Square Enix has offered a massive update including a wealth of details, eye-popping screenshots, great artwork, and a trailer of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth that gives a glimpse of Cait Sith in action to the mysterious part of Nibelheim and Junon.
If you thought the last big reveal back in November was impressive, hold onto your Chocobos because the latest post from Square Enix takes it up a notch. We’ve got the details on new characters like Cait Sith and Yuffie, a fresh look at Elena, and a rundown on all the different editions of the game you can preorder. And there’s a lot to unpack here, let’s explore what Square Enix has in store for us with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Battle Upgrades and New Characters
With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Square Enix is infusing the game with some fresh, exciting elements, especially for new party members, Cait Sith and Yuffie.
First, Yuffie is our beloved, spirited ninja from Wutai. She is very quick and hits hard. Imagine Yuffie darting across the battlefield with her massive throwing star, her Active Time Battle meter charging up at lightning speed. She is like a whirlwind, dealing a lot of damage left and right. You can level up her weapon with magic through ninjutsu. With that, you can chain attacks together, and then – her Doppelgänger ability kicks in, and she’s attacking from two different directions simultaneously.
Another one is Cait Sith, remember the quirky little cat riding a giant moogle from the original game? He’s back and more dynamic than ever. Cait Sith has good agility, zipping around the battlefield, or he can call on his moogle for some heavier, hard-hitting strikes. And the best part is that as he fights, his Moogle Meter fills up. When it’s full, it buffs up his allies, giving your team the extra edge in battle.
But Cait Sith isn’t only about brawn; he has some gambler’s spirit, staying true to his luck-based roots from the original Final Fantasy 7. His abilities can randomly buff your team or dish out damage to enemies. And you’ve got to see his Let’s Ride ability – Cait Sith and his moogle work together for powerful tandem attacks. Yuffie and Cait Sith also have their special Synergy Ability, Moogle Pinwheel, to their advantage. Square Enix is being cagey regarding the specifics, but they’ve hinted that it allows both teaming in tandem to use a secret ninja ability in their attacks.
Revamped Characters and New Locations
Elena from the original Final Fantasy 7 is also making her entrance in Rebirth bringing her A-game with skills in hand-to-hand combat and firearms, living up to the Turks’ reputation. But her storyline ties into the whole multiverse shenanigans of the Remake Trilogy. Elena and Rude are now on a mission to chase those mysterious black-robed figures.
Captain Titov is a new character and is a big deal because he’s at the helm of a major change from the original game. Instead of the cargo ship that ferried Cloud and mates in the original, Rebirth introduces a cruise ship, the Shinra-8. Captain Titov is the man in charge, known for his dedication and knack for hosting exciting shipboard parties. He is famous for being both professional and a blast at the same time – quite the combination.
Speaking of new places, the trailer and screenshots have given us glimpses of the Shinra parade in Junon – a scene I’m personally stoked to see in the new game. And there’s the Gold Saucer, which is always amazing. But what’s exciting is the addition of new locations, like the Shinra-8 cruise ship itself. It’s a new world to explore, complete with events like the Queen’s Blood tournament.
Gameplay and Storyline Expansion
Rebirth picks up where the last game left off, but it’s not only a simple continuation. We’re following Cloud and his crew as they step out of Midgar and into the wide world of Final Fantasy 7. This means new locations like Kalm, the Mythril Mine, and the sun-soaked Costa del Sol, alongside some new locations.
But that’s not all, Square Enix has also introduced new characters, which means new stories, new interactions, and new perspectives. I can’t wait to see how these new characters change the dynamics of our beloved crew. One of the cool features in this upcoming title is fast travel as traversing a world as big as Final Fantasy 7’s can be daunting. But with a fast travel system which we have already seen in other games, we can zip across the world, cutting down on travel time and getting straight to the action or the next key plot point.
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth is the second part of the Remake Trilogy. The third game is already in development, though Square Enix is keeping the details under wraps for now.
