The first AAA RPG of the year, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, hits the store shelves next week, and you'd best bet that Square Enix is doing everything it can to basically shove it down everyone's throats. But while the marketing team are doing their job, it appears that the dynamic duo of Tetsuya Nomura and Naoki Hamaguchi did everyone a solid by making the resulting product an easy sell.
Now that the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth review embargo has lifted, the second installment in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has garnered almost unanimous praise from the critics, celebrating its awe-inspiring action, expansive open-world exploration, and fresh take on the beloved 1997 classic
Despite facing minor critiques regarding its pacing and some gameplay elements, critics herald Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth as a masterpiece.
Critics have lauded the follow-up for its narrative focus, improved combat system, and the delicate balance it maintains between honoring the original's legacy and charting a new course. GameSpot, in particular, who scored it an 8 out of 10, appreciated the game for rewarding players through its expansive narrative, though it certain noted moments of frustration. Inverse and VGC were among the outlets giving the game perfect scores, citing its ambitious scope and deep character engagement as standout features.