Summary
The development team behindFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdidn’t always know when the game was going to end, and it could have left off at a different point in the original’s story. After almost four years,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas finally been released, continuing the story of Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Sephiroth, and the rest of the cast that fans know and love from the originalFinal Fantasy 7and its many spin-offs. Just likeFinal Fantasy 7 Remakebefore it,FF7 Rebirthonly retells a fraction of the 1997 PlayStation classic’s plot, picking up where its predecessor left off with Cloud and his friends escaping Midgar.
Due to the timeline-altering events ofFF7 Remake, there was much speculation abouthowFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwould endin the years leading up to its eventual launch on the PS5. Last year,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthcreative director Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that the game would wrap up with the party’s trip to the Forgotten Capital, which takes place at the end of the originalFF7’s second disk. Without spoiling things too much, this marks a major event in the original storyline, and many fans agreed that it would make for an emotional climax that sets the stage for the thirdFinal Fantasy 7 Remakegame.
However, things could have stopped at a different point, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthproducer Yoshinori Kitasesays that the development team at Square Enix was originally unsure of where the game would end. He revealed this in a recent interview withGQright beforeFF7 Rebirthwas released, stating that when his crew started on theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeproject, they knew the first game would conclude with the party leaving Midgar. In contrast, the sequel’s ending was a bit unclear, until Kitase and company decided that the Forgotten Capital would be “the best turning point in the story.”
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Is Already A Massive Hit
So far,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas earned rave reviewsfrom critics and fans who played through both of the game’s pre-release demos, with much of this praise going towards its gripping plot and large amount of content, which could take the average gamer nearly 100 hours to complete. Even before its full release earlier this week,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthbecame the fifth-highest-rated entry in the franchise, only falling behind the belovedFinal Fantasy 9,Final Fantasy 6,Final Fantasy 12, andFinal Fantasy 10.
It could be difficult to imagineFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthending anywhere other than the Forgotten Capital, as the event that transpires there isan emotional turning point for Cloud and his friendsthat sets the tone for the rest of the saga. Yoshinori Kitase and his team at Square Enix apparently agree, though they weren’t always certain that this would mark the game’s breaking point. Fans can now seeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s emotionally charged climax for themselves, as the long-awaited sequel is now available on PlayStation 5.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
