Summary
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will continue the story of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and it aims to provide a more open environment using feedback from the previous game.
- Final Fantasy 16 faced criticism for its side content, particularly its repetitive and time-consuming quests, with FF7 Remake also struggling in this area. FF7 Rebirth should try to maintain the strong lore and character moments from FF16 while getting away from the fetch quest gameplay.
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth can refine Final Fantasy 16's approach to quests by populating its larger maps with varied side quests and diverse gameplay elements to avoid exhaustion and repetition. It should also focus on endearing minor characters and utilize alternative gameplay features like Chocobos and minigames.
Final Fantasy is steadily building a strong presence on current-gen consoles. The recent release of Final Fantasy 16 made waves with its impressive visuals and action, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion have brought the most popular numbered FF into the fold. Within the first few months of 2024, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will join this group, promising to tell the next act of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's story after leaving Midgar. Fans still have more to look forward to, as FF7 Rebirth's own sequel should finish the trilogy before the next consoles arrive.
While details are still scarce, there's a lot of excitement building for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. More open environments have already been confirmed, with many hopeful that the newer title is using feedback gathered by Final Fantasy 7 Remake. One of its bigger changes, alternating linear sequences and larger field areas, should feel similar to how Final Fantasy 16 is laid out. FF16 has gathered its own criticisms though, particularly in the realm of side content, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will have to sort through those issues to recapture what works and avoid what did not.
Recent Final Fantasy's Struggle to Nail Sidequests
Reflecting on the optional quests in Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, most players will fondly remember their optional boss fights. Unfortunately, side quests with engaging gameplay are a minority in FF7 Remake, and most bonus fights are concentrated in the VR Missions. Still, there are at least surprises like the early Behemoth fight, various mini-games, and reactive NPCs to make quests feel a bit more worthwhile. They won't engage the player as much as the main content, but the experience doesn't feel as lopsided as FF16's did.
Final Fantasy 16's NPC requests have drawn near-universal ire. While the hunts that offer unique bosses were well received, many would prefer if those fights had been scattered among the sidequests to give them more variety. On a whole, FF16's quests are boring and repetitive, offering easy yet time-consuming content for minimal rewards. Many players are stunned when a side quest tells them new information about the world or characters, as those often stand out as the game’s best moments of writing. Yet with the most basic of FF16 fetch quests playing out like a straight-faced parody of vintage MMORPG padding, it can be difficult to appreciate the moments where the game's storytelling shines through.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Must Refine FF16's Approach to Quests
It falls to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to pick out what worked in these games and separate it from what didn't. Populating its larger maps with side quests would be a good way to make the most of their space, though more variety and attention paid to not wasting players time is necessary. Final Fantasy 16 was capable of endearing minor characters to the player, and that will be a vital trait for the many new faces across FF7 Rebirth's travel narrative. There still need to be quests for the sake of storytelling, as FF16 had some terrific narrative moments within its side quests, but their gameplay elements must not be as exhausting or repetitive.
Dropping the fetch quest style would help, and Final Fantasy 7 fortunately has many alternatives to regular gameplay. Multiple kinds of vehicles including Chocobos, the many minigames at the Golden Saucer, plenty of other side paths and activities, and the distinct locales Cloud and the party will visit can all add variety to sidequests. If Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth can effectively pair good gameplay with the optional parts of its narrative, then it could set an example that many future Final Fantasy’s will strive to emulate.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches early 2024 for PS5.