State of Play Recap: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo out today, 11 minutes of new gameplay revealed
PlayStation Australia is excited to share a recap of today’s State of Play. The broadcast focused on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the newest instalment in the Final Fantasy VII remake project and one of 2024’s most-anticipated games. The game tells the tale of main protagonist Cloud Strife and his loyal companions who explore a massive world outside Midgar, the city of Mako, as they pursue Sephiroth, one of the most iconic antagonists in video game history.
Ahead of the full game’s release on February 29, the free demo available now allows players to not only take control of the protagonist, Cloud, but take full control of the legendary swordsman Sephiroth in battle. Players will be able to play as Sephiroth as part of the extended flashback section, as Cloud recalls an earlier mission in his career as a Soldier – the Nibelheim incident. Taking place several years before the events of the game, this will set the stage for several important moments within Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. What’s more, we’re planning to release an update later this month that will allow players to explore part of the Junon region before the release of the full game on February 29. We hope players take this opportunity to venture into the world of Final Fantasy VII!
Today’s State of Play includes a new trailer focusing on the story of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth alongside around 11 minutes of never-before seen gameplay. This footage includes the world premiere of many unseen elements of the game: an overview of the world map, ways to get around the expansive world including a wide range of vehicles and mounts, varied exploration, minigames, and much more.
It’s a must-see, both for those excitedly awaiting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and those who have yet to dive into the world of Final Fantasy VII.
Highlights from the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gameplay
The new gameplay footage showcases the following elements of the game:
The stage for players new adventure: a gigantic world map, connected seamlessly
The stage for the adventure of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a gigantic world map, constructed of several areas seamlessly joined together.
The footage showcases a wide range of ways to get around the expansive map, from Chocobos – that Final Fantasy series mainstay – to buggies and wheelies. Chocobos will be of particular help to Cloud and his companions, since they have different abilities in each area. Some can swim through raging currents, jump over mushroom footholds, or even scale sheer cliffs.
Many points of interests to explore on the world map
In the vast field areas, there are all kinds of points of interest to explore that will call to a player’s sense of adventure. Broadly speaking, the first category is World Intel – where players survey the world, fighting fearsome foes and seeking out various resources or hidden treasures as players go. The second type is odd jobs, which delve deeper into the world and characters. Today, we’ve introduced sanctuaries, which reveal knowledge on this game’s summons, helping Cloud and his companions conquer them to subsequently call on their power in battle.
Unique and colourful minigames scattered throughout different regions of the world
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has a diverse range of minigames all throughout its world. And they’re of an even greater scale than the many minigames in the original Final Fantasy VII! The development team’s recommendation is the card game Queen’s Blood, and players can collect cards from the early part of the game, so players can enjoy thinking up and building a powerful deck that’s unique to each player. Some of the minigames are just as fun to watch as they are to play, so they’re perfect to play when players feel like taking a breather from the main story.
Epic cinematic storytelling with stunning graphics
The emotional storytelling experience has been refined even further in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The high-quality, rich graphics that use the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-fast SSD to its fullest can show the subtle nuances of the emotional state of the characters, further elevating the narrative experience and its depiction of Cloud and his companions forging ever-stronger bonds.
More detailed and nuanced facial animations will lend additional depth to the characters’ journeys, especially as Cloud and his friends face down the destiny that awaits them at their story’s end.
New and improved ways to deepen players relationships with their companions through gameplay
The bonds between the characters established over the course of the story are now important to all aspects of gameplay. Cloud’s relationship with his companions will change according to his actions and dialogue choices, impacting most notably the well-loved date event scene from the original game. In addition to date partners players of the original Final Fantasy VII can expect, the team has prepared some new partners plus an expanded date sequence within the Gold Saucer, so there’s plenty to look forward to. And players increase their party level, which shows the bond between the entire team, characters will be able to achieve their true potential in combat. There are lots of synergy skills that characters with a close relationship can perform, so players can overwhelm foes with their favourite characters and special moves.
The footage from State of Play also reveals plenty of other content that we didn’t cover in the above. We hope players will experience the new and expanded world of Final Fantasy VII in the demo, released today.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth releases Thursday February 29 on PS5.
Watch the full State of Play here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgdkN2tCAFw
Watch the new Final Fantasy VII Rebirth – Immersion Trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySktL_lzdCk
To learn more about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth visit the PlayStation Blog.
About the Author
Adrian Gunning Adrian lives in Melbourne Australia and has a huge passion for gaming, technology and pop culture. He recently finished his a Bachelor of Journalism and is currently focusing on games journalism. When not writing and playing video games, Adrian can be found in Comics 'R' Us debating the pros of the DC Universe and cons of the Marvel Universe.
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