When Final Fantasy VII released back in 1997, it was an impressive technical achievement on the original PlayStation. In the 25 years since, the video game industry has come a long way, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth seems to be taking full advantage of the PlayStation 5 hardware. On the official Final Fantasy VII Twitter account, Square Enix has been highlighting just how much of an improvement players can expect, by offering side-by-side comparisons between the original game and the one releasing in February.
The first of these is an image of the character Vincent Valentine first appearing in front of the game’s other heroes. In the top image, we can see Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith first seeing Vincent in Final Fantasy VII, while the bottom image showcases how that same scene will play out in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Those images can be found below.
In addition to Vincent Valentine’s debut, Square Enix has also released a side by side comparison featuring images of the Buggy. The Buggy is a vehicle that first appeared in Final Fantasy VII and was given to Cloud and the others by Dio. The vehicle made it possible for the player to reach areas on the world map that weren’t previously accessible. As can be seen in the side by side comparison, the new version of the Buggy still has the same basic look in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, but Square Enix has put a lot of extra detail into the design. Those images can be found below.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Playable Characters
In Final Fantasy VII Remake, players got to see several Final Fantasy favorites, including Cloud Strife, Aerith, Barrett, Tifa, and Red XIII. The game’s Episode Intermission DLC added to this cast, with a focus on Yuffie. Yuffie doesn’t meet up with the rest of the cast in Final Fantasy VII Remake, but as we can see from the first image above, she’ll have joined the rest of the group by the time they meet Vincent. Cait Sith can also be seen in that image; the character made a brief appearance in Final Fantasy VII Remake, but will see his role expanded here. Of course, the biggest addition to the cast is Zack Fair. The star of Crisis Core appeared at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and will apparently have a significant role to play in the second chapter; Zack is even on the cover art of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, alongside Cloud and Sephiroth!
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Release Date
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will release February 29, 2024. Just as the original game was exclusive to PS1 for a time, the sequel will similarly be a timed exclusive on PS5.
Are you excited to play Final Fantasy VII Rebirth when it drops next year? What do you think of these images comparing the game with the PS1 original? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!