[h1] Me? Gongaga! [/h1]
TL;DR
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[th]Pros[/th]
[th]Cons[/th]
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[td]✔️ It's a beautifully told story if you strictly follow the main path. Sephiroth's plans are grander than in the original which I love.[/td]
[td]❌ Minigames and bloat. Don't get me wrong; I don't mind a few minigames or the Gold Saucer aspect, as these were already present in the original version. However, after Chapter six, all the additional content is filled with excessive minigames.[/td]
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[td]✔️ Characters add depth to the game, as well as background infos. We now have a skill-tree, many moments to improve the connections with our companions as well as special cutscenes in certain aspects of the game depending on your connections. [/td]
[td]❌ Repetitive open-world gameplay with bloat. At first, the open world was a cool aspect, and I fully explored it before moving on. However, after the sixth or seventh open world, I started to roll my eyes.[/td]
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[td]✔️ There are new story beats and twists from the original story, as well as new crafting mechanics. You can now craft your own items using the materials you collect by defeating enemies or exploring the open world.[/td]
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[h1] Additional Info:[/h1]
[table]
[tr]
[th]Content & Value[/th]
[th]It took me ~71.2 hours to complete FF7 Rebirth and earn 78% of all achievements. For those interested in achievements: It's pretty straightforward, but there are a few achievements that are a bit grindy and you need to replay the game twice to get the Hard Mode achievement.[/th]
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[td]Is it worth buying?[/td]
[td]Yes, if you liked FF7 Remake Part 1[/td]
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[h1]In-Depth[/h1]
[h3]Story[/h3]
The group pursues Sephiroth or rather, the Black Cloaks across the world and is repeatedly confronted with their own past or the fates of others. Of course, everything in Rebirth is told more slowly and in greater detail, because given the realism of the Remake series much of it simply can’t be conveyed by a shrugging polygon character anymore. And although I’m a fan of slow storytelling and character development, it just doesn’t work for me in Rebirth all the time.
The story beats that are there are (almost) always incredible or even perfectly told, but unfortunately, because of the bloated world, they’re way too far apart. As a result, the story too often loses its continuity and intensity. And it’s precisely the latter the emotional impact that I unfortunately find lacking in many places. The only time it hit me like a truck was in the last three chapters where you couldn't get distracted again.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3756263889
Some scenes and monologues are pointlessly dragged out, and then suddenly, in true Hollywood fashion, you need a tissue (You know what I mean after you played the game, haha). That may look great or heighten the “mystery,” but it’s a far cry from a compelling and coherent narrative. Zack’s moments, too, are simply irrelevant until the final third of the game. Of course, I’m happy to see him, but for the most part, his storyline struck me as superfluous and out of place. The number of side quests has also increased significantly since the remake. Some, especially in the early chapters, were nicely integrated into the plot or setting, while others, particularly the later ones, felt superfluous and out of place, and still others seemed like pointless repetition.
[h3] Combat and World [/h3]
There's little to complain about when it comes to the combat system. The mix of active character control and ATB-timed commands is, just like in Remake, really well done. Strategy and action are perfectly balanced. Normal battles are usually over quickly, while boss or special battles require some strategy and sometimes the strategic use of Materia. It’s better than Part 1 in every respect, and in hindsight, it feels to me like a beta version compared to Rebirth.
The “open world” is, in many ways, the best I’ve ever experienced in a game and at the same time, one of my biggest criticisms. Visually, it’s simply stunning, offering the illusion of vastness and plenty of space to explore. However, if you take a closer look, the nature of the exploration unfortunately makes the world feel very small again. Every location is reached via some quest, a tip from Chadley, an owl, a chocobo chick, or a signal tower. While I happily roamed the world map in OG to examine every nook and cranny, I’m now being led to every corner and if not, then there's nothing there.
The atmosphere of the landscape, the bustling cities, the light, the views… it couldn’t be more beautiful. On the first map, the scope of exploration feels like it offers endless possibilities. By the second map, however, a certain sense of repetition sets in, and starting with the third, I repeatedly lost the motivation to work through the time-consuming and repetitive tasks. The goal is always to find X towers, X chocobo treasures, Life Stream springs, battle sites, treasure chests, and exactly 3 Esper shrines.
[h3] Music & General Thoughts [/h3]
Finally, something to have no complaints about: The music in Rebirth is absolutely fantastic. I think the orchestration of the old tracks is fantastic, and the new ones are just as good. The music is very fitting for each region, and aside from one exception, it’s still always varied. The changes in the music and the transitions from one piece to the next gave me goosebumps time and time again.
Generally speaking: I love the characters!
There really isn’t a single main character I don’t like. Their design is stunning, they have a terrific sense of humor (especially when interacting with Yuffie), and I’m already looking forward to fighting alongside them in the third installment. On the other hand, I thought the way the group was reunited with Yuffie was handled perfectly. I can’t even imagine the team without the little ninja anymore. That mix of childlike naivety, over-the-top coolness, and urgent seriousness is incredibly fun for me. I finally understand why none of the other characters find the cat with the giant Mog strange, and the connection to Reeve also makes perfect sense now.
Just like in Remake, the chemistry between the party members is palpable throughout Rebirth, and Cloud’s mental development in the later chapters, in particular, is portrayed in a compelling and stunning way. They’re all so lively, well-developed, and usually act in a believable and relatable way. In addition, the portrayal of many supporting characters is all too often rather lackluster. They often seem to be there just for the sake of being there. Unfortunately, this doesn’t do them justice. Much of their dialogue is completely devoid of substance, and their side quests are often just filler content with no real relevance.
[h3]Conclusion[/h3]
The game offers a lot that really excited me: the main characters, the way the settings are brought to life, the nostalgic atmosphere it captures, the music.. but the more time I invested in the game, the more elements I found that I didn’t like: the NPCs babbling pointlessly, the feeling that I wasn’t exploring the world but just working my way through it, and the inescapable flood of minigames.
The original’s already emotional story is expanded here with even more profound characters and unexpected twists. The gameplay, which was already outstanding in the remake, has been refined in some areas and expanded to include a massive exploration component. In my view, Rebirth tried to do too much. It wanted to keep the mystery alive while simultaneously weaving in every little bit of backstory. Drama and even more drama, mixed with humor and even more humor. And in its attempt to cover all of that, the story lost a bit of its impact for me.
[h2] Final Verdict: 8/10 - The main path is where the story really comes alive, but it's let down by excessive bloat that prevents you from enjoying it fully [/h2]
