I love FFVII, and this game amazed me — though not without its flaws. Still, I can confidently say that the positives far outweigh the negatives.

Let’s start with the fact that the game is technically open world. Though, to be more precise, it’s segmented into distinct regions, rather than one large seamless map — so it’s not quite like The Witcher 3, for example. That said, I honestly think Rebirth is better than Remake, simply because, even in the original, Midgar was the weakest part of the game (not bad — just the least compelling overall). Yet Remake stretched that part into 40+ hours, whereas in the original it took a maximum of 6. In Rebirth, everything feels much more organic.

So, what can you do in this world? There's plenty of side content: searching for items with Chocobos, side quests, towers, and fun little references to FFVII itself — like Lifestream Intel, which rewards you with pieces of regional lore. Sure, some of the activities might feel like a checklist, but is that a bad thing? I don’t think so. The game constantly throws new things at you, the rewards are worthwhile, and just exploring these familiar locations is a joy. And also why I like it — because this is the first Final Fantasy game in nearly 20 years that actually brings back real exploration — something the series hasn’t truly captured since the PS1 era.

They’ve finally built a system that works — something solid, something that could absolutely be used in future FF titles. Not necessarily copied 1:1, but taken as a strong foundation. It kind of reminds me of how Zelda changed with Breath of the Wild. The core formula shifted — now it’s more about open-ended exploration than traditional dungeon-crawling. I think Final Fantasy might be going through a similar transformation right now.

Of course, not every future FF game is going to be a “Ubisoft Tower Checklist Simulator”, and I don’t think they should be. But the way characters interact with the world, how they traverse it, and how the game allows for deviation and discovery — that’s the stuff they’ve nailed here. And that design philosophy could carry forward in meaningful ways.

What’s funny is that this kind of foundation already existed — back in the PS1 days. FFVII through FFIX all had a similar feel in how you explored, how you interacted with the world and party members, how side content was layered in. These aren’t new ideas, but it feels like Rebirth polished and modernized them in a smart way.


There are a lot of mini-games and character-specific moments — like one character being able to throw objects, another using a hook, etc. All typical for a JRPG. But what I really want to talk about is the combat.

Combat: It’s fantastic — essentially the same system from Part 1, but refined and expanded. There are more mechanics, more materia options, and the addition of synergy abilities (team attacks) makes fights even more dynamic. Oh, and yes — you can finally fight properly in the air!

Mini-Games: One aspect I definitely want to touch on is the mini-games. Some people have complained about them being too numerous or intrusive, but I actually think it’s an over-exaggeration. I completed all of them and never really understood the complaints, especially when I replayed the game on hard difficulty and focused only on the main objectives. I barely noticed the mini-games! Haha. But I’ve got to admit, some of their placements were indeed strange, and I can see why some people might be frustrated because of that exactly. Overall, though, they were fine. Some of them were even great, like Queen's Blood, which added a nice change of pace. I didn’t mind spending some time on them (though, the challenges were pretty frustrating).


It’s hard to judge fully, since this is the middle part of a trilogy — the connective tissue, so to speak. This game focuses more on the "adventure" portion of the original: we spend more time getting to know the characters and enjoying the journey. I actually like comparing this part of Rebirth to the pre-timeskip in One Piece, in a way. (That’s not to say there’s no plot — the “real” FFVII plot is very much present, just delivered in smaller doses. The heavy stuff kicks off after Disc 1, which will be Part 3.)

But I love this approach. Like in the original, we get to know the characters on a deeper level — and Rebirth takes that even further. Their growth feels like a natural continuation from Part 1, and many of the classic story beats are not only preserved but enhanced. As much as I love the original, I honestly think the way they expanded on some scenes and added extra emotional depth feels even better and it's fantastic.

As for the whole new “Whispers” storyline — it’s still too early to make a final call. I personally like the concept, but I need to see the ending before I can fully judge it. I’m very curious to see how they wrap it all up.

Music is an easy one: it’s absolutely stunning. Several tracks literally gave me goosebumps. It’s definitely a step above even the original’s iconic soundtrack.

These didn’t ruin my experience, not at all — but they’re worth mentioning so they can hopefully be improved in Part 3:

1. Relationship System:
I didn’t mention it earlier, but the game includes a relationship system based on dialogue choices. The better your responses, the more points you earn with a given character. Honestly, I think this feature is unnecessary in a Final Fantasy game. It feels a bit tacked on and can even mess with the narrative flow at times.

2. Graphics:
Visually, the game is slightly improved over Part 1 — especially the lighting, which is noticeably better. That said, the game still looks pretty rough during daytime in some areas. Pop-in issues and inconsistent rendering are still here too, which doesn’t help.

3. Some Traversal Issues:
Some areas, like Gongaga or Cosmo Canyon, might become frustrating to navigate for some. Personally, I didn’t mind Gongaga — I cleared it just fine — but Cosmo Canyon gave me some trouble. The main issue? There’s no jump button. Please, just give us a jump button in Part 3 — problem solved.

4. Mini-Games (Again):
As I mentioned, I don’t have any problems with the mini-games, but I do have to admit that some of their odd placements might cause irritation. It would be nice to see these aspects improved in Part 3.

5. PC Optimization:
No long rant here. It’s bad. Just straight-up bad.


Despite the issues, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is simply amazing. I wholeheartedly recommend it. For me, it’s my personal Game of the Year 2024! I’m incredibly hyped for Part 3 — we’re finally getting the Highwind! It’ll cover some of the wildest parts of the original story, and hey, maybe they’ll finally retire Chadley. Not that I have anything personal against him… okay, maybe just a little.

As for the future of Final Fantasy, I’m hoping that the world exploration system they’ve built here continues to evolve. This feels like the foundation for something big. I don’t want to see the franchise just stick to the Ubisoft Tower Checklist Simulator approach. Instead, I want the world design to keep growing, feel like a real sequel, and keep that sense of discovery alive. Not every game needs to follow the same formula, and I’m excited to see how they build upon this in the next installment. Here's hoping that the evolution of exploration and world interaction stays as fresh and exciting as it was in Rebirth!