Thoughts on Completion
Still processing it all, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an absolutely wild ride.
A fantastic follow-up to Remake, a remarkable second part in this remake trilogy of the original FF7, and I genuinely believe it's one of the greatest video games of all time. In just a few months, across the original, Remake, Crisis Core, and now Rebirth, the whole set of games in the FF7 series have become some of my favourites of all time - with the original and Rebirth being particular standouts.
I was constantly in awe playing Rebirth at just how creative and inventive the game is, and it's truly mind-boggling how they pulled off such a well-paced, perfectly-designed game, especially one that lasted me over 100 hours. There are some issues I could note, but we're talking minor critiques that are either just preference, or others that are essentially forgivable considering the scale and quality of everything else. It's difficult not to call the game perfect even if yes, you could argue otherwise.
I also want to call out how much of an actual sequel this feels like too. Not only does it right essentially all of the wrongs of the previous game, it also does a bunch of new stuff, all of which is often high quality and relentlessly good. The game feels like a direct sequel in all the right ways, whilst throwing in a vast number of new ideas and evolutions that make it feel like a very new game at the same time. Its scale and expansiveness is one of the biggest factors in achieving this, and it nails the feeling of going from Remake's mostly corridor-like level design to a varied world that feels lived in, alive, and completely fresh, full of iconic locations and memorable characters.
Furthermore, the pacing and connectivity of the game is much improved this time around - any time there's a moment that begins to outstay its welcome, the game usually course-corrects fairly quickly to do something different. This happens at the right moment several times, and there's only really a couple of areas that feel a bit unnecessary or weirdly designed.
I have some ideas how they might be able to keep this up in part 3 (looking at you, Highwind), but even still, topping this game is going to be one hell of a challenge. Nevertheless, with such a massive jump from Remake, who even knows what they've got cooking over there!
So yeah, FF7 Rebirth is incredible. There's so much to say about the game, but I think it's gonna take some time before I fully formulate all those thoughts honestly. The short of the long is that this likely will be my 2024 game of the year.
It's also PS5's best game, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best videogames to-date, filled with so much heart, care, and deep love that endlessly permeates throughout every aspect. It's endlessly brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable and exciting video game experiences I've ever had, sitting amongst some of my other favourite titles like Uncharted 4, the original FF7, and last year's Final Fantasy XVI (yeah, apparently I'm a big Final Fantasy fan now).
It's gonna be a long wait for part 3!
Still processing it all, but Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is an absolutely wild ride.
A fantastic follow-up to Remake, a remarkable second part in this remake trilogy of the original FF7, and I genuinely believe it's one of the greatest video games of all time. In just a few months, across the original, Remake, Crisis Core, and now Rebirth, the whole set of games in the FF7 series have become some of my favourites of all time - with the original and Rebirth being particular standouts.
I was constantly in awe playing Rebirth at just how creative and inventive the game is, and it's truly mind-boggling how they pulled off such a well-paced, perfectly-designed game, especially one that lasted me over 100 hours. There are some issues I could note, but we're talking minor critiques that are either just preference, or others that are essentially forgivable considering the scale and quality of everything else. It's difficult not to call the game perfect even if yes, you could argue otherwise.
I also want to call out how much of an actual sequel this feels like too. Not only does it right essentially all of the wrongs of the previous game, it also does a bunch of new stuff, all of which is often high quality and relentlessly good. The game feels like a direct sequel in all the right ways, whilst throwing in a vast number of new ideas and evolutions that make it feel like a very new game at the same time. Its scale and expansiveness is one of the biggest factors in achieving this, and it nails the feeling of going from Remake's mostly corridor-like level design to a varied world that feels lived in, alive, and completely fresh, full of iconic locations and memorable characters.
Furthermore, the pacing and connectivity of the game is much improved this time around - any time there's a moment that begins to outstay its welcome, the game usually course-corrects fairly quickly to do something different. This happens at the right moment several times, and there's only really a couple of areas that feel a bit unnecessary or weirdly designed.
I have some ideas how they might be able to keep this up in part 3 (looking at you, Highwind), but even still, topping this game is going to be one hell of a challenge. Nevertheless, with such a massive jump from Remake, who even knows what they've got cooking over there!
So yeah, FF7 Rebirth is incredible. There's so much to say about the game, but I think it's gonna take some time before I fully formulate all those thoughts honestly. The short of the long is that this likely will be my 2024 game of the year.
It's also PS5's best game, and as far as I'm concerned, one of the best videogames to-date, filled with so much heart, care, and deep love that endlessly permeates throughout every aspect. It's endlessly brilliant, and one of the most enjoyable and exciting video game experiences I've ever had, sitting amongst some of my other favourite titles like Uncharted 4, the original FF7, and last year's Final Fantasy XVI (yeah, apparently I'm a big Final Fantasy fan now).
It's gonna be a long wait for part 3!