One of the most anticipated video game sequels is finally out worldwide, as Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth launches this February 29 aka Leap Year Day – bringing back droves of fans who grew up playing the original 1997 release for the Sony PlayStation as well as those who were introduced to the saga with its modern offerings. As the follow-up to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII: Remake, Rebirth acts as the second installment of a planned trilogy and picks up right where the last game left off with Cloud Strife and his friends leaving Midgar and exploring the rest of the world as they continue their quest to save the planet from the evil machinations of the Shinra Corporation and the mysterious fallen SOLDIER known as Sephiroth.
To celebrate the release of the game, Square Enix Asia and Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia have officially announced that there will be a Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth Launch Event happening this March 1 to 3 at SM City North EDSA – with playable versions of the game on hand for visitors to try as well as exclusive merch up for grabs. Final Fantasy VII fans will also have the opportunity to meet the director of the game himself Naoki Hamaguchi as he flies to the Philippines for a meet and greet session on the second day, March 2!
Released exclusively for the PlayStation 5, FF7 Rebirth is available in physical and digital releases. Those who choose to purchase the game physically can get the Standard Edition, Deluxe Edition, and Collector’s Edition, while those who want to buy the game digitally can avail of it at the PlayStation Store. The differences between these editions are that the Standard Edition comes with the game and extra DLC, the Deluxe Edition comes with an exclusive steel book case, artbook, and official soundtrack CD in addition to the game and DLC, while the Collector’s Edition has all of these plus a huge 19-inch statue of the man himself, Sephiroth. I personally picked up the Deluxe Edition release and that in itself is something FF7 fans should definitely add to their collections.
Be warned though as the game has a minimum installation requirement of 150 GB – so gamers may want to delete some data and make some storage available for this graphically demanding Japanese role-playing game. Square Enix Asia has also addressed a slight issue regarding the physical release of the game, as a labeling error has caused the Play Disc and Data Disc to be accidentally switched with each other. You can read more about how to fix the problem at the Square Enix Asial news portal website.
Taking nearly four years to make and following the critical and financial success of FF7 Remake, Rebirth has big shoes to fill and is already considered a masterpiece by many game and media outlets who have been fortunate to get early copies of the sequel and review it. Much like its predecessor, it combines exploration and role-playing game elements with that of action – with players guiding Cloud and his party as they go on adventures around the world map outside of Midgar. Exploration of course leads to fighting all kinds of enemies and monsters along the way, and through those battles comes learning new skills and leveling up to boost each character’s abilities and techniques.
The story also picks up right where the last one left off – with Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith, and Red XIII continuing their journey and meeting new allies along the way that include the young ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, the mysterious former Turk named Vincent Valentine, the robotic cat called Cait Sith, and the adventurous pilot Cid Highwind. Fans who have played the original FF7 and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII will also notice that Zack Fair is in the game, and there is a pretty good reason for that as FF7 Remake already established that the character’s fate has changed and another timeline will explore and answer what happens because of his survival. The game is literally an open book for fans new and old to explore, and we can only imagine what lies in store for the untitled third entry in the planned trilogy of the Remake Saga.
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is now available for PS5.
