Square Enix is unstoppable and continues to keep the attention high on himself, even at the Summer Game Fest 2023 today June 8th. And not this time, there is no mention of Final Fantasy XVI, next title on the way, no further revelation clearly on this chapter from the imminent arrival, but of an unexpected title, a real revelation. We are talking this time about a return to a chapter always of the franchise of the “final fantasy” of the Japanese software house which has been making itself heard since 2020 now, and it is precisely the seventh chapter, which now returns again under the limelight with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, where he peeped with a very first gameplay trailer that showed several interesting scenes. Let’s find out all the details of this short but intense video just presented at the Summer Game Fest event!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: the return of Cloud with many new features
There was no shortage of quantities cutscenes and gameplay for the highly anticipated sequel to the remake of the famous seventh installment of the Square Enix saga. In this video just presented, we were able to attend the presentation of the gameplay of the game, with the presence mainly of Cloud, Aerith e Red XIII. The protagonists wonder where Cloud had gone in the last five years that have just passed, thus suggesting that time has passed since the last section of the narrative that we were able to play on the next-gen console from Sony. The game therefore continues in the narrative groove set since the first part, starting from Final Fantasy 7 Remake (which we had reviewed here) and from the later version Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade (here our review). But we immediately notice how already in the naming of this new chapter that noun so important in the previous ones, “remake”, is missing. It is now clear that it is a new path and new lifeblood given to this chapter, and that this term is no longer needed, or is there more to it? We will find out over time, also because the launch of this title is not far away. In the meantime, however, we have been able to witness welcome returns, both in terms of context and as main characters, and in terms of setting and ancillary elements such as Chocobo, for example, but there was no shortage of news.
The return to Midgar, between bombs and dark presences
Whether it’s a total reinterpretation of the original, is by now an all too clear and evident fact, but not only as regards the content. The graphics have also been renewed, showing them in a completely different way and reconstructed in 3D, alongside a largely modified game structure. Come back again this time the mixed combat system, now adopted by this new version of the JRPG from Square Enix, even if it remains an interesting point to find out how the second part of Final Fantasy 7 has been adapted. If in the original version it had a kind of open world at times, and quite explorable, with several quests to complete, it seems that this trait has also been maintained in this sequel. There are still i bombing of Midgar, in a sort of “Breaking news” TV format, as well as meeting new characters and enemies were not long in coming. Again then this strange and looming presence of beings veiled in black and similar to living skeletons, almost able to remember the Dementors in another fantasy story, and far from this one, Harry Potter. Finally, the return of Sephiroth, the inevitable antagonist of the entire narrative of the seventh chapter, which reveals itself again, with a brief flashback and a long wait on what her presence could mean in this version. Beyond the narrative itself, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth still promises a lot of action and spectacularization of the game world we find ourselves in again, with increasingly powerful special effects and explosive fight sequences, who are not afraid at all to use all the possible power and the sequences of combos to be implemented. But the news didn’t end there…
Third expansion, two discs and one console
Yes, because the real news is not only in the quite small launch windowsince, according to what has been announced, theearly 2024but the game will even come divided into two different discs, contained in the same box, it is assumed. Certainly not a novelty for Square Enix, which already in the late 90’s had released the version of FF7, FF8 and FF9 in thick packs to hold up to four discs (rogue nostalgia), but it is certainly not a usual practice for games launched in recent years, much less for next-gen ones. A pure marketing gimmick, or does this also mean that the game will be long and full-bodied? What about the digital version of the same instead? How could the latter receive a similar and equally attractive and interesting treatment? This too remains a detail that we can only wait for. However, we know at the moment that the game will take advantage of the power and SSD of the PS5 to further elevate the gaming experience, a factor that would not be a surprise, considering that Square Enix has always tried to invest in the best technologies of the latest generation. Not only that, as already happened in the Remake chapters, also in the case of Rebirth la soundtrack will be rearranged even more intensely and epic, so as to keep the level of involvement and pathos of the adventure high, to make us delve even further into the world of Final Fantasy.
Platform: PS5
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Publication date: 2024
We are waiting for Final Fantasy. But not only the sixteenth, looming chapter. The entire world given away by Square Enix, and by the whole team that is now dedicating itself to this new expansion of the seventh chapter, or rather its remake, is now a dream come true, and that we can dissect in every detail, to fully experience it and immerse yourself in it as much as possible. The fact remains that this chapter is not too far from us, considering that the release of its final version could be around eight or nine months away, and that we will discover more and more in the months to come. Cloud and company are returning, and the world in which they are immersed is also beautiful, with lots of daring action, endless battles and lots of irons in the fire. Or at least that’s what we hope, considering that we return to the nostalgic two-disc version.
