TGS 2023: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is Exactly What a Remake Should Be

Final Fantasy VII remains the most iconic entry of the franchise, so when it came time to remake the game for a modern audience, a simple remaster was not enough. When Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced, needless to say, fans had high expectations.

It’s not that the Remake did not meet these expectations, but the fact that it extended the admittedly short section of Midgar from the original game into a 30 to 40-hour adventure left a lot to be desired, even with the Yuffie-led expansion of Remake Intergrade released a year later.

So with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continuing the adventure from that point on, more of the classic JRPG elements of Final Fantasy VII will come into play. Specifically with a more open world to explore and the juggling of a full party of characters.

At the recent Tokyo Game Show 2023, IGN Southeast Asia managed to try out the latest demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which covers two major sections of the early game, ones that longtime fans will be instantly familiar with.

The Nibelheim Incident

The first section of the demo is Cloud’s flashback of the Nibelheim incident, which sees Cloud, Sephiroth, Tifa, and a Shinra Grunt climbing up Mount Nibel. Those who played the recent Crisis Core remake will have played this sequence of events as well, so it’s great to see an iconic part of the story retold in a new way.

Like the original game, this part of the story has Cloud in a party with Sephiroth, with the game making a point of how powerful the villain is as a party member. This time around, players get to actually play as Sephiroth and use all his iconic moves like Octaslash and Hell’s Gate.

While Cloud remains to be a reliable fighter as always, playing as Sephiroth is a whole different experience. Like the difference between the two in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Sephiroth is clearly the faster fighter with his bigger pool of spells also emphasising his raw power.

The demo ends with a boss battle with the Materia Guardian, a fearsome beast and a good time to really use the new Synergy Skills between Cloud and Sephiroth. The Double Helix move especially makes for an explosive finisher to the segment.

The Junon Dolphin

With this part of the demo, players will get a taste of what Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has to offer when the player is exploring the world at large. Midgar is no longer the central setting, and players are able to explore a vast world similar to Final Fantasy XVI.

Immediately after beginning this section, players will be able to ride Black Chocobos and get a feel of how Chocobo customisation works and a ranch to check. There are also crafting materials littered throughout this section, which players can use later on to upgrade equipment.

The latest addition to the game is the playable Red XIII, with his combat prowess reminding us of Sora’s Kingdom Hearts II lion form whenever he was in the Pride Lands. Red XIII is speedy and has a secondary mode called Vengeance Mode that increases his speed and attack.

Junon famously has Cloud and the gang saving a dolphin, which has been repurposed to be the moment the party meets Yuffie. This culminates in a boss fight against the Terror of the Deep, which is a massive sea serpent that requires the entire party to take down.

The Fated Reunion

Needless to say, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has us truly excited for what it is bringing to the table. As much as Remake was a fun experience, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is opening the doors for even more combat possibilities, party makeup, and world exploration.

It is closer to the overall experience of the original Final Fantasy and definitely what fans have been waiting for. Beyond the demo, new trailers have shown us glimpses of other major parts of the game, like Cait Sith, the Golden Saucer, and Aerith’s final stand.

There’s confirmation that Vincent Valentine will not be playable this time around, and the last party member Cid Highwind has not been revealed just yet. They may just be saved for the final part of this three-part remake, which might make fans a little antsy.

With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth seemingly ending after the Forgotten Capital, it leaves a lot of room for the third entry of this remake series to cover the end of Final Fantasy VII. Even then, Rebirth is covering a lot of ground that fans would be happy to rethread.