Can you believe it’s 2024 and Final Fantasy 7 is Still Going Strong?
It all started in 1997 when Square Enix released the original FF7 on PlayStation 1, complete with 3D graphics. Fast forward roughly 27 years and it’s now one of the most acclaimed video games of all time and has seen numerous adaptations and spinoffs since its initial release.
Options for Final Fantasy 7 Fans
Here’s a short sampling of the options available to Final Fantasy 7 fans. You can play the original RPG, which has been ported to modern consoles. There’s the gloriously corny CGI movie Advent Children, which is set two years after the events of the original game. Side character Zack Fair even has an entire prequel set before the events of Final Fantasy 7 that Square Enix remastered. Other characters like Tifa and Aerith don’t have their own games, but they do have entire novels dedicated to telling their backstories. And none of these examples touch the various rereleases of the original Final Fantasy 7 and its related spinoffs.
Prepare for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth with Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Where to play: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Instead of just updating graphics, the development team at Square Enix opted to use the original Final Fantasy 7 as a source of major inspiration and split it into three different games for a full-on remake trilogy. The first two titles are Final Fantasy 7 Remake and now Final Fantasy Rebirth. Out of all the games on this list, Remake is the most important game you should play before diving into Rebirth, which picks up right after the events of Remake.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake follows the story of Cloud Strife and his involvement with the insurgent group Avalanche in the city of Midgar. In addition to introducing players to the main cast of characters you’ll be playing as in Rebirth, it also provides an intimate look at Midgar and the living conditions that result from Shinra’s rule. Rebirth picks up in the middle of the action from Remake, just as Cloud and friends flee the city.
Rebirth doesn’t bother to give players a full-fledged recap of who is who and what you need to know, although you don’t necessarily have to play Remake to enjoy Rebirth. You do get snippets of what happened before, so it’s likely just enough to get an idea of the major actors in this world and the team’s larger mission.
Go Back to the Original – Final Fantasy 7 (1997)
Where to play: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Final Fantasy 7 Remake departed from the original story told in Final Fantasy 7 in several ways, zooming in on the first section of the game set in Midgar. Rebirth departs from the original story even more by just completely switching up the order the team visits certain regions and some of the events. Because of this, the original version of the game is not needed to play and enjoy Rebirth.
Dive into Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Where to play: Windows PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is a remastered rerelease of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, a prequel Square Enix released on PlayStation Portable roughly 16 years ago. Both versions of the game tell the same story more or less and follow the life of Zack Fair, Cloud’s friend from the army, and the events that led up to the beginning of Final Fantasy 7.
Exploring the Final Fantasy 7 Universe
Rebirth pulls generously from the cast of characters in the wider Final Fantasy 7 universe. Fans can explore different games and media to delve deeper into the world of Final Fantasy 7 and its characters. With various options available, fans can choose the stories and experiences that interest them the most.