This week’s been heavy on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth previews, interviews, and excitement. Square Enix released an official interview with Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi earlier today, and it has a ton of interesting tidbits.
The interview with Hamaguchi details changes to the story, combat, and, of course, the world beyond Midgar. We know now that we’ll see the earliest moments beginning at Kalm and up until the end of the Forgotten Capital.
Hamaguchi reveals that in addition to more materia types, the way they’re used in battle will trump that of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Some may automate combat in exciting ways, too.
While all of this sounds exciting, the developers of Square Enix wanted to pay homage to its origins by reinterpreting how chocobos interact with Cloud and the world. We’ve seen them climb up surfaces, float across areas, and speed across the water. Of course, chocobo racing is back at the Gold Saucer, but we now know that breeding is no longer part of the game.
The team working on Rebirth is doing its best to ensure that the world is explorable while also manageable for the developers, so through research and development, they found an excellent middle ground.
As seen in the trailer above, you’ll also find yourself using buggies to get across the world.
Hamaguchi also revealed players will have the Tiny Bronco at their disposal, as it appears due to the game’s events. While it’ll have limited flying capabilities at first, the wings become damaged, and the plane becomes a ship later.
Not too surprisingly, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth features new minigames, including Queen’s Blood. It’s an in-world card game that can be played from the beginning of Rebirth, and winning matches enhances your deck and the storyline around Queen’s Blood, too. The narrative progresses as you engage more challenges in matches.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on February 29, 2024.
