Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an utterly massive RPG pushed to its limit

After finishing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we now know why Square Enix was so hesitant to embark on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project in the first place.

Pushing to one side the fact that Final Fantasy 7 is arguably the most beloved RPG of its generation, and undoubtedly Square’s most iconic title, the sheer scale of the task of translating the extremely long RPG into a PS4 (and now PS5) quality game can’t be understated.

We now find ourselves at the dark middle chapter, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which looks to explain the first game’s multiversal ending, introduce us to the world outside of Midgar, and set the stage for one of gaming’s most singularly impactful moments.

Rebirth is another excellent, incredibly polished RPG from Square Enix that builds smartly on all of the best elements of the first game, even if some of its grander ambitions fall slightly short.

A transition to an open world brings many positives (and some caveats) and the game’s characters and writing are mostly excellent, especially in its quiet moments. It’s a game that can have your jaw dropped or tears streaming down your face from just a volley of strings and a single choral chant, then 10 minutes later, have you playing football as a talking dog vs a giant yellow chicken.

Rebirth takes place immediately following the conclusion of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, Barret, and Red XIII set off after Sephiroth after the Midgar-destroying events at the end of the last game.

While the first game was bathed in the neon greens of Midgar and the seedy underbelly of the surrounding slums, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth takes an immediate aesthetic left turn by placing you in a lush open world of fields and fauna. After a flashback scene that adds colour to Cloud and Sephiroth’s relationship, you’re then invited to travel across the world, picking up odd jobs, killing monsters, and uncovering areas of the map.

This is, in microcosm, the inherent push and pull at the center of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as,