Replaying Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has honestly reminded me just how insane this whole trilogy project really is. I bought this game day one when it came out, put over 130 hours into it, did everything — all the side content, all the exploration, all the extra stuff. And this time around, I decided to do the complete opposite. Just go from point A to point B and focus purely on the story.
And I think that actually made the experience even better.
At first, it took me a minute to get back into it. The opening with the Nibelheim flashback — young Cloud, Sephiroth, the Zack timeline stuff — it’s interesting, but it starts a little slow. I was kind of like, “Alright, let’s get going here.” But once you get past Junon — honestly, once you’re off that boat and done with the parade — that’s when the game really hits its stride. From that point on, it just doesn’t stop.
Going through Gongaga, Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, Cosmo Canyon, Corel — they absolutely nailed bringing all of these iconic locations to life. The Gold Saucer especially stands out. As a kid playing the original, that place was already memorable, but here it’s just on another level. The battle arena, the mini-games, everything about it feels alive.
And yeah, I’ll say it — not having to redo all the side content made a huge difference. The first time through, you want to do everything because it’s all so impressive. But the chocobo traversal, the region-specific mechanics, all the towers and extra objectives — it can bog things down. This time, skipping all that and just focusing on the main story made the pacing feel so much tighter. It let the best parts of the game really shine.
And those best parts? The characters.
Just like Remake, but even more so here, seeing these characters fully realized is what makes this whole thing special. And for me, Yuffie is the standout. She might honestly be the MVP of this game. She’s incredibly fun to use in combat, she has a ton of personality, and knowing we haven’t even touched Wutai yet makes it feel like she’s going to be a huge part of the next game.
It’s also kind of wild to think back to the original Final Fantasy VII where Yuffie and Vincent were completely missable characters. You could play that entire game and never even meet them. Now, Yuffie is front and center, and Vincent is being set up as a major player going forward. Same with Cid. Getting those teases of them in Rebirth just makes you excited for what’s coming next, especially when they become fully playable.
The game also continues to do a great job expanding on characters like Barret, Red XIII, and the Turks. And yeah, I’ll say it — the Turks are just cool as hell. Reno, Rude, Elena, Tseng — they’ve got that same vibe as something like Organization XIII from Kingdom Hearts. They’re technically on the opposing side, but it never feels purely black and white. They clash with Avalanche because they have to, not because they’re outright evil. Reno in particular is just one of the coolest characters in the entire franchise.
Story-wise, Rebirth does what Remake started — it follows the original structure, but adds layers, expands moments, and throws in new twists. It’s not a one-to-one remake. It’s something else entirely. The timelines, the Zack stuff, the way things are shifting — it keeps you guessing even if you know the original game inside and out.
And then there’s the second half of the game, which is where it really hit me on this replay just how good this is. The pacing, the emotional beats, the boss fights — everything ramps up. You’ve got moments like the Dyne and Barret storyline, more depth in Cosmo Canyon, the Temple of the Ancients, and just one incredible boss fight after another.
The combat still rules. It’s fast, it’s fluid, and once you really understand the systems — synergy abilities, building stagger, optimizing characters — it just clicks. Some characters take more getting used to than others, but overall, it’s one of the most satisfying combat systems out there.
And then you get to the ending.
The final chapter is tough, but it ties everything together really well. And of course, you have one of the most iconic moments in gaming — Aerith’s death. They handle it a little differently here, and it’s clear they’re setting something up for the third game. It almost feels like they might go in a direction where she’s still “around” in some form, maybe through the Lifestream, maybe only visible to Cloud. Kind of like how Arkham Knight handled Joker. It would make sense, especially with how much they’re playing with timelines and reality.
That ending message — “No promises await at journey’s end” — pretty much tells you everything. They’re not afraid to change things. And honestly, that’s what makes this whole trilogy so interesting.
Looking ahead, the third game has a lot to cover. Wutai is still coming. Rocket Town. The Weapons — which I really hope they go all out on, because those fights are legendary. The Northern Crater. The Black Materia. All of it is still on the table, and if they stick the landing, this could end up being one of the best trilogies in gaming.
At the end of the day, Rebirth is just an incredible experience. It’s massive, it’s emotional, it’s ambitious, and it builds on everything Remake started in the best ways. Replaying it without all the extra padding made me appreciate it even more.
This game just flat-out rules. And now it’s just a waiting game for part three.
No doubt a 10/10 masterpiece for me