Is it worth playing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in 2025?

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is everything the gaming community expected it to be and a lot more. Square Enix expanded the title's world by letting Cloud and the party leave Midgar and explore new iconic locations from the franchise, in a familiar story with darker twists and turns.

While the game was initially released for the PlayStation 5 in 2024, the developers confirmed it is finally heading to PC during last year's The Game Awards. The first part of the remake trilogy was great, and there is no denying that this sequel is a game worth revisiting in 2025.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a perfect sequel

The unknown journey continues in Rebirth (Image via Square Enix)

The remake trilogy incorporates aspects of time travel and the multiverse, making it difficult for the average player to keep up with. While Square Enix worked on the remake project to recreate certain scenes from the original Final Fantasy 7 with modern technology, they were adamant about redefining the meaning of a remake.

The title's story begins in an alternate reality where Zack survives the Shinra ambush and he rescues Aerith from a failed mission with Avalanche.

At the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Cloud and the party were on a mission to put a stop to Sephiroth's plan of summoning Meteor to destroy the planet. This greatly contrasts with Zack's reality. However, he still has an integral role during the final battle.

The remake's story roughly follows the original's story beats with a few changes, including additional side quests, new regions to explore, and optional activities.

Throughout the journey, Cloud and his friends will meet new friends like Yuffie Kisaragi, a Wutai ninja, and thief; Cid Highwind, a washed-up Shinra employee and pilot; Vincent Valentine, a mysterious man with unfinished business with Professor Hojo; and lastly, Cait Sith, an adorable yet backstabbing robot designed by Reeve Tuesti.

With the expanded roster, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will allow players to spend more time with these characters, unlike the original version.

Earlier, the Final Fantasy 7 remake was praised for the impressive blend of turn-based and real-time combat. This mechanic is carried over to the sequel, with the developers adding a few new improvements like synergy attacks where two characters can fuse their abilities for a devastating blow.

While it did carry over near-identical attacks, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is much more fluid with the dodging mechanic.

It can be overwhelming for a new player to learn the ropes of sorting different materials in weapon slots, the revamped skill tree system, and so on. Unlike the original version, the combat can become challenging even on a lower difficulty.

Some enemy bosses can annihilate Cloud and the party after a few hits, and this is reason enough to convince players that button mashing will not solve all of their problems.

The variety of open-world activities has increased exponentially when compared with the first chapter in the remake trilogy. The first game mostly takes place in Midgar with some areas feeling dull and bland, especially for mini-games and side quests. Rebirth stands like a bridge between the first and third games, with most of these activities found in the title.

The developers also introduced a new card game called Queen's Blood, which can be addictive. As Cloud and the party enter a new region, the environment is not just a rehash of older assets, allowing players to soak in eye candy after every turn.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is bigger and better than Remake (Image via Square Enix)

Throughout the game, players can climb up on a tower to clear the map of fog, which is a norm nowadays for massive open-world games. While the world is bigger and could overwhelm players, the game can be played at any pace. Some side missions and monster hunts can feel repetitive, which is probably among the weaker aspects of this sequel.

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Verdict

The gaming community shouldn't miss out on this open-world adventure (Image via Square Enix)

Despite a lot riding on it, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth lived up to the expectations it had after the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. There is no telling when the final chapter will be released, but fans can expect the same quality and detail.

While the game is already visually pleasing on a regular PlayStation 5, players can make the most of it on the Pro model or wait until January 23, 2025, to experience the journey on their powerful PCs or gaming handhelds. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a one-of-a-kind game with great replay value even years after release.