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What if the true “last fantasy” was the buddies we made alongside the best way? Ultimate Fantasy VII has essentially the most memorable and adored RPG solid of all time, with followers even falling in love with the non-compulsory characters that have been a ache to recruit within the unique 1997 sport. If there’s one factor Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth will get proper, it’s doubling down on these iconic characters and punctiliously crafting the relationships between each social gathering member. These dynamic bonds are on the coronary heart of every part in Rebirth, from facet quests to the fight system. And all this additional time attending to know everybody culminates in a giant payoff late within the sport, as Rebirth’s most unforgettable sequence explores how previous trauma brings the social gathering collectively.
The unique FF7 usually feels gaudy and wacky, however it balances these components with some surprisingly darkish storytelling, like Barret’s hometown of Corel being worn out to cowl Shinra’s negligence, or the demise of Tifa’s father. Each social gathering member has some sort of heartbreak and loss of their previous that shapes the sort of individual—or canine creature—they’re now. Whereas each member will get their second within the solar, the unique FF7 usually dropped these plotlines afterward, opting as an alternative to maintain the deal with the large image.
That’s not the case in Rebirth, which intentionally fleshes out every character’s backstory over the course of the sport’s 14 chapters, and supplies a transparent throughline that connects your complete social gathering collectively. These are all damaged people who have suffered in a method or one other, however that mutual struggling brings everybody nearer, and permits them to create significant bonds. Cloud can perceive Barrett’s grief over Dyne as a result of he’s additionally misplaced pals. Tifa understands Aerith’s loneliness as a result of everybody she’s cherished has been stripped away from her, too. Even Yuffie and Pink XIII have so much in frequent, as each are adolescents who’ve had weighty expectations—and the destiny of their communities—instantly thrust upon them.
All of it involves a head within the last hours of the story as Cloud and his companions discover the Temple of Ancients. There, every social gathering member is pressured to confront what’s primarily the worst second of their lives. It’s a harrowing phase—and simply the best storytelling beat in all of Rebirth.
Quick playable segments dive into the psyche of every character, utilizing gameplay mechanics as an instance their biggest concern. Pink XIII is captured by Shinra troopers and dragged to an working desk for Hojo’s ghastly experiments, unable to flee regardless of how a lot you hit the triggers. Tifa sees Cloud ripped out of her life, similar to her father was years in the past. Yuffie is suffering from a shadow of her subordinate and big-brother determine, Sonon, whose life she merely can’t save, it doesn’t matter what she does. Barret is haunted by visions of an idyllic life that’s all stripped away instantly, leaving him cradling his spouse Myrna’s physique.
However none are fairly as shifting as Aerith’s trial. For those who have been ever misplaced as a baby, even for just some minutes, this part is sort of a dagger to the center. Controlling a seven-year-old Aerith, you’ll wander the realm close to the prepare station in Midgar’s Sector 7 slums, desperately begging everybody you see for assist taking your mother to a health care provider. However everybody both ignores you or straight up tells you to beat it. It’s a gut-wrenching second that completely encapsulates how chilly and uncaring the world can appear to a small baby, illustrated by each story and gameplay mechanics.
By this level, Rebirth has spent dozens of hours making you like these characters, solely to drive them by essentially the most arduous duties possible. It units a somber tone as every member leaves their respective trial and meets again up, fully silent and stone-faced. The silence is deafening, however there’s additionally an understanding in that second. Everybody is aware of that their pals probably simply confronted one thing as horrific as they did, and there’s an air of acceptance. They aren’t as alone as they felt in these terrible moments, and so they have others to assist “take the load off their shoulders,” as Barret says.
This sequence drives residence the concept of “discovered household” that’s on the core of FF7. It’s a startling change of tempo from the absurd lore and goofy antics of earlier stretches of Rebirth, and a standout second in a sport chock-full of them. It’s additionally a robust reminder that though your private trauma by no means leaves you, it doesn’t must outline you.
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