The 10 BEST and WORST Things About Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

The 10 Best and Worst Things About Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Welcome to MojoPlays and today we’re defying destiny and highlighting everything great and not so great in Square’s second entry in the Final Fantasy Remake Saga. Possible minor spoilers ahead.

Best: Performance

Given that we’re about halfway through the PS5’s projected lifecycle, devs are becoming very comfortable with the hardware, and Rebirth is by far one of the system’s standout titles. Not only is the game absolutely gorgeous, but it runs like a dream no matter your preference of graphical settings. Given the scale of some of the bosses and even regular enemy encounters, the game never struggles, even with the possibility of every character unleashing a screen-filling ultimate attack or spell. The seamless transition between cinematics and gameplay and the near seamless world brimming with lush and vibrant detail makes exploring the world a constant joy. Given the scale of the world and how much effort was put into its realization, there are occasional moments of pop-in but it's only a minor distraction that doesn’t affect the overall experience.

Worst: Padding

2020’s Remake was widely criticized for padding the game used to extend the game’s length given it only covered the opening section of Midgar which in the original game only consisted of roughly a handful of hours depending on your playstyle. While Remake has made great strides in this department, there are still many moments that feel unnecessarily long. Simple actions or quests often require extended detours and what would normally take a couple minutes becomes an hour-long endeavor. For example, in Costa Del Sol, players can’t access the beach until they don a swimsuit. Instead of simply allowing players to purchase one or find it, they need to complete a series of odd jobs to obtain one. And this needs to be repeated multiple times which can turn into nearly an additional hour of gametime when players are simply trying to progress through the story.

Best: Fleshing Out the Story

The original Final Fantasy 7 is one of the most well-known narratives in gaming, but the overall story is not complete within the game itself and numerous additional works have been helpful in fleshing out the world in the years since. However, with Rebirth, Square has managed to incorporate much of that additional material into the game alongside fleshing out the beloved characters and world even further than ever before. With the game’s new relationship system, players are encouraged to spend more time and build up their bonds with their companions, and are endlessly rewarded for doing so. Additionally, with the new script as well as voice acting, fan favorite characters are given new depth and moments to shine throughout the game. Smaller and once inconsequential areas are also given new meaning and backstory so every place and NPC you encounter feels unique and important.

Worst: Chadley

Once a minor annoyance in Remake, Chadley has evolved into a full-blown irritation in Rebirth. With Cloud and company setting foot outside Midgar and exploring the many regions of Gaia, Chadley of course tags along to continue his research. However, his quest for knowledge interrupts nearly every aspect of the player’s open world exploration with him and his new companion Mai calling in after almost every action Cloud performs in the open world. Found a fiend combat trial? You get a call. Found a life spring? You get a call. Unlocked a Remnawave Tower? You better believe you’re getting a call. Sometimes he’ll even call back-to-back after your initial discovery caused him to find something new for you to investigate. You’d be hard pressed to not constantly roll your eyes and skip all of Chadley’s dialogue everytime you hear a call coming in. At least Mai is giving Chadley a taste of his own medicine.

Best: Combat

Square’s approach to combat in Remake was nothing short of stellar. The ability to play the game as an action hack and slasher while also using the game’s traditional turn-based combat to micromanage your party’s actions is a gameplay style we wish more RPGs would adapt. Somehow, Square managed to make the combat in Rebirth even more impactful while also adding a wealth of new features. The addition of Synergy moves allows for far more strategy than Limit Breaks and offers even more chances for a flashy finish to big encounters. These Synergy moves also affect your relationship with your companions in the base game, as the more you unlock and use them, the more it will increase your standings with the members of your party. That’s not even mentioning all the additional ways players can create their own builds using the various materia and weapon skills, as well as weapon and party levels unlocking even further options for customization.

Best: Minigames & Side Quests

The Final Fantasy series is renowned for their mini games and side quests, and while Remake didn’t have a wealth of options, Rebirth more than makes up for this oversight. The new card game Queensblood might be one the franchise’s best and most addictive card battle or mini games for that matter and the game’s numerous side quests offer a surprising amount of variety so players will rarely be completing the same quest more than once. Given the scale of the game, the sheer wealth of options for players to engage with in every region is enough to make players track down every icon on their map. The Gold Saucer itself could almost be a standalone experience with the number of different mini games available, all with their own gameplay styles. It’s enough to keep players engaged for hours trying to reach the top of the leaderboards and earn every reward from the numerous prize booths.

Worst: EVERYTHING is a Minigame

This one is a bit of a double-sided coin however, because nearly every quest or activity players engage with is itself a mini game. While this isn’t much of a problem early on, constantly repeating the same actions over and over again can become tedious, and each region adds new variations to the minigames forcing players to learn brand new mechanics for this one specific activity. Another annoyance comes from nearly every mini game utilizing different control schemes, even if the game is similar to one players have already completed. The team at Square deserves recognition for implementing so many varied and unique minigames for players, but the sheer number of them can become grating, especially towards the end of the game when the story begins ramping up and is constantly interrupted by new mechanics.

Best: Gameplay Variation

Variety is the spice of life, and Rebirth has it in spades. Every region has either its own Chocobo variation or a completely different mode of transport like the absolute unit that is the Corel region’s all-terrain vehicle. The variety also carries over to the game’s many optional quests and mini games. While many of the side quests still involve the game’s stellar combat, rarely do these devolve into simple fetch quests like in the series’ past. While much of the side content is optional, the sheer diversity of options for players to engage with is nothing short of astounding. Later sections in which the player takes control of other characters opens even further gameplay possibilities with Yuffie opening up a grappling hook option and later Red XIII being able to scale shear walls. Each of these mechanics works remarkably well in a game already overflowing with various systems all working in tandem.

Worst: Minor Annoyances

While the majority of Rebirth is one of the most polished titles in quite some time, there are still some minor grievances that keep that game from being a perfect experience. The addition of climbing to the game’s exploration is a bit hit or miss. The mechanic amounts to nothing more than pointing the analog stick in the desired direction, with the game often not registering the input and Cloud getting stuck on the terrain. A couple technical issues also pop up whenever the game enters an enclosed area with the camera becoming stuck or unable to properly follow the character ,as well as the game’s music volume occasionally playing too loud in the background of dialogue heavy scenes. These, however, are only a handful of technical issues that in no way detract from what is an otherwise entirely enjoyable experience.

Best: Environmental Design

Given the player is exploring nearly the entirety of Gaia itself, naturally there would be some variation to the environments, but maintaining the level of detail and interactivity while also making every single region feel distinct and unique is unprecedented. Every region the player visits is a visual marvel and feels like a real, rugged and lived-in place, from the dense jungles of Gongaga to the decrepit city Under Jonon, each open-ended level is bursting with hidden areas and secrets to uncover and enough side activities to guide players to even the most remote areas of each region. Specific locations and areas players have been familiar with for almost 3 decades are given a second life and look closer to how we always imagined them as kids, now fully realized and completely explorable.

What was your favorite or least favorite thing about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? Share your experiences in the comments below.