Square Enix confirmed a significant addition to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Creative Business Unit I will introduce a new difficulty that’s aimed at enhancing the gaming experience by offering a continuously evolving challenge that adapts to the player’s in-game level and skill. This difficulty setting isn’t a novel approach, but it will impact how players enjoy the upcoming sequel.
With its introduction, FF7 Rebirth now offers three distinct difficulty settings: Easy, Normal, and Dynamic. As the name suggests, Easy gives players a chance to immerse themselves in the rich narrative of the game with little to no combat challenges. Meanwhile, the Normal setting provides a standard level of difficulty that offers a balanced blend of story and gameplay. The Dynamic setting, however, is where things get intriguing. In this mode, the game’s difficulty will now automatically adjust based on the player’s performance, ensuring that enemies grow in strength as the characters do. It represents the ideal setting for those who relish a consistent level of challenge throughout their gaming experience.
With the Hard Mode likely coming back (this only becomes available after you’ve beaten the game at least once), FFVII Rebirth just got a lot more interesting, especially if you can set the difficulty setting to Dynamic on Hard Mode (why someone would subject themselves to such torture is beyond us, however.)
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Easy difficulty allows you to focus on the story, while Normal provides a reasonable challenge.
In the newly added Dynamic difficulty, enemies grow stronger as your characters do—perfect for players who crave constant challenge. #FF7R pic.twitter.com/tpc1DU8Jcm
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) November 27, 2023
If nothing else, the implementation of the Dynamic difficulty setting is a thoughtful response to player preferences. While some players enjoy a game that scales with their progression, others prefer the traditional RPG experience where character development and skill mastery lead to noticeable advantages over enemies. By offering this range of options, Square Enix is catering to a diverse audience, from those who prefer story-driven gameplay to those who seek a more rigorous and engaging combat experience.
In addition to these difficulty settings, FF7 Rebirthwill continue to offer both Action and Classic modes for combat. The Action mode allows for real-time battles, requiring strategic use of the ATB gauge for special actions, while the Classic mode automates these actions, focusing the player on tactical command-based gameplay. This duality of modes further emphasizes Square Enix’s commitment to accommodating different playstyles.
From a technical standpoint, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to impress with options for Graphics and Performance modes, a feature that caters to players’ preferences for visual fidelity or smoother gameplay. The game’s world, inspired by the open-world design seen in Final Fantasy XV, promises an expansive and immersive experience.
The Dynamic difficulty setting is a significant step forward in game design, reflecting a deeper understanding of player behavior and preferences. This system is expected to track gameplay metrics, such as the speed of defeating enemies, frequency of party member knockdowns, and game overs, to fine-tune the challenge level on the fly. These kinds of systems often incorporate thresholds that change enemy behavior, health, damage output, and strategy, ensuring the game remains engaging and challenging.
The concept of dynamic difficulty isn’t new. Resident Evil 4 had a similar system. The classic 2004 title adjusted its difficulty based on the player’s performance and reduced enemy aggression following repeated deaths and vice versa. This approach received praise for maintaining an optimal challenge level, enhancing the overall gaming experience.
With its innovative approach to gameplay difficulty, coupled with its rich storytelling and immersive world, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is poised to turn a lot of heads when it comes out on February 29, 2024 on PlayStation 5.
Square Enix has yet to confirm if FF7 Rebirth is coming to PC, but it’s speculated that the sequel will arrive on desktops no sooner than May 2024. It remains unclear if FF7 Rebirth will be ported to Xbox.
