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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Gets More Details, Images

by Alex Fuller · Published February 7, 2024 · Updated February 7, 2024

Following the recent State of Play presentation for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix provided some extra details and images for the game. The update covers more of the game’s characters as well as its new combat additions, world regions, exploration elements, mini-games, and demo content, alongside trailer screenshots and new key art.

The characters shown feature a mix of new and returning faces from Remake. Cissnei is a character who originally debuted in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-. She is the leader of the Gongaga Youth Coalition, helping to rebuild and defend the village in the aftermath of a Mako Reactor explosion. Bugenhagen is an authority on planetology in Cosmo Canyon, who has devoted himself to the study of the planet and created numerous devices to help him do so. Zangan is the founder of his own martial art style, and instructed Tifa when he lived in Nibelheim. Meanwhile, returning characters shown include Johnny, Rufus Shinra, Tseng, Reno, Rude, Roche, and Hojo.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will introduce additional systems on top of Remake’s combat system. Folios are new tomes that contain instructions on various combat styles. They can be augmented at branches of Maghnata Books, granting party members access to new abilities, by spending skill points obtains from various quests and activities. Synergy Abilities are also new abilities where two party members team up for a special attack, with the update showing a variety of new moves between different party members, including Red XIII and Cait Sith.

While Final Fantasy VII Remake was restricted to Midgar, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will take players to interconnected regions across the world with plenty of vast open spaces to explore. Places players will visit include: Costa del Sol, a resort beach-side oasis town; Gongaga, a small jungle village that was the site of a Mako Reactor explosion; Cosmo Canyon, an arid area full of ravines that is home to a number of scholars and which relies on wind power rather than Mako; Nibelheim, a small village at the foot of Mt. Nibel that was home to Shinra’s first Mako Reactor and the site of an incident five years ago; and Shinra Mansion, a building on the outskirts of Nibelheim that is off limits to its residents.

To go with the new areas, players will have new ways of getting around. Different types of Chocobo will let players access different areas; Blue Ocean Chocobos can propel themselves over bodies of water, while green Forest Chocobos can handle wooden areas with ease by springing off mushrooms and sliding down branches. Meanwhile, Cid Highwind’s aircraft, the Tiny Bronco, will also let players navigate the world. In addition, there will be points of the game where another party members takes the lead in exploration. They each utilise their own abilities to get past obstacles. For example, Aerith can control the lifestream, Cait Sith can throw heavy objects, and Red XIII can clamber up walls.

Other new side content includes the return of Chadley. In addition to his new role aiding exploration, he has further challenges to offer in his combat simulator from Remake, letting players can on new digitised summons to grant access to their summoning materia. Players can also find guidestones in the world. Destroying these leads the party to a summon’s sanctuary. By attuning to the crystal within, players can enhance the summon’s materia as well as weakening it for its combat trial.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will also feature a large selection of mini-games. Many of these are brand new, including a dolphin show in Junon, a game where party members have to dodge obstacles while turned into frogs, a four-team ball game, and more. In addition, there will be new takes on mini-games and events from the original Final Fantasy VII, including Rufus’s inauguration parade, and the defence of Fort Condor.

Finally, Square Enix provided some extra details on the game’s demo, which is now available on PlayStation 5. The demo is split into two parts, the second of which will be added in an update on February 21, 2024. The first part, “Fall of a Hero in Nibelheim”, follows Cloud and Sephiroth five years prior to the main story as they investigate monster appearing in the town. The second part, “Dawn of a New Era in Junon” features a section of the area around Junon, altered for the demo, that shows off new gameplay elements. Those who complete the first part of the demo will be able to skip that section for the full release if they choose and also grant them a Kupo Charm and Survival Set in the full game.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to release for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. The game acts as the second part of the planned Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, picking up immediately after the events of Remake and the party’s escape from Midgar. Those looking to read more about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth can check out Paul Shkreli’s impression from a recent preview event in Los Angeles.

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