The recent Summer Game Fest gave fans a glimpse at plenty of new titles, and a closer look at some that were already known. The show ended with a more in depth look at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the much anticipated follow-up to the 2020 masterpiece as Cloud, Tifa, and Barret continue their journey after leaving Midgar behind. There are still plenty of unanswered questions concerning the Square Enix sequel, some of which will surely be reserved as a surprise when players get their hands on it in 2024.
However, the trailer showed at the June presentation confirmed that some things are staying, and will be developed upon to make the next game as good as the last. Combat seems to have been altered but not revolutionized, which is a huge relief for those who found enjoyment in it during Final Fantasy 7 Remake. However, with the level design being less on-rails this time, the battle mechanics could get old quickly in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and the developer has to find a way to prevent it from getting too repetitive.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s Combat was a Perfect Fusion of Old and New
Turn-based combat definitely has a place in gaming, and Persona and Shin Megami Tensei is showing that it still has potential in the AAA space. However, with Final Fantasy 15 Square Enix made a statement that action combat was the flavor of the franchise's future, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake had the tough task of staying faithful to its roots while also adhering to the new philosophy. What resulted was arguably the best battle mechanics that Final Fantasy has ever used.
It required precise timing not just to dodge attacks in real time, but also to know when was the perfect time to dip into the menu system to use an item, summon a primal, or perform a high damage maneuver. Final Fantasy 7 Remake's combat was kinetic and fluid, but players also had to be meticulously organized with the menus, and know when is the best time to swap characters. It was excellent, so it's little surprise that Final Fantasy Rebirth will use a similar philosophy when it launches.
Final Fantasy Rebirth’s Open World Could Render the Combat Repetitive
Though there may be some changes to the core battle system in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, much of the footage shown at Summer Game Fest seemed to bear a strong resemblance to the mechanics presented in its predecessor. That game was a somewhat linear affair save for a few long-winded side missions, so encounters with enemies were far more on-rails and prescribed, whereas the freedom that an open world presents means that facing off against adversaries is optional and should be more fluid.
In games like Assassin's Creed or The Witcher 3, for example, combat doesn't break immersion - it's as simple as players approaching an enemy and fighting them. But in more open-ended JRPG titles such as Ni No Kuni 2 and Tales of Arise, the technical nature of the fights requires more of an arena-type environment so that the encounters don't feel as random, which can get tiresome far faster than if they are more off-the-cuff. Repetition is something that a lot of JRPGs suffer from as gamers often grind in the pursuit of levels, but the unwavering anticipation for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth makes the need for it to impress all the more necessary. The combat system looks to be a positive improvement on something amazing, but in an open world, featuring too much of it could prove to be a disadvantage.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches early 2024 for PS5.