So Rebirth ended up following the same trajectory as Remake huh - a mostly top-tier experience that let itself down in the final chapter by becoming a highly convoluted mess of clashing multiverses and... I dunno. I don't know what the fuck was going on. That major emotional beat that ends the first disc in FFVII OG serves as the climax for this singular entry in the remake saga, but loses much of its power this time around because there's so much ambiguity as to what's actually happening. When a game's end credits start scrolling and your first instinct is to go on the internet and start scouring forums for some kind of explanation as to what it is you just saw, you know the writers kinda fucked up a bit.

Despite this criticism, the reason I give Rebirth a 9 when all is said and done is because it was such a trip, at least up until the denouement. A true labour of love, stuffed with an inordinate amount of soul and joie de vivre. A game that cares about its characters and knows that you the player cares about its characters, and as such treats you to a constant barrage of fanservice, both in the main story and its myriad of side content. In any other game, the open world and its Ubisoft-influenced design would quickly grow wearisome for me, but in Rebirth, it's a joy to wander off the beaten track and explore the wilderness. Doing so often treats you to sights and sounds you won't experience in the main quest. And of course, it's all aided by the finest real-time combat I've ever experienced in a JRPG. A fine-tuned mix of planning and reaction; Rebirth's deep combat mechanics help it rise above even its lowest points.

And so, as I wait for part 3 with baited breath, and pray that its development isn't significantly hampered by Rebirth's struggling commercial performance, I look forward to what the future brings, but also have a certain amount of trepidation as to the narrative choices it makes and how far it strays from the source material. In what will presumably be the final chapter of a trilogy, there's an opportunity for the developers to simplify things and deliver more answers than questions. Sticking the landing next time around would be a perfect way to cap off this whole saga and achieve what Remake and Rebirth could not - a cohesive and satisfying ending that refuses to indulge in the JRPG genre's worst excesses. Fingers crossed.