FF7 Rebirth Review: "A Beautiful Showcase Of A Timeless Story"

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.

played with fire when it significantly altered its presentation of a beloved classic. While that decision ultimately paid off with resounding critical and sales success, there was always a lingering question — where do they go from here? A major twist towards the end of the first chapter of a trilogy only truly works if it is the genesis of an even greater spectacle later. And if nothing else, is a lot of spectacle, full of both brooding and genuine joy in equal measure. The middle entry in a trilogy can sometimes suffer from bridging the gap between an interesting hook and a satisfying conclusion, but the savvy structure of 's pacing makes for a standalone endeavor worth the time it takes to explore it.

FF7 Rebirth improves on an already successful formula and bridges the gap between its trilogy's beginning and end in an enthralling way.

once again follows Cloud Strife as he and his increasingly diverse collection of rogues attempt to save a world that's being threatened by two different evils. On one hand, there are the machinations of Sephiroth, who falls into the tried-and-true camp of «villain who wants to change the world by ending it»; and on the other, the existence of the Shinra Company, which, if left alone, would destroy the world simply by sucking its Mako energy dry. One of the biggest draws to the original was its message of environmental