FF7 Rebirth has a release date is approaching soon, and fans are wondering what changes to the characters and story are coming in part two of the remake trilogy.
The first Final Fantasy 7 Remake game ended with the reveal that the “remake” status wasn’t actually true. The series will bring the same characters into a new story, with major events playing out in different ways from what was originally seen. This sees characters living past the point where they previously died, and origin stories for party members being shaken up.
This naturally leaves fans uncertain about which friends, enemies, and locations will appear in the game. Here’s what characters will appear and what story beats will be hit in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and when it finally comes out.
When is FF7 Rebirth’s release date?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be released on February 29, 2024.
This will be the second entry in a planned trilogy to remake Final Fantasy 7 from start to finish. The game immediately entered production upon the release of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2019, with little in the way of high-level staff changes.
Though players were treated to an enhanced port of FF7 Remake and an expansion with Intergrade, the company moved swiftly onward from the game. While the nearly four years between Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth might seem like a long time, it’s not too bad considering the latter was technically first revealed 15 years before it actually came out.
Does FF7 Rebirth have a collector’s edition?
A Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Collector’s Edition, and it costs a whopping $349.99. This collector’s edition includes:
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth base game
- Art book
- Mini soundtrack
- SteelBook case
- 19-inch Sepiroth figure
- Moogle Trio Materia DLC
- Magic Pot Materia DLC
- Reclaimant Choker accessory
- Orchid Bracelet accessory
Not all this is exclusive to the collector’s edition, however. The cheaper Deluxe Edition is priced at $99.99 and includes the art book, a mini soundtrack, and a SteelBook case.
Some of the DLC is also included as a pre-order bonus and may be available for purchase post-release. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to have all three versions of the game receive a physical release, so fans who juggle physical and digital versions of games will want to weigh how much they want that Steelbook case.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorder bonuses
FF7 Rebirth has a variety of pre-order bonuses, which vary based on the retailer and which version of the game is ordered.
Preordering a digital copy from anywhere nets you the Moogle Trio Materia, a unique summon for the game. A Midgar Bangle MK. II accessory is also available in multiple stores. Physical editions of the game have different bonuses depending on where you pre-order it from.
- Amazon- Cloud and Sepiroth PS5 Controller Skin
- Best Buy- New SteelBook case
- Gamestop- Trucker Hat
Best Buy-exclusive Steelbook Case
The best Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preorder bonus is likely Best Buy’s Steelbook case. The exclusive case features Sephiroth, Tifa, and Aerith, hearkening to the standard box art that includes Sephiroth, Cloud, and Zack. Given how the Steelbook case is one of the selling points of the deluxe edition, this lets players get one of the bonus items without actually paying the premium price.
Outside the actual release of the games, Square Enix is keeping Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in the spotlight as much as possible. This includes a major crossover event with EA Games’ Apex Legends, where players can pick up skins based on the FF7 cast.
What platforms will FF7 Rebirth be on?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will launch as a PlayStation 5 exclusive and will remain one for at least the first three months of its lifespan. It will likely become available on other platforms after this time, but might not be available immediately after the window expires.
This comes at a time where Square Enix has been emphasizing multi-platform releases and marketing through crossovers. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is currently available on PC and Square Enix has been actively making games, including FF7 spin-offs like Ever Crisis, available via Steam. Though a Final Fantasy 7 Remake Xbox release was once seemingly teased by the platform, this hasn’t come to pass.
This isn’t exclusive to Final Fantasy 7 and its spin-offs, either. Square Enix is also mixing up how it does this including repackaging releases of past titles like Final Fantasy 13. It’s also leveraging the popularity of Final Fantasy 14 to promote its other titles. Despite that emphasis on making games visible and accessible, Rebirth will only be available as a PS5 exclusive for an indiscriminate amount of time.
FF7 Rebirth will not be coming out on PlayStation 4. Developers are more frequently moving past the PS4 and Xbox One for AAA releases, and it’s extremely unlikely that the company will opt to release the game on the past-gen platform as it moves further away from relevance.
How much of the story will FF7 Rebirth cover?
Creative director Tetsuya Nomura has confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will cover story beats including Forgotten Capital, otherwise known as City of the Ancients.
Trailers also show major events from the game including the flashback to Cloud and Sephiroth in Neibelheim, the appearance of Diamond Weapon, and Cid flying the Tiny Bronco. Locations shown include the Gold Saucer, Junon, and Cosmo Canyon.
Of course, major changes to the story were introduced in Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the company might be rolling out some worrying changes to its creative process that could impact DLC. There’s a strong chance that the events in the game will go very differently from what fans originally saw.
Is FF7 Rebirth’s story different from the original?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be quite different from what fans are expecting, according to developers.
In fact, Aerith might not even die this time around with Zack possibly alive and Wedge and Biggs both surviving Midgar’s plate collapse. Though many events from the first game are shown returning in Rebirth, many of them will play out differently.
It’s also confirmed that events and locations will not happen in the same order. Fans will have to wait and see how these are shuffled together.
What playable characters are in FF7 Rebirth?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth features a huge cast of characters and there are eight confirmed playable characters in the game. The list includes:
- Cloud Strife
- Aerith Gainsborough
- Tifa Lockhart
- Barret Wallace
- Red XIII
- Yuffie Kisaragi
- Cait Sith
- Sepiroth
Red XIII joins after being a “guest character” in FF7 Remake. He was able to fight alongside the party, but wasn’t controlled or playable in the game. Yuffie is also a full-time party member after being featured separately in FF7 Remake’s InterMISSION expansion.
Sepiroth will also be playable in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but likely only for a short while. In the original game, he fights alongside Cloud during a flashback that reveals his dawn as a villain. This will likely remain the case here.
Is Vincent playable in FF7 Rebirth?
Vincent Valentine will not be playable in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Instead, the character will accompany the players just like Red XIII did in FF7 Remake.
This suggests that Vincent won’t join until the late stages of the game. In the original game, Vincent is found in the present-day version of Nibelheim, which was inexplicably normal despite Sephiroth destroying much of the city in the past. This carries some major implications for how the story might change between the two games.
How long is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Developers stated that FF7 Rebirth will take over 40 hours to beat, and 100 hours to complete in statements released in 2023. For reference, the original Final Fantasy 7’s main story could be tackled in around 35 hours but players often spent significantly more time in the game than that.
If the developers’ estimate is true, it would make the game a bit longer than FF7 Remake. Rebirth’s predecessor took around 35 hours to beat.
What game is coming after FF7 Rebirth?
There’s no official title for the final game of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.
The game will likely conclude the Final Fantasy 7 saga for good, except for the continued spin-offs and side stories. Don’t expect any news on that project until the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth however, as the game is likely to receive DLC.
