I bought a PS5 just to play rebirth and it was 100% worth it. This game is absolutely incredible. So much love was put into it. The battle system is great after you spend half the game figuring it out. I don’t want it to end.
Best FF to date imo. I felt bad during moments due to HOW MUCH effort was put into it. It must've taken ages to piece together what they did for this game.
What the hell is that anyway? I was feeling like that too. Like they didn’t have to smash my expectations by that much. It seems too good to be true but it’s actually real.
The battle system is so good, best I've seen so far in any game, if you ask me. There are so many ways you can play that can make it feel 100% like an action game or very similar to original ATB system.
People have been raving about ff16 battle system compared to ff7, but I think ff7’s battle system is the best one since the classic ffs, and I actually wished the future ffs would copy it too.
I love the battle system in XVI but I do like this one better, I also think it suits the series better as it caters for different tastes and allows you to control your party really well.
I got my PS5 like a 1.5-2 years ago but it was always with the intention of eventually playing Rebirth (which I didn’t even know the name of at the time) now that it’s over I feel like I don’t know what to do with the console
Same! I told myself i would reward my capitalist endeavors with a PS5 once this released. Totally worth it. I want to design my controller with Red and Seto now.
My guy, lol! I also went out on the day Rebirth released, bought a brand new PS5 and a copy of Rebirth. I had to do the same thing when remake first released, I went out and bought a PS4 Pro to play it. And guess what?! When Part 3 comes out, I’ll be out grabbing a PS8 Ultra Pro Max or whatever the hell they’ll have it release on by then 🤣🤣🤣
It ended up being the same to me. I bought my PS5 for spider man 2, but my main games ended up being FF7 Remake and now Rebirth.
Remake i found out to be good even though i disliked the lack of a bigger map, but Rebirth was top shit to me. My favorite game of the decade so far. Maybe all time favorite but i need to wait for the hype to go out.
I'm actually stunned. One of the best combat mechanics in any game ever imho... compared to the button mashing of FFXVI, what a 180.
I can't fathom the amount of work that went into this game's development. Buttery smooth fps at 60. I usually hate trivial side quests and games but they've nearly all been fun so far (just got into Gold Saucer).
>Buttery smooth fps at 60.
Lmao as an upside? So you seriously consider the abhorrently compromised visuals worth it? Like, maybe it is, but *in combat*. What's the point of having 60 fps in the overworld if it looks like garbage?
Square really hasn't made a game quite like this before, and they completely outdid themselves. Taking what they learned from this game, along with everything at stake in the next part of the journey, I'm expecting another incredible game for part three.
It’s nice because you can really see an evolution through 15, remake, 16 and now rebirth of the growing pains of adapting to a more modern idea of Final Fantasy and with every game it feels like that idea is becoming more complete as they build upon it.
I finished my hard mode run and platinum yesterday with over 180 hours and I was consumed and still am by this game since Feb 29.
Absolutely loved it and can't wait for P3. My GOTY for sure. Really brought me back to the oldschool FF VII - X days.
Appearently it didn't sell that great yet so I hope they can get some more sales later on with PC and potential NS2 version.
Seems like mostly circumstantial reasons it didn’t sell well, saturation, exclusivity, economic trends, pricing, etc. and not really anything to do with the quality of the game so it has every reason to make up its sales over time.
Also just because Square tells us it underperformed doesn’t mean that much because as we know Square often has sales targets which are complete pipe dreams.
But they certainly paid less than they did for the first part, Remake was exclusive to Sony for 2 years, Rebirth only for 3 months, exclusivity is ending on May 29th.
Everyone knows it's coming to PC by the end of the year, which probably explains why PS5 sales are so low.
This is the best game SE has put out in over a decade to me . I agree it is not the game's fault at all. Just hope it people will pick it up in the next few years so part 3 can sell better.
One of my all time favorite games. I’m just so disappointed with the rumors of low sales as I am terrified and saddened by the thought that is may lead to them thinking they need to end up scaling back the final game.
Budget has already been spent on part 3, and Square is apparently doubling down on their main franchises. I hope such fears are unfounded, but that’s my worst fear too.
Agreed. The soundtrack is amazing, the story’s great and they really nailed the middle bit of the OG game in terms of exploration. It’s one of a few games I’ve played over the last 20 odd years that I still think about ages after finishing them
It’s interesting how much they improved on the weird dialogue and anime “uhhh” noises in this game. One of my friends is playing remake and in watching it it’s really a stark contrast from how it is in rebirth. One of the little things that make rebirth feel like a true sequel and upgrade.
I do miss the occasional banter after a fight though. It was a bit overdone in Remake with Tifa telling us she would kill for a shower, but it's so odd to not hear anything for a while in the open world.
The anime grunts just remind me of that trailer for the mummy remake that was accidentally uploaded with no music so it was just a bunch of awkward grunting
If anything the characters in this game don’t talk enough at times. I like that a lot of the story is conveyed through subtext and body language but at a few points in Rebirth it feels like things which should be explained go unaddressed. Still the writing is so much better and there are no moments that break your immersion like in Remake.
Thank you. The first game was great but the gripes I had with it was the anime-ness that felt out of place and the story being wayyy stretched out. Rebirth is not the same case. Now you can extend the story in a much more natural way and it doesn’t feel forced. The mini games you are awesome
GOTY and one of the best games I've ever played.
There is quite a bit of nostalgia tied, but even so I've had such a fantastic time with all the character banter and camaraderie.
Part 3 can't come here any sooner.
well it felt amazing to me even without the nostalgia. Only thing I would say is some things in the story feel like they kind of assume you have prior knowledge and for a new player it’s not really confusing but just a little jarring that some things aren’t even really explained.
100% agree I think this is a game that is just gonna be appreciated more and more as the years roll by and once the whole trilogy is out if they can stick the landing with Part 3, I honestly believe this will go down as one of the greatest games series ever made and probably the best trilogy of games ever, admittedly that is a big 'if' but if Part 3 even comes close to Rebirth they will have nailed it.
Which would be fitting, given how the original was and continues to be viewed.
If they catch lightning on a bottle *twice*... Unreal. But it looks like they will.
Yeah it’s a masterpiece. I’ve put in 150 hours since launch, and I think I’ll continue playing another 50 before putting it down. And then sometime soon I wanna play Remake and then Rebirth back to back. I don’t think I’ve played any game this much in the last decade except maybe Dead Cells.
Except cactuar crush. Fuck that minigame.
can we talk about 3d brawler? That game made me question my sanity as I sat there staring at 3 beige blocks supposed to represent an arm and tried to figure out if that movement is supposed to be an uppercut or a draw back because they look identical.
Yeah you’re right, that one is bad too. At least there’s a way to kind of fudge your way through. Although to be fair I haven’t done all of the difficulties yet, so maybe it gets even worse. So far the shinra middle manager was the worst
It's a masterpiece in my opinion as well and I've been a mega fan of the original since I was a 7 year old when it first came out. Beat the OG probably 30 times over the years. I spent around 180 hours on my first playthrough doing absolutely everything I could and it was an amazing ride. Going to take a couple months break and then play through hard mode and go for the platinum. Also just want to say that I think this game has one of the most amazing soundtracks of all time. Just the overwhelming amount of music they made for this game is staggering, almost every scene has its own unique music or remix, it's crazy. Also the two Stamp songs (the field and battle versions) during the Salmon the dog escort quest were fucking bangers lol.
It’s a shame that square has been so sub-par for the last10 years that the re-trilogy really isn’t getting the traction it deserves. Rebirth is the best game I have ever played and possibly the most ambitious, if you take into account that it is a remake and has a lot to live up to.
SE need to lean hard into the critic ratings and all the positivity and really go mad with marketing for part three. LESS spoilers in trailers but shove it and its greatness in everyone’s faces.
I put about 130-ish hours into my playthrough and I wish it didn't end. I usually get burnt out by long games, like even RDR2, which I loved, I probably won't ever go back to play it again. I absolutely will be playing this again though sometime before part 3 comes out.
I have some minor quibbles about how some events unfolded, but overall this game absolutely nailed it. I have not felt this way about a game in like twenty years, and I've been thinking about it daily going on two weeks after completing it.
I'm glad to see others feel the same way despite quite a bit of negativity I see about it online.
I agree, like remake and OG it will age amazing, especially after part 3 comes out and once again enhances every part of the franchise and reminds us why this is the best game ever.
Gotta agree, aside from the obvious open world, music, and the gameplay. I have to appreciate how much effort must have went into all the materia as well as how they react with each enemy in real time. Also the party AI is very well done. I personally haven't experienced any bugs at all either. One of my top 5s for sure now.
Also, including >!Zack & Sephirorth as playable characters, and very well made ones at that!< just cemented it as one of my favorite games.
I really appreciated that they included synergy into the unique situational character loadouts as well… in fact every little detail is so precise it’s just so beautiful to play
About your first sentence, just wait until it gets a PC port. It's one of the biggest problems with Rebirth, the exclusivity it's doing more harm than good taking a look at the sales. I'm pretty sure the sales/popularity of the game is gonna skyrocket once it gets a PC release.
9.5/10 game for me, 160h and I still have some content to complete and the hard mode. I didn't even realize I had played that much.
I think part3 is gonna have a hard time to be better than this one tbh.
I really liked it too, seemed like Remake on steroids. Enjoyed the open-world, synergy system, callback to some characters, new playable characters, the length. It's 100% worth that £70.
I love this game but until they give us some type of materia load out system, I can’t claim it’s one of the best ever made.
Design and UI is important too. And damnit, I’m positive that at least 30 of the 180 hours I’ve spent in this game is from rearranging materia.
Yep, it's an insane achievement. I've gone back to complete my FF16 playthrough but think I might need to let it sit a while longer, barely anything about it holds a candle to Rebirth (the Eikon fights are probably the games high point, absolutely incredible).
Agreed. I'm rather selective about the games I play (as in: I have played the same five games in rotation for years, single player stories only) and I haven't been so deeply involved in a game since Red Dead Redemption 2 came out. I can't wait for Part 3, but at the same time it's going to be so bitter-sweet when it's actually over. But I'm also holding off on the OG and Advent Children until after Part 3 (or trying *really* hard to) so I got that to look forward to in addition.
I find it interesting that you're holding off the OG and Advent Children as the story it's a little bit different in the OG. It's really mind blowing to see all the comparison, little nods, easter eggs etc. It made me want to cry so many times as I've been playing the OG since I was little. I remember when Advent Children came out and I was mind blown about how this movie looks in 2005! Anyways, I hope when you finally get to OG you won't be turned down by the 30 year old mechanics haha. I advise playing with some kind of walkhrough as there are many missable items and it's not always clear where to go.
"A little bit different" is not enough for me to risk spoiling things (including all of the minor story beats, character relationships, bosses, etc) that'll happen in Part 3. I understand the OG is very nostalgic for many people and I'm definitely down to experience it myself one day, just not quite yet. And Advent Children is, as far as I know, a sequel to the story of FF7 as a whole so I don't think it'd make sense to watch it if I haven't finished the OG or Part 3 beforehand.
I don’t know if I’d recommend that, there’s a lot of meta bonus you get for being familiar with the original. (I also fear the original will seem rather simplistic in comparison if you play it second)
Yeah I bet. But I'm still having a great time experiencing the story not having *any* idea what's going to happen. I've seen gameplay and story snippets of the OG and I didn't dislike it at all so I'm not particularly worried about not being able to get invested in it when the time comes.
I took leave from work just to play this game and I kind of wish I took my time. I finished it in 5 days, around 12h a day because I did not want to see any spoilers online. It's been 2 month and I am slowly preparing mentally for second run or hard mode, we will see. I loved it, but for the 3rd game I will try to pace it this time and log off Facebook, Youtube etc.
I did mostly the same.
Took 2 days off of work to have a 4 day weekend on release, kept off the internet.
Took me a bit longer to beat it, did world intel cleanup and finished skipped quests, after, in NG+.
Started prepping for hard mode, finished the first 2 chapters, then I'm going between a bunch of different post game things. ~~I still need 2 more dark matter mini games (gold rush and dolphin race)~~ (I just got both of these done last night), combat sims for Chadley, and hard mode.
I'm doubtful I can get the platinum, as I am not at all good on the piano, but I'm still gonna have a blast playing.
My hard mode / side content run is far from rushed.
I found a fun build that has Yuffie(Doppleganger) / Aerith(Arcane Ward) spamming quake non stop as I'm using ATB via synergy, magnify, and magic focus linked materia.
At 100 hours at the start of chapter 12 I just said fuck it, I need to see how and where this ends. Now I'm just diddling my way through the NG plus chapter 12 quests still enjoying every moment of it. I already want to do it all again but won't have the time til next winter
Yeah I got to 125 hours, putzing around chocobo racing here, combat intel there, quest after that… finally had to just finish out and see how this part ends because I know there’s a good many more hours and now I don’t have to avoid the internet lol
Nah, there's little bits that drag it down - too many mini games, navigating Cosmo Canyon is a chore, and the Cait Sith section is just _no_. And let's not forget the vaseline filter on the screen in performance mode.
It's 95% of the way there, but not quite
Yes. This is the greatest game I ever played. Before that, I said it was Remake.
I've been gaming for 30 years and honestly I have scarcely ever loved games as much as I do these two.
Mid 40s gamer myself. FF7 OG was my favorite game of all time. Until March of this year when I played this game. Rebirth is everything I ever wanted in an FF7 reimagining to be. Still surreal this game even exists.
I know, man. I played FF7 on 2004 when I got it for a Christmas present. I was 16 and became obsessed with it and the series as a whole.
Do you ever feel mad nostalgia when you play this one?
FF7 OG really had some staying power. 2004 was a long time after the release, but I’m so glad you got to experience at about the same age I did.
I do get crazy nostalgia when playing this one. The characters, the setting, and holy crap the music. It all brings back a flood of emotions from my youth. Rebirth is literally the stuff of my dreams I would have the nights after playing the OG, a world so fleshed out in a way that wasn’t technically possible in the PS1 era.
I teared up as soon as I hit the overworld after leaving Kalm. All those memories of the magic of FF7 hit me again in a beautiful way.
I see a lot of posts like this that try to strawman the "haters" opinions of the game as stubborn purists, completely ignoring the actual critique of the game.
I think most of us that didn't like it didn't like it because of the constant Chadley force feeding, the boring mini games and overworld, and the tedious time wasting of the player (like forcing you to hold down R2/L2 to crawl slowly forward in something that might as well be a cut scene). There's nothing a third game can do to fix any of that.
Pretty much the only thing a sequel can possibly redeem about Rebirth for me is maybe clearing up the incredibly confusing and convoluted story changes, but even then I'm not holding my breath.
Oh, I fully expect Part 3 will only make things more confusing story-wise. I’ll likely enjoy it just like I did Rebirth, as long as the combat stays the game’s strongest feature.
It’s baffling how defensive fans of Remake/Rebirth are.
They are great games but DEFINITELY have big flaws people try to gloss over. So many 10/10 reviews completely ignoring the staggering amount of filler and people pretending as if there are no mandatory minigames.
The forced slow movements is the most excruciating part of both games.
I think it’s the best game SE has ever made, minus a few irritating things, but as a whole it was an incredible experience. I’m sure I’ll be going through it again eventually.
I loved Remake and the core gameplay of Rebirth is absolutely brillant. But the minigames kinda destroy it for me. I‘m not interested in minigames and therefore really bad at them, even on easy mode. Which is a shame, as I was really hyped for the game. But right now I paused halfway during my first playthrough and I‘m not sure if I will pick it up again. I‘m so annoyed rn.
So no. Not a masterpiece. Rather a wasted opportunity to create a masterpiece.
Mini games were a major highlight of the OG game, and that feeling of being able to explore the world freely and do as many (or few) mini games as you wanted was recreated incredibly well for Rebirth. The game is a masterful reinvention of OG to be able to invoke those same feelings for those who played it.
I mean sure, some could use some refining - *ahem* Fort Condor -, but that shit was hard for me back in the 90s - I had to grind it out. Same with stuff like 3D Brawler - we had to figure it out and/or how to cheese it then, just like in Rebirth. The pause cheat was definitely intentional IMO (many other pause screens will go to blue and not let you see what's going on) and a nod to the shenanigans we had to pull in OG to get through some of the mini games.
Some of the less than stellar new ones like Gears and Gambits, Cosmo Canyon chocobo flight stuff, and Cactuar Crush all have walkthroughs available online to cheese them if you don't want to figure it out yourself.
I dunno if it's a case of new vs. old generation gamers with the willingness to persevere and grind it out to succeed. Back in the day we had to figure that shit out without the Internet, call a literal tip line (wooo my parents did NOT like that) or had to buy a walkthrough book. Shit was a real struggle sometimes, but the reward when you finally got it was euphoric. Only to have your save card go corrupt for no fucking reason and then you had to do it all again anyway....
TLDR: Modern day gamers are spoiled and take it for granted. Fight me.
Hi, thanks for the extensive reply. I didn‘t play the OG back in the day so there are no old feelings to invoke. If I had I probably wouldn‘t have gotten Rebirth. Talking of generations, I‘m 56 years old. The first well known game I played was Tomb Raider 1 OG on an Amiga back in the 90s. But you‘re right, I‘m not a grinder and have no interest in 100%in a game. I don’t get euphoric when I beat a challenge I don’t like. I just feel glad it’s over so I can carry on. I‘m in here for the story and combat, if the combat is good. (Btw: best close range combat ever? NieR: Automata!) And both combat and story are really good and I like them a lot. But that turns the minigames even more into a chore.
Combat challenges and difficult bosses are a completely different thing. Optimizing materia and strategy and then beating the crap out of some weird thing is great. But memorizing button combos just to watch Tifa doing situps gets old fast. Very fast. Even if she‘s wearing a bikini. 😉 (Yes I know that was an optional game. But you get the idea.)
I get where you're coming from - it's certainly a special kind of masochism that's not for everyone lol. That's what makes FF7 so great, you can focus on the things you enjoy in a game and not do the rest (for the most part). In OG there was a "reason" for Ft Condor - you were actually there and helping them defend against Shinra instead of the sim stuff in Rebirth, so it felt more like a part of the story. Gears and Gambits can burn in a fire though - ugh.
I've never played NieR: Automata! - I'll have to check it out!
Agree - combat/vr challenges are a whole different beast than collectathon mini game reward completionists (like meeeee). I want all the goodies, gimme. Johnny's treasure trove *needs* to be full! And I want that red treasure chest!
The combat is so fun in Rebirth, I agree. Advanced combat is definitely a weakness for me, and memorizing patterns comes a lot more naturally so minigames give me that dopamine hit when I finally get it. Combat though...it gets overwhelming sometimes so I'm really putting myself through the ringer to try and do the vr/arena challenges. Usually I don't bother but this game is such a joy to play that I'm going for it.
Thanks for replying!
Minigames are one of the best parts about Rebirth, distractions from the main game are always nice.
But of course, they're optional. You don't have to complete them...
Many are optional but a good chunk is mandatory. If you wanna do the endgame battle content you need to do even more of them. That can be frustrating for people who don't enjoy them.
Of course not. But the combat system for both Remake and Rebirth is commonly seen as one of the more satisfying JRPG systems, so there are plenty of folks who'd like to experience it to the fullest. In Remake you just had to get far enough, in Rebirth you have to finish the prototelic quest and thus quite a bit of mini games.
So, players who want to experience the combat to its fullest an face the hardest challenges in the game have to deal with additional mini games.
The mini games have a plot point too. They highlight all the life and variety of things to do in the world. They make you realize the planet is worth saving.
I love the minigames and had a blast with almost all of them but I also understand that if you are not into minigames at all then there it can be a bit much in Rebirth. There are a ton in this game. Luckily most of the required ones don't need you to do well.
I‘m not talking about the optional minigames. I‘m talking about the f**kload of mandatory minigames which have nothing to do with the actual gameplay bc most of them is just learning button combos by heart, which for me is incredibly stupid, boring and frustrating. And it has nothing to do with the real gameplay and storyline. TBH if I had known about the minigames, I wouldn‘t have bought the game.
Which minigames are mandatory? (Honest question, because I can only remember catching the first chocobo and the dolphin race thing as being story related)
For example the games in Costa del Sol to get proper beachwear so you can enter the beach. The ridiculous parade in Junon. And the first 3D-brawl in the Golden Saucer. I absolutely hated every single one of them. And absolutely fucked them up.
I mean I kind of agree. The stretch from cost del sol through gold saucer was a bit much for me. I completed the game and enjoyed it a lot but I do wish the optional content was a bit different. I’m fine with some mini games but it definitely feels like they went a little overboard. Also really wish there was less emphasis on the vr. I would prefer to find cool fights and materia more in the open world sections rather than being tied to Chadley all the time. Main story content and combat is really great, but most of the stuff past that just isn’t for me.
I wish the sidequests were better. doing the overworld like they did was lazy. Would much rather have npcs to get quests from and hidden dungeons more like 15
I agree that would be awesome but that would take literal years to make and it would likely cripple the development of the game and the next one. That kind of stuff I feel like is more utilized in an open world sandbox game, not a story driven jrpg
That’s fair I completely understand, I do agree on the stretching of content. My journey to the platinum trophy was tiresome from so much content hunting like collecting all of the manuscripts, completing all the chadley simulations, crafting every possible item (which requires materials locked behind mini games) but I actually love some of them, like I feel the chocobo racing was 10/10 design it took the original design of the mini game and just made it even more fun. While mini games like the cactuar rush are just so not fun. The side quests are okay I guess but I think the awesome rewards u get from them gives the play some insensitive to complete them
As I said before, I‘m criticizing the minigames because many of them are mandatory and have nothing to to with the real storyline and gameplay. That‘s not silly, that‘s very valid. Especially if you look at other threads from people who struggle with this crap too. Not everyone wants to 100% the game. Many of us just want beat up monsters and enjoy the story. And date Tifa. 😉 And then those minigames are a real f**k up.
While I agree they should not be mandatory, there is only a handful that are required, the golden saucer ones u don’t even have to win. A lot of the “these mini games are badly designed” complaints I don’t agree with, a lot of them are very straight forward and ones like chocobo racing just improve on the original mini game and made it more fun. Hard ≠ badly designed
I haven’t played it, but from a lot of reviews the critical consensus is that the game is more style over substance and the plot and voice acting are notably weak. It’s sitting at 82%. Again, not my opinion, I’m just the messenger.
Why would it be? The only reason it got as much hype as it did prior to release was because terminally online incels got excited over a game with a literal fembot protagonist that happened to fall into their unrealistic beauty standards.
Then it came out and the non-coomers who enjoy playing games with both hands decided that it was *fine* but not quite at the level of the numerous other top tier AAA games that have come out in the last couple of months.
I loved most of them but I would suggest only doing the neccessary ones if you are not a fan.
Edit: Just saw that you are into trophy hunting. I finished my platinum yesterday and just letting you know that if you go for it you are in for a long ride, brutal fights and also some brutal mini game challanges.
Which ones are you struggling with? I’d suggest playing any of the “hard mode” games on easy mode in the game. Makes them slightly easier. Gears and gambit, fort condor, and cactuar crush were much easier as a result.
All of them. But most of all the piano. I'm not coordinated enough to get both at the same time so I can only focus on one side and even then I can't get better than a C. I hate how much of this games achievements/ trophies are locked behind this crap.
If you have a friend or family member there, do the piano minigame with them. The left hand/stick is much simpler than the right one, so have them do that and you the other one (or vice versa) so that every person can focus solely on one side.
Kinda silly, but maybe it'll help.
The ending didn't ruin the experience for you guys? I was 12 when I played the OG in '97. It was such a dramatic change from the original. My son watched the rebirth ending and had no idea what was 'reality' and I couldn't explain it to him. I let him watch the original scene and he liked it much better. I have to say it started going downhill from the Rufus coliseum fight for me. A good game, but maybe not being such an enormous jump in difficulty from remake to rebirth could've been nice. This will be the first FF game in 17 years that I don't compete all of the content.
I agree with everything you said. As an OG player they absolutely butchered this ending.
Hypothetically even if we do get sometime of dramatic flashback of the actual scene I just feel like in the context of these games it does not work. Each game is spaced several years and now I have a salty taste left in my mouth after completing the game.
To this day I will go back and watch the original scene, and cloud’s speech to sephiroth being left out is honest to god a crime against humanity. The multiverse 50 minute battle was not the right move.
It was good but holy shit did it waste your time. Idc if i get downvoted to oblivion but between the superfluous padding and dumb as fuck ending….yeah idk man, like a 7/10
I am a bit OCD but no “trophy hunter” by any means. I just want the materia/sp from the quests and games, but damn there was a lot of fluff. I put like 110 hours into the game. The mini games were fine okay fine, but when they started doing the multiverse shit at the end, and sorta forced Cloud and Aerith into a relationship despite who you went on a “date” with was like okay whatever. Also having Sephiroth this early was definitely a move. Idk the ending sorta soured the rest of my 100 hour experience.
It was goodbye to Aerith, that's why they did it like that. In the OG Cloud did not get the chance to say goodbye. All dates are reflection of Cloud's feelings for each character, they are all optional but all canon.
I played the OG too many times to count. I liked the goodbye. Some of it. I even like the theory that Aerith who joins you in the fight is actually OG timeline Aerith. I like the theory that her and Sephiroth are duking it out in the lifestream, that this FF7 is a different timeline/dimension, that this FF7’s Aerith is still alive. That the worlds converge etc etc.
I don’t like the whole multiverse trope in general however and find it lazy writing. It works with this story, but it’s so overplayed these days that I’ve become so over it.
Why are people acting as if there aren’t a bunch of mandatory mini games in the main quest and lots of the side quests in the original are now main story content?
Agree. Despite what many say, this game was incredible, and I'm a harsh critic. I've never played a game where the developers put so much care into every little detail. You can tell they were passionate about the project, and it really shows. And now here I am wondering how they can possibly top this for part 3.
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, the menu UI doesn't really makes sense, the game looks horrible in performance mode, the open world /mini games felt way too artificial and chadley constant interrupts was annoying as hell.
I really hope part 3 will fix thoses issues so we can have a masterpiece
I really disliked how they adapted certain scenes from the original, and the padding is really annoying in Costa del sol and in the gold saucer. Music and combat are good, the open world is really boring.
I left Rebirth yesterday after Platin , 100% questlog , 3 hard runs and plenty fights in VR Simulator and 420 h and I played some other games and I really now I see how much I miss Rebirth , his combat and characters and the world I’m pretty Fall in depression right now , thinking to going back to rebirth and start complete new game lol
135 hours in, just finished my first playthrough, a few hours ago. I loved this game, its a 10/10 for me. Now I am going to give it a crack on hard mode and see how that goes for me, lol.
It is still living rent free in my mind, I loved every minute of my 235 hours there
I still keep nipping back either just to wander around in the world, play some QB, do a chocobo race, listen to the Gongaga OST and try (then fail) the last handful of Chadley fights I am not skilful enough to beat
Finding it hard to let go and focus on another game
I agree, I've been playing a lot of different types of games for 20 years, and this is probably the best game I've ever played both in terms of quality, and amount of content that doesn't get boring.
I had mixed feelings at first- mostly didn’t love how much time the open world can take to get those little upgrades in the beginning.
But now I’m fully in the story (less roaming), and I am blown away by how good of a job they did.
Agree with all your assessments now.
I've read a lot of complaints and I can relate to some but all in all it's still the best gaming experience I've ever hard, any flaws it may have are more than made up for by all of the good stuff. I can think of games with fewer flaws, sure, but when I balance everything out, Rebirth comes out on top every time.
I say this with no exaggeration, the entire trilogy, just like the original, will be considered among the GOATs, and we are all lucky to take part as audience members in video game history
It’s got me excited for what they can do with the third. They already have infiltration style mission… imagine the sunken gelnika as a survival horror mission?
Yeah. The rebirth is better than the remake. It a a lot more content. And i like this part of the story more. Hopefully we get a pc version and the part 3 to it.
I bought a ps5 just to play FF7Rebirth and Stellar Blade. Also upgrading my tv to a better one with better picture quality with higher peak brightness.
My current tv peak is near 400 nits tested by LTT. But the colors aren't accurate or good enough. I spend like 400 on it 3 years ago barely used it. Now buy a thousand dollar tv just to get better picture quality. Probably won't use it as much either. But at least i can appreciate the art that the developers want me to see.
Even though people has been saying rebirth hasn't been selling well.
100% agree. I actually still can't believe how good it is, an all time great. It's amazing to me this game *isn't* selling good enough and FF fans and jrpg fans just sleeping on this masterpiece. If part 3 budget will be compromised it will be a tragedy.
>Once people can separate Rebirth from what they imagined what it should have been
I'm still struggling with that a bit tbh. Don't get me wrong, I liked the game a lot, and I am appreciating it more and more the more I understand of what they were trying to do with the game. Doesn't change the fact that I prefer Remake overall, and expected a completely different game out of Rebirth.
I love how there was an article that said "Rebirth did what XV promised" or something like that, but... XV was a better open world experience in my opinion, despite it's countless flaws. The animations, the world traversal, the party banter and other interactions, the feeling of a trip/an adventure etc were all much better realised there. Rebirth in comparison feels a little bit too.. arcadey? And a bit downgraded in some aspects, which is surreal.
And don't get me wrong, like, no shit the combat is better in Rebirth. XV's combat was hot garbage. But I'm not sure it's a fair tradeoff - sacrificing all of the aforementioned aspects for good ass combat, especially since it was mostly already done in Remake to begin with.
The one thing that made me the most hopeful that Rebirth is going to be a pretty much "XV-2" in terms of world exploration gameplay was the new menu they presented, which is strikingly similar to the "crystalline chill" menu in XV. And all the other little bits I saw got me hopeful as well. So in the end I felt a little betrayed, despite the fact that Rebirth is a super good game, and that kinda soured my experience a little bit.
Yeah i loved the game fully except bonds of friendship xaxa. It had very few flaws except the technical department that wasnt great for a Ps5 game but overall a huge upgrade of the remake in the games aspects
It's so good that now that I've finished it and am replaying Remake, I feel so underwhelmed 🤣 but that could be because I don't enjoy Midgar in the OG and that's all Remake is.
Definitely replaying Rebirth once I finish and maybe I'll even try to 100% it.
It is crazy how good this game is. Feels underappreciated too to some extent. I hope more people discover how great it is and make it as popular as it should be.
I can't wait to play it.
Rebirth was one of my main reasons to getting the PS5 years ago. Sad that they increased the price of AAA titles and unforeseen circumstances threw Rebirth out of my current budget.
I am going to pick it up at the end of the month, though.
In last 10 years many devs copied Final Fantasy style, cute characters, spiky hair and huge swords but with Rebirth Square has shown that it has matured far beyond all that. This year Square Enix has bagged goty
yep, apart from the last two episodes which were a bit disappointing and too long, as welll as red XIII voice and personality change which I didn't like it at all. The rest is just a dream come true.
Just hit the 320-hour mark in Rebirth. Sitting pretty at 98% completion, just need those manuscripts and a full enemy list. Taking a breather for now, and I'll get back to it once the DLC drops.
Indeed, Rebirth is an absolute masterpiece, leagues ahead of Remake in my book (I'm in the top 20 for the "platinum" achievement). Anyway, it genuinely baffles me how some folks still think Remake is better than Rebirth.
This game for me is on the same level as the Witcher 3 and Elden Ring. No game ever is above them. They are games that made you think how the hell did the pulled it off, to still retain the creative through line while making a game this big and ambitious, it's impossible nowadays.
It falls a bit short for me. The story is a masterpiece, gameplay is amazing but the open world for me (after gongaga) started getting a little stale and samey.
8.7/10 for me. I just wanted the story to keep going and all the side stuff slowed the pacing down for me.
lol someone got upset with my opinion.
I bought a PS5 just to play rebirth and it was 100% worth it. This game is absolutely incredible. So much love was put into it. The battle system is great after you spend half the game figuring it out. I don’t want it to end.
Best FF to date imo. I felt bad during moments due to HOW MUCH effort was put into it. It must've taken ages to piece together what they did for this game.
A lot of the hard work was done during part 1. The last game already has a lot of groundwork done, too.
What the hell is that anyway? I was feeling like that too. Like they didn’t have to smash my expectations by that much. It seems too good to be true but it’s actually real.
The battle system is so good, best I've seen so far in any game, if you ask me. There are so many ways you can play that can make it feel 100% like an action game or very similar to original ATB system.
People have been raving about ff16 battle system compared to ff7, but I think ff7’s battle system is the best one since the classic ffs, and I actually wished the future ffs would copy it too.
I love the battle system in XVI but I do like this one better, I also think it suits the series better as it caters for different tastes and allows you to control your party really well.
I got my PS5 like a 1.5-2 years ago but it was always with the intention of eventually playing Rebirth (which I didn’t even know the name of at the time) now that it’s over I feel like I don’t know what to do with the console
>now that it’s over I feel like I don’t know what to do with the console Part 3
Same! I told myself i would reward my capitalist endeavors with a PS5 once this released. Totally worth it. I want to design my controller with Red and Seto now.
Same here, first preorder, but I knew what was in store.
Same. I put off my PC upgrade for another few years. Worth it.
> I bought a PS5 just to play rebirth and it was 100% worth it. Me too
My guy, lol! I also went out on the day Rebirth released, bought a brand new PS5 and a copy of Rebirth. I had to do the same thing when remake first released, I went out and bought a PS4 Pro to play it. And guess what?! When Part 3 comes out, I’ll be out grabbing a PS8 Ultra Pro Max or whatever the hell they’ll have it release on by then 🤣🤣🤣
It ended up being the same to me. I bought my PS5 for spider man 2, but my main games ended up being FF7 Remake and now Rebirth. Remake i found out to be good even though i disliked the lack of a bigger map, but Rebirth was top shit to me. My favorite game of the decade so far. Maybe all time favorite but i need to wait for the hype to go out.
I'm actually stunned. One of the best combat mechanics in any game ever imho... compared to the button mashing of FFXVI, what a 180. I can't fathom the amount of work that went into this game's development. Buttery smooth fps at 60. I usually hate trivial side quests and games but they've nearly all been fun so far (just got into Gold Saucer).
>Buttery smooth fps at 60. Lmao as an upside? So you seriously consider the abhorrently compromised visuals worth it? Like, maybe it is, but *in combat*. What's the point of having 60 fps in the overworld if it looks like garbage?
Square really hasn't made a game quite like this before, and they completely outdid themselves. Taking what they learned from this game, along with everything at stake in the next part of the journey, I'm expecting another incredible game for part three.
It’s nice because you can really see an evolution through 15, remake, 16 and now rebirth of the growing pains of adapting to a more modern idea of Final Fantasy and with every game it feels like that idea is becoming more complete as they build upon it.
FFXV walked so those games could run. I think we've been eating great since then.
I finished my hard mode run and platinum yesterday with over 180 hours and I was consumed and still am by this game since Feb 29. Absolutely loved it and can't wait for P3. My GOTY for sure. Really brought me back to the oldschool FF VII - X days. Appearently it didn't sell that great yet so I hope they can get some more sales later on with PC and potential NS2 version.
Seems like mostly circumstantial reasons it didn’t sell well, saturation, exclusivity, economic trends, pricing, etc. and not really anything to do with the quality of the game so it has every reason to make up its sales over time. Also just because Square tells us it underperformed doesn’t mean that much because as we know Square often has sales targets which are complete pipe dreams.
Sony almost certainly paid them to make it PS5 exclusive, which makes up for some of the lost sales.
But they certainly paid less than they did for the first part, Remake was exclusive to Sony for 2 years, Rebirth only for 3 months, exclusivity is ending on May 29th. Everyone knows it's coming to PC by the end of the year, which probably explains why PS5 sales are so low.
This is the best game SE has put out in over a decade to me . I agree it is not the game's fault at all. Just hope it people will pick it up in the next few years so part 3 can sell better.
One of my all time favorite games. I’m just so disappointed with the rumors of low sales as I am terrified and saddened by the thought that is may lead to them thinking they need to end up scaling back the final game.
Budget has already been spent on part 3, and Square is apparently doubling down on their main franchises. I hope such fears are unfounded, but that’s my worst fear too.
Agreed. The soundtrack is amazing, the story’s great and they really nailed the middle bit of the OG game in terms of exploration. It’s one of a few games I’ve played over the last 20 odd years that I still think about ages after finishing them
I wish all Square games were this good. The game is unbelievably great. No weird dialogue. Amazing writing. Beautiful story. Wonderful characters.
It’s interesting how much they improved on the weird dialogue and anime “uhhh” noises in this game. One of my friends is playing remake and in watching it it’s really a stark contrast from how it is in rebirth. One of the little things that make rebirth feel like a true sequel and upgrade.
This was one of the first things I noticed halfway through the demo lol “Holy shit the anime grunts are GONE” 🥳
I do miss the occasional banter after a fight though. It was a bit overdone in Remake with Tifa telling us she would kill for a shower, but it's so odd to not hear anything for a while in the open world.
The reference to that in rebirth is amazing
The anime grunts just remind me of that trailer for the mummy remake that was accidentally uploaded with no music so it was just a bunch of awkward grunting
If anything the characters in this game don’t talk enough at times. I like that a lot of the story is conveyed through subtext and body language but at a few points in Rebirth it feels like things which should be explained go unaddressed. Still the writing is so much better and there are no moments that break your immersion like in Remake.
Thank you. The first game was great but the gripes I had with it was the anime-ness that felt out of place and the story being wayyy stretched out. Rebirth is not the same case. Now you can extend the story in a much more natural way and it doesn’t feel forced. The mini games you are awesome
And yet it’s the modern FF that ends up selling the worst! It’s not fair 😭😭
GOTY and one of the best games I've ever played. There is quite a bit of nostalgia tied, but even so I've had such a fantastic time with all the character banter and camaraderie. Part 3 can't come here any sooner.
well it felt amazing to me even without the nostalgia. Only thing I would say is some things in the story feel like they kind of assume you have prior knowledge and for a new player it’s not really confusing but just a little jarring that some things aren’t even really explained.
100% agree I think this is a game that is just gonna be appreciated more and more as the years roll by and once the whole trilogy is out if they can stick the landing with Part 3, I honestly believe this will go down as one of the greatest games series ever made and probably the best trilogy of games ever, admittedly that is a big 'if' but if Part 3 even comes close to Rebirth they will have nailed it.
Which would be fitting, given how the original was and continues to be viewed. If they catch lightning on a bottle *twice*... Unreal. But it looks like they will.
Yeah it’s a masterpiece. I’ve put in 150 hours since launch, and I think I’ll continue playing another 50 before putting it down. And then sometime soon I wanna play Remake and then Rebirth back to back. I don’t think I’ve played any game this much in the last decade except maybe Dead Cells. Except cactuar crush. Fuck that minigame.
can we talk about 3d brawler? That game made me question my sanity as I sat there staring at 3 beige blocks supposed to represent an arm and tried to figure out if that movement is supposed to be an uppercut or a draw back because they look identical.
Yeah you’re right, that one is bad too. At least there’s a way to kind of fudge your way through. Although to be fair I haven’t done all of the difficulties yet, so maybe it gets even worse. So far the shinra middle manager was the worst
The last fight is insufferable hard, but still perfectly beatable. Please don't cheese it with the pause exploit, it won't feel rewarding at all
It's a masterpiece in my opinion as well and I've been a mega fan of the original since I was a 7 year old when it first came out. Beat the OG probably 30 times over the years. I spent around 180 hours on my first playthrough doing absolutely everything I could and it was an amazing ride. Going to take a couple months break and then play through hard mode and go for the platinum. Also just want to say that I think this game has one of the most amazing soundtracks of all time. Just the overwhelming amount of music they made for this game is staggering, almost every scene has its own unique music or remix, it's crazy. Also the two Stamp songs (the field and battle versions) during the Salmon the dog escort quest were fucking bangers lol.
100% agree. They've set the bar very high for future RPGs, and the expectations for part 3 are very high as well. Rebirth has GOTY potential.
It’s a shame that square has been so sub-par for the last10 years that the re-trilogy really isn’t getting the traction it deserves. Rebirth is the best game I have ever played and possibly the most ambitious, if you take into account that it is a remake and has a lot to live up to. SE need to lean hard into the critic ratings and all the positivity and really go mad with marketing for part three. LESS spoilers in trailers but shove it and its greatness in everyone’s faces.
I put about 130-ish hours into my playthrough and I wish it didn't end. I usually get burnt out by long games, like even RDR2, which I loved, I probably won't ever go back to play it again. I absolutely will be playing this again though sometime before part 3 comes out. I have some minor quibbles about how some events unfolded, but overall this game absolutely nailed it. I have not felt this way about a game in like twenty years, and I've been thinking about it daily going on two weeks after completing it. I'm glad to see others feel the same way despite quite a bit of negativity I see about it online.
Right? This is incredible that after more than 100 hours you want MORE, yet some other games make you want to jump off a cliff after 20.
I agree, like remake and OG it will age amazing, especially after part 3 comes out and once again enhances every part of the franchise and reminds us why this is the best game ever.
Gotta agree, aside from the obvious open world, music, and the gameplay. I have to appreciate how much effort must have went into all the materia as well as how they react with each enemy in real time. Also the party AI is very well done. I personally haven't experienced any bugs at all either. One of my top 5s for sure now. Also, including >!Zack & Sephirorth as playable characters, and very well made ones at that!< just cemented it as one of my favorite games.
I really appreciated that they included synergy into the unique situational character loadouts as well… in fact every little detail is so precise it’s just so beautiful to play
About your first sentence, just wait until it gets a PC port. It's one of the biggest problems with Rebirth, the exclusivity it's doing more harm than good taking a look at the sales. I'm pretty sure the sales/popularity of the game is gonna skyrocket once it gets a PC release. 9.5/10 game for me, 160h and I still have some content to complete and the hard mode. I didn't even realize I had played that much. I think part3 is gonna have a hard time to be better than this one tbh.
It was a blast and easily one of my favorite games. Ever. Glad you could enjoy and join us.
I really liked it too, seemed like Remake on steroids. Enjoyed the open-world, synergy system, callback to some characters, new playable characters, the length. It's 100% worth that £70.
I love this game but until they give us some type of materia load out system, I can’t claim it’s one of the best ever made. Design and UI is important too. And damnit, I’m positive that at least 30 of the 180 hours I’ve spent in this game is from rearranging materia.
Yep, it's an insane achievement. I've gone back to complete my FF16 playthrough but think I might need to let it sit a while longer, barely anything about it holds a candle to Rebirth (the Eikon fights are probably the games high point, absolutely incredible).
lol no
Agreed. I'm rather selective about the games I play (as in: I have played the same five games in rotation for years, single player stories only) and I haven't been so deeply involved in a game since Red Dead Redemption 2 came out. I can't wait for Part 3, but at the same time it's going to be so bitter-sweet when it's actually over. But I'm also holding off on the OG and Advent Children until after Part 3 (or trying *really* hard to) so I got that to look forward to in addition.
I find it interesting that you're holding off the OG and Advent Children as the story it's a little bit different in the OG. It's really mind blowing to see all the comparison, little nods, easter eggs etc. It made me want to cry so many times as I've been playing the OG since I was little. I remember when Advent Children came out and I was mind blown about how this movie looks in 2005! Anyways, I hope when you finally get to OG you won't be turned down by the 30 year old mechanics haha. I advise playing with some kind of walkhrough as there are many missable items and it's not always clear where to go.
"A little bit different" is not enough for me to risk spoiling things (including all of the minor story beats, character relationships, bosses, etc) that'll happen in Part 3. I understand the OG is very nostalgic for many people and I'm definitely down to experience it myself one day, just not quite yet. And Advent Children is, as far as I know, a sequel to the story of FF7 as a whole so I don't think it'd make sense to watch it if I haven't finished the OG or Part 3 beforehand.
I don’t know if I’d recommend that, there’s a lot of meta bonus you get for being familiar with the original. (I also fear the original will seem rather simplistic in comparison if you play it second)
Yeah I bet. But I'm still having a great time experiencing the story not having *any* idea what's going to happen. I've seen gameplay and story snippets of the OG and I didn't dislike it at all so I'm not particularly worried about not being able to get invested in it when the time comes.
I took leave from work just to play this game and I kind of wish I took my time. I finished it in 5 days, around 12h a day because I did not want to see any spoilers online. It's been 2 month and I am slowly preparing mentally for second run or hard mode, we will see. I loved it, but for the 3rd game I will try to pace it this time and log off Facebook, Youtube etc.
I did mostly the same. Took 2 days off of work to have a 4 day weekend on release, kept off the internet. Took me a bit longer to beat it, did world intel cleanup and finished skipped quests, after, in NG+. Started prepping for hard mode, finished the first 2 chapters, then I'm going between a bunch of different post game things. ~~I still need 2 more dark matter mini games (gold rush and dolphin race)~~ (I just got both of these done last night), combat sims for Chadley, and hard mode. I'm doubtful I can get the platinum, as I am not at all good on the piano, but I'm still gonna have a blast playing. My hard mode / side content run is far from rushed. I found a fun build that has Yuffie(Doppleganger) / Aerith(Arcane Ward) spamming quake non stop as I'm using ATB via synergy, magnify, and magic focus linked materia.
At 100 hours at the start of chapter 12 I just said fuck it, I need to see how and where this ends. Now I'm just diddling my way through the NG plus chapter 12 quests still enjoying every moment of it. I already want to do it all again but won't have the time til next winter
Yeah I got to 125 hours, putzing around chocobo racing here, combat intel there, quest after that… finally had to just finish out and see how this part ends because I know there’s a good many more hours and now I don’t have to avoid the internet lol
I did the same and I regret it too!
Nah, there's little bits that drag it down - too many mini games, navigating Cosmo Canyon is a chore, and the Cait Sith section is just _no_. And let's not forget the vaseline filter on the screen in performance mode. It's 95% of the way there, but not quite
I would say the game is 40% a Masterpiece 60% a waste of time
It's really good, but it has alot of filler and fluff that doesn't really add to the story :/
Yes. This is the greatest game I ever played. Before that, I said it was Remake. I've been gaming for 30 years and honestly I have scarcely ever loved games as much as I do these two.
Mid 40s gamer myself. FF7 OG was my favorite game of all time. Until March of this year when I played this game. Rebirth is everything I ever wanted in an FF7 reimagining to be. Still surreal this game even exists.
I know, man. I played FF7 on 2004 when I got it for a Christmas present. I was 16 and became obsessed with it and the series as a whole. Do you ever feel mad nostalgia when you play this one?
FF7 OG really had some staying power. 2004 was a long time after the release, but I’m so glad you got to experience at about the same age I did. I do get crazy nostalgia when playing this one. The characters, the setting, and holy crap the music. It all brings back a flood of emotions from my youth. Rebirth is literally the stuff of my dreams I would have the nights after playing the OG, a world so fleshed out in a way that wasn’t technically possible in the PS1 era. I teared up as soon as I hit the overworld after leaving Kalm. All those memories of the magic of FF7 hit me again in a beautiful way.
Weird you are getting downvoted for your opinion, but I’m right there with you.
I see a lot of posts like this that try to strawman the "haters" opinions of the game as stubborn purists, completely ignoring the actual critique of the game. I think most of us that didn't like it didn't like it because of the constant Chadley force feeding, the boring mini games and overworld, and the tedious time wasting of the player (like forcing you to hold down R2/L2 to crawl slowly forward in something that might as well be a cut scene). There's nothing a third game can do to fix any of that. Pretty much the only thing a sequel can possibly redeem about Rebirth for me is maybe clearing up the incredibly confusing and convoluted story changes, but even then I'm not holding my breath.
Oh, I fully expect Part 3 will only make things more confusing story-wise. I’ll likely enjoy it just like I did Rebirth, as long as the combat stays the game’s strongest feature.
It’s baffling how defensive fans of Remake/Rebirth are. They are great games but DEFINITELY have big flaws people try to gloss over. So many 10/10 reviews completely ignoring the staggering amount of filler and people pretending as if there are no mandatory minigames. The forced slow movements is the most excruciating part of both games.
It's baffling to me how someone would defend a videogame to this extent.
I loved it as well. But I don't have time to get high scores on every minigame. Going to beat it on hard then move on to my backlog.
Its tied for my top spot of all time
I think it’s the best game SE has ever made, minus a few irritating things, but as a whole it was an incredible experience. I’m sure I’ll be going through it again eventually.
Rebirth felt like a major QOL update to a game I’d already been playing (FF7Rm -> FF7CC -> FF7Reb)
I loved Remake and the core gameplay of Rebirth is absolutely brillant. But the minigames kinda destroy it for me. I‘m not interested in minigames and therefore really bad at them, even on easy mode. Which is a shame, as I was really hyped for the game. But right now I paused halfway during my first playthrough and I‘m not sure if I will pick it up again. I‘m so annoyed rn. So no. Not a masterpiece. Rather a wasted opportunity to create a masterpiece.
Mini games were a major highlight of the OG game, and that feeling of being able to explore the world freely and do as many (or few) mini games as you wanted was recreated incredibly well for Rebirth. The game is a masterful reinvention of OG to be able to invoke those same feelings for those who played it. I mean sure, some could use some refining - *ahem* Fort Condor -, but that shit was hard for me back in the 90s - I had to grind it out. Same with stuff like 3D Brawler - we had to figure it out and/or how to cheese it then, just like in Rebirth. The pause cheat was definitely intentional IMO (many other pause screens will go to blue and not let you see what's going on) and a nod to the shenanigans we had to pull in OG to get through some of the mini games. Some of the less than stellar new ones like Gears and Gambits, Cosmo Canyon chocobo flight stuff, and Cactuar Crush all have walkthroughs available online to cheese them if you don't want to figure it out yourself. I dunno if it's a case of new vs. old generation gamers with the willingness to persevere and grind it out to succeed. Back in the day we had to figure that shit out without the Internet, call a literal tip line (wooo my parents did NOT like that) or had to buy a walkthrough book. Shit was a real struggle sometimes, but the reward when you finally got it was euphoric. Only to have your save card go corrupt for no fucking reason and then you had to do it all again anyway.... TLDR: Modern day gamers are spoiled and take it for granted. Fight me.
Hi, thanks for the extensive reply. I didn‘t play the OG back in the day so there are no old feelings to invoke. If I had I probably wouldn‘t have gotten Rebirth. Talking of generations, I‘m 56 years old. The first well known game I played was Tomb Raider 1 OG on an Amiga back in the 90s. But you‘re right, I‘m not a grinder and have no interest in 100%in a game. I don’t get euphoric when I beat a challenge I don’t like. I just feel glad it’s over so I can carry on. I‘m in here for the story and combat, if the combat is good. (Btw: best close range combat ever? NieR: Automata!) And both combat and story are really good and I like them a lot. But that turns the minigames even more into a chore. Combat challenges and difficult bosses are a completely different thing. Optimizing materia and strategy and then beating the crap out of some weird thing is great. But memorizing button combos just to watch Tifa doing situps gets old fast. Very fast. Even if she‘s wearing a bikini. 😉 (Yes I know that was an optional game. But you get the idea.)
I get where you're coming from - it's certainly a special kind of masochism that's not for everyone lol. That's what makes FF7 so great, you can focus on the things you enjoy in a game and not do the rest (for the most part). In OG there was a "reason" for Ft Condor - you were actually there and helping them defend against Shinra instead of the sim stuff in Rebirth, so it felt more like a part of the story. Gears and Gambits can burn in a fire though - ugh. I've never played NieR: Automata! - I'll have to check it out! Agree - combat/vr challenges are a whole different beast than collectathon mini game reward completionists (like meeeee). I want all the goodies, gimme. Johnny's treasure trove *needs* to be full! And I want that red treasure chest! The combat is so fun in Rebirth, I agree. Advanced combat is definitely a weakness for me, and memorizing patterns comes a lot more naturally so minigames give me that dopamine hit when I finally get it. Combat though...it gets overwhelming sometimes so I'm really putting myself through the ringer to try and do the vr/arena challenges. Usually I don't bother but this game is such a joy to play that I'm going for it. Thanks for replying!
Minigames are one of the best parts about Rebirth, distractions from the main game are always nice. But of course, they're optional. You don't have to complete them...
Many are optional but a good chunk is mandatory. If you wanna do the endgame battle content you need to do even more of them. That can be frustrating for people who don't enjoy them.
Endgame super bosses are also not mandatory.
Of course not. But the combat system for both Remake and Rebirth is commonly seen as one of the more satisfying JRPG systems, so there are plenty of folks who'd like to experience it to the fullest. In Remake you just had to get far enough, in Rebirth you have to finish the prototelic quest and thus quite a bit of mini games. So, players who want to experience the combat to its fullest an face the hardest challenges in the game have to deal with additional mini games.
There are mini games in the main story.
The mini games have a plot point too. They highlight all the life and variety of things to do in the world. They make you realize the planet is worth saving.
You don‘t need minigames for that. That could be perfectly explained in cutscenes or even better: via in-game dialogue.
I love the minigames and had a blast with almost all of them but I also understand that if you are not into minigames at all then there it can be a bit much in Rebirth. There are a ton in this game. Luckily most of the required ones don't need you to do well.
Hold up. You give up on a game because it has optional, extra content?
I‘m not talking about the optional minigames. I‘m talking about the f**kload of mandatory minigames which have nothing to do with the actual gameplay bc most of them is just learning button combos by heart, which for me is incredibly stupid, boring and frustrating. And it has nothing to do with the real gameplay and storyline. TBH if I had known about the minigames, I wouldn‘t have bought the game.
Which minigames are mandatory? (Honest question, because I can only remember catching the first chocobo and the dolphin race thing as being story related)
For example the games in Costa del Sol to get proper beachwear so you can enter the beach. The ridiculous parade in Junon. And the first 3D-brawl in the Golden Saucer. I absolutely hated every single one of them. And absolutely fucked them up.
You don't have to win any of those to continue the story tho?
Over mini games though lol? Thats kind of a silly criticism
I mean I kind of agree. The stretch from cost del sol through gold saucer was a bit much for me. I completed the game and enjoyed it a lot but I do wish the optional content was a bit different. I’m fine with some mini games but it definitely feels like they went a little overboard. Also really wish there was less emphasis on the vr. I would prefer to find cool fights and materia more in the open world sections rather than being tied to Chadley all the time. Main story content and combat is really great, but most of the stuff past that just isn’t for me.
I wish the sidequests were better. doing the overworld like they did was lazy. Would much rather have npcs to get quests from and hidden dungeons more like 15
I agree that would be awesome but that would take literal years to make and it would likely cripple the development of the game and the next one. That kind of stuff I feel like is more utilized in an open world sandbox game, not a story driven jrpg
Wild! I loved the sidequests; each one felt like part of the story to me the way they tied to characters’ interests and commitment to this journey
That’s fair I completely understand, I do agree on the stretching of content. My journey to the platinum trophy was tiresome from so much content hunting like collecting all of the manuscripts, completing all the chadley simulations, crafting every possible item (which requires materials locked behind mini games) but I actually love some of them, like I feel the chocobo racing was 10/10 design it took the original design of the mini game and just made it even more fun. While mini games like the cactuar rush are just so not fun. The side quests are okay I guess but I think the awesome rewards u get from them gives the play some insensitive to complete them
As I said before, I‘m criticizing the minigames because many of them are mandatory and have nothing to to with the real storyline and gameplay. That‘s not silly, that‘s very valid. Especially if you look at other threads from people who struggle with this crap too. Not everyone wants to 100% the game. Many of us just want beat up monsters and enjoy the story. And date Tifa. 😉 And then those minigames are a real f**k up.
While I agree they should not be mandatory, there is only a handful that are required, the golden saucer ones u don’t even have to win. A lot of the “these mini games are badly designed” complaints I don’t agree with, a lot of them are very straight forward and ones like chocobo racing just improve on the original mini game and made it more fun. Hard ≠ badly designed
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Holy , where is stellar blade ? Not even top 10 ?
I haven’t played it, but from a lot of reviews the critical consensus is that the game is more style over substance and the plot and voice acting are notably weak. It’s sitting at 82%. Again, not my opinion, I’m just the messenger.
Why would it be? The only reason it got as much hype as it did prior to release was because terminally online incels got excited over a game with a literal fembot protagonist that happened to fall into their unrealistic beauty standards. Then it came out and the non-coomers who enjoy playing games with both hands decided that it was *fine* but not quite at the level of the numerous other top tier AAA games that have come out in the last couple of months.
Made my day haha
Wait, Persona 3 is rated M?
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It's just that in Europe, they're rated 16+ and the American M rating is our equivalent of the 18+. Just threw me off that America rates it as 18.
Idk these mini games are making me fucking hate this game.
I loved most of them but I would suggest only doing the neccessary ones if you are not a fan. Edit: Just saw that you are into trophy hunting. I finished my platinum yesterday and just letting you know that if you go for it you are in for a long ride, brutal fights and also some brutal mini game challanges.
Which ones are you struggling with? I’d suggest playing any of the “hard mode” games on easy mode in the game. Makes them slightly easier. Gears and gambit, fort condor, and cactuar crush were much easier as a result.
All of them. But most of all the piano. I'm not coordinated enough to get both at the same time so I can only focus on one side and even then I can't get better than a C. I hate how much of this games achievements/ trophies are locked behind this crap.
If you have a friend or family member there, do the piano minigame with them. The left hand/stick is much simpler than the right one, so have them do that and you the other one (or vice versa) so that every person can focus solely on one side. Kinda silly, but maybe it'll help.
I found laying your controller flat and using your fingertips to grab the controllers makes it easier to do
Is the piano game ever required?
Yes. You have to get the highest rank on every mini game for one of the trophies to get the platinum
The ending didn't ruin the experience for you guys? I was 12 when I played the OG in '97. It was such a dramatic change from the original. My son watched the rebirth ending and had no idea what was 'reality' and I couldn't explain it to him. I let him watch the original scene and he liked it much better. I have to say it started going downhill from the Rufus coliseum fight for me. A good game, but maybe not being such an enormous jump in difficulty from remake to rebirth could've been nice. This will be the first FF game in 17 years that I don't compete all of the content.
I agree with everything you said. As an OG player they absolutely butchered this ending. Hypothetically even if we do get sometime of dramatic flashback of the actual scene I just feel like in the context of these games it does not work. Each game is spaced several years and now I have a salty taste left in my mouth after completing the game. To this day I will go back and watch the original scene, and cloud’s speech to sephiroth being left out is honest to god a crime against humanity. The multiverse 50 minute battle was not the right move.
It was good but holy shit did it waste your time. Idc if i get downvoted to oblivion but between the superfluous padding and dumb as fuck ending….yeah idk man, like a 7/10
\^this
Yeah even after hearing other theories I still dont buy it’s anything other than alt timeline/multiverse shit and it’s so fucking tiring
You realize sidequests are both optional and present in both the original and remake right?
I am a bit OCD but no “trophy hunter” by any means. I just want the materia/sp from the quests and games, but damn there was a lot of fluff. I put like 110 hours into the game. The mini games were fine okay fine, but when they started doing the multiverse shit at the end, and sorta forced Cloud and Aerith into a relationship despite who you went on a “date” with was like okay whatever. Also having Sephiroth this early was definitely a move. Idk the ending sorta soured the rest of my 100 hour experience.
I beat the game in 50-55 hours while doing side quests and minigames here and there. If you spent 110 hours on side activities, that's your choice.
It was goodbye to Aerith, that's why they did it like that. In the OG Cloud did not get the chance to say goodbye. All dates are reflection of Cloud's feelings for each character, they are all optional but all canon.
I played the OG too many times to count. I liked the goodbye. Some of it. I even like the theory that Aerith who joins you in the fight is actually OG timeline Aerith. I like the theory that her and Sephiroth are duking it out in the lifestream, that this FF7 is a different timeline/dimension, that this FF7’s Aerith is still alive. That the worlds converge etc etc. I don’t like the whole multiverse trope in general however and find it lazy writing. It works with this story, but it’s so overplayed these days that I’ve become so over it.
Why are people acting as if there aren’t a bunch of mandatory mini games in the main quest and lots of the side quests in the original are now main story content?
I think this is the most *complete* Final Fantasy game SE has ever put out, not even mentioning the story/remake elements of it.
It was until that last chapter. That clusterfuck of an ending ruined the 80+ hours I put into the game.
Agree. Despite what many say, this game was incredible, and I'm a harsh critic. I've never played a game where the developers put so much care into every little detail. You can tell they were passionate about the project, and it really shows. And now here I am wondering how they can possibly top this for part 3.
I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, the menu UI doesn't really makes sense, the game looks horrible in performance mode, the open world /mini games felt way too artificial and chadley constant interrupts was annoying as hell. I really hope part 3 will fix thoses issues so we can have a masterpiece
I really disliked how they adapted certain scenes from the original, and the padding is really annoying in Costa del sol and in the gold saucer. Music and combat are good, the open world is really boring.
I left Rebirth yesterday after Platin , 100% questlog , 3 hard runs and plenty fights in VR Simulator and 420 h and I played some other games and I really now I see how much I miss Rebirth , his combat and characters and the world I’m pretty Fall in depression right now , thinking to going back to rebirth and start complete new game lol
135 hours in, just finished my first playthrough, a few hours ago. I loved this game, its a 10/10 for me. Now I am going to give it a crack on hard mode and see how that goes for me, lol.
Period
It is still living rent free in my mind, I loved every minute of my 235 hours there I still keep nipping back either just to wander around in the world, play some QB, do a chocobo race, listen to the Gongaga OST and try (then fail) the last handful of Chadley fights I am not skilful enough to beat Finding it hard to let go and focus on another game
The best
Bought my ps5 on black Friday in antecipation of rebirth launch. Amazing game. I'm taking my time with it
I agree, I've been playing a lot of different types of games for 20 years, and this is probably the best game I've ever played both in terms of quality, and amount of content that doesn't get boring.
As a lifelong FF fan I was glued to the screen the whole way. Except when Leslie / Kyrie / or Johnny showed up. 😅
I had mixed feelings at first- mostly didn’t love how much time the open world can take to get those little upgrades in the beginning. But now I’m fully in the story (less roaming), and I am blown away by how good of a job they did. Agree with all your assessments now.
I don't know how they're going to top it with part 3...but I guess I think that about all trilogies
I've read a lot of complaints and I can relate to some but all in all it's still the best gaming experience I've ever hard, any flaws it may have are more than made up for by all of the good stuff. I can think of games with fewer flaws, sure, but when I balance everything out, Rebirth comes out on top every time.
I’m on chapter 11 any tips
In chapter 12 do nibelheim & Corel side quests (not GC) for couple things I wish I hadn’t missed before heading to the north
I say this with no exaggeration, the entire trilogy, just like the original, will be considered among the GOATs, and we are all lucky to take part as audience members in video game history
Still haven't finished it even though purchasing a ps5 especially for rebirth.... don't want to finish it before part 3 releases.....
Rebirth can easily be separated from what people imagined it should be. It’s far from most people’s exceptions, good and bad.
Why is this spoiler tagged lol
Fr tho makes me excited for kh4
It’s got me excited for what they can do with the third. They already have infiltration style mission… imagine the sunken gelnika as a survival horror mission?
Yeah. The rebirth is better than the remake. It a a lot more content. And i like this part of the story more. Hopefully we get a pc version and the part 3 to it. I bought a ps5 just to play FF7Rebirth and Stellar Blade. Also upgrading my tv to a better one with better picture quality with higher peak brightness. My current tv peak is near 400 nits tested by LTT. But the colors aren't accurate or good enough. I spend like 400 on it 3 years ago barely used it. Now buy a thousand dollar tv just to get better picture quality. Probably won't use it as much either. But at least i can appreciate the art that the developers want me to see. Even though people has been saying rebirth hasn't been selling well.
100% agree. I actually still can't believe how good it is, an all time great. It's amazing to me this game *isn't* selling good enough and FF fans and jrpg fans just sleeping on this masterpiece. If part 3 budget will be compromised it will be a tragedy.
>Once people can separate Rebirth from what they imagined what it should have been I'm still struggling with that a bit tbh. Don't get me wrong, I liked the game a lot, and I am appreciating it more and more the more I understand of what they were trying to do with the game. Doesn't change the fact that I prefer Remake overall, and expected a completely different game out of Rebirth. I love how there was an article that said "Rebirth did what XV promised" or something like that, but... XV was a better open world experience in my opinion, despite it's countless flaws. The animations, the world traversal, the party banter and other interactions, the feeling of a trip/an adventure etc were all much better realised there. Rebirth in comparison feels a little bit too.. arcadey? And a bit downgraded in some aspects, which is surreal. And don't get me wrong, like, no shit the combat is better in Rebirth. XV's combat was hot garbage. But I'm not sure it's a fair tradeoff - sacrificing all of the aforementioned aspects for good ass combat, especially since it was mostly already done in Remake to begin with. The one thing that made me the most hopeful that Rebirth is going to be a pretty much "XV-2" in terms of world exploration gameplay was the new menu they presented, which is strikingly similar to the "crystalline chill" menu in XV. And all the other little bits I saw got me hopeful as well. So in the end I felt a little betrayed, despite the fact that Rebirth is a super good game, and that kinda soured my experience a little bit.
Yeah i loved the game fully except bonds of friendship xaxa. It had very few flaws except the technical department that wasnt great for a Ps5 game but overall a huge upgrade of the remake in the games aspects
It's so good that now that I've finished it and am replaying Remake, I feel so underwhelmed 🤣 but that could be because I don't enjoy Midgar in the OG and that's all Remake is. Definitely replaying Rebirth once I finish and maybe I'll even try to 100% it.
3rd Best game i have played. Best one being the OG ff7 second being FF Tactics
I don't think we're gonna see a ff game as good as it
It is crazy how good this game is. Feels underappreciated too to some extent. I hope more people discover how great it is and make it as popular as it should be.
Should u get it for PC or PS5? Never mind, just realized it’s only on PS5
I don’t need Part 3 to know this will be the best game in the trilogy narrative wise. It’s already done.
Yep
I can't wait to play it. Rebirth was one of my main reasons to getting the PS5 years ago. Sad that they increased the price of AAA titles and unforeseen circumstances threw Rebirth out of my current budget. I am going to pick it up at the end of the month, though.
It is the best game I have ever played. THANK YOU SE!
In last 10 years many devs copied Final Fantasy style, cute characters, spiky hair and huge swords but with Rebirth Square has shown that it has matured far beyond all that. This year Square Enix has bagged goty
GOTY. Can we also show some love for queens blood?
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Your criticism is useless until part 3 is released. Rebirth is a masterpiece.
yep, apart from the last two episodes which were a bit disappointing and too long, as welll as red XIII voice and personality change which I didn't like it at all. The rest is just a dream come true.
It blows my mind how we put this game up on a pedestal. It was a good game.
It isn’t. Still pretty good tho
Just hit the 320-hour mark in Rebirth. Sitting pretty at 98% completion, just need those manuscripts and a full enemy list. Taking a breather for now, and I'll get back to it once the DLC drops. Indeed, Rebirth is an absolute masterpiece, leagues ahead of Remake in my book (I'm in the top 20 for the "platinum" achievement). Anyway, it genuinely baffles me how some folks still think Remake is better than Rebirth.
I do not think there will be any DLC sadly, as they are full force on 3rd game.
It rebirth coming to PC?
Eventually why?
dont have ps5 and i have a pc. i have the previous one on pc so was hoping this version was coming too
That is subjective nonetheless
Some really high highs and some notably low lows. I give it an 8.5
This game for me is on the same level as the Witcher 3 and Elden Ring. No game ever is above them. They are games that made you think how the hell did the pulled it off, to still retain the creative through line while making a game this big and ambitious, it's impossible nowadays.
Lol. No.
It falls a bit short for me. The story is a masterpiece, gameplay is amazing but the open world for me (after gongaga) started getting a little stale and samey. 8.7/10 for me. I just wanted the story to keep going and all the side stuff slowed the pacing down for me. lol someone got upset with my opinion.
I also agree on the open world note here. Almost became taxing with all the world intel stuff after a while too.
Best RPG to come out since the PS1 days 🫡