Few games manage to have as enduring of a legacy as Final Fantasy 7, and even fewer manage to recapture that legacy in something brand new. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth manages to feel like a faithful retelling of one of the most important games ever made, while simultaneously forging a path forward for both RPGs and the Final Fantasy series as a whole. It’s an impeccable game in almost every regard, and Square Enix has somehow worked black magic to make it even better on PC. If you have the rig to run it, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is one of the best role-playing experiences you can have on PC, period.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, of course, ends exactly where Final Fantasy 7 Remake left off, with Cloud and company leaving the technocratic city of Midgar and venturing out into the larger world — and looking for a way to stop whatever Sephiroth is planning. What’s really most remarkable about Rebirth is how it creates a sense of mystery for longtime fans and managers to add new fascinating layers to characters that have been beloved for decades. But before we dive into that, let’s get what’s really new out of the way: the state and performance of the PC version itself.
Square Enix hasn’t been a stranger to troublesome PC ports, namely the abysmal NieR: Automata PC version that remained broken for literally years. Even Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s port had a real lack of customization options for basic things like refresh rate when it launched. That’s what makes it an incredible relief to say Rebirth’s PC port isn’t just an improvement, it’s a genuinely great port. So much so that this isn’t just a good alternative to the PS5 version — it feels like the definitive way to play Rebirth, if you have a good enough rig.
The PC port is absolutely loaded with options to fine-tune both your graphical and gameplay experience and the entire game features an improved lighting engine that makes it look drastically better than PS5. Again, if you can run it. Check the requirements here. To test things out on lower specs, even on a GeForce RTX 2060 I was able to get the game running at a stable framerate of 60 frames-per-second on medium to high settings, and had virtually zero issues. Better hardware is suggested, but Rebirth is surprisingly well optimized.
There are so many little vibrant details that come to life, and fans have already started to point them out. These run the gamut from big story sequences, to innocuous things like Tifa’s earrings actually being made of crystal, instead of metal like everyone thought.
Rebirth’s new lighting works wonders on PC, making an already gorgeous game look better than ever.
New lighting alone makes Rebirth feel better than ever, but equally impressive is how well the game runs on Steam Deck. I played roughly 25 hours on Deck and was impressed by how smooth and competent the entire game feels. The experience is obviously going to take a hit on resolution and quality, given the older graphics card, but after tweaking some settings I was able to get the game running at a steady 30 frames-per-second with almost every graphical option on the medium settings. You’ll have to deal with more pop-in and low-resolution textures, especially in some of the busier areas, but Rebirth on Steam Deck is pretty comparable to the performance of something like The Witcher 3. It’s obviously not the ideal way to play, but if you want something on the go, it’s completely serviceable.
But all of these improvements and optimizations really serve to bolster the utterly charming game that lies underneath — a seminal experience that feels like a once-in-a-decade RPG. Rebirth is one of the few video games I’ve ever played that feels like a developer meaningfully looking at the past, to try and define what the future of video games looks like.
What I mean by that is how the game has an almost reverence for the original game and source material, always honoring it — but also not afraid to try something new in the name of innovation. Rebirth is a game all about bonds, every single aspect is built around the relationships of its core cast of characters.
Rebirth’s theme of bonds is used masterfully throughout the game, in quiet moments and bombastic set pieces.
Exploring the open world gets you bits of dialogue, showing how each character perceives the world. Side quests are all tied to a specific character, delving deep into who they are and what makes them tick. Even the combat system is built around that idea of bonds, giving you Synergy Attacks that have characters team up to devastating effects.
A key difference between Rebirth and the original Final Fantasy 7, is that the former never forgets about characters. In the original, we mostly see the party members grow in regard to their relationship with Cloud himself, and once their story arc is over they’re just kind of, there. In Rebirth, we’re still seeing everything through the filter of Cloud, but party members have much more meaningful relationships with each other. From the way Tifa and Aerith gossip over boys, to the way exasperation reads on Barret’s face when Yuffie is complaining. Rebirth is filled with incredible little details that truly make these characters come alive.
Rebirth’s combat continues to be one of the best found in any role-playing game.
While those characters are the beating heart of Rebirth, every other facet of the game is equally strong at keeping you engaged with the experience at large. The game throws dozens of minigames at you to break up the flow of the story, including the phenomenal fan-favorite card game Queen’s Blood. The battle system starts out strong but only grows in complexity and strategy as you progress. Each of the game’s open world regions feel drastically different both visually and thematically.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is one of those incredibly rare games where every single element of the game works in concert, adding up to a symphony that’s impossible to put down. It shows a unique thoughtfulness on Square Enix’s part to not just remake a game, but evaluate why it was so important in the first place — how it defined the company’s future at the time, and can define it again. Equally, the PC port of Rebirth shows a consideration for Square Enix to learn from its past mistakes, and really give this version of the game the time and care it needs to not just bring in new players, but provide everyone a reason to play Rebirth again. That’s even more impressive knowing this version was developed in just under a year.
