With just a few months away from the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, here are the information that we had gathered in preparation for the launch of this titular JRPG.

Release Date and Platforms

Confirmed during Playstation’s September State of Play, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to release on 29th February 2024 exclusively on PlayStation 5 at launch. The announcement of the release date also states that this title will not be available on other formats at least until 29th May 2024, three months after the PS5 release.

This doesn’t mean that Rebirth will be out on other platforms on 29th May specifically, considering the PC port for FF7 Remake took over a year, so it’s best to take that three-month window with a grain of salt.

Square Enix did not specify which other platforms Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be out for, but given that the previous FF7 Remake did eventually get a PC release, it’s safe to expect the same from this upcoming title.

As with an Xbox port, chances are slim considering that previous entries in the remake series have yet to launch on that platform, but it’s not to say that there’s zero chances of that happening.

It’s worth noting that the physical copies of Rebirth will come bundled in with two discs, one disc containing 100GB while the other taking up 50GB, which totals up to 150GB. Fortunately, thanks to how the PS5 works, players will only need to install the entire game by inserting both discs for the first time, and the game can be played just with one disc after that.

Story

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second game in the Final Fantasy 7 remake project and it’s a completely standalone game which sees Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Aerith stepping out of Midgar to embark on a globe-spanning adventure in pursuit of Sephiroth. This means that players won’t need to play either the original 1997 title as well as the previous entry of the remake project to enjoy Part 2 of Cloud’s adventure.

In our interview with creative director Tetsuya Nomura did confirm that FF7 Rebirth will be covering the original story up until the Forgotten Capital, which is the setting for one of the game’s most memorable moments.

However, fans who have played both the original Final Fantasy 7 title and the Final Fantasy 7 Remake will know that the games have varying storylines, meaning that there might be some surprises that Rebirth would offer in its story.

Characters

FF7 Rebirth will see a sizable cast of characters, with them bringing back a majority of Remake’s characters into this second part of the story such as the four playable members of Avalanche, Cloud, Barret, Tifa, and Aerith.

There will also be a handful of characters that players couldn’t control in the first part of the game that we can expect to join the party this time, such as Red XIII and Yuffie.

Other confirmed characters include Cait Sith, Vincent Valentine, Cid Highwind and Yuffie Kisaragi. However, it is said that both Vincent and Cid will not be full party members, and instead act as companion characters much like Red XIII was in Remake.

Of course, not forgetting the main bad of the story, Sephiroth being an integral part of the overarching story.

Gameplay

We’ve seen from Final Fantasy 7 Remake that the title took the series’ iconic turn-based combat and adapted it into a real-time action RPG much like with FF15. That being said, it’s safe to assume that Rebirth will be sticking to the same formula.

One cool mechanic players can expect to appear is the Synergy Attacks, which allows two party members to work in unison to unleash a powerful attack at any time by using a charged up gauge similar to the Limit Breaks.

Additionally, from a PlayStation blog, director Naoki Hamaguchi had outlined that Red XIII will offer something different as a new type of character. In the blog, Red XIII doesn’t just have an ATB gauge but also a unique “revenge gauge” mechanic, which charges up when he guards against attacks and can be spent to use various abilities once that gauge is filled.

New Features

FF7 Rebirth will be featuring a massive open world for players to explore, which is a breath of fresh air from the mostly linear design of Remake. From the trailers, players can expect a handful of iconic locations such as Costa del Sol, Cosmo Canyon, and Nibelheim. Players can also explore the open world from various modes of transportation such as riding on Chocobos and some form of vehicle that resembles a Segway.

Speaking of Chocobos, a new feature called the “Chocoboutique” would be added to Chocobo ranches, allowing users to customise their feathered friends, such as recolouring their equipment. Do note that gear will affect their performances  during Chocobo races.

Rebirth will also see the return of the Gold Saucer, home to all sorts of minigames from Chocobo Racing, a new card game in the form of Queen’s Blood, Piano Performance, Moogle Mischief and much more for players to indulge countless hours in.

Additionally, Rebirth also introduces a crafting system that wasn’t present in the original FF7 title and FF7 Remake. Players can gather resources found in the overworld, which can be crafted into a bunch of useful items from potions and status effect removals.

Just from the information we’ve gathered, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is already looking to be a full-course meal packed with a generous amount of serving that both veteran fans and newcomers to the series will definitely enjoy.

FF7 Rebirth will launch on 29th February 2024 for the PlayStation 5.

We’ve previously interviewed with the series’ Director Naoki Hamaguchi which can be read here.