Rebirth has a pretty herculean task, which is adapting the part of FFVII I am most rose-tinted on. That being the post-Midgar section of Disc 1. As a kid, I’d played this part the most on replays, but my attention span led to many a run being culled around some point here. Rebirth really nails the whimsy of being thrust into VII’s world as a kid, and I think its scale encapsulates it so nicely, and I absolutely appreciate its gameplay loop. You’re not forced to engage with non-story aspects, but they’re far higher quality than the ones in Remake, and often serve as great world building and excuses to see the world. Characterization and portrayals continue to be magnificent as does the use of compendium content. I’ll say I wish Vincent got more chemistry with the party, as how he’s handled feels in stark contrast to Remake making Red XIII fit so naturally in the last two chapters. It’s a shame, as Yuffie went from optional in the original game to such a core of the party dynamic here. I think gameplay is far more refined as well, with the new synergy skill system being a fun way of juggling ATB and party combos, and the new additions of Red XIII and Cait Sith being very welcome. Now, I’ll say that this game isn’t perfect with some technical stuff. Coming off of Remake’s 60 FPS on the PS5, it’s initially jarring to be put in 30 FPS and get told to settle with either 30 FPS and better graphic, or deal with pretty blurry visuals with 60 FPS. I adjusted to the 30 rather quickly, since it’s what Remake was designed around on PS4, and advise you do the same, but it’s still noteworthy. Also some texture pop in is real. Most notably I saw it in the Mythril Mines, and it took me out a bit. I will say that this game has also made me retroactively grow to love the Whispers as a concept, generally? The idea that they’re a part of the Planet’s defense systems, and Sephiroth tricked us into sabotaging them in Remake is extremely intriguing, with a faction now benefitting him. The ending of the game has a lot that will probably have to be elaborated upon, but I think the idea that the lifestream contains a multiverse of sorts is not too far of a reach given its capabilities to rejuvenate the mind? May just be me though. A story grievance I do have though, is changing the resolution to the Dyne plot point. Dyne choosing to kill himself because he can’t live with the monster he’s become is a haunting moment of the original, and Rebirth plays the depths of his delusion so well… until it doesn’t. Him being killed in a firefight, dying vindictive toward Barret, doesn’t really hit for me, at all. And that’s a damn shame when so much else of this game does. It sticks out when such a strong arc loses footing at the tail end. But I digress. Parts which were optional in the original, but now are mandatory, like Gongaga, are damn fantastic. The reimagining of this world has gone above and beyond, and I can’t wait to jump into it. If you ask me objectively, the tech issues make this a 4.5, even if they aren’t at all egregious. But, this is my review. I am suffering a hyperfixation from when I was 14 reviving when I was 22. So fuck you, it’s a 5/5. Also, amazing how these devs got even better at queerbaiting with Aerti and filling every Cloud and Sephiroth scene with sexual tension. Bravo.
Edit. Forgot to mention just how much in here is designed to make you soypoint. The amount of things that feed some aspect of the compilation, or just build on characters who were doing jack in the original is really something. Elena and Tseng went from having no fights in the original, with Tseng literally being seen as dead by English speaking audiences due to mistranslations, to Elena getting 3 and Tseng getting the best damn boss theme in the game.

I can’t say anything that hasn’t been said, because while I’m a bit late to it, it’s still genuinely great at the psychological aspects, and mental health presentation that gradually distorts as the game is tampered with. However, I do think some of the twist factor’s botched when you play on Steam. Any of the meta aspects, like file deletion, are tied solely to an in-game thing as opposed to the general file manager. And honestly, that weakens it a lot. Having had the twist spoiled like, fucking seven years ago, I think this version just loses the mindfuckery of that execution and so it hits a bit less hard for me. It’s like, imagine playing ONESHOT without all of the fuckery of its clever use of your computer’s files. It wouldn’t inherently work, IMO. This doesn’t equate DDLC in its sum to be bad, it’s obviously well praised for a reason, but this version feels like it maneuvers around such a riveting twist a bit less gracefully.

I definitely got it more this time. Recognizing it more as its own entity that stands alongside the OG than anything. I do think “Remake” wasn’t the correct title for it but I digress. I did come to appreciate the expanded characters for the Avalanche members generally, since getting to see the upper plates was cool. However, padding’s still yknow, a thing. Wall Market and the Train Graveyard are filled to the brim with it, and it can be a bit much. I used to hate the ending section but it’s interesting to me now, just seeing it more as its own thing, even if some things are screaming “hey bro remember Advent Children” or are outright quotes from it. Combat can be fun but I genuinely miss the turn based stuff. It’s still a really fun system, but seeing people say that this is better than the old one? Lol. And the padding can make bingeing the game harder. I’m less inclined to binge when I’ve played a padded segment. Love the performances and acting here so much. It’s a far less mixed bag than I remember, and I’m glad I revisited it.

Cryptic, tragic, suspenseful, and a loving homage to PS1 survival horror. I’ve seen the critique that this is anti-communism and, no??? It reads more as a condemnation of a totalitarian and militaristic nation which wants to reduce people solely to their role or profits. Governments that have done this are communist in name and name alone, using bastardized, extremist forms of that ideology. It’s moreso a critique of totalitarianism and weaponizing any ideology to fit it, and the metaphorical, or literal decay that is a product. It’s the same as when someone reads 1984 or Animal Farm, and concludes Orwell to be viscerally against Communism, which is simply not the case when the man was a Socialist who spoke against totalitarian states who would weaponize such ideals through his writing. In the case of this game, any indulgence is all but forbidden, or characterized as a fetish when Replikas indulge. When people are characterized only by their function and gross output in a society, love and happiness are luxuries. That’s the message I feel is here. And it’s a haunting one in a story where we have to piece so much together. I don’t think the game is PERFECT, and I wish the gunplay was better, with me finding aiming cumbersome at times. Great game, though. I understand it won’t be for everyone with how its storytelling can be vague, but that’s the intent.

I do think there’s a conversation to be had about its use of DDR iconography (the devs are from Hamburg), but to say that that’s its full message feels inherently wrong, and there’s more to it than that.