Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Review: The intense, emotional rollercoaster ride we were hoping it would be

Ahead of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s launch, I’ve had the opportunity to play through the game in its entirety. Once I started, the game completely took over my life - any time I wasn’t streaming, working, or resting, I was exploring the world of Gaia. It’s such a huge change from the grim darkness of Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Midgard. There’s so much more to it than the hopelessness that gets crushed into the citizens of the slums.

This review will contain no spoilers of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, so have no fear of that. I can tell you that it’s incredible and has never been far from my thoughts since I put it down. This is the most emotional game I’ve played in a significant amount of time and it has affected me deep down.

It stirred memories of me being in high school and FF7's first release on the PSX. Although I still preferred to play Final Fantasy 6 at the time, this game captured my attention for years to come. Many of those wonderful moments play out again for me in ways I didn’t expect.

While I enjoyed Final Fantasy 7 Remake a great deal, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an improvement in every conceivable way. From combat mechanics to ways the party can grow stronger to the various mini-games scattered throughout the world, Square Enix delivered on the presentation and mechanics alike. I said as much in my 2023 preview of the game, but I didn’t really understand until I got hands-on with the full build.

Without going deep into the story, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth takes place directly after the events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The previous game ended with an incredible battle that had significant consequences not just for the citizens of Midgard but beyond. The party is, however, free of the shackles of the city and is free