Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is so big that it’s coming out on two discs

By Jesse Lennox June 8, 2023 2:16PM

Summer Gaming Marathon Feature Image

This story is part of the Digital Trends Summer Gaming Marathon series

The grand finale of Summer Game Fest 2023 went out on a high note with brand-new footage of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which is now slated for an early 2024 release date. The game is so big that it’ll release on two discs.

Cloud and Tifa stand back-to-back in a fight. — Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is the second of three planned games in the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, starting with 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake. That game only covered the initial Midgar section of the game, though it expanded upon and added new content and features to flesh it out. With the conclusion of that title, as well as the Episode: Intermission DLC, we’ve only had a small glimpse as to how Rebirth will handle the game once going to the open world.

The trailer shows off quite a bit of footage, opening with news footage of the Avalanche crew being wheeled away on stretchers after a tornado apparently stuck Sector 2. From there we cut to the cast exploring several open, natural environments on foot and riding Chocobos. Many other iconic shots show scenes such as the meeting at Cosmo Canyon with Bugenhagen, the flashback of Nibelhiem, and what even appears to be the northern crater.

New combat footage is similar to Rebirth, but with some notable additions. Red XIII and Yuffie are both confirmed to be playable, and there also look to be team-up style Limit Break moves. We see Tifa and Aerith, Yuffie and Rex XIII, as well as Cloud and Barret, appear to pull off some of these moves.

The trailer ends with the big mystery of Sephiroth stating that “You know that I killed her. So, who is she?” perhaps referring to Aerith, but while showing scenes of Tifa to perhaps imply a change in the timeline.

While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth didn’t get a release date as we hoped, it was narrowed down. Initially, the game was simply stated as coming this winter, but will now arrive on PS5 in early 2024 and come on two discs.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…

Gaming

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin writer breaks down 2022’s best ending

Garland towers over Jack, Ash, Jed, Sophia, and Neon in

It took me a while to figure out how Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin’s darker story and blunt characters would all coalesce into a satisfying narrative. Then, within the game’s final hours, some massive twists and revelations shocked me to my core as they thematically redefined the entire experience. Nine months later, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin still has my favorite video game ending of 2022.
STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN | Available on March 18, 2022 | Chaos Awaits
As such, I had to reflect on why this ending stuck with me and learn more about its creation. To find out how it came to be, I spoke to Kazushige Nojima, the founder of Stellavista Ltd., which helped craft the story and scenario for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin and was the scenario writer for many other notable RPGs like Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, and Kingdom Hearts.
“I joined the team after some development had progressed, and at that point, Jack’s fate was already decided,” he explained to Digital Trends in an exclusive interview. “My job was to organize the various story elements, which at the time were in disorder, into a united pathway to the ending.”
And what an ending it was. Be warned that spoilers for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin are to follow in this breakdown of what made the ending so special, which features insight from a developer that helped create its bombastic narrative.
You don't know Jack
Although Nojima admits that “the philosophy of the characters, the events that occur, and the storyline that leads up to what happens to Jack, in the end, were the result of much trial and error,” the final version of Stranger of Paradise is clever in how it sets up for a conclusion with maximum shock value. For much of the game, its plot seems fairly simple and surface-level.

The game is about a group of heroes on a quest to restore the four Elemental Crystals around Cornelia to save the land from darkness. It’s a tale literally as old as the Final Fantasy series itself. But, something feels a bit off the whole time as many of the characters -- namely the player character Jack Garland -- seem laughably single-minded and stoic despite the quest they are taking part in. While this results in some moments that seem unintentionally funny for a lot of the game’s runtime, it’s all turned on its head in the game’s final hours.
Upon defeating Astos, a Dark Elf who’s been taunting players throughout the game, Jack learns he is a Stranger. Strangers are agents for a race of beings called the Lufinians, who release their darkness into the land of Cornelia and send agents to quell it; if the darkness gets too harsh or combines with emotion to become Chaos, they’ll just reset the entire world. This revelation recontextualizes Jack’s basic and bland personality as we discover he's someone who’s had their memory wiped and brainwashed to have a single goal: defeat darkness and Chaos.
With the death of Astos, [Jack] felt a sadness which he had never before experienced.

Gaming

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion works best as a portable game

Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth stand back to back in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

With Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion’s release date fast approaching, you may be debating what platform to buy it on. It’ll launch on everything from PC to Nintendo Switch, and there's a fair reason to get it on each. A PS5 or Xbox Series X copy will provide a smooth, reliable experience, while a PC copy will allow you to run it at ultra-high frame rates if you so desire.

CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION | Launch Date Trailer

Gaming

New Final Fantasy 16 trailer shows an expansive journey and classic story

Ifrit roaring in Final Fantasy 16 surrounded by fire.

A new trailer for the long-awaited Final Fantasy XVI shows that it doesn't just share a classic fantasy setting with games like Final Fantasy I, II, III, and IX, but a similar plot as well. The trailer, though, titled Ambition, teases an expansion on those old plotlines as well.

FINAL FANTASY XVI “AMBITION”