Square Enix released a playable demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth to give players a taste of this upcoming grand adventure. After playing the demo and turning every stone and breaking every breakable box in it, I can confidently say that this seems to be definitely the biggest Final Fantasy title ever made, given the finesse presented to us in these two hours. That being said, here’s a preview of the colossal Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo immerses you in the very-well-known story of Cloud, recounting the events of Nibelheim, which are known for altering the fate of Gaia. From the outset, I was struck by the AMAZING attention to detail—not just in graphics and music, but also in how Cloud’s character was portrayed. He behaved differently, more uplifted and more bubbly, a detail that will resonate with those familiar with the game’s story. To avoid spoilers, I won’t delve into specifics, but this small detail will be appreciated by fans and will make more sense in the next installment for those unfamiliar with the story. Additionally, having Caleb Pierce voice one of the Shinra soldiers was an excellent move, nice job Square Enix!
But beyond that, as soon as I set foot in Nibelheim, I expected the demo to immediately thrust me into the main quest. Instead, it took me on a nostalgic journey through Cloud’s hometown at its finest. From meeting his mom to playing a piano mini-game where you can perform songs from the game or ones you’re familiar with if you’re skilled at piano, the entire experience left me with a huge smile on my face. I was truly satisfied with the experience.
Storywise, the game stayed true to the source material and even added some more exciting elements, which is exactly what I had been hoping for from the Remake but never got. For example, in some instances, Sephiroth would explain more about materia, the world, mako, and even his own identity in ways that immerse you more into the lure. This gave me hope that the core story of Final Fantasy VII would be explored more thoroughly, and welcomely so. In the Remake, I had wanted to learn more about Midgar and Shinra, but unfortunately, I ended up with more knowledge about everything else except that. The Remake often focused on character relationships and “shippers” rather than delving into the core themes of the story which invloved destorying the planet and corporate greed. However, this demo for Rebirth provides me with a substantial taste of what I truly desire from the game: the actual story beats and an expansion upon them.
What unfolds in Nibelheim is a cornerstone of what Final Fantasy VII represents, and oh boy, did the team deliver! I was simultaneously excited, happy, scared, and angry as I experienced the grand event with superb storytelling and direction. Every inhabitant of the town had something to tell me or show me which made the game so lively. I felt Cloud’s suffering and concern, and I felt Sephiroth’s unquelled anger. It was precisely the experience I had hoped for, and even more. I’m eagerly anticipating whether the entire game, as a package, will continue to excel in storytelling right up to the end. If so, we’re not just going to have a great entry for the Final Fantasy VII saga, but a remarkable addition to the Final Fantasy series as a whole.
It wasn’t long after I enjoyed my journey in Nibelheim that I ventured on my way to the Mako reactor, and I can tell you, I was blown away by the environment. It was very exciting. However, although I wanted to explore, I noticed Cloud slows down when I venture too far. I kind of understand this because this part is story-focused and I will have the chance to do so later on. But out of excitement, I wanted to explore more. The demo didn’t provide a lot in terms of gameplay, but man oh man, the battle system is definitely a Remake++. It’s more action-packed, more exciting, and more focused on trying new strategies to triumph in battle. In Remake, for example, I really didn’t have a reason to switch between Cloud’s modes. But in the demo, there were instances where the enemy just keeps hitting you unless you change to Punisher Mode to counter-attack the monster and then have an opening to stagger it and defeat it. Also, if you are far from a monster, you can definitely just dodge and hit it from afar, which makes the battle system very fluid and flawless where I don’t have to constantly run to keep in contact with the monster I am planning to fight. Added to this, I am a huge fan of aerial combat, and with Cloud, they have definitely nailed it.
The game introduces new materias to use, like the Empowerment Materia that gives you either Bravery (to raise your attack power) or Faith (to raise your magical power). There are also a few new support materias that I noticed, like the Level Boost Materia that increases the level of the materia by one level when linked to it, and the Auto-Cast Materia that lets the user auto-cast a magic materia linked to it (which would be very useful when you want someone to cast cure or support spells right away). Although I didn’t have enough spells to test that one with (like Protect and Haste), I see it as one of the most important additions which will make the flow of battle as smooth as it gets.
Another new aspect of the battle system is the synergy attacks, which are attacks that involve two characters and don’t cost ATB. It’s a cool way to land a swift hit until you decide on your next move. There is also a Limit Break type of these attacks where things are more cinematic and deal bigger damage, literally changing the tides of battle.
The demo gives you the chance to play with Sephiroth, which was the main character I controlled, more so because I know he is a guest character. But playing with him was less exciting than playing with Cloud, maybe because I wasn’t as used to him, but his moves are less practical and precise and with no defending mechanism and rather counter-attacking.
In general, the demo’s gameplay just reassured me that I will definitely enjoy this game through and through solely because of its gameplay. It is literally two steps up from what Remake was and more.
The graphics in the demo were breathtaking, and I found myself stopping to take pictures because it really captured the “Final Fantasy” essence. However, that wasn’t what truly grabbed me. Honestly? The soundtrack of the game was a huge highlight for me. I was literally blown away, even though I was expecting an amazing job. It was exciting, melodic, and full of life. It made me stop more often than not just to listen to it. The tracks sampled the original yet added a much grander feeling to it, something I found daring yet successful. Normally, remakes will have the same music but amped up a little, but in Rebirth, it’s a literal recreation of the track and a true rebirth of it. It only samples the original while adding its own elements. Believe me when I say, if the soundtrack in the whole package continues with the same trend, we will probably have the best soundtrack ever for a Final Fantasy game. And that’s coming from someone who sang praises for the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XVI. Seriously, it will be a heavenly experience for your ears, and I can’t wait to hear more of it.
In the end, the demo really raised my hype-o-meter from “I will play it” to “I can’t wait to get my hands on it.” I was really on the fence after experiencing Remake, but now I’m excited to see what the team has in store. Since it truly changed my mind about how hyped I am, I believe it will change yours too. Give it a try. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be released on the 29th of February exclusively on PlayStation 5.
