Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a gargantuan game, one that takes roughly 90 hours to beat if you're aiming to complete everything. Its main story is already huge, but it is full of side content both big and small in scale. For example, there are the mini-games found in the Golden Saucer, all of which are completely different from one another. Then there are the more substantial pieces of side content, including 20 Mario Kart-style Chocobo races, the Queens Blood card game battles, world events, Protorelic quests, and more traditional side quests.

All of this coalesces to create an immersive RPG experience, which is why Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is often considered one of the best RPGs ever made. Of course, there has to be a winner among all of the side content, and I firmly believe it to be one particular side quest. However, as much as I absolutely love the side quest for all it does for the worldbuilding and lore of FF7 Rebirth, I also feel like it exposes a flaw in the game's main narrative.

FF7 Rebirth's Cosmo Canyon Protorelic Quest Is Amazing

It Delves Into The Lives Of Avalanche

There is a Protorelic quest per region in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, with each one being split into four parts. They're some of the best missions in the entire game, not just because of their reward, which sees players come closer to solving the mystery behind the humorously clumsy samurai, but because they help flesh out a part of Final Fantasy 7's world. For example, one Protorelic quest sees players take on the Turk's training, and delve deeper into their mindsets. Even FF7 Rebirth's worst region has a great Protorelic quest.

However, by far the best Protorelic quest and best side quest in all of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is Cosmo Canyon's. It sees Cloud and Co meet up with the of Avalanche seen during the Episode INTERmission DLC as they explore Ancient ruins in the Canyon. Crucially, this Protorelic quest chain focuses on Barret's grief of losing Wedge and the other Avalanche , as well as their bond with one another before the events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Upon completing each Protorelic quest's Gears and Gambits minigame - which is way more fun than it needs to be - players are treated to a cutscene that showcases Barret, Tifa, Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge bonding, including how they came up with the famous Cosmo Canyon cocktail. Honestly, as much as I understand the criticisms of FF7 Rebirth's side content, moments like these are what make it all so worthwhile. This quest and how it deals not just with Barret's grief, but also reminds the player of what they are fighting for on a deeply personal level is genius.

The Cosmo Canyon Protorelic Quest Highlights A Story Flaw

Everyone Forgets Wedge & The Others

However, as great as the Cosmo Canyon Protorelic questline is, it also pokes a giant hole in the game's main story, specifically with Barret's aforementioned grief. In fact, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth barely deals with the loss of the Avalanche outside some very minor dialogue, such as when Tifa remarks on Jessie's poster in the Golden Saucer. It is great to see Barret deal with the loss of his best friends - specifically Wedge, whom he felt particularly responsible for - but it is a shame that it is so intrinsically tied to a completely optional side quest.

Really, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should have dealt with their deaths much earlier in the game. Of course, Remake, to an extent, does deal with it in the moment, but the events of Rebirth follow directly afterward, and everyone just acts like nothing has happened. I think the main reason why this is a problem is that, despite Rebirth handling FF7's story better than the original game, its extended length drags out the plot significantly.

It doesn't really make sense that Barret, outside a quest that happens close to 50 hours into the game, doesn't acknowledge this grief, even if he is known to have a stoic personality.

The fact that Barret's friends died, and he makes no real mention of it, is easier to stomach in a much shorter experience overall. However, Rebirth is the second game in a trilogy, the events of which take place within a handful of weeks. It doesn't really make sense that Barret, outside a quest that happens close to 50 hours into the game, doesn't acknowledge this grief, even if he is known to have a stoic personality. At the very least, it is surprising that Tifa says nothing.

FF7 Rebirth's Side Content Doesn't Get Enough Credit

It Is Genuinely Incredible

That being said, this Protorelic quest, as much as it highlights a flaw with the main narrative, is still incredible, as is most of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's side content - the only truly awful mission is the one where you help guide that farmer's chickens home in Gongaga. I really don't think the side content in FF7 Rebirth gets the credit it deserves, especially the way that it rewards the player in meaningful ways. Queens Blood, for example, has an entire mysterious storyline attached to it that players learn more about the more matches they win.

Similarly, certain world objectives unlock huge rewards, such as how locating the Divine Intel in each region makes Summons stronger, or how clearing Lifesprings unlocks powerful boss fights and region intel. As aforementioned, I understand how the side content affects FF7 Rebirth's pacing, but while it can pad the narrative out, it absolutely sures the quality found in other RPGs where the reward is a slight stat increase or simply more XP. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's side content is amazing, especially the Cosmo Canyon Protorelic quest and I encourage all to complete as much of it as possible.

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