Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands beyond Midgar with stunning visuals, enhanced combat synergy, and thrilling Sephiroth gameplay
A Vast World Beyond Midgar
Dexerto recently had the opportunity to preview Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, experiencing firsthand the expansive world that extends well beyond Midgar’s industrial confines and gaining insight into Sephiroth’s formidable capabilities.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth dramatically expands the FF7 remake project’s scope, transitioning from Midgar’s urban environment to a significantly larger world. Our Dexerto preview highlighted both the excitement of exploration and Sephiroth’s imposing presence.
Following Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s 2020 debut, enthusiasts have anxiously anticipated the trilogy’s continuation. That extended wait concludes soon, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth scheduled for early next year release.
I participated in a hands-on session during a Square Enix developer event, where game director Naoki Hamaguchi provided insights into the project’s development.
Although my Rebirth experience was brief considering the complete game’s scale, it substantially increased my enthusiasm for this reimagined Final Fantasy 7 installment.
Contrasting with its predecessor confined to Midgar, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth guides Cloud and companions beyond the metropolis to advance their quest. This transition introduces a considerably more extensive, open environment to investigate.
Naturally, Rebirth doesn’t constitute a genuine open-world experience, though it occasionally evokes that sensation, particularly when compared to Midgar’s relatively confined design.
The demonstration imposed certain geographical restrictions, yet the accessible areas were visually breathtaking. The game’s performance on PlayStation 5 exceeds expectations—Remake already demonstrated visual excellence, but developers have clearly mastered next-generation technology, delivering sharper graphics and more vivid colors throughout.
Visual Upgrades on PS5
Square Enix has optimized the game specifically for PlayStation 5 hardware, leveraging the console’s SSD for nearly instantaneous loading times that maintain immersion during exploration. Ray tracing implementation enhances environmental reflections, while DualSense controller feedback provides tactile combat sensations that weren’t possible in the previous installment.
During this segment, Cloud and allies can utilize chocobos for rapid world navigation. Every party member receives their personal mount, creating amusing scenarios like the wolflike creature Red XIII perched atop his avian companion.
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Chocobo Exploration Mechanics
While I typically approach mounts and vehicles in similar games cautiously, the chocobos delivered surprisingly satisfying riding mechanics. Their swimming capability unlocks additional exploration opportunities and concealed secrets previously inaccessible.
An additional convenience feature allows riders to collect all nearby materials with a single button press while mounted. This proves particularly beneficial since Rebirth’s resources typically cluster in groups of three or four that require individual collection during foot travel.
Material Collection Tips
Strategic players should prioritize mounting chocobos when gathering materials across large areas. The efficiency gained from bulk collection significantly outpaces on-foot gathering. Additionally, certain materials only appear near water, requiring aquatic chocobo capabilities for access—plan exploration routes accordingly to maximize resource acquisition.
Enhanced Combat System
Veterans of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will recognize Rebirth’s combat foundation, which preserves that fusion of real-time action and the classic Active Time Battle framework that successfully merges traditional and contemporary elements.
Similar to Remake, each combatant exhibits unique playstyles, with seamless character switching during encounters or party member adjustments outside battles. Specific characters naturally excel against particular enemy types.
Character-Specific Strategies
Beyond Cloud, my personal preferences leaned toward Tifa and Barret. Tifa’s strikes deliver substantial impact (intentional wordplay), while Barret’s firearms provide optimal ranged damage solutions ideal for aerial opponents.
Rebirth introduces synergy abilities where duo combinations unleash coordinated powerful assaults against adversaries. These prove exhilarating both for combat effectiveness and the pure enjoyment of observing characters like Cloud and Barret or Tifa and Aerith collaborating.
Synergy Abilities Deep Dive
The most spectacular combination arguably involves Cloud and Sephiroth (detailed examination forthcoming). “Double Helix” demonstrates their coordination as Cloud attempts to emulate Sephiroth’s graceful techniques.
Once more, Rebirth’s battle mechanics haven’t undergone radical changes, though these partnership assaults provide excellent opportunities to witness character interactions through innovative, thrilling methods.
Advanced combat tip: Build ATB charges efficiently by mixing basic attacks with perfectly timed dodges. Each successful dodge generates partial ATB, allowing more frequent ability usage. Against tougher enemies, focus on staggering mechanics—certain abilities build stagger meters faster than others. Tifa’s unique skills particularly excel at increasing stagger damage multipliers once enemies become vulnerable.
Party Composition Tips
Avoid the common mistake of over-specializing your party. While having dedicated roles seems logical, Rebirth’s synergy system rewards balanced teams that can adapt to various enemy types. Ensure your party includes at least one ranged specialist (Barret or Vincent when available), one close-range powerhouse (Cloud or Tifa), and one magic user (Aerith) to handle diverse combat scenarios. Rotate characters frequently to build synergy levels between all party members, as higher synergy unlocks more powerful combined abilities.
Playing as Sephiroth
Beyond exploration, the demonstration incorporated a concise narrative segment that permitted players to temporarily command Sephiroth during combat.
Situated within a flashback depicting younger Cloud collaborating with Sephiroth under Tifa’s guidance through Mt. Nibel, this sequence maintained linear design while delivering heightened excitement.
Mt. Nibel Flashback
Players previously sampled Sephiroth’s combat prowess during Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s dramatic confrontation, though Rebirth enables utilizing the antagonist’s strength against regional threats. This demo portion concluded with a Materia Guardian boss encounter that thoroughly tested Sephiroth’s capabilities.
Predictably, the character controls exceptionally well. As another sword-wielder, his offensive patterns share general similarities with Cloud’s, though Masamune emphasizes reach and precision compared to Buster Sword’s raw power and weight.
Masamune vs Buster Sword
Sephiroth’s fighting style emphasizes precision strikes and maintaining optimal distance. His basic attacks have longer range but slightly slower startup than Cloud’s wide swings. The key difference lies in his special abilities—Sephiroth can perform aerial combos that Cloud cannot, and his magic attacks seem to charge faster while dealing more elemental damage. Practice his “Shadow Flare” ability for area control and “Hell’s Gate” for single-target decimation.
Clearly, he remains a temporary ally briefly, yet wielding Sephiroth’s capabilities in this section transcends momentary excitement; it effectively underscores the danger Sephiroth represents when transitioning from companion to adversary.
Boss Battle Insights
The Materia Guardian boss fight demonstrates several key combat principles that likely apply throughout Rebirth. The boss has clear attack patterns with telegraphing animations—watch for its glowing eyes before energy beam attacks and raised limbs before slam attacks. Perfect dodging these telegraphed moves builds significant ATB. Most importantly, the battle teaches resource management: conserve your most powerful abilities for when the boss becomes staggered, as damage multipliers during this state are substantially higher.
Final Impressions
This preview version offered merely a glimpse of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, yet it indicates promising developments awaiting players upon the game’s February 29, 2024 launch.
If this content engaged you, explore our additional Final Fantasy coverage, featuring current updates, guidance resources, and further information regarding titles such as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Final Fantasy 14, and Final Fantasy 16.
Release Expectations
Based on the preview build, Rebirth appears positioned to deliver approximately 40-50 hours of core gameplay, with completionist runs potentially exceeding 80 hours. The expanded world map suggests substantial side content beyond the main narrative, including chocobo breeding, weapon upgrading, and character-specific side stories that weren’t possible in Midgar’s confined setting.
Demo Limitations
The preview’s geographical restrictions prevented exploring areas like the Gold Saucer, Wutai, or Cosmo Canyon, leaving these locations as exciting discoveries for the full release. Additionally, several party members shown in trailers weren’t playable in the demo, suggesting their mechanics and synergy abilities remain to be fully revealed.
Future Content Hints
The expanded scope indicates Square Enix plans to cover the entire original game’s middle segment, likely concluding at the Northern Crater sequence. Story alterations from the original continue, with developer comments suggesting deeper exploration of Zack Fair’s timeline and additional character backstory elements that modernize the narrative for contemporary audiences while respecting the source material.
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