for those who don’t.

There’s an important thing about reviews that everyone has to know. Specifically, it’s about how even if groups of people come together to “like something with all they’ve got,” that doesn’t mean you’ll like it. You see it with movies, TV shows, and, yes, video games. Sometimes critics will heap on the praise, and then you see it/play it for yourself, and you’re wondering why it got all the hype. For Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the hype has been building since the moment it was confirmed, and players have been dying to see what reviewers thought of it. Hint: they thought a lot of great things about it.

begins with a dizzying spin on its pseudo-familiar narrative, but it's the slower, more methodical pace of its story that really establishes it as a must-play RPG. The second installment in the trilogy that began with has the same quality and polish that permeated its predecessor, and the decision to pay greater attention to its cast pays off at nearly every turn. For Square Enix, it's another mark of excellence for a franchise that has seen no shortage of Game of the Year contenders in recent years; for the trilogy of games following Cloud, it's reassurance that the segmented release schedule is the right call.