Wccftech recently visited the Square-Enix headquarters in Los Angeles, CA, to go hands-on with the first public demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Those who are lucky enough to attend Tokyo Game Show 2023 will also be able to experience the same two-chapter demo that we had the privilege of running through. Both demos ran natively on PlayStation 5 debug hardware, and while the option to play in Performance Mode was available, our hands-on was exclusively with the Graphical fidelity mode. Much like part one of the Final Fantasy VII remakes, the Graphics/Performance mode will target 4K resolution and 60 FPS, respectively.

　　Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s first hands-on demo offered two sections (with no third battle arena unlocking, unlike the previous Final Fantasy XVI demo in the interest of time). Each of the two parts offers a slightly different gameplay experience and point in the story, providing parts to the world and story that are only briefly experienced in the original PlayStation title. The first is a prequel set five years prior to the events of Final Fantasy VII with Cloud, Sephiroth, and cowboy hat-tootin’ Tifa in tow exploring the Nibel Mako Reactor. This particular demo will be attractive to series veterans as it offers the first chance for players to go hands-on with the Masamune-wielder himself, Sephiroth. Not counting rhythm, fighting, and gacha spinoffs, it’s been some twenty-six years since the original game and players have been left without the possibility of a fully playable Sephiroth. As with the original, Sephiroth’s inclusion into Cloud’s party during the flashback sequence was narrative alone. Sephiroth’s addition to the party was solely as an AI-controlled teammate, so players never got to assume direct control.

　　Sephiroth fits into the new Final Fantasy VII playstyle by adopting a more counter-focused ability set to counter Cloud’s Operator/Punisher styles. As would be expected from a character that only takes part in combat in a single chapter, Sephiroth doesn’t have a full ability palette at his disposal. Only the Zanshin and Hell’s Gate abilities were available during this early chapter, giving Sephiroth ranged potential for the former and an aerial helmbreaker for the latter.

　　The new Synergy Skills were also present for the first time in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, giving Cloud and Sephiroth a team attack called Dualblade Dance that takes advantage of their respective fighting styles while also being somewhat mandatory to use during the chapter’s final boss encounter if controlling Sephiroth (with the Double Helix skill tucked away in another combat menu to get through). Controlling Cloud offered two different Synergy attacks by way of Voidshatter and Counterfire, a ranged attack nullifying counter. Of course, Sephiroth’s limit break remained the fan favorite Octaslash. Standard attacks on the Square button unleash standard combo melee swings, while holding the attack button down yields a ranged attack. Depending on how many attacks Sephiroth has landed in his typical combo strong, finishing with Triangle can combo into branching finishing moves, with Pierce and Sword Dance being the two in-game examples. Holding down the R1 button puts Sephiroth into his Retaliation Stance for countering enemy attacks with a well-timed parry with the Square button.

　　Guided by young Tifa through the caverns of Nibel, Cloud and Sephiroth are tasked with exploring the reactor and what might be the root of some rather pressing issues. The Classic mode from the first Remake title was not available to test in Final Fantasy VII Remake, although a Square-Enix representative did sound hopeful that something similar would make its way into the final game early next year. Time still slows down when selecting abilities from a menu in the current demo, so there will be opportunities to catch a breather from the action combat and play more tactically. The opening crawl up Mt. Nibel gives players a quick refresher on the platforming and exploration of the renewed world of Final Fantasy VII, with quick steps off the beaten path yielding additional materia while mandatory paths forward are typically highlighted in safety yellow-painted footholds.

　　From beginning to end (with a quick detour for an environmental puzzle involving powering on and navigating a cleaner robot to purify the air preventing Cloud’s troupe from accessing a necessary elevator), the chapter wrapped up in just under thirty minutes, including a boss fight at the end culminating against the Materia Guardian, a six-legged monstrous beast that puts both Cloud and Sephiroth’s fighting prowess to the test. A quick refresher on staggering the enemy is all that keeps players from jumping and defeating the guardian in melee combat, all the while Sephiroth churns out snide remarks reminding Cloud to take out the enemy’s legs or to get good and not get hit. Numerous cutscenes intersperse themselves with the boss fight, providing an extra level of spectacle to the encounter. Compared to the raw brute force of Cloud’s Buster Sword, Sephiroth’s finesse is almost dance-like as his blade flows as naturally as his lustrous locks (he must use Baten Kaitos’ Splendid Hair magnus).

　　The second half of the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hands-on session, dubbed The Open Wilds of Junon, offers the first glimpse into the wide-open expanses that Midgar’s narrow streets from the first Final Fantasy VII Remake title couldn’t match. Here, players are introduced to the silent (well, mostly silent aside from the groaning) cultists that will surely lead the team to Reunion. It’s here in the fields running up to Junon and its massive cannon MacGuffin that are perched on a seaside cliff. To get from the demo’s opening to the undercity of Junon’s slums, Cloud and crew already have access to their first black-dyed chocobos and can safely reach the city by chocoback in a matter of minutes. But with being the first wide-open area that players can explore, there are a number of side diversions to keep Cloud from achieving his main quest, be it restoring signs at bus stops to create new fast travel points or crafting materials to create cushions to rest at said bus stops, replacing the franchise typical tents and cabins in terms of restoration points.

　　Among the five playable heroes in this section leading up to Junon, players have access to one of three preset teams (with full control of party makeup in the retail release), letting Cloud venture forth alongside Tifa and Aerith, Aerith and Red XIII, or Red XIII and Barret. Whoever isn’t in the active battle party will cheer on from the sidelines so you can be sure Red XIII’s got your back even when you aren’t actively needing support from his Lunatic Moon.

　　Plenty of points of interest fill the map surrounding the fields of Junon in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, leading to rare and notorious monster encounters that provide currencies to build out World Intel when various objectives are completed (typically staggering or beating an enemy in a certain amount of time or a more specific objective such as defeating a flying enemy before it can take to the skies during one of its attacks). Colorful background dialogue is provided by an unseen NPC named MAI, who’s new to the story. MAI helps provide some interesting lore about the beasts Cloud is about to hunt for sport. While there’s an outstanding bounty on the heads of AVALANCHE (all five members still at large, including Biggs and Jessie), the major/sheriff of Junon isn’t about to turn the group in for a quick payout. The demo ends with a chance encounter with Yuffie about to become dinner for a monstrous fish known as the Terror of the Deep, culminating in a final boss fight and some humorous hijinks between Cloud and the first encounter with Mr. Dolphin. While less spectacle than the Materia Guardian fight, the Terror of the Deep deals more with environmental hazards and area of effect attacks that condition the player not to stand in just one place.

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　　While tutorial menus are plentiful in both demos, players will get more enjoyment if they’re coming into trying out Rebirth if just for understanding the mechanics of how each party member plays and the importance of staggering rather than just dealing raw damage. And, of course, as this is the second part of the Final Fantasy VII story, getting a quick refresher on Midgar and Final Fantasy VII Remake should be on any interested fans radar before Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches exclusively on PlayStation 5 on February 29th, 2024. Still, we know the game is only exclusive for three months, and a PC port is inevitable.

　　Players with existing save files for either the PlayStation 4/5 version of Remake or the PlayStation 5 Remake Episode INTERmission will start Rebirth with a pair of early summon materia unlocks, Leviathan and Ramuh, respectively. Other items or even levels for Cloud’s team will not carry over from Remake to Rebirth as they’re intended to be standalone titles from one another. A digital twin-pack is currently up for preorder on the PlayStation Store for $69.99, granting players immediate access to Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade today and access to Rebirth when it launches early next year.