When fans first heard that Final Fantasy 7 Remake was to be the first entry in a multi-part saga, some were disappointed. But the truth is, breaking the story of FF7 into multiple ‘remade’ titles may well be one of the best decisions Square Enix has ever made.
I mean, sure. It’s good for the bottom line, make no mistake. Why charge once when you can charge thrice? But that’s the cynical point of view – and if you’ve reached the end of 2020’s FF7 Remake, you’ll know that there’s more to this than simply a remake of a 90s classic. That gives more than enough story latitude for the company to concoct something irresistible – and in a first hands-on, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a tantalizing hint of what is to come.
In this demo (which this week will be playable to the public at Tokyo Game Show), players get to choose between two different scenarios. One is a flashback scene that clearly will be placed early in the game, showing a young Cloud and Sephiroth allied as they ascend the perilous Mount Nibel in order to investigate a damaged Mako Reactor. The other is from probably a few hours later, and most likely represents the first of FF7 Rebirth’s major ‘open’ areas, giving the party a fairly expansive zone on the outskirts of the gun-toting city of Junon to explore.