In an era of empty and uninspired open worlds, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth immediately shoots you into its enthralling universe from the moment you begin the game. Each open-world area, from the Grasslands to Nibelheim, constantly feels fresh and exciting to explore while also presenting you with a multitude of open-world activities, quest lines, and mini-games. The sprawling open world is just one of the three major components solidifying this game as one of the all-time greats. The combat system is a huge step above what it was in Remake (which was already fantastic), and it keeps refreshing itself the more you gain levels and begin learning the different mechanics. Finally, the cream of the crop in this game is the story because wow. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth reintroduces the original FF7 story with heightened character development and interactions that truly make you attached to the cast and the adventure that they have embarked upon. Progressing through this story showed me why so many people claim FF7 as not only one of the best stories in gaming but one of the best stories ever told. The only legitimate complaints I can have about this game are little nitpicks that I began to notice throughout my 130 hours of gameplay, that being Lighting issues in the open world and textures either not loading at times or just straight up being low quality. However, these problems did not affect my journey throughout the game, yet it wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t mention them regardless. My final verdict on this game is that it is not only the clear front-runner for the 2024 GOTY but that it is nothing short of a masterpiece and is most definitely one of the greatest games ever made. My excitement for Part 3 is to the moon and back as I await the conclusion to this beauty of a trilogy.

10/10