The newly-released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second chapter in the modern retelling of the 1997 classic Final Fantasy VII, expanding the middle chunk of the original game into a new 80+ hour experience. Rebirth is a triumph and a joyful modernization that thoughtfully reimagines the original and sets the curve for video game remakes. It also proves that Final Fantasy VII is probably the only game that deserves to be remade in such a way.
No other classic game has such a following of beloved fans, or such an infamous moment that spawned decades of impassioned discourse. Spoilers for a 24-year-old game: midway through, spritely and sweet Aerith is suddenly and permanently killed by the game’s villain.Â
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Aerith’s death rocked the gaming world, so much that it continues to overshadow FFVII’s other groundbreaking qualities: an iconic lineup of main characters in a plot that transitions between heartbreakingly serious and comically absurd, a successful mix of tragic backstory and goofy minigames. This was all in a game with the most advanced graphics of its day, bringing the storied Final Fantasy franchise from flat 2D sprites to dynamic 3D polygons.Â
2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first in Square Enix’s trilogy remaking the original game, set the style and developed the real-time combat system as it follows Cloud and company through their escape from industrial Midgar. From the first moments of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, it’s clear that the middle game is a whole new level of modernization with expansive open world areas filled with activities and sidequests, inviting players to run from lush grasslands to rocky seaside cliffs to beach paradises to arid deserts to verdant jungles and more.Â
Watch this: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Bringing an Old Story Into a Vast Open World
Looming over all of this gameplay grandeur is the storytelling door opened by Remake, which added a…
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