Why You Can Trust CNET 'Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth' Trailer Reveals Sequel to 'Remake,' Hits PS5 in Late 2023
Excellent spinoff Crisis Core is also getting a remaster, coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.
Cloud and Sephiroth hang out in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, despite being mortal enemies.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the name of the sequel to 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the second in a trilogy, developer and publisher Square Enix revealed in the game's first trailer during Thursday's 25th Anniversary Livestream. The new role-playing game will come to PS5 in late 2023.
Remake's wild swerve of an ending saw protagonist Cloud Strife and allies defying their fates and seemingly diverging from the events seen in the original Final Fantasy 7's story, moving away from its remake status and making it more of a surprise sequel. Rebirth will reveal the consequences of their actions, as the party steps out of dystopian megacity Midgar and into the open world.
"Making the middle part of a trilogy has its own challenges, but there are plenty of classic second installments in the world of film that are defined by stunning story twists and deeper explorations of their characters," producer Yoshinori Kitase said of Rebirth in a press release, alluding to classic movies like Star Wars sequel The Empire Strikes Back, Batman adventure The Dark Knight and Marvel's X-Men 2. "Often these second installments become a favorite amongst the fans."
Square Enix also revealed a little something to hold you over: a remaster of 2008 PSP prequel Crisis Core, in which you play as fresh-faced Soldier and would-be hero Zack Fair (who inspired Cloud). Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will land on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC this winter.
Before that, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade -- an upgraded version of the 2020 game that includes an extra section focused on ninja Yuffie -- came to Steam on Friday, June 17. It's available at a discounted $50 until July 7, but will jump back up to $70 after that. The game is also compatible with Steam Deck, Valve's handheld gaming PC.
If you're eager to dive deeper into Remake's development, Square Enix on Thursday kicked off a weekly behind-the-scenes look into how it was made. The first part answers surprisingly specific questions like whether magnificent unit Barret Wallace is strong enough to wield Cloud's massive Buster Sword with one hand. (Yes, but not well.)
Upcoming mobile game Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, which retells the events of the main game and its spinoffs, also got a new trailer. It'll get a closed beta test for iOS and Android later this year, but only in some regions (Square Enix didn't specify which ones). A new trailer for mobile game Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier, which is available now on iOS and Android, highlighted its new season 3 maps, weapons, magic and character class.
Final Fantasy 7 came out on the original Sony PlayStation in 1997 and became one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, selling 13.3 million copies worldwide as of June 2020. It's been re-released for multiple platforms over the years and is currently available on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, iOS and Android.
