Final Fantasy 16 Review

[Lynn Hepler]

Theexpectations around Final Fantasy VII Remake are sky high, and it mostly manages to deliver. Its combat is top notch, its enemy variety kept me constantly entertained, and seeing this snippet of story fleshed out with real emotional arcs and the previously hidden humanity behind Midgar filled me with pure joy. The boring RPG filler and Kingdom Hearts-esque convolution that was inserted in between did stop my ear-to-ear grin from being constant, but never long enough to kill the mood completely. That leaves this remake as one that still delivered on letting me relive (part of) a classic in stupendous fashion, while also standing as a great RPG all its own. - Tom Marks, April 6, 2020

A major part of what makes that journey special is its impressive scale. As soon as I set foot onto the Grasslands, the first of six regions that make up Rebirth, a sense of awe washed over me. Looking out over the far-reaching horizon or seeing a backdrop of vast and distant mountain ranges, I was stunned by how gorgeously the previously low-poly world of Final Fantasy VII had been reimagined. An early cutscene shows Aerith taking in the beauty of a natural world she was never able to see before, only to have Red XIII remind her that it's still dying from the inside out. In doing so, the story reinforces the ongoing theme of environmental preservation from the outset, and instills that this is a planet worth fighting for. That's a feeling that consistently surfaced as I went from region to region, connecting with the people of each one and helping with their struggles through both the main story and a huge amount of sidequests.

Later areas in Rebirth change up how you move around them with unique abilities for your rideable chocobo. Bouncing off launchpad mushrooms to get around Gongaga's labyrinthine jungle and chaining boost pads to stay airborne in Cosmo Canyon started out cute, but eventually became more tedious than necessary. Rebirth also loves to make you climb cliffsides or swing across gaps with a grappling hook, Uncharted-style, which don't feel as fluid as they ought to be, though the sense of adventure these actions provide at least makes them tolerable.

All the while, Aerith becomes an emotional leader and the relationship between her and Tifa grows stronger and more believable as they confide in each other and bear the brunt of Cloud's baggage. Rebirth is often cheesy in its writing and revels in its melodrama, but that's part of its charm. Within the cloying displays of friendship and theatrical pleas to protect the environment are undeniably genuine messages about how we carry ourselves in our own lives. That tone is what lets this particular brand of storytelling strike a chord as effectively as it does, elevating Rebirth above many of its contemporaries.

Final Fantasy VII is a classic and Rebirth delivers on providing an incredible next chapter of the remake trilogy. This is a performance review though and on performance the team has delivered a near rock solid game that caters to both 30 and 60fps players. On a visual front though, it suffers from similar, and due to scale, more issues than Remake. This leaves a mixed impression, and though I hate to say it, it can look closer to a cross-generation game in some of the worst-case scenarios with regard to material details and quality.

Standing on the edge of Midgar's expressway at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the seemingly infinite possibilities of what could come next left me overwhelmed with a yearning I hadn't really felt from a game before \u2013 there was a whole world full of iconic moments awaiting modern revisions ahead, as well as whatever twists this now clearly diverging path might bring to them. In several ways, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is my wildest imagination made manifest, simultaneously another stunning reconstruction of my childhood memories and an interesting (if sometimes a little messy) new interpretation of a story I've cherished since 1997.

Remake\u2019s already impeccable blend of action and turn-based RPG combat has been made fresh again with new mechanics and party members, and revamping the way the original overworld worked by splitting it into sprawling open regions full of enjoyable optional activities enriches places I thought I knew so well. There's a magic to doing all this with characters I love so much too, as their personal stories and pivotal moments have a new grandeur to them. However, Rebirth\u2019s sweeping ambition to create a new timeline for Final Fantasy VII bounces between being absolutely sublime and too convoluted for its own good. That\u2019s left me conflicted about parts of the execution of that new direction \u2013 but after spending more than 80 hours to finish the main story and a decent chunk of side content, there's no denying that Rebirth is an amazing journey despite that, and one I'll remember fondly as I eagerly anticipate the third act of this rebuilt Final Fantasy VII.

However, that wonder also came with some intimidation as I pulled up the world map, realizing how massive Rebirth was going to be \u2013 and that it has embraced many modern open-world design conventions. The nerdy researcher boy Chadley returns in a big way, acting as your liaison for most of the optional activities under the guise of furthering his scientific research, which includes activating towers spread throughout each region to mark tasks on your map. As familiar as that task is, Rebirth manages to transcend the negative connotations of this well-worn trope \u2013 the more I began to peel back the layers of all the activities that fill these zones, the more engrossed I got in clearing every icon I could from the map. That context made it more than just a checklist of chores.

There's also something powerful in simply exploring each corner of these regions just to see how they've clung onto life in spite of the destructive effect of the relentless reliance on Mako energy. Scaling a cliff in Junon on my way to a side objective comes with the treat of a breathtaking but tainted view, such as the sunset splashing the desolate region with a cozy orange tint while the city's massive cannon looms in the background. You can see the contrast of Costa Del Sol's vibrant beachside next to the barren wasteland of Corel \u2013 a consequence of the iconic Gold Saucer's energy demand. Exploration in Rebirth evokes a similar feeling to one I had with Xenoblade Chronicles 3, where the sheer scope and spectacle of their respective worlds drew me into uncovering all they had to offer. Wondrous sights like these are their own little rewards.

Whether you\u2019re tracking down Lifesprings to learn more about the region, fighting uniquely tough enemies in the wild while fulfilling specific battle conditions, or chasing down Protorelics for bespoke side stories, everything you do feeds into one gameplay system or another. For example, Lifesprings can unveil Divine Intel locations which can make the battles to unlock new Summons easier, or they can reveal the objective of an ongoing sidequest that didn't seem connected at first blush. Not all of the optional tasks are terribly exciting (like digging up treasure with your chocobo or doing silly timing-based inputs to activate Summon shrines) but the rewards are a decent enough incentive to at least prevent them from feeling like outright filler.

Sidequests pop up at every major town's Community Noticeboard, and they paint a more complete picture of Rebirth's vision for its reimagined open world. A certain party member is typically tied to each individual sidequest, so you'll get to see a side of them you wouldn't be able to otherwise, and also increase their Bond level in the process (a new feature that\u2019s mainly relevant in a later part of the story I won\u2019t get into here). These are more than mere fetch quests, instead featuring multiple objectives that take you across regions and encourage exploration, and they often tell their own compelling little stories or uplift the human element of Final Fantasy VII. Some of the later sidequests even provide context that's almost essential in order to fully understand the world and a few supporting characters as well.

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