A world worth fighting for.

Standing on the edge of Midgar's expressway at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, the seemingly infinite possibilities of what could come next left me overwhelmed with a yearning I hadn't really felt from a game before – there was a whole world full of iconic moments awaiting modern revisions ahead, as well as whatever twists this now clearly diverging path might bring to them. In several ways, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is my wildest imagination made manifest, simultaneously another stunning reconstruction of my childhood memories and an interesting (if sometimes a little messy) new interpretation of a story I've cherished since 1997.

Remake’s already impeccable blend of action and turn-based RPG combat has been made fresh again with new mechanics and party members, and revamping the way the original overworld worked by splitting it into sprawling open regions full of enjoyable optional activities enriches places I thought I knew so well. There's a magic to doing all this with characters I love so much too, as their personal stories and pivotal moments have a new grandeur to them. However, Rebirth’s sweeping ambition to create a new timeline for Final Fantasy VII bounces between being absolutely sublime and too convoluted for its own good. That’s left me conflicted about parts of the execution of that new direction – but after spending more than 80 hours to finish the main story and a decent chunk of side content, there's no denying that Rebirth is an amazing journey despite that, and one I'll remember fondly as I eagerly anticipate the third act of this rebuilt Final Fantasy VII.

The expectations around Final Fantasy VII Remake are sky high, and it mostly manages to deliver. Its combat is top notch, its enemy variety kept me constantly entertained, and seeing this snippet of story fleshed out with real emotional arcs and the previously hidden humanity behind Midgar filled me with pure joy. The boring RPG filler and Kingdom Hearts-esque convolution that was inserted in between did stop my ear-to-ear grin from being constant, but never long enough to kill the mood completely. That leaves this remake as one that still delivered on letting me relive (part of) a classic in stupendous fashion, while also standing as a great RPG all its own. 

A major part of what makes that journey special is its impressive scale. As soon as I set foot onto the Grasslands, the first of six regions that make up Rebirth, a sense of awe washed over me. Looking out over the far-reaching horizon or seeing a backdrop of vast and distant mountain ranges, I was stunned by how gorgeously the previously low-poly world of Final Fantasy VII had been reimagined. An early cutscene shows Aerith taking in the beauty of a natural world she was never able to see before, only to have Red XIII remind her that it's still dying from the inside out. In doing so, the story reinforces the ongoing theme of environmental preservation from the outset, and instills that this is a planet worth fighting for. That's a feeling that consistently surfaced as I went from region to region, connecting with the people of each one and helping with their struggles through both the main story and a huge amount of sidequests.

Rebirth manages to transcend its well-worn open world design.

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However, that wonder also came with some intimidation as I pulled up the world map, realizing how massive Rebirth was going to be – and that it has embraced many modern open-world design conventions. The nerdy researcher boy Chadley returns in a big way, acting as your liaison for most of the optional activities under the guise of furthering his scientific research, which includes activating towers spread throughout each region to mark tasks on your map. As familiar as that task is, Rebirth manages to transcend the negative connotations of this well-worn trope – the more I began to peel back the layers of all the activities that fill these zones, the more engrossed I got in clearing every icon I could from the map. That context made it more than just a checklist of chores.