Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a sequel?

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is easily one of the biggest releases of 2024, especially for fans of role-playing games and more so for Final Fantasy enthusiasts. While every major mainline Final Fantasy comes with a massive hype surrounding it, owing to the series' history and legacy, the excitement for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth among fans is on another level.

With the game finally out in the wild, many players who might not be familiar with Final Fantasy games or Final Fantasy 7 Remake might be wondering whether Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a sequel or a spin-off. Given the game's name doesn't directly hint at it being a sequel, it admittedly can get quite confusing for newcomers.

Here's everything you need to know about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's connection to previous games in the series and whether it's a sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake or not.

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Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake?

First things first, yes, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is technically a sequel and the second entry in the planned Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. However, despite the game being a direct continuation of the story of 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake, you don't need to have played the previous title to understand and enjoy the recently released sequel.

Similarly to most mainline Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is built with newcomers in mind, and as such, the story here is structured in a way that you can still enjoy it despite not having any prior knowledge about the franchise. The sequel also features a summary for players who might want a brief outlook of the previous title's story.

That said, having played Final Fantasy 7 Remake before jumping onto the sequel does help you understand and appreciate the story, as well as its more nuanced elements.

Although Final Fantasy 7 Remake is technically a modern recreation of the 1996 original, it isn't a 1:1 remake. Instead, it's more like a reimagining of the original Final Fantasy 7 mythos, with a traditional "Tetsuya Nomura spin," complete with multiple timelines and parallel universes, somewhat akin to the Kingdom Hearts series.

It's always better to do your homework before you jump onto any mainline Final Fantasy game. However, for most modern Final Fantasy games, including the recently released sequel, you can get by just fine, even if you haven't played any of the previous titles in the series.

Despite this, as a fan of the series and someone who is rather new to the Final Fantasy bandwagon, I highly recommend that you give Final Fantasy 7 Remake a spin before you start playing the sequel. This will help you not only understand the story better but also get attached to Cloud, his friends, and perhaps even their adversaries.