Square Enix has lifted the lid on the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in a new social media post revealing fresh story details, and where the game will end. Per comments made by the game’s producer Yoshinori Kitase, it appears this middle instalment will take some liberties with the classic Final Fantasy 7 story, tweaking the order of certain events to keep the tension ratcheting up before the final chapter of the modern game trilogy.
“The story will unfold more dramatically than ever before, with a rapid pace of major twists and turns,” Kitase said. “We know fans are dying to see one scene in particular…” While Kitase left this reference unclear, it’s easy to assume it refers to one iconic death in the adventure that has since become legendary in the world of gaming.
This death will likely represent the emotional high point of the adventure, before the stage is set for a grand finale that will lead into the third and final game.
Read: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches in February 2024
Speaking to the PlayStation Blog, creative director Tetsuya Nomura appeared to confirm this set piece as the conclusion for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. While timelines and events will be slightly tweaked, the ‘Forgotten Capital’ chapter will remain as a core, game-changing plot point.
“The order in which you can explore the locations is not the same as the original Final Fantasy VII, and there are some shifts in the order,” Nomura explained. “Wutai, one of the major locations, is not part of the route in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and will be visited in the next one. Although there are some changes in the order of the locations, the locations depicted in this title extend up to ‘The Forgotten Capital,’ where the greatest fate of Final Fantasy 7 awaits you.”
On social media, Nomura further confirmed Rebirth‘s place in the FF7 story, describing the game as “an illustration of the incidents that started the journey, an exploration of the people tied to it, and the journey itself, heading towards its climax.” As the middle chapter, it will contend with the grim setup of Remake, and pave the way for an emotional conclusion.
While speaking to the PlayStation Blog about the upcoming game, Nomura, Kitase, and director Naoki Hamaguchi also revealed more about what players can expect beyond the main story.
For one thing, the Square Enix team noted that save files will not carry over, to allow players to once again rebuild their skills and master new combat techniques – particularly for new characters who will become playable in this chapter, like Red XIII. In addition to new ‘synergy moves’ which allow characters to combine attacks, Rebirth will also introduce new mechanics like a ‘revenge gauge’ for Red XIII that allows him to unleash hard-hitting abilities. Nomura also hinted at new abilities for other debuting party members, like Vincent Valentine and Cait Sith.
You can check out all the brand new reveals for the upcoming game – launching 29 February 2023 on PlayStation 5 – via the PlayStation Blog.
