Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s side quests speak to its design philosophy as a whole. The game is abundant in all respects, building on its source material to include new minigames, team banter, and more. Not unlike other RPGs, however, its content begs the question of how much is too much, and as players seek to delve into everythingRebirthhas to offer, the drawbacks to this approach become clear. With a completionist mindset, the desire to tackle quests and Chadley’s world intel keeps players invested between story scenarios, though peeling backRebirth’s side contentreveals seemingly never-ending layers under its surface.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s late game includes some backtracking for story purposes, having Cloud and company journey to the Corel region to partake in the Gold Saucer’s coliseum tournament. Alongside the main story,Rebirth’s regions open up even further through new side quests to tackle, helping Cloud to build on his party affinity before the iconicFF7date scene. These side quests manage to come full circle with NPCs that have popped up throughout its story; characters like Kyrie and Beck’s Badasses get their curtain calls, while others like Leslie make a return fromFF7 Remake, showing dedication to fleshing outRebirth’s supporting cast.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Side Content is Abundant, For Better and For Worse
Content at the Cost of Being Overwhelming
Rebirth’s late game content makes all-encompassing use of its terrain, going so far as to incorporate the Meridian Sea for a pirate’s treasure hunt with Red alongside its backtracking to other regions. Though there are some great story moments hidden within these quests, they also have a tendency to feel at odds withRebirth’s pacing. By the time the late game side quests pop up, the amount of hours already invested inRebirth’s content can near a hundred, making the need for further completion more tedious than it is exciting. This problem is exacerbated bythe “Ultimate Party Animal” side quest at the Gold Saucer, necessitating even more replaying of previously established minigames.
Ticking off Boxes in Rebirth
The way thatRebirth’s content and UI is structured is both well-thought-out and incredibly enticing, at times to its detriment, for checking off boxes of content that still need completing. Analyzing all enemy types throughout every region, pressuring and staggering enemies for intel, and completing side quests can make the grind feel overwhelming in the context ofRebirth’s story; when one thing is complete, there’s always something else that needs to be done. This doesn’t take into account Chadley’s combat simulator requests, earning trophies for Johnny’s treasure trove, or even the coliseum’s plethora of battles, all of which are rewarding in their own right, at the cost of feeling overwhelming to surmount.
Side Quests in the Larger Context of Rebirth’s Game Design
With this said, there is clear consideration taken towardsRebirth’s side quests and how they fit into the larger puzzle of its game design. Not only do they build on the banter of Cloud and his friendships through their honed focus on particular party members, but they often tow the right line in terms of their length. Most side quests are contained within the region they are accepted in, and, by virtue of their exploration, often reveal harder-to-reach areas that wouldn’t be as clear outside the context of their subplots. This is more applicable for early to mid-game side quests when regions haven’t been fully explored, but even some late-game quests andprotorelic missionscan have players stumble on cache locations or rest stops that they otherwise might have missed.
Ultimately, the investment inRebirth’s experience is up to the player, though completionists will find most of their time relegated to the game’s side content rather than its main story. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; there are fantastic character moments hidden within the smaller, more intimate moments ofRebirth’s side quests, alongside a beautiful attentiveness to world-building through supporting NPCs,fiend intel descriptions, and more. Still, the sheer amount of content to complete inRebirthposes a question of whether the remake trilogy’s final entry will follow suit.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
