The empty space left by Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Trying to figure out why I like this game more than I was expecting.
It has been almost three months since Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s release. Realizing how little time has passed since then surprises me due to two reasons. First, I was able to finish it pretty quickly compared to other major releases that I hadn’t been able to work on writing guides or a review. I mean, a commission is not only a job, it’s also an undisputable and official excuse to spend most hours of my day playing that game. When I’m not covering a game, I end up including it in my backlog and focusing on older games I want to play. That’s why Final Fantasy XVI and Octopath Traveler II are still mysterious gems I still need to dig into.
The second reason is the most surprising for me because I wasn’t expecting that, only after a month of having rolled Rebirth’s credits, I would miss playing it.
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While I loved Final Fantasy VII Remake, I had my doubts about Rebirth. The original version of the seventh game is not my favorite – my favorite Final Fantasy is IX! – so I wasn’t concerned about how Tetsuya Nomura and his team would change the story. Cloud is just dreaming? No problem! Is this actually a painting within a Souls world? I’m down for it! Something about having Sephiroth and Zack alongside Cloud on the cover just hit a weird spot for me though.
As I started playing it, I was sure I wasn’t going to like the experience. Combat and the Folio system weren’t clicking for me. Internally I was screaming at my TV “WHY DO I NEED AN ABILITY TO DEAL ICE DAMAGE WITHOUT SPENDING MP?”. And don’t even let me start talking about the open world map. But, since this isn’t supposed to be a review, I’m keeping my opinions about these aspects – and many others – out of this piece so I can work on them with more calm in another moment. All I’m saying is that Rebirth was far from being a contender for one of the spots in my Top 3 games of the year.
Sure, Rebirth is visually mesmerizing and an example of technological accomplishment. We knew that since the first trailers popped up and we were all surprised by how bizarrely fast the loadings are in this game. But what else?
It took me some hours but I eventually found out what else Rebirth was offering me.
Subtly I became enamored of Rebirth. I longed to go back to the game, progress in the story, unlock more Chocobo Stops, find new weapons, and watch more goofy scenes involving Yuffie and Red. I even got as far as doing 100% of certain areas, a kind of achievement I tend to ignore. With Rebirth, however, completing all the missions and other content in these areas was just natural, a flow into which I entered motivated by the desire to stay more time with the group.
I’m still trying to figure out what happened. What exactly Final Fantasy VII Rebirth does or what it has to make me feel emotionally connected to the game? What is hidden the many layers that constitute this titanic venture of storytelling that fills my memories of the game with bittersweetness, the kind you have when remembering a staggering experience that I can’t go back to?
This week’s post is but an attempt to materialize these feelings and maybe make them more coherent. I know I’ll need more paragraphs than these to explore it. Hope I can bring a solid and in-depth explanation next time.