Tim Rogers once described FF7 Remake as "More FF7 than FF7." Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth continues that trend. FF7 Rebirth is egregious. It feels like it should be illegal to make a game like this, and yet Square-Enix keeps getting away with it. This video game is - simultaneously - both too much and not enough. It's the annoying middle stepchild in a family of games you haven't quite yet played - but really, let's be real, you've already played. Even if you haven't played the original Final Fantasy VII (PSX), you've played this sort of sprawling open world timesink game before, and you will again.
The thing that makes Rebirth remarkable amongst a field of AAA bullshit is its commitment to the bit. Not even in Yakuza have I seen such a dedication to bespoke, high-fidelity side-content. Even when there's a minigame that is utter dogshit nonsense (which is FREQUENTLY), I am struck by the sheer dedication the devs displayed in handcrafting a uniquely bad experience. No, I'm not mad. I'm actually having a great time. You can't stop me from playing Superman 64 (Chocobo Edition). I relish the opportunity. We simply have not seen this level of dedication to crap minigames since the PS2 era, and by god I'm going to savor that now that it's got millions of dollars in budget behind it.
Rebirth walks the tightrope between big swingy and conservative due to its unwavering commitment to fanservice that is its double-edged sword. I could complain about the story divergences and ending here, which are the narrative equivalent of kicking the can down the road. Why bother? Really it just speaks to the insecurities of the creative team, insecurities that are completely absent everywhere else in the game where they are just going nuts with stupid bullshit. Not to mention of course, a best in class ARPG battle system that somehow keeps getting better. The polarity of gamefeels of Rebirth is a testament to jank. Regardless of hangups: IT IS FUN TO PLAY
In summary: Rebirth is a luxurious experience despite and because of itself. The major issue of the modern era is Art being subsumed into Content; FF7 Rebirth manages to take Content to an Art form. God bless Tetsuya Nomura.
The thing that makes Rebirth remarkable amongst a field of AAA bullshit is its commitment to the bit. Not even in Yakuza have I seen such a dedication to bespoke, high-fidelity side-content. Even when there's a minigame that is utter dogshit nonsense (which is FREQUENTLY), I am struck by the sheer dedication the devs displayed in handcrafting a uniquely bad experience. No, I'm not mad. I'm actually having a great time. You can't stop me from playing Superman 64 (Chocobo Edition). I relish the opportunity. We simply have not seen this level of dedication to crap minigames since the PS2 era, and by god I'm going to savor that now that it's got millions of dollars in budget behind it.
Rebirth walks the tightrope between big swingy and conservative due to its unwavering commitment to fanservice that is its double-edged sword. I could complain about the story divergences and ending here, which are the narrative equivalent of kicking the can down the road. Why bother? Really it just speaks to the insecurities of the creative team, insecurities that are completely absent everywhere else in the game where they are just going nuts with stupid bullshit. Not to mention of course, a best in class ARPG battle system that somehow keeps getting better. The polarity of gamefeels of Rebirth is a testament to jank. Regardless of hangups: IT IS FUN TO PLAY
In summary: Rebirth is a luxurious experience despite and because of itself. The major issue of the modern era is Art being subsumed into Content; FF7 Rebirth manages to take Content to an Art form. God bless Tetsuya Nomura.