[GameSpot] - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Everything We Know

[343iBot]

Formally announced at 2022's Final Fantasy 7 25th anniversary celebration, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second installment in the remake trilogy and, between you and me, is where things start to get really interesting. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake led us on a new journey through the familiar slums of Midgar, Rebirth sees us leaving the corrupted city in search of greener pastures--and Sephiroth.

There's a lot we don't know about Rebirth, including what events it will cover, how faithful it will be to the original game, what its open world will look like, and just how handsome Vincent Valentine will be. While we wait for these questions to be answered, here's a roundup of everything we do know, including trailers and how to preorder the upcoming game.

Release date

While Square Enix has yet to reveal the release date of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, it did offer us a window: Winter 2023. For those keeping track at home, this is nearly three and a half 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, this could mean we'll be waiting quite some time before we get to see how this reimagining ends.

Platforms

As of right now, Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth appears to be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. While not particularly surprising (the current-gen console will have been out for just 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.

Once the game's timed exclusivity is up, it's likely the game will also be released on PC. However, considering the first entry in the series is still not available on Xbox, I wouldn't expect to see Rebirth make its way over there.

What we know

Not much, which is honestly what makes this game even more exciting! Those of you who played Final Fantasy 7 Remake know this series is not a direct remake of the original game, but rather a reimagining that exists parallel to it and explores fate and determinism in a pretty interesting way. 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 the game isn't necessarily doing so either. While it seems safe to assume the game will still be very similar to the original and revisit the same locations, exactly what will unfold is not entirely clear.

Interestingly enough, creative director Tetsuya Nomura says players don't need to play Final Fantasy 7 Remake to understand and enjoy Rebirth. Back in June 2020, the official Final Fantasy 7 Twitter account shared a tweet stating, "Final Fantasy 7 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 7 journey with Final Fantasy 7 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."

However, assuming the game does follow the original's trajectory, the next stop for our party is Kalm, a sleepy town located northeast of Midgar. We can also assume Rebirth will be a lot more densely packed than Remake, as Remake only covered about the first seven or so hours of the original game, leaving the final two entries a lot of ground to cover. I would presume Rebirth will end just after the City of the Ancients, meaning we'll get a chance to see the new and improved Junon, Mt. Corel, The Golden Saucer, Cosmo Canyon, Nibelheim, and Rocket Town--as well as a potentially devastating scene. We'll also most likely get the chance to add Yuffie, Vincent, and Cid to our party, rounding out the original Final Fantasy 7 team.

Trailers

So far, there is only one trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Revealed during 2022's Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary Celebration, this trailer briefly 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.

Development

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."

On June 16, 2022, director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is in "full production," so fingers crossed the company can keep that winter 2023 release date.

How to preorder

Trust me, I am every bit as ready as you to play this game, but unfortunately Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is not yet available to preorder. Rest assured, once preorders go up we'll put up a guide on how and where you can reserve your copy, as well as any extras you might receive for doing so.

View the full article