Almost five years after Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade brought the game to PlayStation 5, that version of the game is getting a free new update that will add a new “streamlined” mode to the game for people who just want to enjoy the story. This patch will arrive on January 22, just in time for the RPG’s launch on Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S.
“To celebrate Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launch day on Nintendo Switch 2 & Xbox, a patch for the PS5 and PC versions will launch next Thursday,” Square Enix announced on January 15. “This introduces Streamlined Progression, including the ability to keep HP and MP topped up, and always hit for 9,999 damage!” Now every attack can be an Omnislash and you won’t even have to spend over 500 hours grinding at the first reactor to make it happen.
To celebrate Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launch day on Nintendo Switch 2 & Xbox, a patch for the PS5 and PC versions will launch next Thursday.
This introduces Streamlined Progression, including the ability to keep HP and MP topped up, and always hit for 9,999 damage! pic.twitter.com/XMuEdhreTP
The previously teased Streamlined Progression mode is effectively a story mode for people who want to follow Cloud and his Avalanche pals in their journey through Midgar to topple Shinra without having to deal with all of the difficulty that might come from combat, and especially certain boss encounters. Instead of toggling the game to easy, players can make it so their characters are already maxed out and hitting for the most damage possible.
While included at launch in the new ports, the patch will let existing players on PC and PS5 play around with the mode as well. Could it be an easy way to clear the game on hard for the Platinum trophy? Maybe! And for newcomers it’s worth noting that anyone who buys the game digitally before the end of the month will automatically get the digital version of the original Final Fantasy VII along with it.
The critically acclaimed RPG is coming January 22, 2026 to Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC via the Microsoft Store.
Experience the story that changed gaming forever in a bold new way.
Step into Midgar – one of the most immersive and iconic videogame settings of all time.
Final Fantasy Remake Intergrade is coming to Xbox on January 22, 2026!
For many fans this is amazing news, but we realise there will be many players who have never experienced the world of Final Fantasy VII before. You’ve probably heard of the game, but you may be wondering: why is this such a big deal?
We will explain, but before we can talk about Final Fantasy Remake, we must discuss the legendary game that came before.
What is Final Fantasy VII?
1997 saw the release of a very special game: Final Fantasy VII. This RPG wasn’t just a critical and commercial hit – it was a literal gamechanger. Many credit it with popularizing the Japanese RPG across the West, especially since it was the first mainline Final Fantasy game to release outside of Japan or North America. For many players it was the first JRPG they ever played.
And what a place to start! Final Fantasy VII still stands as one of the greatest games in the genre. It had it all – an amazing story, brilliant command-based combat, incredible production values, unforgettable soundtrack and some of the most iconic characters in gaming. Even people who have never played the game will recognize the likes of Cloud and Sephiroth.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is the first game in a trilogy of full-length RPGs that reimagine this beloved game at a scale rarely seen in gaming. It offers an even deeper story, more insight into the characters and setting, new scenarios not featured in the original game, a fast-paced, modern combat system, an incredible soundtrack, and far more beyond.
If you’ve never experienced Final Fantasy VII before, it’s an amazing way to experience the story and characters that changed gaming forever. If you did play Final Fantasy VII the first time round, you’ll get to experience the world and its characters in a brand-new way.
Director Naoki Hamaguchi explains it best: “Our goal with Final Fantasy VII Remake was to capture everything that made the original game so special, but bring it up to date with the latest technology so that new players could be just as excited as players of the original game were when that released.
“For new players, this is where the story of Final Fantasy VII begins. If you’ve seen characters such as Cloud or Sephiroth in other games, and wondered where their story started, this is the game.”
The Story That Changed Gaming Forever
But what’s so memorable about that story? Well, here’s the basic setup.
The game takes place in Midgar – an industrial city controlled by the Shinra Electric Power Company. This immoral organisation uses massive reactors to suck mako from the planet – a substance used as a power source to give people comfortable lives, power the company’s weapons of war and more.
But mako is also the lifeblood of the planet, and the more Shinra uses, the more it harms the world.
The story begins when mercenary Cloud Strife joins the Shinra resistance group Avalanche on a mission to sabotage one of these planet-harming reactors. This dangerous mission sets off a chain of events that will change him and the city forever – and put him face to face with an enemy long thought dead: the sinister Sephiroth.
It’s a thrilling adventure, full of surprises that we don’t want to ruin here. But what really makes it stand out are the characters. The main cast of Cloud, Barret, Tifa and Aerith are some of the most beloved in gaming, and Final Fantasy VII Remake goes deeper into their personalities than ever before.
Even side characters get richer, more layered personalities – by the end of the game you’ll think of them as friends.
An Iconic Setting
Then there’s Midgar – the game’s iconic setting. It’s a cliché to say the city is like a character in its own right but… well, Midgar is like a character in its own right.
…what? Sometimes clichés can be right.
Known as the ‘City of Mako’, it’s a vast circular metropolis comprised of a top plate where the more well-to-do residents and Shinra employees live, and slums beneath which are… less pleasant.
Because of the top plate covering the sky, the people in the slums are forced to rely on artificial suns for light. Combined with the lifeless earth caused by the mako-sucking reactors, and mutated fiends that roam the wastelands between sectors, it’s a hard life for many who live there, but there’s life and community too.
It was an instantly memorable setting for the original game’s opening act, but Final Fantasy VII Remake brings Midgar to life like never before. With a full-length adventure set in this city, you get to really explore each area, get to know its people, and discover whole new parts of the city that weren’t in the original adventure.
Hamaguchi says that it was important that this city didn’t just look good – it also felt like a believable place: “At the start of development, the game designers and scenario writers created documents that detailed the setting and the world, including the economic status of the different regions.
This information was invaluable in helping us define which elements of the environment could be shared across areas, and which should be region-specific – right down to the ratio of text on the posters and the look and feel of the inhabitants in those areas!”
21st Century Combat
As you explore the city, you’ll encounter numerous threats – from snarling fiends to Shinra’s ample army of troopers and war machines.
Ironically, this is a good thing because it means there’s plenty of opportunities to battle – and Final Fantasy VII Remake has one of the best combat systems out there. It’s a hybrid system that combines elements of the original game with fast-paced action gameplay.
Here’s how it works: you attack, block and dodge in real time and as you do so, you’ll fill your ‘ATB’ gauge. Once it’s full, you can press a button to slow down the action and select a command for your fighter or their allies to carry out. Alternatively, you can set moves to shortcuts to unleash them without slowing down the action. It makes for fast-paced, exciting battles where skill and strategic thinking are both rewarded.
“We intentionally designed the game to be welcoming to all types of players – if you’re a fan of action games, or prefer something more tactical, there are different control modes that allow the game to be played to your preference,” Hamaguchi adds.
There are four playable characters (five including the extra episode’, and you can switch between party members instantly. Each one has their own very distinct playstyle, from Cloud’s quick and stylish swordplay, Tifa’s powerful single-target martial arts, Aerith’s magical might and Barret’s powerful ranged attacks.
Then there’s FF7R EPISODE INTERmission – a two-chapter tale that takes place concurrently with the main story. It focuses on ninja Yuffie Kisaragi – an excitingly agile fighter who offers another playstyle to dig into!
As you can hopefully see, Final Fantasy VII Remake is more than just a simple revisitation of a landmark game. It’s a boldly ambitious, incredibly high-quality and – most importantly – wildly entertaining adventure that’s a perfect introduction to this incredible world. We can’t wait for new players to discover it for themselves on Xbox – and take their first steps on an unforgettable journey.
Final Fantasy VII RemakeIntergrade launches January 22, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S and PC via the Microsoft Store. Thanks to Xbox Play Anywhere, you can play the game across console, PC, even the new ROG Xbox Ally, picking up where you left off each time.
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE
SQUARE ENIX
☆☆☆☆☆ 8
★★★★★
*Please note that FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Digital Deluxe Edition contains certain items not available in this bundle.
The award-winning FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE* retells the original story up to the escape from Midgar, with breathtaking visuals, fast-paced gameplay, and additional story elements.
This RPG delivers unforgettable characters, a powerful narrative, and a hybrid battle system that blends real-time action with strategic, command-based combat.
It also includes FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, a side story starring Yuffie Kisaragi that offers a fresh perspective running in parallel to Cloud’s journey.
■ STORY
Mako, the lifeblood of the planet, is also a highly valuable energy source.
The Shinra Electric Power Company exploits this essence, draining and refining it to fuel their reactors, and in doing so, has all but seized control of the world.
But resistance rises. A ragtag group of idealists, known as Avalanche, is determined to protect the planet.
In the city of Midgar, Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, joins Avalanche on their mission to blow up Reactor 1.
As the echo of the blast ripples through Sector 8, the city is set ablaze. In the flames, a fallen nemesis from Cloud’s past appears, challenging his memories and his identity.
Once more begins a story that will shape the destiny of the entire world.
*This game is a partial remake of FINAL FANTASY VII, first released in 1997. It is the first title in a multi-part series based on the original game. It reimagines the Midgar portion of the story with expanded scenes, new characters, and additional narrative layers.
■ FF7R EPISODE INTERmission
Play as Yuffie Kisaragi, a young ninja from Wutai, as she infiltrates Midgar on a mission to steal the ultimate materia from the Shinra Electric Power Company.
STUNNING VISUALS
Explore Midgar like never before with stunning visuals and richly detailed environments that bring the city’s layered, industrial districts to life, all while staying true to the spirit of the original game.
DYNAMIC COMBAT WITH STRATEGIC DEPTH
The innovative battle system combines strategic command-based gameplay with fast-paced action. Seamlessly switch between characters, harness the power of materia, summon iconic creatures, and unleash devastating limit breaks.
ICONIC CHARACTERS, UNFORGETTABLE STORY
Follow Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER turned mercenary, as he joins Avalanche to take on the Shinra Electric Power Company. Cloud and his allies Barret, Tifa, and Aerith are pulled into a battle that will decide the fate of the planet.
EXPANDED CONTENT
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE offers quests, mini-games, and missions set in expanded areas of Midgar. Encounter new characters and experience exciting content that adds even more depth to the story.
ICONIC SOUNDTRACK
The epic soundtrack has been fully remastered, with re-arranged and orchestrated tracks that dynamically respond to the action, offering an immersive, emotionally charged musical experience.
■ Content included in this product
FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE contains the following content:
– FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE full game
– FF7R EPISODE INTERmission (Episode featuring Yuffie Kisaragi)
– Weapon: Cacstar
– Armor: Midgar Bangle
– Armor: Shinra Bangle
– Armor: Corneo Armlet
– Accessory: Superstar Belt
– Accessory: Mako Crystal
– Accessory: Seraphic Earrings
– Summoning materia: Carbuncle
– Summoning materia: Chocobo Chick
– Summoning materia: Cactuar
*The additional weapons, armor, accessories and summoning materia can be obtained from the Gift Box accessible via the main menu.
*The weapon “Cacstar” can only be used in FF7R EPISODE INTERmission (Yuffie episode)
Once you’ve assembled all your troops, it’s time to configure the marching order for the parade. Hit L2 to start arranging them. Different assemblies will influence the difficulty of the upcoming parade sequence across three performances. The higher the difficulty, the better the reward—and and the boost toyour relationship levels with Tifa and Aerith.
If you choose security officers across the whole lineup, you’ll get the easiest parade sequences for all three performances. The difficulty levels will change in real time as you adjust the soldiers. So you can pick something that’s more balanced. But the most challenging and rewarding lineup consists of two grenadiers, two riot troopers, and one flame trooper.
The parade sequence isn’t easy, especially considering all the running around you have to do to gather up your troops. While you may miss out on a chance to improve your relationship with Tifa and Aerith if you don’t perform well the first time, you can always go back to the parade sequence by selecting Chapter 4 from the chapter select after finishing the game.
Were you bummed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth didn’t make an appearance? Well you’re not alone. Good news, though! On February 6, 2024, we’ll be treated to yet another State of Play showing, this time with a closer look at the upcoming second chapter of the Final Fantasy VII remake project.
And that wraps everything we saw at tonight’s State of Play. Which games are you most excited about?
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth isn’t out until early next year, but ahead of the game’s launch it’s been rated and reviewed by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Turns out the Teen-rated RPG will contain a “bodacious beach bod.” The question is: Who’s rocking that body?
Three Things We Learned From The Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Demo
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, coming exclusively to PS5 on February 29, 2024, picks up after the events of 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake and is the next entry in Square Enix’s three-part Final Fantasy VII remake project. We’ve already seen a few trailers for the upcoming RPG, but we’ve learned a bit more about Rebirth thanks to a newly posted rating description on the ESRB’s official website.
The ESRB’s rating description explains that some women in the game are “designed with revealing outfits” including “deep cleavage.” The ESRB also states that Rebirth contains “suggestive dialogue” and close-up shots of characters’ bodies. It points to one example where the camera pans to someone, presumably wearing a revealing outfit, who then says: “Just admit it. You’re obviously captivated by my bodacious beach bod.”
Now, the way the ESRB describes this makes it impossible to say who has (or thinks they have) a bodacious beach bod. So who, among the cast of FF7 characters, seems the most likely to say they have a bodacious beach bod? Place your bets now!
Other secrets revealed by the ESRB
The ESRB’s rating description of Rebirth also confirms that at least one character will be “impaled” by a sword in slow motion. Famously, and beware spoilers for a game released in the ‘90s, Aerith was killed by sword-wielding Sephiroth in the original game. You could describe what happens in that original sequence as “slow motion,” too. It seems the new remake sequel will do the same. The question is, who gets stabbed this time around?
In October, Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi promised a “big surprise” during that famous, iconic death. But he didn’t elaborate beyond that tease. Does he mean that someone else will get stabbed in slow motion? Perhaps nobody gets stabbed and Sephiroth just misses and runs away embarrassed. Or would it be really surprising to stab Aerith and trick everyone into thinking you wouldn’t do that this time around? Maybe someone just has a vision of a slow-mo stab. I’m not sure, really.
Oh and finally, the ESRB confirms that some characters get drunk and slur their speech and you’ll hear people say shit, asshole, and prick. I can’t wait!
Here’s the full ESRB description for FF7 Rebirth, coming February 2024 to PS5.
This is an action role-playing game in which players follow the story of a mercenary (Cloud Strife) on a quest to save the planet from evil. Players explore fantasy landscapes, perform missions, and battle monsters and soldiers in frenetic melee combat. Characters use swords, staffs, guns, and magic spells to fight monsters and human soldiers; combat is highlighted by impact sounds, cries of pain, and explosions. Cutscenes depict further instances of violence, sometimes with splatters/pools of blood: characters impaled or slashed by swords, sometimes with slow-motion effects; an assassin throwing a spinning blade at a targeted figure; characters shot by soldiers.
Some female characters are designed with revealing outfits (e.g., deep cleavage); suggestive dialogue sometimes accompanies camera panning/close-ups of characters’ bodies/outfits (e.g., “Just admit it. You’re obviously captivated by my bodacious beach bod.”). The game contains some alcohol content: as Cloud, players can drink a version of moonshine while at a bar; cutscenes sometimes feature drunk characters slurring their speech. A handful of scenes depict characters smoking cigars or out of hookahs. The words “sh*t,” “a*shole,” and “pr*ck” appear in the game.
Once upon a time, you’d be hard-pressed to find anybody with anything close to a serious love of games who hadn’t played Final Fantasy VII. Flash forward 26 years though, and that isn’t quite the case.
Still, you’ll frequently see it hailed as one of the best games of all time even today. For many, Final Fantasy VII is a lifelong love affair. So long as these folks are still around touting the game’s many virtues there will always be a younger generation of gamers who’ll want to see what all the fuss is about.
But how do you go about introducing them to a game that looks and plays so remarkedly different from those they’d be used to playing?
If you were to ask Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi, he’d probably tell you to just wait for this upcoming game — the second in a proposed trilogy that began with 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Image Source: Square Enix
In a recent interview with GadgetMatch at the Thailand Game Show 2023, Hamaguchi explained how he wants to make a game that’s accessible precisely for those people whose experience with the world of Final Fantasy VII might extend only so far as knowing the names of its main characters.
Hamguchi recognizes that “FF7 is a difficult title to get into today”. And, as much as it might pain those who still hold the game in such (deservedly) high esteem, he’s right.
In a way, I’m one of those people. As an impressionable youth, I was a dyed-in-the-wool Nintendo fanboy. None of that spiky-haired guy on the motorcycle thanks, I’m with the fairy kid on the horse. By the time I finally tried FFVII out for myself, it was already several years old, and even then I remember it feeling too slow and graphically dated compared to the games I was playing on GameCube.
As a far more tribally-averse adult, I regret missing out on PlayStation classics like the Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid series. So, after picking up the game for next to nothing in a Steam sale, I finally played through Final Fantasy VII to completion during lockdown.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
Truth be told, it was an underwhelming experience. The cinematic splendor that was so highly touted upon release is obviously not going to be anywhere near as impressive by modern standards. The party mechanics are still solid JRPG fare, but I’m otherwise in the camp who would argue that the age of turn-based, randomized battle encounters is largely best left in the past.
And look, I grew up loving exactly this kind of game. But the world has moved on. Our expectations have changed. The pace of life has changed. Demands on our attention have changed. Ain’t nobody got time for drawn-out encounters with the same enemies over and over and again while trying to figure out where to go next.
Yet, as somebody who has the capability of putting the game into some kind of historical context, I was still able to get plenty out of the experience. There’s still loads to love, least of all the immaculate vibes conjured by the game’s polygonal early 3D, the lived-in environments shot through with cyberpunk neon-lighting, and of course the all-timer Nobuo Uematsu score. I don’t regret playing it at all.
But would a younger gamer raised on Roblox, Fortnite, Minecraft, and the like be able — let alone willing — to stick with the game to extract these more timeless aspects? Unlikely.
Image Source: Square Enix
This isn’t some old man shouting at clouds thing either; it’s just a fact. Any young gamer who is curious enough to seek out and try games a quarter of a century old deserves kudos. But let’s be real: we’ve all sat ourselves down to watch an old ‘classic’ film and come away with a sense of “Was that it?”
Few pieces of media are truly timeless in a manner that doesn’t require some kind of contextualisation. Those interested in cinema or the novel might enroll in a film studies or literature course to learn more about the medium, its techniques, and its history. As a much younger medium, we still haven’t quite established a similar framework for video games.
Naturally, we can’t, nor do we want to, just shrug our shoulders and let the great games of yesteryear become ever more out of reach. One solution is to rerelease the games on modern hardware, which Square Enix has at least done quite admirably in recent years. For quite a few years, if you wanted to play FF7, you’d have to scour eBay for an overpriced copy. But now, you can pick up the game on every modern platform at a very reasonable cost.
There are also a plethora of options you can tweak to make the game more palatable by modern standards. However, there’s a strong argument to be made that doing such things as turning off random encounters and enabling faster-paced battles somewhat radically alters the game’s specific magic sauce, and not necessarily for the better.
That, though, is an argument that you can take to any number of extremes. Are you really properly experiencing Final Fantasy VII unless you’re playing it on the original hardware on a CRT television?
Image Source: Square Enix
Yes, Final Fantasy VII had enjoyable gameplay for its time, but what people really fell in love with was its world and the characters that inhabited it. If that’s the most important thing, then how could it not be argued that a full remake offers the best way to introduce new players to it?
A couple of years after I finished my playthrough of the original Final Fantasy VII, I’ve just polished off Remake in time for the February 2024 release of Rebirth. It was everything I wanted but didn’t get from my years-after-the-fact playthrough of the original. I gasped at the stunning views of Midgar, felt my heart sink as Shinra executed its evil plans, and welled up at the sight of Aerith handing Cloud a flower.
After all these years, I can finally say that Final Fantasy VII is in my greatest games of all time list; maybe not for the original game itself, but definitely for its masterfully crafted world, characters, and story. At this point, does it matter that it’s not the exact same one that so many others put in theirs?
About the author
James Crosby
James is a freelance writer for Twinfinite, typically covering new releases and live service titles. He has been writing about MMOs since 2015, and has published a book about Star Wars Galaxies.
Today at New York Comic Con, it was revealed that voice actor Matt Mercer, perhaps best known as the Dungeon Master of popular actual-play webseries Critical Role, will be starring as gunslinger Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second chapter in Square Enix’s ongoing remake of the classic ‘90s Japanese role playing game.
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Previous trailers for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth have showed off a variety of different locales, as well as characters not featured in the first chapter, 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, including Vincent Valentine. Much of the game remains shrouded in mystery, however, as the remake project isn’t just a faithful retelling of the original story, but sees its narrative branching off in some bold new directions. Today at NYCC, a panel featuring voice actors from the highly anticipated sequel revealed a bit more about what to expect.
While Matt Mercer did voice a few characters in the first entry of the remake project, they were mostly minor NPCs with names like “Wall Market Thug.” During the October 14 panel, Mercer revealed that he auditioned for Valentine in Rebirth, saying that he “put all of his energy” into the audition. Then, he didn’t hear back for nine months. And when he finally did get a callback, it only said that he’d once again play nameless NPCs.
In what he described as a prank played on him by the folks producing the game, Mercer said he was brought into the booth to record lines for a random NPC when the screen containing the script started glitching out before fading to black and presenting him with another character: that of Vincent Valentine. Quite a way to find out you’ve got the job.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth releases on February 29, 2024 for PlayStation 5.
Friends, the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hype train has left Midgar station and is barreling toward us at a fever pitch in the run-up to the RPG’s PlayStation 5 release date of February 29, 2024. Y’all see that new trailer? If you haven’t, you’ve probably at least heard fans squealing about the first look at Vincent Valentine, Zack not being dead like he’s supposed to be, and several other cool moments. All that’s well and good, but there’s one moment in the trailer we are not talking about enough. And we should be, because the best character in all of Final Fantasy VII is coming back in Rebirth: Andrea Rhodea, the king of the Honeybee Inn.
I Didn’t Play Final Fantasy XVI ‘Right,’ And That’s OK
Andrea is one of the best additions in Final Fantasy VII Remake’s new spin on an old story. He’s the owner and lead dancer of the Honeybee Inn, which was a brothel in the original 1997 Final Fantasy VII. In Remake the Honeybee Inn is a lavish nightclub, complete with extravagant dance routines, stunning costumes based on the titular bug, and a hunky pansexual king running the place.
The changes worked on a few fronts. It made the Honeybee Inn a more memorable touchstone of Cloud and Aerith’s time in the Wall Market rather than a weird, uncomfortable detour tinged with gay panic. Now it’s a celebratory moment about the freedom of expression and breaking down gender norms. The updated scene let Cloud dress in drag without shame and felt like a real queer space in a game that was otherwise willing to assume Cloud was involved with a woman as long as they were in each other’s proximity. Sure, Cloud and Aerith are just passing through, but it was a meaningful moment for Final Fantasy VII’s larger world to show that queer people and places exist.
Even as a person who doesn’t love Final Fantasy VII Remake for a lot of reasons we won’t get into—don’t get me started on my lack of faith in Square to pull off an Evangelion-style meta-commentary after nearly every extended universe it’s done in Final Fantasy has undermined the source material in some way—the Honeybee Inn scene remains an all-time great moment for me in the series. It’s joyful to watch unfold, and Andrea is one of the most captivating characters for as little screentime as he gets.
Given that he’s a side character and pretty tied to a specific location the party is departing at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, I didn’t think we’d see Andrea again in Rebirth, or the third game that will wrap up this revamped story. But it looks like we’re heading to the Gold Saucer in Rebirth, and Andrea is about to dance his ass off once again.
And look at this king fucking go. He was a charismatic dancer in Remake, even when saddled with a newbie dance partner like Cloud. Whenever I heard a catchy pop song back in 2020 (say, anything from Lady Gaga’s “Chromatica”) images of Andrea and Cloud dancing immediately entered my mind, like an old screensaver or music video. So I’m sure the new choreography he and his crew are working on in Rebirth will stamp itself onto any pop album I listen to in 2024.
Square Enix
I really loved Dion and his gay relationship in Final Fantasy XVI, but because of a few disappointing decisions Square Enix made with the character, I still left that game a bit saddened by its apparent hesitance to showcase his love story with the same confidence as it did his straight counterparts’. Fresh off Remake’s Andrea, an incredibly proud queer man in the Final Fantasy universe, Dion’s treatment felt like two steps forward and one step back. I don’t expect Andrea will play a huge role in Rebirth, but I’m very glad to see he’s back, killing it on the stage, and looking fine as hell in white.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth continues after the eventsof Final Fantasy VII Remake, which took the first major section of 1997’s classic RPG Final Fantasy VII and translated it into an action-RPG. Remake’s storyline also changed up some details, both big and small, to create what appears to be a new timeline that is both separate from but somehow connected to that of the original game and its many spin-offs.
PlayStation / Square Enix
Today’s trailer for the upcoming Rebirth shows this new sequel will continue to shake things up, depicting Zack from Crisis Core carrying Cloud into a city, something that doesn’t happen in the original game. (Also…Cloud riding a Segway?)
Interesting stuff! Anyway, the new trailer looks cool, so you might be excited to pre-order the game ahead of its February 29, 2024 debut. About that. The standard edition of the game will cost $69.99, and the “deluxe” will be $99.99. But the biggest, most expensive version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the collector’s edition…and it costs more than a Nintendo Switch.
What’s included in the Collector’s Edition of FF7 Rebirth?
•Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Deluxe Edition Art BookMini SoundtrackSteelBook® Case
•Large Collectible Statue Approx. 48cm / 19 inches tall and depicting the iconic antagonist Sephiroth in highly detailed sculpting. The wing can be detached.
•Moogle Trio Summoning Materia (DLC) A summoning materia that can call “Moogle Trio” in the game.
•Magic Pot Summoning Materia (DLC) A summoning materia that can call “Magic Pot” in the game.
•Accessory: Reclaimant Choker (DLC) A choker with an effect of restoring HP when an enemy is defeated.
•Armor: Orchid Bracelet (DLC) A bracelet that gives courage to traverse an expanding world.
•Armor: Midgar Bangle Mk. II (DLC) A bracelet worn by travelers leaving Midgar.
So, does all of this sound like it’s worth $350? For some, the answer is probably yes. For others, a solid maybe. And for many out there, like me, the answer is a strong “nope.”
Personally, the prospect of a $350 edition of a video game makes me roll my eyes so hard they fall out of my head and I have to scramble around on the floor for a few minutes to pick them back up. But I’m also not a person who cares much for statues or collectibles. At the very least it’s nice that Square Enix is including a physical copy of the game in this pricey package!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29, 2024 exclusively on PlayStation 5. The base game costs $70. The deluxe edition is $100. And as mentioned, the Collector’s Edition, at $350, costs more than an Xbox Series S.
Today Sony held another State of Play event, showing off upcoming titles for PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Today’s event featured expansions for Resident Evil 4 and Tales of Arise, another look at a very funny walking simulator, and one epic, mega huge trailer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which will launch on two (count ‘em) discs on February 29 of next year.
I Didn’t Play Final Fantasy XVI ‘Right,’ And That’s OK
Let’s get into it.
Baby Steps
Devolver Digital / GameSpot Trailers
You know, sometimes you just wake up in a mud puddle in the forest and need to figure out how to walk. Well if you’re lucky or something and haven’t experienced that in reality, then Baby Steps looks like a solid simulation of such an experience. Try to walk, fall down, talk to yourself, rinse and repeat.
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord
Sony Pictures Virtual Reality / PlayStation
PS VR2 will be seeing some cooperative ghost-capturing action soon with Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord.
Resident Evil 4 Remake VR mode
Capcom / PlayStation
Ready to play Resident Evil 4 yet again? PS VR2 will soon be home to a VR mode for Resident Evil 4, featuring the reimagined gory violence of this classic, undying entry in the legendary horror series.
Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways
Capcom
Starring Ada Wong, Resident Evil 4 will see an expansion by way of Separate Ways, which will tell a parallel story to the main events of RE4. It releases on September 21, 2023.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Ubisoft / PlayStation
James Cameron’s brightly colored fantasy world is coming to the land of video games by way of a first-person adventure adaptation (though you’ll get to ride some flying creatures in third-person, it seems). Like in the movies, those pesky humans are out to destroy the serene and lush environments of Pandora. It’s up to you to stop ‘em.
Ghostrunner 2
One More Level / IGN
Ghostrunner 2 will be arriving on PS5 on October 26. You can download a free demo of this fast-paced run-and-slash game today.
Deep Earth Collection PS5 plates and controller colors
PlayStation
If you’ve been looking for some new colors for your PS5, there are some on the way with Volcanic Red, Cobalt Blue, and Sterling Silver.
Helldivers II
Arrowhead Game Studios / IGN
In a close look at Helldivers II gameplay, today’s State of Play showed off the cooperative nature of this third-person shooter. With four players taking on some beastly lookin’ aliens, this looks like a pretty good excuse to round up some friends to devastate some alien wildlife.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2
Insomniac / PlayStation
Today we got a closer look at the open-world environment of Spider-Man2. Not only will you have Manhattan Island, but also Brooklyn, and Queens—also known as the best borough.
Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn
Bandai Namco / PlayStation
Tales of Arise will see a new DLC expansion hit PS5 on November 9, 2023.
Honkai Star Rail
miHoYo / PlayStation
Featuring eye-pleasing combat and some slick anime style, Honkai Star Rail launches for PS5 on October 11, 2023.
Foamstars
Square Enix / PlayStation
This Splatoon-like trades ink for foam and features specific characters similar to that of a hero shooter. The open beta launches in late September.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Square Enix / PlaySttaion
Anticipation is at a fever pitch for the continuation of Final Fantasy VII’s remake project. Today’s trailer showed off some classic environments and scenarios from the original game, as well as some wildly unexpected twists (what’s with Zack carrying Cloud into Midgar?). We also saw some vehicular travel including an, uh, Segway? There’s a ton of stuff packed into this trailer, so you can bet we’ll be watching it several times over. And then some more.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29, 2024.
And that was it for today’s brief but very cool State of Play event. Now, I’m gonna go daydream some more about Final Fantasy VII.
Male, female, and cool hat. All the genders are accounted for. Screenshot: Square Enix / Kotaku
It shouldn’t be a big ask from gamers to have more gender-inclusive pronoun options in a video game, especially in RPGs. One producer at Square Enix thinks helping gamers feel welcome by including non-binary pronouns is such a small ask that it was a no-brainer to have it be a part of his new game.
The game in question is the cutesy farming simulator Harvestella, which RPG giant Square Enix just released yesterday on PC and Switch. Similar to Stardew Valley, characters in Harvestella are charged with tending to crops, befriending their neighbors, and overcoming calamity in the form of environmental disasters. Harvestella, Eurogamer pointed out today, features a character creator that offers players the option to choose male, female, or non-binary pronouns.
In an interview with Eurogamer, producer Daisuke Taka said he thinks it is “completely normal” for games to include a non-binary option for players. While having gender-neutral pronouns feels like a small part of the farming sim as a whole, Taka said it was important to let players choose their gender identity because the game is meant to be “for everyone.”
“The protagonist of Harvestella is the player,” Taka told Eurogamer. “We thought it was important to have the player create their own character, selecting different elements, including gender, appearance, voice and name. We felt this was important so players aren’t limited, and feel free to express themselves however they want and as a result are much more attached to their character.”
Recently, characters in video games that’ve come out as gender-neutral have been met with ire amongst the bigoted peanut gallery of the gaming community. Look no further than the vocal minority within the Guilty Gear Strive fighting came community that had conniptions when Bridget and Testament came out as transgender and nonbinary, respectively. Fee fees got so hurt, one troglodyte took it upon themselves to impersonate a customer service representative and fake emails about Bridget’s gender.
In recent times Square Enix has been making strides in making sure some of its games are more inclusive. In a July 2021 interview with The Gamer, Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama said LGBTQ+ inclusion is an important issue for both gamers and developers.
“In Final Fantasy VII Remake, we rebuilt the original game using the latest technology, but we felt that it should not stop at the technical side and we needed to update the story content being shown in line with modern sensibilities,” Toriyama told The Gamer. That same month, the company debuted a non-binary character mascot, Mina, for that year’s Pride.
However, the JRPG giant doesn’t always get it right. For example, someone might wanna remind Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida that, contrary to his centrist view that people of color walking about ye old Final Fantasy would violate the “narrative boundaries” of the upcoming game’s medieval European setting, Black and brown folk aren’t a “new game plus” feature on planet Earth.
I’m much more into the vibe I’m feeling from the Harvestella guy. “The visibility of gender non-conforming people has become much more commonplace, so we thought it was important to reflect this within the game and show that all players are welcome to Harvestella,” Taka said.
