After being rather disappointed with Final Fantasy XVI and really enjoying Final Fantasy VII Remake, I felt a little trepidation about the next entry into this trilogy. Thankfully, the demo went a long way to assuage my fears, and I excitedly picked up a copy at my local book/game store, even if the discs were misprinted here in Japan. 

I played the original Final Fantasy 7 on my PlayStation Vita (RIP) during high school. I knew it was often hailed as one of the greatest games of all time. As an aspiring game designer, I thought I should play it to do my due diligence. By then I’d already become a fan of Final Fantasy through Kingdom Hearts, and later Final Fantasy 10 and 10-2. 

I enjoyed my time with it, reflecting how much more modern RPGs must have borrowed from this game. Though the graphics didn’t feel terribly impactful, and the absence of voice acting I’d grown accustomed to made it harder to connect with the story and characters. I got all the way to the final fight with Sephiroth, and like with many games, stopped there for whatever reason.. 

So when I first played the Final Fantasy Remake, I was surprised how much attachment I felt to the characters, and how quickly I became endered to them. I always liked Tifa, but the remake’s portrayal of Aerith did a lot to win me over. Even Cloud, who was nowhere near my favorite protagonist, found a soft spot in my heart. 

Having the remake’s story serve as a meta-commentary on the nature of remakes, fans’ expectations, and explore the Midgar in greater detail really hooked me. By the end of the game, I was sold; these remakes, regardless of how they turned out, had me along for the ride. I stood alongside Cloud and his party, free from the past, ready to explore the future. 

Now that I too have begun trying my hand at reviewing games, I feel I’ve seen the problem so many reviewers have to deal with when it comes to covering games with a long runtime, or mountains of content. Just how much do I play before I can discuss this game with authority? Do I have to finish the story? Do every sidequest? Or do I tackle it in pieces, giving a review in progress or updates to my thoughts as I play? 

I don’t review games as a job, playing games is just a hobby, and I want it to remain that way. I don’t want to blitz through the story, sacrificing enjoyment of the world, the characters and the game just to be able to discuss the game as a whole. I want to take my time with it, playing whatever way I feel naturally inclined. For now, that seems to be exploring all of the grasslands, checking off each and every marker as it appears. 

Remake was often criticized for its linearity, funneling players from one area to the next, with only smaller open ended sections where players could do sidequests that never felt terribly engaging. Rebirth ditches that almost completely, as soon as you saddle up on your chocobo, and meet Chadley, the open world begins. 

Open world games tend to be hit or miss. If it’s too big with too many markers, I often disengage from it. If it’s smaller, but more abundant, I’m far more likely to explore and try out the various sidequests and activities presented to me. The first area, the grasslands, seems to strike that balance well. 

It’s nothing novel, you seek towers, a la Assassins Creed, Breath Of The Wild, and almost any other open world game, to unlock more markers and things to do. There’s combat challenges against rare monsters, scanning various objects via short mini games, and searching for treasure either on foot or on your chocobo. 

It’s really the presentation and the combat system itself that’s kept me on the hook. The world looks gorgeous and the music is incredible. The main characters feel well realized, with sharp writing, well rounded personalities, and boatloads of charm. This game has so much more room to breathe then the first entry, and you can really feel that freedom expressed.

It’s not above nitpicks however. There’s some small performance issues, and the debate between graphics or performance mode rages on. Graphics mode is a locked 30fps with cleaner graphics, while performance mode aims for 60fps at the cost of muddier textures.

The mix on the audio is also a bit off, with the stellar soundtrack occasionally overpowering the dialogue. These issues are small, but noticeable enough that they’re worth mentioning. You may need to do some setting fiddling to get your experience just right. 

Combat builds off the foundation built in the last game, allowing you to control one character in a party of three. You have basic attacks with square, and a unique character ability with triangle. With each action you build your ATB meter, which lets you unleash more power spells and abilities.

You can either play this as an action game with pause to strategize or dive into menus, or automate the action and play it as a more classic turn based RPG. This format continues to be my favorite evolution of the modern take on turn based combat, and it’s a blast to play. 

There’s some smart tweaks to how characters play, and new additions in the form of synergy skills and abilities. Synergy skills are free actions where characters perform various joint actions that fill both of their ATB meters, giving you more options in combat.

After unleashing various commands in battle, you fill another meter, synergy charges. With enough of these stocked up you can unleash Synergy Abilities, which have party members team up for flashy attacks with various benefits. 

It took me a bit to come to grips with these new additions, but they add fun wrinkles to combat that make it feel more nuanced and reactive than Remake.

While most games with party size limits have the characters not in your active party waiting somewhere in the wings off screen, Rebirth has them on the fringes of the battlefield, making them feel more present. They cheer on your party while firing off the occasional attack, I’m not sure if this actually caused damage or not, but it’s a really nice touch. 

There’s an affinity system present in this game as well, where depending on Cloud’s dialogue choices and actions you can deepen your relationship with other party members. I’ve yet to see all the ways this affects the game, but it makes you feel like a real party out exploring the world together.

The relationships between the characters are nuanced, and never as simple as the tropes they appear to fall into. Tifa, your childhood friend, has complicated feelings about Cloud. She’s not just the girl next door, she has a deep interiority, and mixed feelings about Cloud’s sudden reentry into her life. 

As of yet, I’ve yet to see a lot of story, mostly being taken by the open world and the gameplay. I’m dying to see how the story may deviate from the original, if it takes any bold new swings, and how it lands with me. Yet, I’m too busy exploring, hearing fun quips between the characters, and jamming out to the new chocobo theme.

This game is big, intricate, and bold. It’s exactly what I want out of a Final Fantasy game. It is somewhat discouraging that the modern Final Fantasy games I like the best are new interpretations of older games, but it gives me hope for the franchise.

Final Fantasy XVI let me down in a lot of ways, and I was let down by Final Fantasy XV before it. I may still be let down by Rebirth’s story, but I’d wager that regardless of how it shakes out, I’ll find it fascinating.