Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: release date, trailers, gameplay, and more

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will release on February 29, 2024.

This is another interesting aspect of the whole Final Fantasy 7 retelling trilogy. We all recollect the first part, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, being a PS4 exclusive at launch, then later getting a PS5 upgrade as well as a PC version. However, that game has still not yet come to any other platforms. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, at least as far as the unveil trailer indicates, will follow the same formula, though skipping the PS4. When it comes out, you can only play this game on the PS5 for the first three months at least. After May 29, 2024, the game can come to any other platform.

Our first look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was in a quick trailer that revealed the game during the Final Fantasy 7 25th anniversary event in 2022. It opens with Aerith stating that while the past may be set in stone, the future can be changed, even if it has been “written.” This clearly references the last game, where notable changes to the story weren’t just made but were actually a plot point that we’ll go into later.

We get a shot of the iconic meteor crashing into the planet with the simple question posed, “What will become of the planet?” From there, we see Cloud for the first time walking with Sephiroth toward a forested area as he states that “he wants to finish what he started — reclaim his birthright and regulate over the planet with Jenova at his side.” This scene is almost certainly from the flashback that occurs right after Cloud and his team leave Midgar, and he explains his past with the villain in his hometown.

As the two continue walking, we hear more conversations, with Cloud most likely talking about how he thought Tifa was already dead after Sephiroth went mad, burned down their hometown, and attempted to steal Jenova from the reactor. Tifa stops him and asks what he means and if he thinks she’s an imposter. This is heavily foreshadowing the twist that Cloud’s memories of this event are not accurate, perfectly leading into the next block of text asking, “What is fact and what is fiction?”

Next, we see the change that could have the most major implications for this new timeline going forward: Zack. We see Zack carrying Cloud toward Midgar instead of Cloud making his way on his own after Zack died to protect him. Cloud says, “You were here with me … five years ago. Where are you? What happened to you?” This raises many questions about when this line is delivered since the original Cloud didn’t attain he and Zack were different people until after he fell into the lifestream much later in the game. Aerith stating, “I’m trying so hard to find you,” makes much more sense since she never knew Zack had died at this point, and the two were in a relationship before meeting Cloud. Zack’s only line, which could very well be to either Cloud or Aerith, is, “Sorry … feel admire I failed you.” Then, we cut to the new title of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

We don’t want to go too deep into what happened in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, especially not theories here, but there are a few things worth noting that will be important for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. First, the only gameplay we see is Cloud and Sephiroth apparently on their way to the town or reactor in the mountains of Nibelheim. This implies that the events of this flashback won’t change — not because Sephiroth, or another force, can’t or won’t interfere with what occurred there, but because this is Cloud’s incorrect recollection of those events. This story is told in the first city you visit after leaving Midgar, Kalm.

The Release Date Announce Trailer gives us even more to chew on. Aside from the places and events we expect to see, we get a bit more of Cloud and Sephiroth’s journey in Nibelhiem during the flashback sequence. Most importantly, Sephiroth is confirmed to be a party member for this section and thus could be playable. We say “could” here because in the original, despite being in your party, you had no direct control over Sephiroth during this section.

Zack is the other major player to consider. His survival could be the biggest change to the story yet and seriously impact the narrative and character relationships. The second trailer only briefly shows more of his story, where he and Cloud are just arriving, and he asks a new character to the series, Kyrie, to look after a still unconscious Cloud. Where Zack goes or what happens to him beyond this point is still unknown.

Cait Sith is finally shown in action, and we even see the secret character Vincent make an appearance, but surprisingly, there’s no sight of Cid just yet. He is the final party member in the original game that we’ve yet to see.

Of course, there’s the big question: Will Aerith survive this time around? This is impossible to answer right now and could easily go either way, which is exciting in its own right to not know what’s coming. Since we know that this series will be three parts long — based on storytelling techniques, anyway — the second part is typically where our heroes are at their lowest point, so while it may not happen to the same person or in the same way, odds are that something will happen at the conclusion of this game that puts Cloud and the others at that low point.

As far as where the story will go, we can only guess based on the original game, but because they have essentially broken free of the bounds of that game, who knows how much things will change. For fans of the original, that is perhaps the most important part of this new telling of events.

One of the questions answered on the official Final Fantasy Twitter account mentions that the team “made preparations so that players who did not get a chance to play the first game can fully savor Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.” While there may be some sort of recap, the last trailer did end with an advertisement for a Twin Pack preorder set that includes both Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth made its final 2023 appearance at The Game Awards with a mind-bending trailer that only raised more questions. In terms of new things we saw, the most important is the appearance of Cid for the first time. We knew he and Vincent (also shown again) would be included here, but this is our first look at the pilot and the Tiny Bronco. Bugenhagen was also briefly shown in what appears to be the sequence in Cosmo Canyon where Red XIII learns about his parents. Once again we see more of Zack in whatever timeline or alternate universe he finds himself in where he survived the ending of Crisis Core. In this Midgar, Cloud is still comatose; all members of Avalanche are dead save for Bigs, and Aerith also appears to be unconscious. The kicker is when Marlene tells Zack that “when she wakes up, a scary man is going to end her.” This is, of course, in reference to the pivotal moment that is being teased throughout the marketing of Aerith’s fate in the Forgotten Capital.

A big chunk of the Golden Saucer was shown in cuts, with all the different zones appearing, plus the prison below where you will face Dyne.

The initial gameplay trailer left almost everything up in the air, but we’ve seen a lot more since then.

The only clue about this was from another question the developers answered about traveling outside of Midgar. Its answer was that “Players will be able to journey across the wide and multifaced world with a high degree of freedom, experiencing a myriad of different stories along the way.” So far, we’ve seen Chocobo riding, plus the buggy, and even the Tiny Bronco, but there is no proper airship.

In terms of combat, the following trailers gave us quick shots but enough to get a comprehend on what to expect in the basic sense. Cait Sith will officially unite the party, and combat itself looks largely the same. One addition appears to be an expansion of the synergized attacks introduced in the Yuffie DLC for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intermission. These allow two characters to partner up for a special, more powerful attack.

The Golden Saucer was a given to appear, but now we know at least a few of the minigames we can expect. Chocobo racing is back, as well as the boxing game that features models of the characters resembling their blocky PS1 graphics and a motorcycle combat game.

While Cid and Vincent will both be new party members, you won’t be controlling them in this entry. They will act as Red XII did in Rebirth, where he will fight alongside you as an AI companion, but can’t be directly controlled.