FF VII Rebirth kicks off its leg of Cloud and company's planet-saving adventure on a high note with a shocker of an intro that I won't spoil here. From that point forward, the game's plotline plays out as expected in regards to events of the original FF VII while also sprinkling in new plot threads that harken back to FF VII Remake's themes of changing one's fate and how it impacts a familiar journey. The iconic moments that made the original game such a landmark RPG, such as Cloud going undercover to participate in a Shinra soldier parade and Red XIII discovering his father's true purpose, are lovingly recreated here and will evoke heavy feelings of hilarity and sorrow upon seeing them unfold. Zack Fair's role in his newfound journey makes for a separate wrinkle to the storyline that plays out here and it manages to build up even more intrigue as you gradually see how his importance to FF VII's new timeline comes into play. FF VII Rebirth's story has all the emotional weight and shocking moments fans have come to expect from the original and then some.
FF VII Remake had a lot going for it, sure. FF VII Rebirth incorporates the best parts of that release while also adding a ton of additional worthwhile content to supplement its vast open world. The nonlinearity of this sequel is such a blessing - you could easily spend a few hours in each location activating "Remnawave Towers," discovering "Lifesprings," completing tricky stealth segments to unlock new types of "Chocobos," unearthing ancient sanctuaries to gain the knowledge of summons, and more. What's even better about FF VII Rebirth from an exploration standpoint is its vastly superior side quests. The less-than-enthralling side endeavors from FF VII Remake are no longer the case here - there are far more meaningful and enjoyable optional objectives to fulfill now. Seeing as how a good majority of this game's side missions include chances to play any of its diverting minigames makes them even more of a necessity to play. Even after you complete FF VII Rebirth's main story, you'll still have a wealth of optional battles to complete, card game competitors to challenge, mischievous "Moogles" to round up, and more.