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[mckmas8808]

This looks so good.

 

[Krathoon]

Oh yeah. They could change it where multiple characters could die.

 

[Robb]

Can't say I care much for the game but that thumbnail though..

 

[saintjules]

Oh yeah. They could change it where multiple characters could die.

Could happen. We've seen the reverse happen in Remake already.

 

[MagiusNecros]

Oh yeah. They could change it where multiple characters could die.

And then GILGAMESH appears later with all their weapons.

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Digital Trends just dropped their preview early:

I rode a Chocobo and befriended a dolphin in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

After a hands-on demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, I finally have some answers. Well, sort of. My preview highlighted how both combat and exploration have evolved while showing me new playable characters and locations like Junon for the first time. Even after one hour of playtime, though, its approach to story remains a bewildering mystery … and that's exactly what I was hoping for.

Team synergy

The first piece of my demo takes place in a flashback. A young Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth find themselves in Mt. Nibel, climbing through a dark cave. While there's a little dialogue, this chunk mostly served as a reintroduction to Final Fantasy VII Remake's excellent combat system. The fundamentals remain the same, as players can attack in real-time and slow the action to a near standstill to navigate menus. What's new, though, is a greater emphasis on team attacks.

Expanding on Episode Intermission's combos, Rebirth introduces Synergy Skills, a new combat layer that emphasizes party team-ups. When holding down the block button, I can press a face button to perform a duo attack with my party members. Even more devastating Synergy moves act as two-character limit breaks that can really turn the tide of battle. A climactic boss against a hulking monster would end with Cloud and Sephiroth pulling off a dazzling Synergy attack with more sword slashes than I can count.

And yes, that means Sephiroth is a playable character this time.

Staying unpredictable

While the first demo focused on combat, the second was entirely focused on exploration. Here, the team finds themselves in a small open-world area outside of Junon. Before walking into the fishing town, I have some time to wander around on a Chocobo and do a few open-world-style activities. Scattered combat trials would have me trying to beat a pack of enemies within a time limit while completing a checklist of tasks in battle. I could follow Chocobo chicks to discover fast travel markers and get plumes that could be traded in to customize my bird's armor. I could even find a wealth of materials, which I could use to craft items and in turn complete micro-objectives for a bit of experience.

It's not a full open-world pivot. The area I explored was probably comparable to some of Final Fantasy XVI's wide fields, but it already feels like there's significantly more to do and see in those spaces. That should come as great news to those who took issue with Remake's corridor-like level design. Just as the original Final Fantasy VII opens up once players leave Midgar, so too does Rebirth. That's great news considering that iconic areas like the Golden Saucer are making a return here.

While all of those changes are exciting, I wouldn't call them surprising. Rebirth looks and plays like its predecessor with some new touches that align with a lot of its modern peers. What I was hungrier to see is just how much the sequel would be willing to get weird, adapting some of the oddest parts of the eclectic original. And the end of my demo would assure me that Square Enix isn't holding back.

Upon entering a small town south of Junon, a local would immediately beg for my team's help. She'd lead us to a lake where we'd find Yuffie in a boat, being hunted by Bottomswell. It's a boss fight from the original game but naturally recontextualized to act as a new character introduction. All hope seems lost for Yuffie until Rebirth finally gives me the kind of bizarre moment I craved: A dolphin pops out of the water to lend a helping fin. It's a hilariously left-field moment that confidently preserves a piece of the original game.

My battle with Bottomswell is as thrilling as any fight in Remake, with my party peppering it with spells and long-range attacks while dodging watery whirlpools. When I land the last strike, I transition into a ridiculously enjoyable cutscene where my dolphin pal helps Cloud finish the massive water snake off. It all ends with a picaresque parting shot as Cloud poses with the dolphin, rainbow overhead.

It's that moment that sells me on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth more than anything else I played. Sure, it's always nice to revisit Remake's ingenious combat system, and the extra duo system brings even more personality and party interaction to it. The semi-open-world pivot is a nice touch too that I'm sure will give me a lot of good reasons to marvel at Square Enix's meticulous world design. But what I love about Remake is its entirely unpredictable nature. The way it takes ideas from the original, brings them to new extremes, or subverts them, is what makes that experience so special. Rebirth's retooled dolphin sequence has me confident that it has the same wild energy in abundance.

At Final Fantasy VII Remake's conclusion, a title card teased its sequel by calling it an "unknown journey." I can already see why after a bit of playtime. I still feel like I haven't even seen 1% of what Rebirth will have to offer — even I was shocked watching its recent State of Play trailer despite having actually played it by then. I'm ready to grab that dolphin fin and let it take me as far out into the ocean as it can go.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth jumps the dolphin | Digital Trends

We rode Chocobos and teamed up with a friendly dolphin in an eclectic first demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

webcache.googleusercontent.com

 

[Thief1987]

Aerith will be alive AND dead AT THE SAME TIME!

Schrödinger's Aerith?

 

[graywolf323]

New key are of the Rebirth poster:

Tifa standing where Cloud was, Aerith where Zack. Who's getting shish kabob'd this time?

if they kill Tifa we riot

 

[Thief1987]

if they kill Tifa we riot

Losing these... assets will be criminal

 

[Danjin44]

if they kill Tifa we riot

 

[Fabieter]

I agree and I'm also excited about what's to come, but I feel that our opinion might be the minority on the matter.

I also think this will be the game where people who are wanting a 1:1 remake will fully step off of the train, if it wasn't apparent enough for them with the last one.

After playing remakes like demons souls remake amd last of us part 2 remake am in the boat where iam happily ignore 1:1 remakes I already played tho.

 

[YukiOnna]

 

[YukiOnna]

Smol Chocobo

 

[YukiOnna]

My man Nomura 1up's FFXV menus

 

[Danjin44]

Smol Chocobo

My man Nomura 1up's FFXV menus

 

[Edellus]

Maximilian Dood just dropped his preview video:

 

[Danjin44]

 

[YukiOnna]

 

[YukiOnna]

More interview stuff from various JP outlets:
- Main Path is 40+ hours long at least; Side content and areas double that to over 100; Go off the main path and get lost in the world
- Nomura is not allowed to talk about Zack much, but he is an important character in this title and his side will be told in a way that has him uncover mysteries
- Nojima and Nomura have been working on the plot & scenario since Remake's development; they had long ago decided the game design elements
- Kitase says the 3rd games main scenario is done, they are working on the structure of side quests, the Ending, and which characters appear
- Menu background will change alongside the time of day in the world
- Characters (like Yuffie and Vincent) are squarely depicted in the main path of the story so players can interact with them proper
- Various field actions: jumping off, climbing small cliffs & ledges, and swimming to explore the continents.
- Chocobo's handle special actions: exploration abilities, climbing larger cliffs and mountains, flying, etc.
- Chocobo customization is extensive because you will be exploring a lot with your Chocobo and able to use it in the Chocobo Race
- Item Crafting; as your proficiency level goes up, you will gain access to more items to craft (armor, accessories, etc.)
- Items crafted are sometimes required for field exploration and quests, so use it lots and gather materials across the world
- Some mini-games have been repurposed into other locations outside the Gold Saucer


Nomura on if it depicts to that end at The Forgotten Capital:
"Yes, that is the case. Please see for yourself what fate is depicted."
"What awaits you in The Forgotten Capital, the final destination of this work.... I would like you to actually play it and see for yourself. It is difficult to describe in words."

Nomura regarding if the mystery surrounding Arbiters of Fate & Zack will be depicted:
"The previous work ended with just touching upon it, but I think you will be able to understand most of the mystery in that area in this title. Please play and find out for yourself."

Hamaguchi on whether it is open world or not:
"It's difficult to define an "open world," but in this case there is one large world map space, and each continent, ocean, town, dungeon, etc. are seamlessly connected to it. As you adventure through the wide world map, the number of places you can go to increases rapidly, and by being able to go back and forth freely, you can encounter a variety of content."

Regarding certain Mini-games:
"Mini-games related to locations beyond the scope of Rebirth, such as Snowboarding and Submarine, have not yet been included, but I hope you will visit the Gold Saucer again in the third game."

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

Wow all looks and sounds top notch!

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Why Two Discs?

Rebirth is so big that Square is splitting it between two discs. Hamaguchi states that the game is 150GB, with 100 on one disc and 50 on the other. However, you won't be swapping discs like fans did with the original. Due to the PS5 architecture, players will first install the entire game by inserting both discs. After that, only one of them will be needed to play the full game.

Hamaguchi explains the decision to split Rebirth in this way had less to do with rekindling nostalgia and more as a method to preserve the team's lofty vision for it. Square had always envisioned Rebirth as a massive, highly detailed world more immersive than Remake's revamped Midgar. Thus, squeezing it on a single Blu-ray would have forced the designers to scale back on content and ideas, so doubling up on discs became the obvious solution.

Square Enix Answers 6 Burning Questions About Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Find out why the game is two discs, if you can transfer data from Remake, and more.

www.gameinformer.com

 

[Zheph]

the previews are so positive
Sounds like they really delivered

 

[Knightsoftheround]

Oh boy this looks good. Sucks about Vincent though

 

[Just_one]

goddamn , this game will be amazing!

GOTY

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

I've posted a lot more previews and articles in this thread:

https://www.neogaf.com/threads/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-is-getting-previews-this-week-digital-trends-preview-is-up-earlier.1661368/

On a semi-blackout though so not looking at footage.

 

[YukiOnna]

I liked this message from Nomura:

"I was told by Sakaguchi-san that "Final Fantasy" is a toy box, and I have been developing games with this idea in mind. And FFVII, with all of its variety, is a title that epitomizes this statement.

This title takes you on a journey after you leave the Mako city of Midgar, and there are so many things in that journey. There are a wide variety of exploration elements and battle options that allow you to find your own way to enjoy the game. The same goes for the mini-games and the means of transportation. The game is filled with many different ways to play, and that's what makes it so appealing.

The story of "FFVII" as a whole is heading toward its climax, and there are many interesting developments that will continue to unfold, so I hope you are looking forward to it."

 

[adamsapple]

FYI, Best Buy has an exclusive steelbook with the standard edition of the game., like hey tend to do with all big releases.

 

[skit_data]

Damn, a friend of mine was pretty disappointed in FF7R due to it feeling so corridor based.
I don't think he'll be disappointed with this, it looks very open and glorious in all aspects.

 

[SCB3]

FYI, Best Buy has an exclusive steelbook with the standard edition of the game., like hey tend to do with all big releases.

Oh wow, I love this artwork but where is Cloud on this?


Also correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the end of The Forgotten Capital the end of Disc 1? If so, this may be more than 3 parts all in (Disc 3 is pretty short from what I remember anyway)

 

[adamsapple]

Oh wow, I love this artwork but where is Cloud on this?

It's the inverse of the base cover, the base cover has Cloud and Zack with Sephiroth.

Also correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the end of The Forgotten Capital the end of Disc 1? If so, this may be more than 3 parts all in (Disc 3 is pretty short from what I remember anyway)

TBF, the 3rd disc on the PS1 version was just the final dungeon, so for all intents, the game is 2 discs, but yeah if they want to make it a 3 part series, they'll have a lot of ground to cover in the third game.

 

[ShadyAcshuns]

Going through the Yuffie Intergrade dlc right now, and gonna play through Crisis Core to get ready for Rebirth. Don't know if I wanna go through dirty Midgar again though on PS5.

 

[TheRedRiders]

MaximillionDood confirms there is a 60 FPS mode!

 

[SCB3]

It's the inverse of the base cover, the base cover has Cloud and Zack with Sephiroth.





TBF, the 3rd disc on the PS1 version was just the final dungeon, so for all intents, the game is 2 discs, but yeah if they want to make it a 3 part series, they'll have a lot of ground to cover in the third game.

Ah is that the Greyscale one from the CE?

And thats right about Disc 3, they could compress that into a entry, personally I think they're gonna aim for 3 Parts (to keep in line with that 3 Disc thing like the Original) with some major changes from the next Disc onwards, I'll be honest its been a long time since I played past Midgar in the Original so I have no idea whats next really, just vague recollections

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

MaximillionDood confirms there is a 60 FPS mode!

Remake was rock solid on 60fps PS5, with no graphical compromises and ran at a respectable 1512p. Hopefully we get a similar result for Rebirth.

 

[Kaachan]

Goosebumps! Finally a trailer without (pretty much) the cringe Kingdom Hearts timeline travel stuff

 

[Sleepwalker]

Preordered the deluxe with extra steelbook case. Not watching any previews, cant wait!

 

[mortal]

Dig the menu change. Feels reminiscent of FFXV.

 

[Danjin44]

I'm curious to know what they gonna do for hard mode this time around. I dont think no item is gonna work with Rebirth because its waaaaaaaay more open that Remake and now you have item crafting as well.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

FYI, Best Buy has an exclusive steelbook with the standard edition of the game., like hey tend to do with all big releases.

Wow that's beautiful. Should be the games official box art.

 

[adamsapple]

Wow that's beautiful. Should be the games official box art.

The official art is the same picture, just with Cloud and Zack instead.

The lack of logos and cleaner presentation always makes steel book boxes look better.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

The official art is the same picture, just with Cloud and Zack instead.

The lack of logos and cleaner presentation always makes steel book boxes look better.

Ahh my mistake. Cheers for the clarification dude, I should of checked.

 

[YukiOnna]

Dig the menu change. Feels reminiscent of FFXV.

I like it, too. It reminds me of Xenoblade 3

 

[Danjin44]

This fucking February!

Feb 1st

Feb 2nd

Feb 29

 

[Go_Ly_Dow]

This fucking February!

Feb 1st

Feb 2nd

Feb 29

Yakuza as well for me

 

[saintjules]

 

[saintjules]

Without commentary.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Dig the menu change. Feels reminiscent of FFXV.

Good eye, shit. The stat readouts below the moving model of the character with the list of menu options on the left. It is basically a total match layout wise.

 

[Minsc]

I just saw the bit with the Piano mini game, that's an amazing tribute to the Piano themes from all the Final Fantasy songs.

Can't believe you'll have a mini-Theatryhthm type game focused on piano music, where you play a piano in a high class restaurant setting wearing a buster sword strapped to your back - all sorts of various songs and character themes and get D-S ratings and scores and everything on them.

And you get the songs for this mini game by exploration and finding them hidden in the game world. This sounds so perfect! Giving nice rewards to explore that are in themselves a means to enjoy other content and further boost your library/scores.

 

[Danjin44]

 

[Boneless]

Not like the FFXVI remarks, riding the chocobo in FFXVI was shit, worse than FFXV for some reason. Definitely not a fan of the FFXVI "wide fields", there was nothing to explore and they felt restrictive.