Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Preview – An Hour With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s Combat And Open(ish) World

Final Fantasy VII Remake launched in 2020 and felt like a realization of a dream. The game was born out of years’ worth of fan demands, and it lived up to the high expectations set by its overall positive reception. The series’ momentum is still strong as it enters its next chapter. To learn how the sequel is shaping up, I visited Square Enix’s Los Angeles studio to play two slices of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: a flashback sequence of the ill-fated Mt. The Nibel Mission and the open-world section on Junon’s outskirts. 

What is Past is Prologue

What is Past is Prologue

My first demo is a shorter, linear slice set years before Remake’s events. Cloud, while still a SOLDIER member, ascends Mt. Tifa guides Nibel, accompanied by Sephiroth his future enemy. Sephiroth is still a bit hesitant, but Cloud’s attitude has changed. The group is making its way to a mako reactor at Nibel’s summit, with copious monster battles reaclimating me to combat. 

Rebirth is identical to Remake. Its entertaining blend of stylish action mechanics and turn-based gameplay remains an exciting and strategic delight with a brand new twist: Synergy Skills. The attacks are a combination of the two parties to create a tag team attack, but you need to have ATB bars to use them. One of Cloud and Sephiroth’s Synergy Skills, for example, is called Dualblade Dance, and it plays out as a cinematic and flashy display of tandem swordplay as both warriors eviscerate a target. In the second Demo, Aerith and Cloud partner up to perform Bodyguard. This skill uses her partner as a shield, while Aerith attacks at a distance. 

The Synergy Skills allow players to create different party combinations. You can create party combinations that can be instantly switched between. You need to switch your Cloud/Barrett/Aerith team to Cloud/Red XIII/Tifa. It’s just a button press away, saving you trips to the menu. 

As in the previous title, pressing the D-pad will switch control to your other party members. It’s fun to play as Sephiroth. Sephiroth is a powerful swordsman with a silvery hair. He has a wide range of lightning-quick slashing attacks. His teleporting dodge allows him to move quickly between targets. And he also boasts his Octaslash Limit break. I can also perform Finishing Moves such as Pierce or Sword Dance by landing hits. Executing these moves will fill the Limit gauge. By pressing R1, he enters Retaliation Stance. This move allows him to parry an attack by pressing Square just at the right time. 

He’s so good that I neglected Cloud much during my second playthrough of this section, but that doesn’t mean the blond-haired hero is a pushover. He can still switch between the balanced approach of Operator Mode to the powerful, tank-like attacks of his Punisher Mode. Since I am able to access several of his skills, such as Braver or Cross Slash, it’s fun to take down enemies with the massive Buster Sword. 

This slice, given how important this flashback to the story is, is more focused on the story and is closer to the corridor levels of Remake. Between climbing and scaling cliff walls with platformer-style hand holds, I’m largely just mowing down any monster in front of me while listening to Cloud and Sephiroth’s banter. One of the biggest changes is an environment puzzle that requires me to activate an elevator after clearing mako gases from a specific area. I do this by pushing and pulling a large heavy air cleaner. It’s not the most thrilling sequence. 

Thankfully, a battle against the area’s boss, the multi-legged Materia Hunter, makes for a much more exciting affair. It’s an involved fight; at one point, it scales the ceiling, so I must target its limbs with magic to bring it back down to earth. It’s a pretty intense fight, with some great cinematic moments. The playful interactions between Cloud and Sephiroth are also quite entertaining. 

Rebirth’s offensive possibilities are almost endless. Standard attacks, form changes and stances, characters abilities, magic, Limit breaks, and Synergy Skills all present a variety of choices. I’m still figuring out whether it’s better to use spend ATB meters on a Synergy Attack over, say, Cloud’s Cross Slash, as they all appear equally flashy and effective on the surface. It’s hard to keep up with the sensory overload of special effects in battles. Using the tactical mode is a great way to choose your commands carefully while you catch your breath. Rebirth is a step up from Remake, which was characterized by over the top combat. 

The New Old World

The New Old World

The next demo drops me into a coastal open-world section outside of the city of Junon – or technically Under Junon, the name of the peaceful fishing village located nearby. Cloud, Tifa Aerith Barrett are in the party, along with Red XIII. When walking doesn’t work, I hit R1 instead to summon a fleet to pick us up. The sight of Red XIII adrift on his feathery steed, is unintentionally humorous. Chocobo’s can not only speed up ground travel but also reach islands with treasure. They can also sniff out buried treasure and dig it up. If a question-mark icon appears above their heads it indicates that there are goodies nearby. By holding up on the D pad, you can command the chocobos to search around. While pressing R3, it will bring up a trail of scents leading your bird in the right direction. 

While I could head directly to Under Junon I choose to explore this beautifully detailed world. In Remake you can almost see how much money was spent on each highly detailed place and every combat encounter with heavy particle effects. Rebirth has stunning graphics, regardless of whether you choose the 60fps performance mode or the higher-resolution 4K Quality mode.  

World Intel Missions are a frequent occurrence in my adventures. When I enter designated zones, a mysterious AI-like entity called MAI challenges me to beat a specific enemy in order to collect data about it. Defeating these designated foes earns rewards such as gear and crafting materials, and fulfilling objectives such as winning fights within a time limit or pressuring/staggering the enemy sweetens the pot. I’m not sure what the story is behind these missions and the incentive for completing all of them in an area, and the explanation may have to wait until launch day. 

The Item Transmuter is a menu option that allows you to transform materials collected into useful items like health potions and phoenix drops. This will earn you transmuter EXP and increase your overall crafting skill. However, I’m still not certain of its benefits.   

Baby chocobos also roam these lands, and you’ll want to follow these adorable critters when you spot them as they guide you to fallen Chocobo Stops. These signs become fast-travel points when you raise them upright. They also reward golden plumes, which can be traded at ranches to get gear for your chocobos. I found one such ranch and got to edit my chocobo’s color and clothing, such as various hats, breast plates, and leg wraps. Once the task is complete, you are welcome to pet the little chocobos.

Battling monsters gives me a full taste of the party’s combat prowess, with the returning heroes feeling familiar with a few new twists. Aerith’s Tempest can be charged to summon a Familiar who helps her on the battlefield. Tifa’s Unbridled Strength can enhance her Triangle ability up to three times while raising the number of attacks that can be chained together. Barrett’s Overcharge instantly fills a large amount of his ATB gauge, especially when used immediately after executing an attack or ability.

Red XIII was the hardest to mess with because he is now fully playable in Rebirth. His powerful claws can be charged up to launch a spinning slash. His Vengeance Gauge is filled when he defends against an attack. It can be spent on activating Vengeance mode. Red XIII’s attack speed and power are increased in this mode. 

When I do arrive at Under Junon, the party is halted by Rhonda, the village’s tough-as-nails mayor and sheriff. Rhonda’s identification scanner immediately pulls up the party’s substantial bounties, but thankfully, the town is no friend of Shirna. “We know when to turn a blind eye,” she says, lowering the tension. Rhonda, instead of inviting the group to the inn near the village for a rest, invites them there. The R&R will have to wait; through various shenanigans involving a dolphin and a certain braggadocious Wutai ninja I won’t spoil (it’s weird), a sea monster called the Terror of the Deep suddenly attacks the village, prompting Cloud and Co. to intervene. 

It is in the boss battle that I will be tested most. This beast can not only dive beneath the docks and launch surprise attacks but can also trap your allies in orbs filled with water. You must destroy these to release them. The beast is eventually defeated by a combination of Limit Breaks, individual abilities and Synergy Skills. 

While it’s tough to get a sense of the scope and narrative by playing two out-of-context sections, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth preserves the combat I loved in its predecessor and freshens it up with fun new mechanics and attacks. The open-world activities were decent diversions, and while I’m curious to see what else Square fills its worlds with, the main narrative will always be the biggest draw next to the action. Rebirth’s battle skills and intrigue have made me eager to see how the story unfolds.