Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Early Previews All Say The Same Thing

"Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth" is finally just around the corner, promising a thrilling new chapter in Square Enix's bold remix of the original "Final Fantasy 7" timeline. The first part of this series, "Final Fantasy 7 Remake," took some truly wild swings when it came to its storytelling and gameplay, acting as a loving tribute and a stunning reinvention of one of the greatest video games of all time. Now, players are hoping for an even better time with the next entry. Ahead of the sequel's February 29 launch, a number of news outlets have had the opportunity to go hands-on with a few hours of "Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth," as well as chat with the team behind it. From the sound of things, "Final Fantasy" fans are in for something very special.

After a quick recap of the previous chapter and a flashback to Sephiroth's early days, "Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth" drops Cloud and his friends into a massive open world. This design aspect of the game has proven to be somewhat divisive, but critics across the board seem to agree on a couple of points: For one thing, the combat is still amazing. For another, it's clear that Square Enix's goal is to make this entry feel like the biggest "Final Fantasy" game ever. For some critics, the map for "Rebirth" already represents the franchise at its best. As Adam Newell writes for Dot Esports, "It was through my exploration of the world that I finally felt like I was not only returning to 'Final Fantasy' roots but something beyond that."

First, let's talk about the open world and the tasks awaiting players. According to IGN, "the sizable region in this demo chapter feels much more expansive and authentically natural than the areas seen in last year's Final Fantasy 16." It also presents players with some early side missions that reveal more of the world, including encounters with characters from the original "FF7" and an entertaining quest in which our heroes have to capture a Chocobo. MonsterVine notes that this mission calls for some stealth mechanics, but the payoff is worth it. Not only do Chocobos allow for fast travel, but they can detect hidden items and can be customized. Get ready to spend hours unlocking new swag for your Chocobo! Other tasks include activating a series of Remnawave towers to help returning character Chadley gather research. Classic open world stuff with "Final Fantasy" flair.

Not everything is firing on all cylinders for these journalists, however. Opinions are mixed when it comes to the game's various detours. Some early reviewers feel the early parts of the game feel a bit cluttered as Cloud and company are asked to run from one place to another, whereas GameSpot's review was a little more optimistic. Michael Higham notes that each quest is well-constructed and fleshes out the characters and strengthens Cloud's relationship with his friends, as well as ties into the game's overarching themes. "If it can maintain that level of quality and avoid the checklist fatigue that can creep into games of this style, I'd say the optional activities are worth seeking out," writes Higham. Not only that, but these social links and conversations will impact the game's plot. According to Game Rant, "The devs told us that these choices will play a role in a segment of the game later on, but it wasn't clear what that might be."

If you enjoyed the real-time combat of "Final Fantasy 7 Remake," then you'll be happy to know that "Rebirth" has built upon those stellar mechanics in extremely satisfying ways. Rather than fix what's broken, the combat system in "Rebirth" instead iterates on what worked in the past. CNET's David Lumb was pleased to see how much the new game has streamlined and improved the combat system from the preceding game, writing, "There are plenty of scattered combat improvements that seem like no-brainers in hindsight." Lumb also notes that each party member has been reworked ever so slightly, ensuring that each of them feel more like distinct warriors. These changes tie in nicely with the game's Synergy system, which allows two characters to combine their abilities for a devastating attack. 

Heather Waid at GamesRadar foresees Synergy abilities as being one of the most exciting elements of the game, writing, "Making use of the different powers each pair has gives the combat more variety than that of Remake, and with the promise of unlocking more as the story progresses – not to mention having new party members join the fray later on – I can't wait to see what other moves await us." On the other hand, IGN's Matt Purslow was slightly more guarded in his praise: "It remains to be seen if 'Rebirth' has perhaps overloaded combat with too many extras, but right now I like what I've sampled and am excited to learn its tactical depth and breadth." According to several reviews, players will be happy to have learned all of these abilities when they reach the game's wild, over the top boss battles.

"Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth" launches February 29 — and it sounds like it may outdo the previous chapter in every way.