DaRmaZat Nobody doubts that last year’s PlayStation 5 edition of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was a hit. Just as Square Enix waited about a year to bring Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade to the PC platform, the PC release of Rebirth was also bound to follow soon.
After the somewhat inconsistent performance of the PC port of Final Fantasy XVI, which was released in September of last year, one question has been burning in the minds of PC gamers who are Final Fantasy fans: Will Final Fantasy VII Rebirth run smoothly and reliably on their beloved gaming rigs this time? Lucky me—I get to answer that question for you in this review.
Gaia, You Say?
But first, let’s build some anticipation by situating where and how this edition fits within the franchise for any newcomers. As the first part of a new trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade reinterpreted the iconic story of the original Final Fantasy VII, focusing mainly on the events in Midgar. Midgar is a sprawling, industrial metropolis and the power base of the Shinra Electric Power Company, a megacorporation that serves as one of the primary antagonists for protagonist Cloud Strife and his friends in the Avalanche group. And let’s not forget the enigmatic Sephiroth or the mysterious Whispers…
In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part of the trilogy, the adventure now expands to other regions of the planet Gaia. Unfortunately, the Avalanche heroes are still being pursued by Shinra as suspects in several crimes. Meanwhile, uncovering more about Sephiroth takes on an even more prominent role.
Over-the-Top in the Best Way
A hallmark of any Final Fantasy game is its bold characterizations. Certain characters are portrayed so intensely that they come across as demigods. This installment is no different. Expect to see wild warriors striding around with comically oversized weapons slung on their backs, their long, flowing hair catching the wind as they stare introspectively into the distance. They’re equipped with everything needed to be a superhero—except perhaps chest hair or underarm hair. Meanwhile, Avalanche’s soldiers’ mothers and other key women glide through life looking breathtaking, as though they stepped straight out of a fairy tale or Greek tragedy. Indeed, the penchant for exaggeration is never far away. The result is bombastic—in words, actions, visuals, and sound—and that’s a very good thing. Most characters are exceptionally well-crafted, and excellent voice acting enhances the enjoyment even further.
From a narrative perspective, the game doesn’t disappoint either. Cloud recounts to his Avalanche companions his return to Nibelheim five years ago, while players simultaneously relive those memories in real-time gameplay. At the same time, Cloud occasionally foreshadows events that lie ahead in the story. This constant interplay between past and present creates a unique dynamic, where the lines between memory, prophecy, and reality constantly shift, heightening the suspense. Combined with perfectly chosen camera angles, this keeps you on the edge of your seat—not only to find out what happens but also to understand what led to it and what is yet to come.
Combat With All the Bells and Whistles
As expected, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth offers a fully equipped JRPG experience, featuring countless relationship-building and combat options, weapon and gear upgrades, all within a sprawling yet engaging world packed with special loot. While there are plenty of side activities to enjoy apart from the main storyline, the plot itself remains linear, partly due to enforced mini-games and puzzles, such as siphoning Mako gas or catching Chocobos. These tasks don’t always feel particularly challenging and can sometimes seem scripted, as exploration options are somewhat restricted during these segments.
A fully equipped JRPG experience.
The combat more than makes up for it, boasting extensive mechanics such as First Strike, Block, and Parry, stances, synergy attacks, and spectacular limit breaks—often amplified by passionate piano scores and cinematic camera angles. Each character has unique modes and skills, and leveling up your party, weapons, and abilities is deeply woven into the game. Proficiency increases as you repeatedly use skills, and Folios—essentially skill trees for each character—unlock new possibilities as you progress. If there’s one area where the game truly excels, it’s the epic boss battles, incredibly detailed combat mechanics, and the cinematic brilliance that accompanies them.
A PC Port With Room for Improvement
Now, on to the aspect that’s likely most relevant to PC gamers: the technical performance of this port. To be honest, the game occasionally stuttered, and it even crashed once—issues that will likely be resolved through future graphics driver updates. Overall, though, I found the performance to be satisfactory. I played on the standard 4K High profile with DLSS on an RTX 4090, achieving an average of 100 FPS, with 1% lows around 60 FPS. The game supports a maximum frame rate of 120 FPS, but Ray Tracing and Frame Generation are absent. There’s a choice between VRR and V-Sync, and Nvidia DLSS is available for upscaling. Anti-aliasing can be set to TAA or TAAU. However, there is still some visible noise, particularly in shadows. Dynamic resolution scaling is enabled by default, but I recommend disabling it if your graphics card supports DLSS.
Overall, solid performance.
Another issue, reminiscent of the God of War PC port, occasionally crops up: brief flashes of the underlying Windows desktop (or any background program) during gameplay. This was later resolved in God of War by adding an Exclusive Fullscreen option, so hopefully, the same fix will be applied here. Thankfully, this issue is less frequent, so the overall experience remains enjoyable.
Conclusion
This PC port of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth generally delivers good performance, with some room for improvement. You are treated to an impressive experience where strong characters act as players in a deep plot, full of epic battles and countless cinematic highlights. The breadth of the combat mechanics seems almost endless, while the narrative—despite some occasionally dull side missions—continues to build tension. In short, aside from a few technical imperfections that Square Enix will likely address, this port is also an excellent choice for PC gamers looking to enjoy this immersive second installment.
Additional Information
Release Date: January 23, 2025
Reviewed On: PC. Review copy provided by the publisher and PR agency via BeyondGaming.
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Official Website:
https://ffvii.square-enix-games.com/en-us/games/rebirth
Relevant Links:
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on STEAM
