Summary
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis a massive game with many regions to explore and characters to meet. The adventure is divided into fourteen chapters, each with its own compelling narrative and a cavalcade of exciting moments.
While there are technically fewer chapters than inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, each section of Rebirth is staggeringly fleshed out to a point where you can spend more than a couple of hours exploring every area. Many of the chapters in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are amazing, but some are much more compelling and memorable than the rest.
14Chapter 14: End Of The World
Some journeys are more about the ride than the destination, and that’s certainly the case with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. After spending between 50 to 100 hours falling in love with this world and its characters, it’s hard not to feel a mixture of disappointment and confusion after finishing the last chapter of the game.
It’s not all bad. There are a couple of moments like hanging out with Aerith in Sector 5 as Cloud that are as enjoyable as anything else in Rebirth, but once the story goes off the rails at the Forgotten Capital, the game never really finds its footing again. Some epic boss battles aside, End of the World feels incredibly messy, but hopefully, the next game can clean up its mess.
13Chapter 3: Deeper Into Darkness
After a riveting opening section of the game that includes an intriguing flashback and an immersive open world, the momentum halts as the gang enters the Mythril Mines in Chapter 3. It’s an incredibly linear section that forces you to use two parties, one with Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa, and the other with Barret and Red XIII.
This chapter does an excellent job of making you play characters you may have less experience with, and the introduction of Elena from the Turks is also a bonus. Deeper Into Darkness mostly suffers from monotonous activities like pushing around mine carts and shooting what feels like hundreds of crystals with Barret.
12Chapter 11: The Long Shadow Of Shinra
Returning to Nibelheim likely doesn’t play out the way the party anticipates. After spending a bunch of time in Nibelheim during the flashback at the beginning of Rebirth, Cloud and his friends make a trip there together to help Cait Sith locate a Shinra Terminal and their next course of action.
Of course, this isn’t the Nibelheim that Cloud and Tifa know, and exploring it means revisiting their trauma from 5 years prior. Exploring the Shinra mansion is both a highlight and the worst part of the chapter, as you finally get to meet Vincent Valentine, but at the cost of spending far too long throwing boxes as Cait Sith and his Moogle.
11Chapter 7: Those Left Behind
The best part about Chapter 7 happens as soon as it begins - Yuffie joins the party! After using the same characters for most of the game, it’s refreshing to have someone new to play as, and the ninja is so strong, she may never leave your main line-up.
Your main objective during this chapter is to ascend Mt. Corel, but there are plenty of side quests and anentirely new region to explore. Once you start your mission, the party is divided into two once again, allowing you to test out new dynamics like Yuffie, Barret, and Tifa. There is some fun to be had, but it’s a fairly straightforward and tame section compared to others.
10Chapter 9: The Planet Stirs
From Cait Sith officially joining the party to the lush forests of Gongaga, there is a lot to do and see in Chapter 9. This section excels at balancing exploration with the story, as you can easily spend several hours exploring the Corel Desert and Gongaga before visiting the local reactor for some of the most interesting new material in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Exploring the two regions andcompleting fascinating side questsnever grows old here, but some of the Chapter’s best stuff occurs during its second half. Everything that happens with Tifa and the Weapon is riveting, while Yuffie’s confrontation with Scarlet is one of the most satisfying moments in the entire game.
9Chapter 13: Where Angels Fear To Tread
The penultimate chapter in Rebirth features a massive, mind-bending dungeon that leads to many spectacular boss fights and intriguing character moments for nearly everyone in the party. Split into two groups - Aerith, Red, and Yuffie on one team and Cloud, Tifa, and Barret on the other - each team must manipulate gravity and survive tough encounters to find the Black Materia.
Set inside the Temple of the Ancients, Where Angels Fear To Tread is full of surprises. While collecting and channeling lifestream fragments with Aerith to progress through the dungeon feels a bit tedious, it’s worth it just to make it to the point where the party must disperse and confront their past traumas before being allowed to move on any further.
8Chapter 6: Fool’s Paradise
Who doesn’t love a day at the beach? Chapter 6 takes place in Costa del Sol, the perfect vacation spot for a meandering party that doesn’t really have anywhere else to go. You’ll spend most of your time here playing minigames andrunning into familiar faces like Johnny, but there’s nothing wrong with putting your feet up for a bit between expeditions.
Fool’s Paradise is a fairly short chapter mostly filled with games like Run Wild, Card Carnival, and Pirate’s Rampage, which you’ll need to participate in to unlock swimsuits for Cloud, Aerith, and Tifa. Of course, there’s always a chance that a deranged scientist could crash your vacation, so it’s not very surprising when Hojo shows up to stir up the pot before the end of this section.
7Chapter 8: All That Glitters
Set mostly at the Gold Saucer, Chapter 8 is like a rollercoaster of emotions within itself. It begins with a spectacular performance by Yuffie and Dio outside the amusement park and ends with heartbreak as Barret finally confronts his past and faces an old friend.
Before you even advance the story, you’re able to easily spend hours competing in Chocobo Races, 3D Brawler, and other exciting minigames at the Gold Saucer. Once you leave, though, you’ll see the underbelly of the casino and all the despair that comes with living under the shadow of the Shinra organization.
6Chapter 1: Fall Of A Hero
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s opening chapter perfectly sets the bar for what’s to come by introducing many of the game’s new mechanics and features like the open world and Synergy abilities. Set during a flashback five years before the events of Rebirth, you’ll follow Cloud, Tifa, and Sephiroth on a journey to the Nibelheim reactor.
If you played through Final Fantasy 7 Remake and didn’t quite understand why Sephiroth is such a bad guy, Fall of a Hero demonstrates his power excellently and reveals how far he is willing to go to get what he wants. It’s a near-perfect way to start the game, as it helps you realize why Cloud and the rest of the party are so worried about the potential return of the disgraced SOLDIER.
5Chapter 10: Watcher Of The Vale
Watcher of the Vale could be considered one of the best chapters in Rebirth for its music alone, but the addition of Red XIII’s backstory and the gorgeous environments of Cosmo Canyon help solidify its spot toward the top. Everything from the introduction of Buganhagen to the excellent side quests makes Chapter 10 one of the most memorable sections in the entire game.
The greatest part about this chapter of the game is that it finally gives the team purpose and a goal beyond just following the men in black robes. After learning about the power of the Black Materia from Buganhagen and the Gi, Cloud and everyone else decide that finding it should become their primary objective. After roaming for what feels like forever, they finally have something to work towards.
