PREVIEW – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second chapter in the Remake trilogy, coming to PS5 in 2023. The stunning previous instalment (which you can test here) was released for PS4 back in 2020 and the following year for PC. The sequel, which was renamed during development, was three years in the making, but the information so far suggests it’s worth waiting another year.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is now called Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The new title was announced as part of Square’s 25th-anniversary celebrations for its iconic RPG. At this launch, we also learned that a Crisis Core Remaster is in development, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is now available on Steam, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake has become a trilogy. Much information was packed into a concise presentation, though it confirmed our suspicion that there has never been a better time to be a Final Fantasy fan!

The first Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released in 2020 for PS4, and we were looking forward to rejoining Cloud and his band as they set out in search of Sephiroth in the sequel. Thankfully, the wait is almost over. Join us as we explore everything we know so far about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth release date

The tentative release date for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is “next winter”. While the winter season typically runs from December to March, we expect Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Part 2 to arrive in 2023. That’s three long years since the original release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Still, with an enhanced ‘Intergrade’ version of the game already available for PS5 and PC, there’ll be plenty of time to catch up and play through Cloud’s reimagined adventure.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s only platform

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s confirmed single platform release is PS5. Although Final Fantasy 7 Remake was initially released for PS4, it appears that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 will skip that platform entirely as Square Enix focuses its efforts on the new generation of consoles. Square Enix has yet to confirm if a PC release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is in the works. However, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade already available on Steam, there’s a good chance Rebirth will eventually make its way there.

Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake coming to Xbox?

Whether Final Fantasy 7 Remake will come to Xbox platforms remains unanswered, though there is still some hope. As things stand, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, are PlayStation console exclusives. However, with the news that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is finally coming to PC, the chances of an Xbox Series X port have improved. Couple this speculation with the fact that Crisis Core’s Final Fantasy 7 Reunion – a remake-style remaster of the FF7 prequel – will be released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X later this year, and Square Enix may be laying the groundwork for a future release of Remake Intergrade on Microsoft platforms.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gameplay

The in-engine reveal trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth showed how faithful Square Enix will be to the source material, although we have yet to see what changes will be made to combat and exploration. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s gameplay is expected to be similar to Final Fantasy 7 Remake – high-quality presentation, fast-paced, action-based combat and the kind of world-building that only a Final Fantasy game can deliver. More details are expected in the coming months.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth story

If you’ve played the 1997 Final Fantasy 7 and the 2020 Final Fantasy 7 Remake, you’ll already know that the games’ stories are drastically different. Square Enix has taken the source material and reimagined it for a new generation of players, so there’s not much to know about what twists and turns to expect from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s story. However, we know that it will be a direct continuation of where Intergrade left off – Cloud arriving in the village of Kalm and Zack entering the temple of Sector 5 in search of Aerith – and then exploring the world beyond the borders of Midgar.

New players can enjoy starting their Final Fantasy 7 journey with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Also, according to creative director Tetsuya Nomura, you don’t need to play either Final Fantasy 7 or Final Fantasy 7 Remake to enjoy the second part of the adventure. “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is designed so that people can enjoy this game whether they know the original game or not. Cloud and his friends are embarking on a new journey in this game, and I believe the scenes they will witness after leaving Midgar will provide players with a fresh, new experience.”

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth development

Development on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is believed to have begun before production on the Final Fantasy Remake for PS4 in 2020 is complete. Square Enix has since launched the Intermission DLC and the Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade for PS5 and PC. Producer Yoshinori Kitase admits that the three-year wait has been challenging. However, he believes the result will be worth it, “Three years may seem like a long time for fans who are impatient for the next game, but we want to deliver the best experience possible and reassure everyone that development is moving at a breakneck pace for such a large-scale HD title.”

Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura said about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2: “Development of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been moving quickly since we adopted a new development structure. A title on this scale, where everything is tied together before production even starts, is rare indeed.” Naoki Hamaguchi, the game’s director, added that “development is now in full production, and the team is extremely motivated to put everything together on the project and work towards creating a finished game.”

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is only the second part of a trilogy

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the middle chapter of a larger Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Interestingly, when Final Fantasy 7 was released for PS1 in 1997, it came packaged on three discs. In any case, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase had this to say about the decision to turn the remake into a trilogy:

“Making a middle part of a trilogy comes with its own challenges, but plenty of classic second parts in the film world are defined by compelling story twists and deeper explorations of characters. It is often these second parts that become fan favourites. In the same way, we want to make Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a more immersive and memorable experience than Final Fantasy 7 Remake”.

In addition, Tetsuya Nomura confirmed that “some development work has already started on the third title,” and the creative director added, “development has already begun, and I’m working on finishing the series.” Nomura and his teams at Square Enix are working with what he calls a “connected” development structure, which hopefully means we won’t have to wait three years after the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to play the final instalment in the trilogy.

-theGeek-