Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's best cameo isn't a character or a boss fight - it's Remake's best minigame
Mar. 12, 2024Opinion | Rebirth sees the return of Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s mini-game in such a novel way
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In the lead up to release, I’d seen flashes of Cloud, Tifa, and Barret detailed in old-school polygonal style inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Thanks to a helping of trailers and the gameplay reveal during the dedicated State of Play earlier this year, I couldn’t wait to witness their retro look in-game and discover the reason for it for myself. But nothing could have prepared me for just how good the quest that brings their nostalgic forms to life actually is. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is nothing if not playful. With an abundance of mini-games to try throughout the RPG – with everything frombattling with cards in Queen’s Bloodtoplaying the piano– there’s no shortage of ways to spend your time outside of the core story.
Head in the game
When I say I wasn’t expecting to be thrown back into Fort Condor, I mean that in a literal sense. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth brings back the strategic mini-game by planting you directly into the board like something out of Jumanji. Of course, this would be impossible for Cloud, Tifa, and Barret as they normally are, so they’re shrunk down and transformed into playable units. They fit right into the game, but their Fort Condor forms immediately make me think of their classic models from the original, which gives it a retro, nostalgic vibe. Honestly, it’s such a simple idea, but it’s also pretty genius. Not only did it give me the chance to once again revisit a mini-game I really enjoyed in the past, but it does so in a humorous, entertaining way that ties into the World Intel quests.
As I was gallivanting about the Junon region trying to complete the various points of interest, I found myself on a quest for a new protorelic. These mysterious artifacts are first introduced in the Grasslands, and as the second open region, I was expecting a quest along the same lines – I’d likely pursue an enemy who had the relic I needed a number of times. As it turns out, I was only partially right, because I would be following the relic around just like I’d done before, but I’d be doing it within Fort Condor.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is at its best when it embraces its goofy side
When I first realized I was actually going inside the board, I practically gasped. It’s not just fun in the sense that you’re seeing the gang in their Fort Condor forms, but you of course get to put them into the fray as you attempt to defeat the opposing side. Once I’d won the first round, I raced to the second and the third boards in the world to take on the matches that followed. I was enjoying my time inside these boards so much, and laughing at Barret’s growing irritation, I actually caught myself wishing it wouldn’t actually end. I wasn’t mad about having to do it a fourth time, and then subsequently discovering I could try and tackle a harder mode.
I’ve said before that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is at its best when it embraces its goofy side, and Ford Condor’s appearance is yet another example. The team atSquare Enixcould have just simply reintroduced the minigame and let us have at it, but I absolutely love that it made a comeback in such a downright fun way that even has a story and purpose behind it. I’ve been looking forward to discovering why Cloud, Tifa, and Barret get a retro makeover, and I sure wasn’t disappointed.
In the wake of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s success, what can we expect from the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy part 3?
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I started out writing for the games section of a student-run website as an undergrad, and continued to write about games in my free time during retail and temp jobs for a number of years. Eventually, I earned an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University, and soon after got my first official role in the industry as a content editor for Stuff magazine. After writing about all things tech and games-related, I then did a brief stint as a freelancer before I landed my role as a staff writer here at GamesRadar+. Now I get to write features, previews, and reviews, and when I’m not doing that, you can usually find me lost in any one of the Dragon Age or Mass Effect games, tucking into another delightful indie, or drinking far too much tea for my own good.
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