Remaking a popular franchise is a tall task as nostalgia can clouds people's judgement of what the original was actually like.
If George Lucas decided to remake the original Star Wars trilogy for modern audiences, it would be incredibly contentious as older fans would scrutinise every detail.
For gamers, Final Fantasy VII (which released back in 1997) was a watershed moment for the medium and showed what games could do when it comes to storytelling.
Publisher Square Enix announced they would be remaking the original in three parts back in 2015, but the difference is the world and how the story unfolds would differ from the original.
With the success of the first game back in 2020 with Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth is a much more ambitious entry with a sprawling open world for you to discover.
Whereas Remake was a much more linear game that introduced the world and its characters, Rebirth throws off the shackles and makes exploration one of its key features.
After a swashbuckling opening which recaps the ending of the first game, you take a slight detour when you go on a mission with Sephiroth (before he goes full villain) and a much younger Cloud.
It is fascinating to see his wide-eyed optimism and how he idolises Sephirtoh as a war hero.
As you progress, you realise it is actually Cloud retelling the story to the rest of the crew of how Sephirtoh ended up going down his path of destruction.
Eventually, the game opens up when you escape to The Grasslands and see an entire world you can explore. Even though gamers are used to big open worlds, there is still something magical the first time you step out into such a lush world.
The full cast of characters returns with Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, Red XII at your side as you take on various enemies, big and small.
On your journey you will meet various characters to add to your troop, each with their own unique abilities and eccentricities.
Teamwork
Remake's active battle system was a great way to evolve the series' combat without losing its classic strategic touch. Rebirth does an even better job expanding on this, seeing as working as a team is a central component.
This time around, synergy abilities take centre stage as each character in your party can dovetail with one another in unique ways.
This time around, synergy abilities take centre stage as each character in your party can dovetail with one another in unique ways.
For instance, Cloud can deflect Barret's bullets into enemies, while with Aerith Cloud acts as a bodyguard as she casts her spells.
What makes the system even better is how using these abilities, allows you to execute a powerful special attack that does tons of damage. It is a smart approach to gameplay because the bond between the characters is a such key theme of the story.
Magic or materia as it is known, plays just as big a role in this game as Remake. Along with the usual Fire, Blizzard and Thunder materia there are some really useful ones like Auto-cast which allows party members to automatically cast spells when you are not controlling them.
Another good addition is the transmuter system, which allows you to craft potions with the different materials you pick up around the world.
Because it is an open world, you will be picking up tons of different bits of scraps to turn into items or armour. It is a welcome improvement as you won't have to keep going back to shops to buy every item.
Speaking of the open world, in terms of what you will be doing, there is an abundance of content in the game. Each area has intel to collect, such as towers to activate which reveal other activities, battle intel to gather or lifesprings, which give you a history of each area.
There is a lot of thoughtful design here that makes the side content less trivial than in most open world games.
When you gather intel you collect rewards points which go directly to buying new materia from your trusty ally Chadley.
When you gather intel you collect rewards points which go directly to buying new materia from your trusty ally Chadley. The side quests also play an important role in levelling up your party so you can face tougher enemies.
Minigames
The game embraces its weirdness to the fullest. There are tons of strange and wonderful things to do like the addictive card game Queen's Blood, a party game where you turn into a frog or the real-time strategy minigame Fort Condor.
While the light-hearted nature of these minigames is at odds with the more serious tone of the main story, the way Rebirth leans into its goofiness makes for a much better experience.
It all makes for an incredibly fun adventure that veers from the earnest to the absurd and somehow never loses its charm.
Seeing the crew grow through their trials and tribulations is one of the main reasons why the original game is so revered. The way the developers play with your expectations means you are never fully sure how it will turn out for these characters.
The way they are fleshed out in Rebirth adds another layer to this rag-tag group of heroes.
The fact it has been only four years since Remake was released, it is incredible to see the breath and scope of this game. Whether you just dabble with the side quests or go all out, Rebirth has a remarkable amount of quality content to engage with.
With incredible combat, a gripping story and a massive open world to explore, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth ticks nearly every box for a big-budget release.
It is certainly a Game of the Year contender, as few games will be able to match the breadth of content and marry it with such a fantastic cast of characters you are invested in on every step of their journey.
