The sheer quantity of anticipation round Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second installment within the sport’s epic story, was greater than palpable. Followers have been anxious to see what would change from the unique model. Amongst different occasions, that particularly utilized to the sport’s greatest and most notoriously heartbreaking plot twist about Aerith, which everybody knew was fated to happen a method or one other. There was a lot to dissect from Rebirth’s grand retelling. Whereas it was exhausting to decide on, we’ve put collectively an inventory of ten issues FF7 Rebirth modified or modernized from the unique sport that helped make the story even higher.
Warning: The next accommodates spoilers for Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Learn at your individual discretion.
1. Making Zack Honest Playable
Zack Honest is a personality who was far more shrouded in thriller within the unique FF7 sport. The participant doesn’t even get a glimpse of him till effectively into the story when Cloud begins to have staggering revelations about his personal true identification. In actuality, Zack was the catalyst for the sport’s greatest plot twist (or second-biggest maybe, contemplating Aerith), so it made sense to not reveal him till the time was proper.
Regardless of this, Zack’s function within the sport was nonetheless very a lot within the again seat. He appeared in flashback cutscenes that helped give Cloud the readability he wanted to grasp what actually occurred at Nibelheim and the occasions that adopted. Nonetheless, gamers have been nonetheless fascinated by Zack’s energetic presence, which served as Cloud’s foil. He unexpectedly grew to become one of many sport’s hottest characters. The neighborhood wished to know extra about him, and even stroll in his sneakers, given the prospect.
Fortunately, not solely was that request granted with FF7: Disaster Core, however Zack gained a way more distinguished function in FF7 Rebirth. With timelines clashing and the destiny of the planet at stake (now in additional methods than one), Zack is definitely the primary character you get to play as. Albeit, that’s in a unique dimension that sees a lot of the primary celebration presumably lifeless, whereas Cloud and Aerith are unusually comatose.
This time round, regardless of his utter confusion at what’s occurring in his timeline, a tirelessly decided Zack seeks to discover a technique to revive each Cloud and Aerith and set issues proper, irrespective of how bleak the world appears. We revisit his story all through the sport, expertise an alternate model of sure occasions (e.g. – Sephiroth visiting the Church versus the Forgotten Capital), and even help Cloud in the course of the sport’s ultimate confrontation.
How Zack’s function will proceed to unfold within the third installment of the trilogy stays to be seen. It’s clear that Sq. Enix wished to provide Zack way more time to shine on this distinctive retelling of FF7’s story. Frankly, we’re all right here for it.
2. Midgar Zolom (or Midgardsormr) as a Boss Battle As an alternative
Those that performed the unique Last Fantasy 7 keep in mind a sure monster that prowls the swamps close to Kalm early within the sport very effectively. This fearsome serpent was often known as the Midgar Zolom, and it was notorious for gatekeeping gamers who wanted to cross via the swamp to get to the Mythril Mines and proceed the story. Even worse, there was not simply one in all these beasts, however a number of of them lurking within the waters that might simply snare you into an unforgiving struggle.
In the event you wound up going head-to-head with a Midgar Zolom, your odds of survival early on have been slim to none. The one technique to keep away from it was to take a Chocobo via the waters. This gave you the power to outrun them versus attempting to take action on foot. Nonetheless, when you could avert a painful battle with them, quickly sufficient you’re nonetheless confronted with the sight of a Midgar Zolom impaled via a large tree trunk, presumably by the hands of Sephiroth. Throughout this transient cutscene, Cloud and the others revel within the notion of such energy and proceed their journey with that picture at the back of their minds.
In FF7 Rebirth, nonetheless, the function of this monster is dramatically modified, and truthfully in a much better manner. The swamp is completely ominous and a close-by signal preemptively warns you of the Midgardsormr (renamed from the unique) that lurks within the waters. Cloud and his celebration are nonetheless obligated to cross through Chocobo, however even that isn’t sufficient. The large serpent ambushes them and the sport’s first true boss struggle begins.
Midgardsormr’s redesign is as excellent as it’s terrifying. Making it a required struggle was in itself an absolute win. After first reveling in the fantastic thing about the planet’s nature, the group is then confronted with its energy on this encounter. The climax of the struggle sees Cloud pulled underwater by Midgardsormr and almost drowned. That’s till Sephiroth out of the blue seems to seemingly rescue him, slicing the beast and launching it into the air with a strong magic assault that then sends it plummeting again down, impaled onto a tree trunk identical to within the unique sport.
The scene brings the complete battle and its significance full circle, and that wouldn’t have been potential as a easy random encounter.
3. Dyne’s Story and Loss of life Received Heartfelt Closure
Within the unique FF7 sport, Barret’s tragic recollection of what occurred to his hometown of Corel was arguably one of the riveting components of the story. It gave full justification for why he ended up with Avalanche. Regardless of wishing for higher financial prosperity for his residence and those that lived in it, believing Shinra might and would offer it with a brand new mako reactor, he was proven their true colours once they as a substitute burned down the city to cowl up Avalanche’s siege and destruction of the reactor.
The disaster noticed Barret lose his spouse Myrna within the blaze, and seemingly his greatest good friend Dyne when the 2 of them have been caught by a Shinra squad and pinned down on a cliffside by a hail of bullets. Whereas Barret misplaced his arm, Dyne plummeted off the cliff, presumably to his dying. Barret ran to avoid wasting Dyne’s daughter Marlene and took her in as his personal. Those that survived the fireplace and now reside in North Corel got here to imagine that Barret was the one responsible for every part, and Barret himself felt the identical, riddled with guilt.
Because it seems, Dyne managed to outlive his fall, shedding an arm within the course of as effectively, and sadly a shadow of the person he as soon as was. Like Barret, he’s eternally vengeful towards Shinra, however his sanity and sense of actuality are all however gone. After studying of the massacre he causes on the Gold Saucer, Cloud and the group go to confront him again out within the Corel Desert. Barret calls for to face him alone, and the 2 conflict in a struggle very similar to within the unique sport.
Nonetheless, the scene that transpires afterward deviates from the unique storyline, which had a way more devastating end result. Initially, Dyne felt little purpose to go on after every part, and regardless of Barret’s pleas, he throws himself off a close-by cliff after their struggle, eerily paying homage to the previous. It cemented itself as one of many darkest moments within the sport, with many gamers probably shocked by the blunt depiction of suicide in a fantasy sport.
In FF7 Rebirth, nonetheless, Barret and Dyne are as a substitute ambushed by Shinra troops after their confrontation. This turns the deja vu issue on its head, and the 2 determine to struggle them off collectively. The battle nonetheless ends with Dyne’s dying, however this time it feels extra righteous, and heartfelt, and provides one in all Shinra’s most tragic victims an emotional sendoff. Some gamers could really feel the unique end result was justifiably extra uncooked and argue that Rebirth opted for a extra censored dying for Dyne, however we really feel that this retelling was nonetheless carried out superbly.
4. Folios Give A lot-Wanted Flexibility With Materia
When it got here to battle within the unique FF7 sport, materia was the important thing to buffing your character’s stats in addition to unlocking and wielding varied forms of particular and elemental talents. Realizing which materia wanted to be slotted the place and when was half the struggle. Grinding limitless encounters to stage them to max was the important thing to dealing with endgame content material.
Nonetheless, FF7 Remake launched the notion of deviating from the materia establishment. Rebirth then utterly blew it large open with its revamp of the fight system and the introduction of Folios. These particular books are supplied to every character of the celebration and permit them to unlock quite a lot of stat buffs, synergy talents, and even particular elemental assaults.
That’s proper, you’ll be able to be taught assaults of each component (e.g. – Air, Thunder, Fireplace, and so forth) through your Folio, eliminating absolutely the must equip elemental materia for sure battles. Granted, the basic assaults from materia are nonetheless stronger. That mentioned, a dependable different is now there that may assist release some materia slots for different wants, significantly if you happen to’re equipping a weapon with fewer slots.
Even higher, the weapons you get all through the sport every include an inventory of potential stat boosts you’ll be able to equip to additional improve your character. This provides them much more flexibility with the general fight setup.
5. Character Synergy Assaults Make Battle Even Extra Dynamic
After the glowing reception to FF7 Remake’s revolutionary, real-time battle system that helped carry every character’s distinctive strengths into battle, it was clear that fight wanted to broaden even additional because the world acquired astronomically larger in FF7 Rebirth. Not solely that, it wanted one thing to showcase how Cloud and his allies have grown to struggle collectively extra cohesively.
That’s the place Character Synergy assaults are available. These turned out to be a incredible new component of battle that might actually flip the tide in a pinch. These talents are unlocked through every character’s Folios and use Synergy Expenses, that are the small bars seen beneath the ATB meter. The extra Expenses are lit, the extra Synergy assaults your character has to make use of.
Character Synergy strikes permit two characters inside an lively celebration to carry out distinctive assaults and/or give one another highly effective buffs. These embrace splitting the ATB into three bars as a substitute of two, or a quick interval of limitless MP. These strikes ought to by no means be missed, particularly throughout more difficult fights – of which there are in Rebirth. You get them far faster than a Restrict Break, they usually’ll usually prevent from an undesirable Sport Over.
Plus they’re simply superior to observe each time, so what’s to not like? The unique Last Fantasy 7 clearly couldn’t pull this off with the PS1’s {hardware} again within the day. The PS5 is certainly greater than able to offering the last word fight expertise that FF7 followers of all generations can respect.
6. Many Areas Like Gongaga Are Far Extra Interactive
The center act of Last Fantasy 7 brings Cloud and the group via quite a lot of locales throughout Gaia. Given the PS1’s restricted capacity to visually render full environments, a few of these locales within the unique model felt virtually fleeting, or underwhelming by way of content material. Whereas it couldn’t be helped from a technological standpoint, areas like Zack’s hometown in Gongaga clearly had extra potential.
Fortunately that was well-remedied in FF7 Rebirth. Each location the celebration visits isn’t solely far bigger in scale however far more interactive to the purpose that they grow to be characters in themselves. Gongaga is a shining instance of that. The celebration can traverse the extremely lush jungle area and finally make it to the city the place Zack and his household grew up.
Given its significance not solely to Zack’s character however these closest to him (e.g. – Cloud and Aerith), it’s solely justified that gamers get the chance to discover, grow to be acquainted with the locals, and add extra visible context to the story. Even Cissnei, a former Turk and one in all Zack’s closest allies from Disaster Core Reunion makes an look, having chosen to maneuver to Gongaga and type the Youth Coalition to bolster reduction efforts after the native reactor explosion.
It’s not simply battle however narrative parts like this that assist give varied areas of the sport much more life and extra contribution to the general story.
7. Aerith’s Private Journey Brings Her Story Full-Circle
This will result in an ideal debate, however out of the complete celebration in FF7 Rebirth, it’s exhausting to argue in any other case that Aerith carries the best of burdens. Her life has been affected by trauma and tragedy quite a few occasions, having misplaced each her father (who hasn’t been revealed but) and her mom, Ifalna. In a while, she tragically loses her past love, Zack Honest, as effectively. As many know, ultimately, she additionally makes probably the most selfless of sacrifices.
As a toddler, she and her mom have been held captive in Shinra’s labs by Professor Hojo as prized specimens, resulting from their genetic ties to the Cetra. Regardless of managing to finally escape by prepare to the Slums, resulting from her failing well being, Ifalna collapses on the platform. The entire sequence is grueling to play out as a terrified younger Aerith, who desperately seeks assist for her mom from the locals, who in flip pay her no thoughts. The one one who does assistance is Elmyra, who takes Aerith into her care after Ifalna passes.
Regardless of her trauma and loneliness, Aerith nonetheless grows up with unflinching compassion and empathy for humanity and particularly the planet. Coming into FF7 Rebirth, Aerith’s private journey actually begins to take form. Whereas she has enjoyable and embraces the thrill of their adventures, it’s exhausting to not discover that she is aware of greater than she lets on. On the identical time, she struggles to grasp what precisely she ought to do because the final dwelling Cetra. At one level she even begs for the assistance and knowledge of the elders at Cosmo Canyon.
She is aware of that her connection to her Cetran ancestors is essential to saving the planet, and appears to know the way sure issues will play out, for higher or worse. She accepts that her time is proscribed and tries to profit from it, participating within the Loveless efficiency on the Gold Saucer and even embarking on a last-chance date with Cloud in an alternate timeline.
Between attempting to expertise the fun of a standard life with these she cares for many, and on the identical time wanting to guard and maintain them protected from the conflicts and tragedies to come back, we come to grasp that Aerith has a lot to face on her personal. It solely provides extra depth to her character, considerably greater than we acquired within the unique FF7 sport.
8. Making Yuffie and Cait Sith Likeable
Those that performed the unique FF7 will recall that out of the complete celebration, there have been two characters that have been, in all honesty, not as well-liked as their comrades. We’re speaking in fact about Cait Sith and Yuffie Kisaragi, the 2 most eccentric members whose personalities and off-kilter fight talents rubbed many gamers the incorrect manner.
Cait Sith’s character is understood for being equal components mysterious and obnoxious. She joins the celebration after the preliminary occasions on the Gold Saucer however doesn’t present a lot profit past cryptic fortunes and comedian reduction. With weaker stats, token cowardice, and an unreliable capacity set, this meant that, no less than within the unique sport, they have been usually the final alternative for celebration roles.
It additionally didn’t assist that Cait Sith turned out to be an animatronic spy managed by Shinra’s Reeve Tuesti. She betrayed the group at one level by stealing the Keystone to the Temple of the Ancients and giving it to Tseng of the Turks. Nonetheless, she does regain that belief in spades in a while and even presents up herself as the required life sacrifice for the Black Materia.
Her journey with the group is chronicled much better in FF7 Rebirth, and her preventing prowess is best than it was within the unique, even when nonetheless not on par with Cloud or Tifa. Yuffie’s introduction and subsequent journey, which started within the FF7: Intergrade DLC, was additionally given nice care this time round. Her skillset is way extra strong, easy, and truly offers good harm when wanted.
She does nonetheless carry sure traits of her personal obnoxious character, significantly relating to not studying the room and hyper-obsessing over materia (even the Black Materia). Nonetheless, on the root of all of it, Yuffie cares greater than something about seeing her war-torn residence nation of Wutai liberated from Shinra, and seeks materia to assist obtain that. She kinds shut bonds with a lot of the group, particularly Barret and Aerith, and does her greatest to confront her fears to assist save not simply Wutai, however the planet as a complete.
9. Sudden Bizarro Sephiroth Easter Egg
Whereas it was inevitable that one other dramatic confrontation with Sephiroth was destined to occur in FF7 Rebirth after the occasions on the Forgotten Capital, it’s protected to say that many people underestimated the lengths he would go to this time round. After years of hibernation within the Northern Crater and the ability granted to him by Jenova and the Black Materia, Sephiroth has grown infinitely stronger.
The sport’s sequence of a number of ultimate boss fights pushes gamers and their celebration setup to the restrict. All of it culminates within the look of none aside from ‘Bizarro Sephiroth’, or as he’s referred to in FF7 Rebirth, ‘Sephiroth Reborn’. Those that performed the unique sport have been probably caught off-guard by this, as Bizarro Sephiroth is definitely Sephiroth’s second-to-last type he takes on the very finish of the story, when Cloud and the group confront him on the Northern Crater to cease Meteor.
Seeing this type of Sephiroth earlier within the storyline is a curious alternative. So far, a lot of the main boss encounters have precisely adopted the unique narrative. It was definitely a surreal expertise, accompanied by distinctive renditions of ‘One-Winged Angel’. It begs the query of what the FF7 growth group has in retailer for the sport’s finale by way of ultimate boss content material, and the way the interjection of various timelines will have an effect on that.
10. Cid’s Character Intro Leaves the Swearing and Cigarettes Behind
For many who keep in mind the unique FF7 sport effectively, Cid Highwind was palms down probably the most hilariously abrasive character conceivable. When he wasn’t chain-smoking, bleeped swears made up no less than half of his in-game dialogue, and the primary time Cloud and the celebration encounter him is at his residence base often known as Rocket City.
The encounter itself is nearly uncomfortable, as we watch him berate and callously insult his poor assistant Shera at each flip. There’s a backstory to his quick mood and therapy of her, which isn’t but revealed within the remake trilogy because the celebration has but to go to Rocket City by the tip of FF7 Rebirth.
On that observe, what’s fascinating is that Cid’s character (to date) is dramatically completely different from his unique predecessor. First, the gang is formally launched to him whereas hailing a experience on the run-down Gongaga airport, relatively than at Rocket City. His character is notably far more uplifting (aha), leaving a lot of the swearing and mood behind. He even expresses nice sympathy for Aerith particularly after studying of her mom’s dying.
He accompanies the celebration on and off via the remainder of Rebirth’s story, performing as a way of ethical and transportation assist. Together with Vincent, his character gained’t be playable till the ultimate a part of the trilogy (except they get the Intergrade therapy like Yuffie).
Whereas the dramatic change in his demeanor was a particular shock, we’d prefer to say that to date it’s a welcome one. Whether or not his character will make an about-face as soon as they attain Rocket City stays to be seen. If something, we’d guess it’ll be a extra toned-down model of the unique occasions that happen there, as his therapy of Shera within the ’97 model of FF7 probably wouldn’t sit effectively with gamers right now.
Last Fantasy 7 Rebirth was launched on February 29, 2024, and is now accessible all over the place to play on the PlayStation 5 console. Be sure you take a look at all of our different guides, corresponding to the right way to change garments and the place to seek out all celebration members.