Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Review

Combat: The Deepest ATB System Yet

Rebirth's combat is the pinnacle of the remake trilogy's design. The ATB system rewards planning: spending ATB on the right abilities at the right moment, triggering Synergy Abilities to burst stagger gauges, and switching characters fluidly to match the current threat. Each party member has a distinct feel: Cloud is a precision damage dealer with unique Triple Slash stagger tool, Tifa maximizes stagger damage with True Strike combos, Aerith provides area magic with Arcane Ward, Barret sustains from range. Mastering six characters and switching contextually elevates Rebirth's combat beyond most action RPGs.

Open World Design

The six open world regions are enormous and visually stunning. Each region has distinct biomes, wildlife, and environmental design that gives them unique identities. The Intel system (discovering towers that reveal local objectives) is well-implemented. The weakness is repetition: most Intel objectives follow similar templates (Summon fight, monster hunt, discovery landmark), and the sheer volume of content means the late regions feel slightly rote compared to the early excitement of Grasslands and Junon.

Story and Presentation

The story deliberately deviates from the original FF7's events in ways that will divide fans: some changes deepen the source material; others introduce ambiguity that requires Part 3 for resolution. The presentation is extraordinary — the Costa del Sol chapter, Gold Saucer, and the Nibelheim flashback sequences are among gaming's most memorable set pieces of the generation. Aerith's arc in Rebirth is handled with exceptional care given what the original story demands.

Verdict

A masterpiece. The best JRPG of its generation and one of the finest games ever made.

Pros & Cons