The gaming industry is in a crisis. Amidst thousands of layoffs and studio closures, we’re seeing more companies lean on the idea of remakes — harnessing nostalgia and established IP to try and cash in on easy success, or guaranteed enthusiasm. There are plenty of great video game remakes out there, but at the same time, there are plenty that have a hard time justifying their existence. Even something as critically acclaimed as the Resident Evil 4 remake just doesn’t feel necessary when the original version still feels so definitive. That’s exactly why Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has left such an impression on me this year. It’s a game that doesn’t just re-imagine the seminal original, but feels like it pushes the entire Final Fantasy franchise forward, and provides an onboarding point for anyone new. In short, it’s everything a video game “remake” should be.
There is a bit of a caveat that needs to be mentioned with Rebirth, considering it’s the second game in a trilogy. While you could ostensibly jump right into Rebirth, it’s hard to not recommend anyone plays through Final Fantasy 7 Remake first, which luckily is readily available, considering it’s only a few years old. But in a lot of ways, Remake feels like a setup for Rebirth — the experimental first step that lays the groundwork for the definitive re-imagining that Rebirth provides.
