I went full blind on this game(never played the OG just the remake) so nostalgia wasn't a factor for me and the game just kept surprising me with this incredible charismatic gang and story, this game made me truly cared about every single character, yes the open world kinda ruins the pace of the game in some parts and some minigames are annoying af(yeah its you, you stupid robot minimamente 🤡) but the combat overall is an improvment of remake combat which was really good. FF Rebirth has it flaws but I enjoy like 95% of it.

Part 2 of the remake series, this covers a much larger section of the game than part 1, and absolutely nailed this part of the story. From the antics at the seaside resort Costa Del Sol, to the events of the lost city, Rebirth’s tone and writing is absolutely spot on, and it plays with your expectations frequently, especially in the finale.

There are some changes to the story, but most of it is to further expand upon the pre-existing plot, making side characters such as Yuffie far more vital to the bigger
picture. The animation is absolutely incredible, the acting is perfect, they just understand these characters so well. The ending truly enhanced the tradgey of the events, and it was so impactful.

Gameplay is expanded from Remake, with more characters to play as and a semi open world setting. It's much more open in terms of content than Remake, though sticking to the main story will take you on a linear path through dungeons and awesome boss fights. This game is huge, yet I found the
Pacing to be miles better than Remake. The open world gives you plenty to do as well as a ton of side games, which remarkably are mostly fun. You know your having a good time when you feel like completing it all. Traversal methods constantly change within these beautiful environments, from Chocobo that can glide to a dune buggy, and exploring is supplemented by the magnificent OST...

The battles are an expansion of the first game, bringing in a proper parry, as well as synergy abilities which are total game changers and were super fun to execute.

Rebirth really is the full package. Not all of the content is perfect, but I loved every second of it - 9.5/10

Let me start by saying this game can feel a little tedious at times and it's pretty fucking long. As far as I can tell it's literally 4x as long as remake. I was not expecting this take me 80 hours but it did, especially since I only had like 20 hours in remake having done most of that games side content. My most important take away is that this game really focuses on the small details. It's really about the journey and not the destination. So much of the game time is spent interacting with and learning about your party members. Pretty much all side quests involve one of your party members helping out. Over the whole game it really feels like you get a better more personal understanding of everyone, which I think the games animation and voice acting really help enhance. It's also nice to see all the party members interact and talk with each other, there are lot of games that would make the main character the only one the party cares about but here it feels like each character has there own thoughts on everyone in the party.

To avoid spoilers for the main story I'll just say the main goal of the game is find Sephiroth. You quite literally travel around the world looking for him, and the locations are varied which is nice. There are definitely parts of the game that are mysterious and it's intentional. For me I loved those elements and I'm really excited to see what part 3 does with them. As for other characters I feel like you get to meet a nice mix of new and returning characters that all seem pretty good. Are the side characters as developed as the party? No but that doesn't make them terrible or bland. Overall I enjoyed the story even if it felt dragged out.

As for gameplay it feels like a nice progression for the series. It retains most of the basics involving materia and basic combat. Where the main changes comes is with new synergy mechanics, essentially if you use enough ATB moves on different characters you can use special moves to give certain buffs (Extra ATB, Extra strong ultimates, unlimited mana...). Although you do have to unlock them using a sort of new skill tree system. I like these moves since they encourage using different party members. With this game having so many party members I was really worried about what party set up to have and if I would be forced to stick with that set up. Luckily the game both forces you to have certain party members during story sections and as long as a character is playable they get XP so they'll usually be the same level as you. So the game very much let's you and encourages you to use different party set ups which is great and helps keep the game fresh.

I should add that there is multiple open world sections with Ubisoft style objectives. I'll be honest I thought this was okay since all of is pretty optional and if anything it's another way to grind for levels that adds some variety. Even then you can just focus on the side quests to really get some XP and that should be enough to get you through the game.

This game is chock full of mini games, most of which I thought were okay. Me personally I found queens blood to be a fun card game focusing on card positioning which is a fun take. But there are a shit of mini games, which luckily most appear to be fully optional. I've seen some complaints about how difficult they make 100% the game which I'll be honest I rather have the variety than an easy 100% game.

This game is a hell of an experience that I think is worth going through. It really makes you appreciate the little moments.

Impossible to capture in one paragraph all the reasons that this game - ostensibly "just" the middle chunk of a 50-hour PS1 game from 1997 - so dramatically captured my interest and attention for 120 hours over these last two months without waxing at least a little bit on time dilation and nostalgia and the fleeting nature but eternal significance of one's childhood and formative gaming years. So I won't fight it. Kind of wild that one of my favorite (but not even necessarily my absolute favorite) games of the late '90s has turned into my favorite games of both 2020 and 2024 so far, and all but a lock for 2027 or whatever year the third part comes out, spanning two console generations in the process. But forget the third part. I'm doing Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, New York in my head and picturing the year 2060, myself an old man, gleefully gobbling up 300 hours of Final Fantasy VII Remake Remade, Part 2, wondering if Part 3 will come out before I die, let alone Rebirth Remade, and still incapable of deciding whether it's better to take Tifa or Aerith on that Gold Saucer Skywheel date.

Oh and also, tight as hell combat system, smoothest action RPG I've ever played. This is how you combine mash-and-slash with menu-based battle inputs, people.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

Jugando al Rebirth me sentí cómo si jugará un FF antiguo por primera vez. En general, a excepción de una cosa, el juego me ha encantado en todo gameplay, ost, etc. y eso que tenía muy pocas expectativas en la trama con la trama.

(9'5/10)

4 años más.

Absolutely massive game that makes a lot of smart changes to the original’s narrative and character dynamics while introducing some interesting threads for the third part. It doesn't follow up the end of Remake in the way I expected, but I'm invested in what's been set up here.

It has possibly the most insane soundtrack I’ve heard, a vastly improved combat system from Remake, and some surprisingly engaging/fulfilling side content (Queen's Blood rocked). I was addicted from the opening cutscene till credits rolled.

I also really love what they did with Cait Sith here that's my goat fr.

Cara... 2024 é o ano dos jogos pra min, estão lançando só pedrada, e cara que delicia de jogo, que jornada, que personagens, que combate, que história (apesar de ser confusa) e mano eu sou team Tifa, mas eu escolho ela muito triste pois a aerith é uma mulher maravilhosa e incrivel, você simplesmente não consegue ir fazer as quest´s principais pq as missões de mundo são maravilhosas, com certeza o jogo do ano pra min, se não fosse por outro JRPG lançado esse ano, mas se esse outro não ganhar o goty, minha torcida vai toda para o final fantasy vii rebirth que é o melhor final fantasy na minha opinião e um dos melhores JRPG que joguei na minha vida, 90 horas da minha vida muito bem usadas.

Gah gah gah I really wanted this to work but it just didn’t click for me

The first five hours were captivating, I was hooked the first play session and seeing the main story beats in HD was exhilarating

But then the mini games kept piling on, the storylines began feeling cheesier and less authentic, and the structure more fan service-y…

The main story was solid most of the time, but it was hard to keep the momentum when there was all the side stuff that was downright bad at times

Also crazy annoying difficulty spikes, and finicky confusing mechanics. I was at 70+ hours and still had to bump it down to easy at times to progress

I feel like this game could have been way better as a 30-40 hour main story, 50-60 hour completionist vibe. I felt myself just wanting it to be over towards the end and couldn’t enjoy it as much as a non-completionist

I’ll still play the third one but it won’t be my most anticipated game that’s for sure

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth es el sueño de todos los fanáticos del juego original. Poder vivir todas estas experiencias con este nivel de contenido, de cariño, de atención al detalle... Es verdaderamente sobrecogedor. Se nota que Square ha puesto toda la carne en el asador, que Remake fue un simple preludio a lo que se venía.
Yo nunca he visto a FFVII como el mejor ni lo he disfrutado con la misma pasión y amor que los que descubrieron la franquicia o incluso los JRPG con ese juego, pero aun así siempre ha sido un juego que me gusta y que tiene una grandísima banda sonora, buenos personajes y una historia muy bien planteada. Por lo que, que este Rebirth me haya hecho sentir cosas muy profundas, vivir momentos con lágrimas en mis ojos y darme un vuelco el corazón en otros, tiene muchísimo más mérito, porque en mí no influye el factor nostalgia ni ceguera por favoritismo.
El juego hace muchísimas cosas bien, muchísimas, prácticamente todas. Hasta el punto de que le perdono los fallos e incluso, ni se me vienen a la mente la gran mayoría hablando ahora con retrospectiva tras haberlo completado. Y creo yo que... ¿Eso es lo más importante no? ¿Qué más da si el juego está mejor o peor o si esto deberían de haberlo hecho de X manera o de si merece el GOTY o no? Todo eso me da igual, porque simplemente yo he vivido una experiencia maravillosa que en algunos momentos no quería que acabase.
Puedo entender perfectamente a quien no le haya gustado, precisamente por cosas, que a mí no me han parecido molestas, como la ingente cantidad de minijuegos cada dos por tres, que la historia sea tan confusa para tener a los jugadores clásicos expectantes para ver qué cojones va a ocurrir, absolutamente toda la parafernalia del simulador de combate y la recogida de datos, las secundarias con personajes o situaciones cringe...
Pero para mí tiene mucho más mérito que hayan escuchado las quejas de los fans y por fin, arreglaron el sistema de combate, puesto que en Remake no funcionaba. Aquí han metido varias mecánicas que te hacen no depender de la composición de materias que lleves equipada, siempre puedes salir al paso.
Por otro lado, no quiero olvidarme de los personajes, algunos como Barret y Yuffie, quienes me daban absolutamente igual en el original, aquí son mis favoritos del juego. La cantidad de matices y complejidad que muestran de cada uno de los del grupo principal (obviando a Cid, Caith y Vincent por obvias razones) son abrumadores.
Y la banda sonora... Me atrevería a decir que, si no la mejor, es un top 2 de la franquicia. Mejora TODOS los temas del original e incluso crea nuevos y variantes, trabajazo en conjunto de varios compositores se Square entre los que se encuentra Yasunori Nishiki, compositor de Octopath, a quien me hace muy feliz ver triunfando.
Si eres fan de FFVII, este juego te encantará, y si no lo eres, puedes descubrir un juego muy entretenido pero que no te enterarás de ABSOLUTAMENTE NADA a nivel narrativo.

Final Fantasy VIII-3 hasn’t left my mind. The fixation has lasted much longer than is probably called for. I’ve reviewed it already but that review was mostly my reactionary feelings and thoughts in a very general sense. Nobody asked, but I want to let out some thoughts that branch beyond the game itself and discuss the aura around it and its place amongst remakes and remasters that continue to populate the industry.

Despite the facade that we are tired of remakes and want more original ideas, it’s fascinating how many are widely beloved and celebrated. Perhaps we’re embarrassed to admit that we love repackaged nostalgia. I hear about remake fatigue so often but it seems to dissipate when “one of the good ones” comes out. I’m in favor of more work being put into new games (or sequels even) rather than remakes and remasters, but I can’t help but admit to myself that almost every huge remake has been pretty great to play, and it’s also wonderful to play older games on new hardware. It’s convenient and helps people avoid spending 100 dollars on a GameCube game. I’m not sure I would have ever played Baten Kaitos without it receiving a remaster. So many celebrated remakes are pretty 1:1 as well, with only the slightest of adjustments that could go unnoticed easily; the discussion is usually around the visuals alone. Preserving those original experiences seems important to the business of remakes. The most skepticism I can recall around a remake was Resident Evil 4. It ended up being very faithful and safe in terms of its changes and it went on to receive GOTY nominations. Dead Space received a very faithful remake and fans are devastated that we aren’t getting a remake of 2. So many games that “didn’t need remakes” became examples of “the good ones”. Some people try to claim that Final Fantasy VII never really needed a remake and all they wanted was a visual overhaul remaster adjacent kind of thing. While true that plenty of people were never clamoring for a remake of VII, it would be wrong to say that the idea of a Final Fantasy VII Remake did not consistently surround the legacy of VII.

Fans of Final Fantasy VII wanted a remake of it as soon as they played it; wondering why the characters couldn’t have realistic proportions all the time. Why can’t the game look like the cutscenes? Final Fantasy VIII came out and already we saw what VII could have visually been instead. Final Fantasy X happened and we then wanted VII to have voice acting too. Final Fantasy XII released and a fan receiving the first copy said “Please remake Final Fantasy VII for the PlayStation 3” into the microphone. There’s a lot of remakes, a lot of them are good, and plenty of them we never really asked for, so how is it that the one game that begged to be remade upon its birth stubbornly refused to be remade for so long? Sometimes it’s hard to believe that it exists and that we’re 2/3 games into this trilogy.

Final Fantasy VII is the only game that could be remade in this way. A lot of the original creators are on the Remake project. The developers that made games we grew up with are getting older. Retirement is close for many and has arrived for others already. This is the last chance we have to get this from them. It’s not just about remaking a game because it needed quality of life upgrades, it’s about remaking the culture around it. The FF7 remake games are remaking the fan theories people had around the original in the 90s. It’s remaking the experience of leaving midgar for the first time. It’s remaking the biggest spoiler in gaming and finding ways to replicate our original experience. It remakes experiencing the music for the first time. There’s a world where we got a standard remake of FF7 that goes on to be “pretty good, but not as good as the original”. Some remakes release to little fanfare and feel unnecessary. Some remakes want to replace the original or be the default version we go to when we think of it. FF7 could never be replaced. It’s why games like Ocarina of Time will likely never receive more than what the 3DS version provided. Some games are too big for themselves. Some remakes are destined to be hated by fans solely because it isn’t the original game. The FF7 remake games know this. Never have I played a remake of a game that so strongly loves its original self. Nothing about the Remake series feels like a replacement. It’s an extension of the original in every way, refusing to ignore what made it resonate with us. I’ve seen countless people play the original game for the first time because of these games or in preparation for them. It’s a huge conflict for many people, wondering if they need to play the original game or not. Resident Evil remakes are great games, but I don’t imagine many people feel a weird sense of guilt by not experiencing the original games before or after. The creators of FF7 are proud of their work and don’t want it to be forgotten. These remakes may be different and change story beats or add a plethora of original ideas absent from the original, but it’s all in service of its blueprint. It only seeks to emulate what the original accomplished.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is what we’ve all been waiting for. I don’t think we’ll ever have a set of games like these ever again in terms of concept and development. Love letter is far too mild for what this is. These are developers who loved a piece of art so much that they couldn’t say no to making it for us again. There’s discussion about other Final Fantasy games that should be remade and I often see people say “hopefully it won’t be like the VII remake”. I love FF VIII and IX, but we do not exist in a world where those had similar reputations as VII and would warrant a similar approach. It’s almost a misunderstanding of what the VII Remake project is about. It isn’t simply remaking a game because it seemed like an easy check to cash, it’s tackling the nightmare that was the never ending demand for it and what angle to approach it; fully in relation to us and our expectations as fans. No video game calls for such a remake other than Final Fantasy VII. The fact so many people have gone back to play the original PS1 game is amazing. I may never play the original resident evil 1 because of how good the GameCube remake is, but because of the way the VII remakes are turning out, I will always see it as another branch on the tree.

In a way it’s preserving art by remaking it. Something like the Silent Hill 2 remake has a gross vibe to it because the original game isn’t easily accessible, and here we are making a radically different version of it in a world that won’t let you properly experience its original self. Final Fantasy games are wonderfully ported and preserved across so many systems. We can play the original VII whenever we want. The Remake series may be divisive, but its approach to examining itself begs you to not forget where it came from. It preserves its place amongst gaming as an art form. Sure it can be played in isolation, but it is radically improved when you carry the experience of the original game with you. It reminds me of a film adaptation of a novel. Video games remake themselves to improve ideas and visuals or to introduce itself to a new audience that will never play the original. The VII remake project aims to avoid that. It’s still remaking itself within the medium of video games, but the novel to film comparison is to say that it provides a new experience rather than a definitive one. You may prefer one over the other, and that’s okay. I don’t think the point is to have a better game than the original, but to let both coexist with each other and go down in history together, side by side. It’s a wonderful thing.

Tremenda continuación para FF7 Remake, que lo convierte prácticamente en un prólogo. Rebirth ofrece mucho más y mejor que remake en todos los apartados: mecánicas de combate, exploración, contenido secundario (incluyendo infinidad de minijuegos), complejidad en la historia... Si vas a hacer el 100% te puede durar fácilmente más de 120 horas el primer run.

En cuanto a la historia, necesitarás procesarla una vez acabada, pero te garantizo que no te va a defraudar si te gustó lo que se empezó a vislumbrar en FF7 Remake. Como puntos negativos, por poner alguno, el contenido en las zonas de "mundo abierto", aunque abundante, puede hacerse algo repetitivo, y el juego tiene algún problemilla con la iluminación que a veces hacer que las caras de los personajes se vean raras. Sin embargo, quitando esto último, el juego es un portento técnico y el 99% del tiempo te va a tener con la boca abierta tanto con su apartado gráfico como el sonoro, y obviamente también con el jugable.

Resumiendo, ni te lo pienses con este juego. Es un must play si te gustó FF7 Remake, el cual recomiendo haber jugado antes.

One of the greatest games I've ever played.

Adapting the second act of Final Fantasy VII, Rebirth is a complete step-up from the original in every regard. Compared to Remake, combat feels snappier, features more playable characters, and there's so much to do and see in the open-world. I spent over 100 hours on my first playthrough and was sad to see it end.

The way the party is handled is second to none. The characters are what makes the original Final Fantasy VII so special - here they feel even more alive, and even more like a family. I can't gush about it enough. I just love seeing these characters exist in this way. Every single scene brought me so much happiness.

It's controversial, but the more I have thought about it, the more I really think the ending is excellent. Regardless of your thoughts on it, I think there is inherently something beautiful in the fact that this story is so crazy and over-the-top that you know its being told exactly as the developers envision it.

I don't know if they can top this with Part 3. But I am more excited than ever.

"Lo vivido no es en vano si nunca jamás lo olvidas".

El juego tiene matraca para hablar: desde la inerte conversación de que pueda resultar extraño hablar de la segunda parte de un remake, hasta cosas más normales en sus sombras: que si el acabado gráfico es irregular, que si hay mucha tralla argumental y "nomuradas" que en algún momento te pueden desbordar, que si el mundo abierto no deja de ser una lista de la compra A-B-C en cada región, que si el enano coñón no deja de dar por saco cada vez que haces un recado básico...

Todo esto me da igual: ha sido un VIAJAZO en el que he echado 100 horas o así (y me han faltado cosas por hacer) y que, en sus puntos álgidos (y tiene unos cuantos) es PURA MAGIA. En sus mejores momentos, me recuerda por qué me gustan los videojuegos y por qué me gustaba tanto Final Fantasy.

El cariño que se le ha puesto a esta entrega es BRUTAL. No puedo hablar como alguien que no haya jugado al original, porque hace veinticinco añazos ya estaba ahí pegando espadazos con Cloud, así que no sé si a los neófitos les puede provocar las mismas sensaciones y los mismos vellos de punta, pero es llegar a la primera explanada por explorar y, respecto al Remake, es la misma sensación que creía imposible recrear de cuando en el original salías de Midgar. Ese ojo húmedo cuando llegas a Cañón Cosmo, suena la música en nueva versión orquestada y te quedas a cuadros con cómo lo han ampliado y el mimo que ahí en el diseño... bufff me pongo malo.

La locura que han hecho en el combate, que ya estaba increíble en el Remake, es digna de mención, cómo han conseguido evolucionar sobre un sistema que ya parecía perfecto y le han dado un par de cositas para que eches chispas por los ojos y los dedos.

Y es que sabe exactamente qué teclas tocar, cómo ser a la vez el homenaje con más amor que te puedes echar a la cara y darle su propia vuelta, expandirlo y removerlo para ser algo propio. Y qué más me da que tenga que ir cada vez a por un chocobo, a activar unas torres y a analizar unas piedras si voy con estos personajes por los que daría la vida, conociendo a secundarios y sabiendo cada vez más y más que le preocupa a cada uno, riendo con ellos y llorando con ellos. Es un viaje que no se puede explicar, hay que vivirlo. Y, personalmente, cada paso me ha rentado. Ahora ya estaré con el mono hasta que llegue la tercera parte.

Let’s start by just saying that the Final Fantasy series has been struggling to keep up with the times for at least the last twenty years, and that Square Enix’s approach for this “remake” trilogy stands out as their most successful attempt yet. Despite drawing on familiar material, they’ve managed to capture the same sense of scale and diversity of the classic games, delivering not only the most refined ATB-led combat experience to date, but also a plethora of minigames, side quests, areas to explore, and even temporary changes and additions in the gameplay dynamics to go along the story or the character you are focusing on. While some elements may feel obsolete and reminiscent of Ubisoft's open-world titles (like activating towers and mechanically uncovering points of interest), they're counterbalanced by the remarkable variety of engaging activities. Some players might even find themselves overwhelmed by the abundance of content this time around. Additionally, the length of individual sections, which occasionally dragged in "Remake," has been significantly tightened.

The pacing really depends on how much of a completionist you are. f you aim to simply explore the main environments and complete side quests, it won't demand an excessive amount of time compared to the average open-world action RPG. However, pursuing all achievements presents a different challenge altogether. This choice alone can transform the experience into a real nightmare. Completing all side quests, uncovering all points of interest, and, particularly, mastering all minigames will require not only considerable patience but also a minimum of 130 hours. Following that, you'll have an additional 20 hours to tackle a hard mode replay (manageable) and possibly a dozen more hours to conquer the combat simulator's "brutal" and "legendary" challenges (impossible). I found myself throwing in the towel halfway through the brutal challenges, as they proved nearly insurmountable regardless of my build, including cheese tactics. I wish I had known this before “wasting” 160 hours on all other objectives…

Unless you are planning to spend 200 hours perfecting your combat style and leveling up all materia, I highly recommend you only enjoy the main campaign and freely explore the open maps without worrying too much about the degree of completion. Otherwise, the things you initially liked about the game will all turn into extreme turn-offs.

The narrative largely stays true to the original, with a few additions enriching the main plot or establishing intriguing connections between events. For instance, the roles of the Gi tribe and Wutai have been reimagined to integrate into the overarching storyline. However, much like in "Remake," I still think the multiverse was the last thing we needed, especially at a time when all entertainment is seemingly obsessed by it. While it introduces a handful of new ideas to complement the familiar FF7 narrative, potential complications could arise in future installments. We will see.

The overarching narrative and occasional dramatic moments generally hit the mark, but the comedic relief felt a little off. While I am aware that the original was just as goofy… experiencing it in fully acted cutscenes with actual voice actors somehow makes it feel remarkably cringeworthy and redundant, comparing the experience to a not particularly well-directed anime. However, I have to say that the English localization has much better dialogue writing than its Japanese counterpart, despite the inevitable liberties taken in translation. It’s an issue common to most Japanese videogames, but the writing and direction are really the biggest issues making them decades behind international AAA titles like “Baldur’s Gate 3” or “The Last of Us”.

Well this was a bit of a disappointment for me. Don't get me wrong it was good. If you have a fondness for the original or Remake it's probably worth continuing the series here and I'll certainly be there for the final chapter when that releases but this entry has problems.

I went back and read my review of Remake Intergrade and I complained that there weren't enough open areas with side quests and it felt like I was burning through the game too fast... Well they "fixed" that. The story beats are stretched incredibly far apart. At times I forgot what I was actually supposed to be doing because nothing of consequence happened for such long stretches. It feels mostly like padding with only a few actual story rich moments in the entire game. Sure you get the open world and side quests galore but they're mostly just MMO-style nonsense... "help me catch my chickens, go find this thing and bring it here".

The combat was still good. Felt balanced. I had fun switching the characters more this time instead of sticking to a core party. The music was an excellent rendition of the original tunes and the art style fit. It isn't a graphical powerhouse but it looks nice and the characters seem to fit well.

I guess this is a case of be careful what you wish for. Its a competent game but they overcorrected from Remake to here. The series still feels worthwhile but maybe not for new fans with limited time on their hands.

Thoughts on Completion

Still processing it all, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an absolutely wild ride.

A fantastic follow-up to Remake, a remarkable second part in this remake trilogy of the original FF7, and I genuinely believe it's one of the greatest video games of all time. In just a few months, across the original, Remake, Crisis Core, and now Rebirth, the whole set of games in the FF7 series have become some of my favourites of all time - with the original and Rebirth being particular standouts.

I was constantly in awe playing Rebirth at just how creative and inventive the game is, and it's truly mind-boggling how they pulled off such a well-paced, perfectly-designed game, especially one that lasted me over 100 hours. There are some issues I could note, but we're talking minor critiques that are either just preference, or others that are essentially forgivable considering the scale and quality of everything else. It's difficult not to call the game perfect even if yes, you could argue otherwise.

I also want to call out how much of an actual sequel this feels like too. Not only does it right essentially all of the wrongs of the previous game, it also does a bunch of new stuff, all of which is often high quality and relentlessly good. The game feels like a direct sequel in all the right ways, whilst throwing in a vast number of new ideas and evolutions that make it feel like a very new game at the same time. Its scale and expansiveness is one of the biggest factors in achieving this, and it nails the feeling of going from Remake's mostly corridor-like level design to a varied world that feels lived in, alive, and completely fresh, full of iconic locations and memorable characters.

Furthermore, the pacing and connectivity of the game is much improved this time around - any time there's a moment that begins to outstay its welcome, the game usually course-corrects fairly quickly to do something different. This happens at the right moment several times, and there's only really a couple of areas that feel a bit unnecessary or weirdly designed.

I have some ideas how they might be able to keep this up in part 3 (looking at you, Highwind), but even still, topping this game is going to be one hell of a challenge. Nevertheless, with such a massive jump from Remake, who even knows what they've got cooking over there!

So yeah, FF7 Rebirth is incredible. There's so much to say about the game, but I think it's gonna take some time before I fully formulate all those thoughts honestly. The short of the long is that this likely will be my 2024 game of the year.

It's also PS5's best game, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best videogames to-date, filled with so much heart, care, and deep love that endlessly permeates throughout every aspect. It's endlessly brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable and exciting video game experiences I've ever had, sitting amongst some of my other favourite titles like Uncharted 4, the original FF7, and last year's Final Fantasy XVI (yeah, apparently I'm a big Final Fantasy fan now).

It's gonna be a long wait for part 3!