A classic JRPG is getting a modern makeover in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Square Enix gave us even more to go on during the September 2023 PlayStation State of Play, revealing new gameplay, a collector's edition, and more.
Set to launch in February 2024, the second chapter in the will-be trilogy is looking brilliant already. A third instalment is already planned, promising to go even bigger than its predecessor. We can expect to see locations such as the Gold Saucer, meet new and familiar faces, and get stuck into plenty of mini-games as we venture around with Cloud and the gang one more.
How closely it follows the story of the original and how far it will take us remains to be seen, but there's already plenty of speculation already. With every extended look we get, there's something new to tuck into, and FF7R is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated upcoming PS5 games of this year, especially as one of the new games for 2024 coming in the next few weeks. Read on below as we take you through everything we know so far about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, from a release date to preview impressions, gameplay details, and more.
Recent updates
Our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth guide was updated on February 7, adding a recent FF7R preview and plenty of news surrounding the upcoming action game following a dedicated State of Play showcase.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth news
- Preview: In every way, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth builds on the bonds that make Remake so special
- Tetsuya Nomura says he can't claim full responsibility for Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts' wildest twists, but he's "happy if people enjoy the game"
- Final Fantasy 7 veteran Tetsuya Nomura is "even more nervous" about fans' reactions to Rebirth's ending than its predecessor's
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's recreation of the famous Nibelheim flashback makes me extra glad the remake exists
- New Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer reveals first full look at Cid and Vincent
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has a deck-building minigame that's giving me major Witcher 3 vibes
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reintroduces fan-favorite Zack in an "immensely important" and "crucial" role
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date
The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date has been confirmed for February 29, 2024. The news was confirmed at PlayStation's September 2023 State of Play, where the launch date was confirmed alongside a brand new look at the game – confirming the return of Vincent, as well as the Golden Saucer and all of its wonderful minigames.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth collector's edition
The Final Fantasy 7 rebirth collector's edition has been revealed, alongside a deluxe edition hard copy. The collector's edition was announced at the same time as the game's release date, and the double-disc epic and its accoutrements will set you back a staggering US$350. As well as the steel book from the deluxe version, the FF7R collector's edition comes with DLC, in-game accessories, and a massive 19in Sephiroth statue to adorn your living room with. It's a pricy one for sure, but for any dedicated FF7 fan, it sounds like an enticing deal.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth platforms
The only platform Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is confirmed to launch on is PS5. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake did originally release on PS4, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is skipping the platform entirely as Square Enix focuses its efforts on the new generation of consoles.
Square Enix is yet to confirm whether a Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC release is on the cards, although with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade now available on Steam, there is a fair chance that Rebirth will make it there eventually.
Will Final Fantasy 7 Remake come to Xbox?
The question of whether Final Fantasy 7 Remake will come to Xbox platforms remains unanswered, although there is some hope yet. As it stands, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, are PlayStation console exclusives. However, with news that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade has finally made its way to PC, the chances of an Xbox Series X port have improved. Couple that speculation with the fact that Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion – a Remaster of the FF7 prequel in the style of Remake – is coming to Xbox One and Xbox Series X later this year, so Square Enix might be laying the groundwork for a future release of Remake Intergrade on Microsoft platforms.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gameplay
We've gotten to see quite a bit of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gameplay since it was first announced. With a look during Summer Game Fest 2023 and another helping of action shown off in the September 2023 State of Play showcase, we've seen Cloud and the gang walk through more open environments, as well as mini-games at the Gold Saucer, which you may know is a prominent location in the original game. The latest gameplay trailer showed off Cloud riding on a Chocobo, taking part in some races, and even going around on a segue. It's certainly evident that the second part of Final Fantasy 7 will be upping the scale, with Square Enix revealed that we can expect "nearly 100 hours of adventure" in Rebirth.
A more recent FF7R preview takes us part-way through the very first chapter. "What I enjoy most about my time in Kalm, though, is the way it introduces me to one of the new features of Rebirth – and it's one that gets right to the heart of what makes me so excited for the follow-up," Senior Staff Writer Heather Wald writes. "Just as Remake let us see new sides to its iconic cast of characters by letting us spend more time with them between the action, Rebirth is putting a greater focus on party bonds in every respect, from the combat to the story."
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Combat
The trailers have shown off Cloud fighting various creatures with Final Fantasy 7 Remake's blend of real-time action and commands, but we've also seen glimpses of the other party members in action. As we've seen so far, it looks like we'll once again be fighting alongside Barret, Tifa, and Aerith, with the latest party addition Red 13 also joining the fray.
Interestingly, in a recent PlayStation blog following the September 2023 State of Play showcase, director Naoki Hamaguchi outlined that Red 13 will offer something different as a new type of character. As well as an ATB gauge, Red also has a "revenge gauge mechanic" that is said to charge up when he guards against enemy attacks. We can then make use of this gauge to initiate various abilities in battle.
The blog also revealed we can expect to see "new synergy moves" in the updated battle system. These Synergy commands and abilities can be used "freely at any time" by using up a charged up gauge not unlike Limit Breaks. It's through these moves, as Hamaguchi explains, that we'll be able to "feel the relationships and bonds that have developed between characters even more so than in the previous game". Rebirth will also add skill trees as a new element of "character growth", along with more Materia and abilities.
12DOVE's Heather Wald went hands-on with the game at a recent preview event, and comments on how dynamic Synergies feel. "Not only this," she writes, "But there are also Synergy Skills that you can use while blocking with R1, which are unique to different sets of characters and activate combined moves that don't require you to fill the ATB gauge to use. Using them in combat really makes the whole party feel unified, and it instills a sense of camaraderie that also effectively feeds into the way Rebirth is making bonds as one of its main themes."
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailers
The most recent Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer shown at The Game Awards 2023 was also the hard launch for its new theme song, performed live on stage between award announcements.
The first Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer was only one minute and 34 seconds long, but it got us on the hype train immediately. The short glimpse into what Square Enix has planned for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 shows Cloud and Sephiroth stalking some familiar areas as the party pushes out of Midgar and into the wider world. Of course, the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reveal trailer also gave us our first look at the upgraded visual style, with Square Enix leveraging the power of the PS5 for this new RPG adventure.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth story
If you played both Final Fantasy 7 from 1997 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake from 2020, you'll know by now that the games have drastically different storylines. Square Enix took the framework of the original and reimagined it for a new generation of players, which means there's little to know for certain on what twists and turns we can expect from the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth story. However, we do know that this will be a direct continuation of where Intergrade left off – with Cloud arriving at the village of Kalm, and Zack entering the Sector 5 church in search of Aerith – before allowing the wider party to explore the wider world beyond the boundaries of Midgar.
Additionally, creative director Tetsuya Nomura says you won't need to have played either Final Fantasy 7 or Final Fantasy 7 Remake to enjoy Part 2 of the adventure. "Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is being designed so that people can enjoy this game whether they know the original game or not.
The lastest gameplay trailer during the Summer Game Fest also saw mention of the fact that Sephiroth still lives after the fight in the Part 1. The group also hear about the Lifestream, which is the very essence of the world that's connected to Sephiroth. Interesting, there are also flashes of Tifa getting attacked, and the mysterious hooded figures make an appearance. There's still a lot of questions surrounding the story, and the trailer only raises more as to whether it will follow the same plot as the original, or open up the way to new narrative directions or timelines.
Interestingly, the latest September State of Play 2023 trailer appears to suggest that it may well end on a very famous scene involving Aerith. Yes, that scene.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth characters
The latest Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailers showed off some of the characters will be reuniting with as well ones that will be introduced in the second part of the RPG. Below are all of the characters we can expect to see in Rebirth.
- Aerith
- Tifa
- Barret
- Red 13
- Sephiroth
- Yuffie
- Vincent
- Cait Sith
- Elena (member of the Turks)
- Rude (member of the Turks)
- Vincent Valentine
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth development
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth development is thought to have been ongoing since before production wrapped up on 2020's Final Fantasy Remake for PS4. Square Enix has since launched the Intermission DLC, and Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade for PS5 and PC. Producer Yoshinori Kitase acknowledges that the three year wait has been tough, although he believes the end result will be worth it: "Three years may feel like a long time for all the fans who are eagerly awaiting the next game, but we want to offer the best experience possible and reassure everyone that development is proceeding at an astonishingly fast pace for such a large-scale HD title."
Creative director Tetsuya Nomura had this to say regarding development on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: "The development of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been progressing rapidly since we adopted a new development structure. A title of this scale, in which everything is interconnected even before production began is truly rare." Game director Naoki Hamaguchi adds that "development has already entered full production and the team is highly motivated in putting everything together on the project, and working to create a finished game."
Final Fantasy Remake trilogy
Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is actually the middle chapter in a larger Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy of games. Here's a fun little bit of trivia for you, which bears absolutely no standing on how Square Enix may develop this reimagined storyline: When Final Fantasy 7 released in 1997 for PS1, it came packed onto three discs – so that's some fun symmetry. Anyway, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase had this to say about the decision to make the Remake a trilogy:
"Making the middle part of a trilogy has its own challenges, but there are plenty of classic second installments in the world of film that are defined by stunning story twists and deeper explorations of their characters. Often these second installments become a favorite amongst the fans. In the same vein, we are aiming to make Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth an even more gripping and memorable experience than Final Fantasy 7 Remake."
Additionally, Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that "some development has already begun on the third title," with the creative director adding that he has already "started on the development, and am working towards the completion of the series." Nomura and his teams at Square Enix are working with what he calls an "interconnected' development structure, which could hopefully mean that we don't have to wait three years after the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to play the final part of this trilogy.
While you wait for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, why not return to one of the best Final Fantasy games of all-time, or one of the best RPGs that you can play today.
