Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review and Gameplay Guide and Everything You Need to Know

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the most ambitious RPGs ever created. Released exclusively on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024, Rebirth is the second chapter of Square Enix’s trilogy remake of the legendary 1997 original — and it doesn’t just meet expectations. It surpasses them. With a sprawling open world spanning six massive regions of the Planet, an action-RPG combat system refined to a razor’s edge, a cast of beloved characters voiced and animated with stunning care, and over 100 hours of content, Rebirth is the frontrunner for the best JRPG of the decade.

🏆 Quick facts: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth — Released February 29, 2024 | PS5 Exclusive (PC January 2025) | Developer/Publisher: Square Enix | Metacritic: 92 | 90–100+ hours of content | Action-RPG hybrid | Part 2 of 3 in the Remake trilogy

🎬 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth — Full Gameplay Video

Watch Rebirth in action — Cloud and the party across the Planet’s open regions, ATB combat system, Synergy abilities, summons, and what makes this one of the best RPGs ever made.

🎮 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gameplay footage via YouTube. Developed and published by Square Enix.

📋 What’s in This Article

• Story — Beyond Midgar
• Open World — Six Regions of the Planet
• Combat System — ATB, Synergy & Materia
• Playable Characters & Best Builds
• Side Activities & Minigames
• Is FF7 Rebirth Worth Playing? Our Verdict
• Essential Tips & Tricks
• FAQ

⚔️ Story — Beyond Midgar

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth picks up directly from the end of Remake (and its Intergrade DLC), with Cloud and his companions having escaped Midgar and ventured out onto the open Planet for the first time. Their mission: hunt down Sephiroth, who has his own incomprehensible plans for the Planet and all who live on it.

The story covers what fans of the 1997 original will recognize as the second act of the classic game — traversing iconic locations from Junon to Costa del Sol, the Gold Saucer, Cosmo Canyon, Nibelheim, and beyond — but Rebirth takes dramatic, sometimes shocking liberties with the source material. The narrative is simultaneously a loving recreation of the original’s most beloved moments and a bold reimagining that takes characters in entirely new directions.

The character writing is outstanding. Every member of Cloud’s party — Tifa, Aerith, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, Cid, Vincent — receives genuine development and memorable story beats. The relationship between Cloud and Aerith in particular is given extraordinary depth, and the game’s handling of the iconic late-game moment from the original is one of the most audacious narrative decisions in RPG history.

🌍 Open World — Six Regions of the Planet

Rebirth’s open world is massive. Six enormous explorable regions — each larger than the entirety of Remake‘s Midgar — are filled with activities, secrets, and world-building content:

Each region’s Chocobo has a unique traversal ability that unlocks new areas and secrets only accessible with that specific bird — creating a strong incentive to fully explore each region before moving to the next.

⚡ Combat System — ATB, Synergy & Materia

Rebirth’s combat is the series’ most sophisticated to date. It blends real-time action — dodges, blocks, basic attacks — with the classic ATB (Active Time Battle) gauge system, creating a hybrid that rewards both mechanical dexterity and strategic thinking.

Core Combat Loop

• ⚡ ATB Gauge — fills through attacking, taking damage, and blocking. Spend it on abilities, spells, and items.
• 🔄 Party Switching — swap between three active party members instantly. Each has unique abilities that complement the others.
• 💠 Materia — elemental and command orbs slotted into weapons and armor. Building synergistic Materia combinations is the core of character customization.
• 🤝 Synergy Abilities — new to Rebirth. Chain attacks between two party members for devastating combined strikes. These are some of the most visually spectacular moves in the game.
• 📋 Folios — character-specific skill trees that replace Remake’s weapon-tied ability system. Leveling Folios unlocks new abilities that persist regardless of which weapon you equip.

Character Roles

• ⚔️ Cloud — balanced attacker. Operator Mode (fast) vs Punisher Mode (counter-focused) stance switching.
• 💪 Barret — ranged tank. Best sustained DPS at range, provides covering fire while allies are pressured.
• 🥊 Tifa — close-range combo specialist. Her Unbridled Strength builds stagger faster than any other character.
• 🌸 Aerith — magic powerhouse and healer. Her Ward and ATB generation skills make her essential for difficult bosses.
• 🦊 Red XIII — defensive counter specialist. His Vengeance Mode punishes enemies for attacking, making him exceptional against aggressive bosses.
• 🌟 Yuffie — debuffer and elemental damage dealer. Her Ninjutsu grants infinite ATB-free ability access for short windows.

🎮 Side Activities & Minigames

Rebirth contains more minigames and side activities than any previous Final Fantasy. Some are brief and charming; others are full games in their own right:

• 🃏 Queen’s Blood — the definitive minigame. A card strategy game that can be played against NPCs across the world. Remarkably deep and highly addictive — one of the best card games in any RPG.
• 🐤 Chocobo Racing — race against AI and improve your bird’s stats. Entertaining but not essential.
• 🎵 Piano Mini-Game — play iconic FFVII songs on a piano. Requires button timing and is surprisingly meditative.
• 🏟️ Battle Simulator (Chadley) — unlock and fight powerful summons, rare creatures, and endgame challenges. The main path to Materia upgrades.
• 🏅 Fort Condor — returning tower defense mini-game, improved and addictive.
• 🎳 Gold Saucer Attractions — the Gold Saucer alone contains dozens of minigames including a full arcade, 3D Brawler, Dolphin Riding, and Speed Square shooting gallery.
• 🐰 Moogle Mischief — catch Moogles across Gongaga and Cosmo Canyon to unlock their shops in each region.

⭐ Is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Worth Playing? Our Verdict

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the finest JRPGs ever created, and an extraordinary achievement by Square Enix. The scope is staggering — the open world is enormous, the cast is fully realized, the combat system rewards mastery without punishing newcomers, and the moments of spectacular spectacle hit with the force of a Hollywood blockbuster.

The game is not without criticisms. Some players find the open-world content — particularly Chadley’s World Intel towers — overly repetitive, and the sheer volume of mandatory minigames can interrupt narrative momentum. The performance mode’s blurry textures were also widely noted at launch, though subsequent patches improved this significantly.

But these are footnotes against an experience that earns 90–100 hours of your time without a wasted minute for those who love the genre.

💡 Essential Tips for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

• 🏇 Tame the Chocobo in each region immediately — traversal on foot is painfully slow in the larger areas. The regional Chocobo is your fastest way to cover ground AND reach hidden content.
• 🃏 Play Queen’s Blood against every NPC — it’s the best minigame and provides rare Materia, card upgrades, and story context. Don’t skip it.
• 🔭 Climb Intel Towers early in each region — activating them reveals all map markers for that area’s activities, preventing you from exploring blindly.
• 🤝 Unlock Synergy Abilities early in Folios — they represent some of the most powerful DPS tools in the game and are frequently underused by newcomers.
• ⚡ Match Materia elements to enemy weaknesses — scan every new enemy type with Assess Materia to reveal weaknesses. Exploiting them fills the Stagger gauge dramatically faster.
• 🌸 Keep Aerith in your party for hard bosses — her Ward mechanics and ATB generation make long boss fights significantly more manageable.
• 🗓️ Do character-specific date quests before endgame — relationship-building side quests affect which character accompanies you on a key late-game moment.

❓ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth FAQ

Do I need to play FF7 Remake before Rebirth?
Yes. Rebirth picks up directly from Remake’s ending and assumes knowledge of its characters and story. Play Remake (and its Intergrade DLC featuring Yuffie) first.

How long is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth?
The main story takes approximately 40–50 hours. 100% completion with all side quests, minigames, and secrets takes 90–100+ hours.

Is FF7 Rebirth on PC?
Yes. Rebirth arrived on PC (Steam) on January 23, 2025, following its February 2024 PS5 exclusive period.

What is Queen’s Blood?
Queen’s Blood is an in-game card strategy game playable against NPCs across the world. It has its own story arc, tournament sequences, and exclusive rewards. It’s widely considered one of the best minigames in any RPG.

Is the FF7 Remake trilogy complete after Rebirth?
No. Rebirth is Part 2 of 3. Part 3 (currently untitled) will conclude Cloud’s story and is in development.

Final Thoughts

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a love letter — to the original game, to JRPG fans, and to the art of ambitious, uncompromising game design. It is sprawling, gorgeous, emotionally overwhelming, and constantly surprising. If you grew up with Final Fantasy VII or have any love for role-playing games, this is unmissable.

Have you played Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? What was your reaction to THAT ending? Drop a comment below — no spoilers please!

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is developed and published by Square Enix. Released February 29, 2024 exclusively on PlayStation 5. PC version via Steam released January 23, 2025. Part 2 of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy.