Summary

• FF7 Rebirth excels in character development through nuanced interactions and smart details that enhance the overall experience.
• Even minor mechanics like party movement reflect the emotions and experiences of each character.
• The game's attention to detail, from Easter eggs to unique animations, sets it apart and elevates the storytelling.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is first and foremost a character-oriented experience, and when the game is operating at its best, it drives that concept home in the most minute of ways. Grand spectacle might be one of FF7 Rebirth's biggest selling points, with a giant world, electrifying boss encounters, and cinematic presentation ing the case to embrace the updated material. None of that would work without the small details that bring it to life, however, and some of those are what make the game stand out in a market crowded with huge adventures.

In traditional JRPG fashion, FF7 Rebirth is very much an ensemble story, juggling a stacked roster of party across the twists and turns of a 14-chapter narrative. Although protagonist Cloud Strife is at the center of all the biggest events, the way he interacts with them isn't the only response that matters, and it would be all too easy for the game to lose authenticity by letting other characters just sit idly by. FF7 Remake largely solved this problem with constant party chatter, but although that isn't quite as omnipresent across Rebirth's longer runtime, it finds its own fixes.

Character Tweaks Show FF7 Rebirth's Level Of Care

Even Party Movement Can Reveal A Lot

A Reddit post from YaBoyKumar provided a particularly great springboard for people to share some of their favorite minor details, and the one that they kick off the thread with is one of the best examples of the ion found throughout the game. When running around in FF7 Rebirth, Cloud is usually closely followed by whoever else is currently in the active party. Anyone sitting out combat encounters lags slightly behind, which is a nice enough detail in and of itself.

When the party reaches Nibelheim, however, Tifa is actually capable of breaking this basic rule. Returning to her hometown forces Tifa to confront some significant trauma from her past, and although Cloud's perspective on the events is different, he's the only one with something of a shared experience. In Nibelheim, Tifa asks Cloud to stay close, and she sticks to his side even when she's not part of the active party to show that those words weren't idly meant.

Commenter vxsapphire points out a similar example in one gameplay sequence where Aerith is running to safety. Although Cloud isn't fully in his right mind, he sticks to Aerith even if she runs in the wrong direction, something that other party won't do. It's a nice way to showcase the divide between his innate nature and the war going on in his head, and the inclusion feels all the more thoughtful for how unlikely it is to be obvious in the average FF7 Rebirth playthrough.

Smart Character Details Are Everywhere In FF7 Rebirth

No Party Are Left Out

Another great instance of mechanics reflecting the experience of FF7 Rebirth's characters is noted in a comment from big classic FF7 spoiler, by way of warning). Towards the end of the game, the party all witness an incredibly emotional moment, but Cloud has a somewhat separate experience from everyone else. Going into the next combat sequence, everyone but Cloud starts with a full limit break gauge, showing just how charged their emotions are and how different Cloud's state of mind is through a simple tweak.

A fantastic rundown of some details can be found in a comment from fogfree, and although some of them deal more with the game's general level of care than choices centered around party , there are still several a couple of notable mentions. An especially charming inclusion comes after finishing a questline involving a lost bird, which will result in a whole avian family following Barret around. Although Cid never even gets to in on combat, he still manages to nab some memorable interactions, like a refusal to dock at a Shinra port in Junon.

Not every minor detail that fleshes out FF7 Rebirth's party has to do with the game's mechanics, but even glorified Easter eggs can help build up the sense of characters with history and dimension. From the decorations found in characters' rooms to hidden pieces of lore, there's a lot that references the past and future of the story in a way that feels reasonably intrinsic. FF7 Rebirth consistently comes across as a celebration of everything FF7 without playing any painfully overt hands.

Playing FF7 Remake is the best way to catch most FF7 Rebirth references, but other games like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 also receive plenty of nods.

Going Above & Beyond Makes FF7 Rebirth Special

Most Major Games Can't Compete

It's easy to imagine that the overall experience of FF7 Rebirth would be roughly similar without these kinds of details, but that willingness to go above and beyond is a huge part of why it's been met with such a strong reception. Scale usually comes at a trade-off of actual bespoke content, and open-world adventures are prone to feeling more repetitive than inspired. FF7 Rebirth definitely still has its share of filler, but the care that it shows in so many other regards helps make its most mundane content more forgivable.

Although FF7 Rebirth is doing things on a grander stage than ever before, the Final Fantasy series has a history of nailing small moments in a way that consistently elevates the games. The original FF7 is a great example of that, but even less acclaimed titles like FF15 show important steps in how the franchise's approach has evolved. While parts of FF15 are woefully incomplete in a way that FF7 Rebirth never is, a surplus of unique animations, memorable interactions, and minor quirks make the road trip with its protagonists feel alive.

The retelling of FF7 hasn't yet concluded, and FF7 Remake Part 3 will have to wrangle an even larger scale than FF7 Rebirth's challenging undertaking. If Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's approach is anything to go by, however, there's little reason to doubt that the game will be full of the details necessary to make its characters resonate.

Source: Reddit (YaBoyKumar, vxsapphire, AnimaLepton, fogfree)