As someone who grew up with Final Fantasy, the series holds a special place in my heart. The first entries I played were Final Fantasy IV, VI, and the original Game Boy release (Final Fantasy Legend). I eventually played Final Fantasy VII, though I wasn’t initially as captivated as others - perhaps because I saw the ending spoiled at a friend’s house, right at the final battle years before I owned a PlayStation. Remake and Rebirth have genuinely deepened my appreciation for VII, its cast and its world.

Remake: Midgar Reimagined

The reimagined Midgar in Remake is bursting with life. Every slum alley and reactor platform is dripping with atmosphere, packed with NPCs and environmental details that elevate the sense of immersion. Unlike the hardware-limited original, this version gives Midgar the vibrant, sprawling dystopia it always deserved. While I appreciate and understand the decision to turn the first portion of Final Fantasy VII’s Disc 1 into a full game, for the most part it feels earned - there are moments where it seems like the developers were stretching content just to fill out a complete game.

Supporting characters like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge go from being basic sidekicks to fleshed-out figures with genuine narrative weight. Their growth makes the fall of Sector 7 land harder emotionally. While some narrative detours in Remake and Rebirth blur their fates (Wedge and Biggs in particular), they don’t ultimately survive these events.

One touching detail from the original Final Fantasy VII, Barret’s wish to bring Biggs, Jessie, and Wedge to Cosmo Canyon, has been reworked in Rebirth as part of a side quest. Originally, this desire was tied to Cosmo Canyon being the birthplace of Avalanche. In Rebirth, the group’s backstory shifts, revealing Barret’s faction as a breakaway from the main Avalanche group.

The scene now unfolds in a bar, where Tifa introduces a new drink to the group. After she adds a special ingredient — salt sourced from Cosmo Canyon, the unique flavor sparks a shared desire to visit the canyon. Barret expresses his intention to bring everyone there someday. It’s a brief moment, but one that quietly reinforces their camaraderie and the values they’re fighting for.

On the combat front, the game blends classic turn-based elements with real-time action. Having not played any recent Final Fantasy titles beyond XIII, which used a somewhat similar system, I can only assume some mechanics carry over from that era.

The hybrid approach took a bit of time to get used to, but it eventually grew on me. Still, I found myself wishing for a more modern take on turn-based combat, something like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which shows it can still thrive in today’s gaming landscape. The weapon upgrade system remains a weak point; it felt clunky in Remake and only marginally improved in Rebirth, making the UI one of the lingering frustrations.

Rebirth: Expanding the World, Stretching the Narrative

Rebirth expands the world dramatically. From Junon’s militaristic legacy to Cosmo Canyon’s rich environmental and spiritual context, the storytelling feels deeper. I don’t recall Junon’s backstory as a fallen republic being in the original, this addition adds a layer of geopolitical weight. Cosmo Canyon, now teeming with activity, feels like a genuine pilgrimage site.

Nibelheim’s reimagining as a mako-afflicted care facility recontextualizes Shinra’s actions. In the original, they rebuilt the town with actors and loyal employees. Rebirth’s take adds ethical nuance and shows Shinra in a slightly less cartoonishly evil light.

Even minor characters have richer arcs. Johnny goes from background comic relief in Wall Market to a small-time success story. Red XIII’s voice change reflects his maturation and didn’t bother me as it has others. Bugenhagen shows unexpected skepticism about the party’s claims in Rebirth, making his character more complex. The Chocobo Sage now has a believable backstory, and characters from the ranch have expanded roles.

One lingering narrative thread that bothers me in both the original and Rebirth is the way Barret is treated by the survivors of North Corel. Although he was just one of many who supported the Shinra reactor project, and not even the most outspoken, he’s unfairly singled out and vilified. Dyne was the only one who openly opposed the plan, yet it’s Barret who bears the brunt of the blame, despite the fact that the entire town leadership, including the mayor, voted in favor of the reactor. What makes the situation even more tragic is Shinra’s brutal response: rather than admit fault, they razed the town in a ruthless attempt to cover up the explosion.

While Rebirth’s worldbuilding is impressive, its pacing sometimes suffers. Some side quests feel like filler. More frustratingly, endgame content is locked behind Hard Mode, which disallows item use and limits MP healing. I found some bosses nearly impossible without access to healing items or MP-restoring consumables.

Sephiroth & Jenova: When Mystery is Overexposed

Sephiroth’s omnipresence across Remake and Rebirth dilutes his menace. In the original, his scarcity made him terrifying and mysterious, it felt like the group’s quest to find him as truly a chase. Here, he appears too often, usually summoned by the mysterious hooded figures. His transformation into a near constant presence strips him of the shadowy mythos he once had.

Rebirth pulls from Crisis Core lore, referencing other Soldier experiments like Angeal and Genesis. While I haven’t finished Crisis Core, I know it deepens the mythos around Jenova and Hojo’s twisted science. Rebirth shows that figures like Roche, the Kalm innkeeper, and even hints at Chocobo Bill’s family were exposed to similar experiments and became the hooded figures.

Jenova’s influence is increasingly foregrounded, Jenova corrupts from the shadows, infecting minds and altering memories. Jenova’s abilities explain how she could manipulate Sephiroth, and through him Cloud. Sephiroth’s obsession with discrediting Tifa in Rebirth may actually reflect Jenova’s manipulation, not his own goals. In this context, Sephiroth may be more pawn than mastermind, perhaps the game’s true villain is Jenova and not Sephiroth.

Gameplay & Difficulty: The Hard Mode Hang-Up

My biggest frustration lies in the game’s insistence on gating some content behind Hard Mode, which also affected Remake to an extent. This includes:

  • Folio upgrades Vol. 7 through to 15
  • Some of Chadley’s combat simulations
  • Colosseum fights in the Gold Saucer
  • Updated mini-game challenges
  • Character Limit Breaks and ability mastery

Completing everything, including getting the Platinum Trophy, requires replays on Hard Mode. This is a far cry from the original, where content was accessible without added difficulty barriers. I much preferred the challenge of breeding a Gold Chocobo and battling superbosses rather than arbitrary difficulty walls.

Final Thoughts

While Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is not without its faults, it’s an experience I deeply enjoyed. It expands the original in thoughtful, surprising ways, sometimes boldly, sometimes delicately. For every padded side quest or frustratingly gated challenge, there’s a standout moment that reminds me why I fell in love with this game to begin with.

Among those moments is the beautifully intimate date scene between Cloud and Tifa, culminating in a long-awaited kiss. It’s a payoff built on years of subtle character development and emotional groundwork. I haven’t followed the broader fandom discourse around which heroine is best suited for Cloud, but personally, I see Tifa as the one most aligned with the real Cloud - the person beneath the trauma. In contrast, Aerith feels like a perfect match for the fractured, altered version of Cloud — the one shaped by Hojo’s cruel experiments and lost in layers of memory and identity. Rebirth even leans into this idea, with Aerith poignantly telling Cloud she’s trying to find the real him. That line lingered with me.

At its best, the Remake trilogy enriches the original story while opening new emotional and thematic territory. It redefines legacy not by discarding the past, but by reshaping it in ways that invite both reverence and debate. And while not everything lands, the ambition behind it is undeniable.

Looking Ahead

As the trilogy moves toward its conclusion, I’m hopeful but cautious. My wishes are simple:

  • Let the story breathe. Trust the emotional core without leaning too hard on timelines, multiverses, or cosmic foreshadowing.
  • Ease the gatekeeping. Let players experience the full scope of the game without being forced into difficulty modes, with the exception of additional challanges, such as unlocking Genji equipment.
  • Reclaim the mystery. Sephiroth and Jenova are most powerful when they are least understood. Less is more.

With careful focus, the final chapter could be something rare - a modern remake of a classic that stands proudly alongside the original. I’m excited to see how Square Enix chooses to bring Cloud’s journey to a close, and which version of him will emerge when the dust finally settles.

If Square Enix focuses on refinement over excess, the conclusion could deliver a truly legendary ending.