4 years later and I still can't believe they're 'remaking' this.
It's certainly a better game than Remake, but ultimately the mantra of Rebirth is pretty much the same as Remake... It's good, but not nearly as good as the original.
That's not to say the game isn't great in it's own right. The characters are more fully developed than ever and seeing these relationships blossom is incredibly endearing and entertaining.
Since the beginning of the 'HD-era' of video games starting with Xbox 360 and PS3, Square Enix has struggled to produce a game that has hasn't felt compromised in some serious ways.
13 was lacking the open-ness the franchise is known for. 15 was lacking a satisfying combat system. 16 lacked an ensemble cast of party members.
Compared to their golden era of games (widely considered to be somewhere between 4 and 10, depending on taste), each entry has been lacking in different staples of the series.
Rebirth is the first game in well over a decade that feels like a classic Final Fantasy adventure. Arguably the first big budget JRPG that features an overworld, vehicles and an ensemble cast. There are moments in the game that had me shocked that they were able to accomplish this type of game again.
Hopefully with the next game they can push themselves even further, but honestly I'm more looking forward to this team potentially working on a brand new game, because it seems like they finally have their groove back and there's nothing more exciting to me.
It's certainly a better game than Remake, but ultimately the mantra of Rebirth is pretty much the same as Remake... It's good, but not nearly as good as the original.
That's not to say the game isn't great in it's own right. The characters are more fully developed than ever and seeing these relationships blossom is incredibly endearing and entertaining.
Since the beginning of the 'HD-era' of video games starting with Xbox 360 and PS3, Square Enix has struggled to produce a game that has hasn't felt compromised in some serious ways.
13 was lacking the open-ness the franchise is known for. 15 was lacking a satisfying combat system. 16 lacked an ensemble cast of party members.
Compared to their golden era of games (widely considered to be somewhere between 4 and 10, depending on taste), each entry has been lacking in different staples of the series.
Rebirth is the first game in well over a decade that feels like a classic Final Fantasy adventure. Arguably the first big budget JRPG that features an overworld, vehicles and an ensemble cast. There are moments in the game that had me shocked that they were able to accomplish this type of game again.
Hopefully with the next game they can push themselves even further, but honestly I'm more looking forward to this team potentially working on a brand new game, because it seems like they finally have their groove back and there's nothing more exciting to me.