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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth<\/em> is an excellent game<\/a> and an important evolution for the franchise. It mashes together a traditional RPG with a large open world, managing to feel both modern and like it\u2019s sticking to its 32-bit roots. What it is not, however, is a good place to get started with the multipart story that is Final Fantasy VII<\/em> \u2014 despite what its creators might say.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Prior to Rebirth<\/em>\u2019s launch, creative director and zipper aficionado<\/a> Tetsuya Nomura talked about how the game was designed in part to be welcoming to newcomers (always a commendable goal). \u201cIn fact,\u201d he said in 2022<\/a>, \u201cnew players might even enjoy starting their Final Fantasy VII<\/em> journey with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth<\/em>.\u201d Meanwhile, on launch day, producer Yoshinori Kitase said<\/a> the game would be \u201cwelcoming in newcomers to begin their Final Fantasy<\/em> adventure here.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Unfortunately, that\u2019s not quite right.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Let\u2019s start with the obvious: Rebirth<\/em> is the second chapter of a story. Square Enix\u2019s plan is to take the original 1997 version of Final Fantasy VII<\/em> and expand it into a trilogy of modern games. That started with the aptly named Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/em> in 2020<\/a>, which told the beginning<\/em> of the story. It introduces many elements crucial to Rebirth<\/em> \u2014 the state of the dying world you\u2019re trying to save; the relationships between hero Cloud Strife and every major character; the machinations of the evil Shinra corporation; and the motivation of antagonist Sephiroth.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n On a purely technical level, you can play Rebirth<\/em> first. And in some ways, the <\/em>game <\/em>stands on its own, telling a story about a group of friends heading out into the big wide world to track down a villain intent on destroying it. There\u2019s a solid recap video you can watch before playing to catch up on some of what happened. The new games, Rebirth<\/em> in particular, also do a great job of expanding on and clarifying the convoluted story of the original, which \u2014 despite its length \u2014 felt lacking in a lot of areas.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But things are still pretty complex, and that would only be exacerbated by skipping the first chapter. So while you could<\/em> start with Rebirth<\/em>, the experience would probably be a lot like when I jumped into Kingdom Hearts<\/em> with the third one \u2014 which is to say, confusing as hell<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Then there\u2019s the experiential and emotional side. A large part of the appeal of this franchise is its characters, and Rebirth<\/em> even introduces a new system where you can track how someone feels about Cloud and help improve those relationships through conversations and optional side missions. If you skip out on Remake,<\/em> you\u2019ll be missing a whole lot of context covering the often complicated history between characters and why you\u2019d want to connect with them at all. Going on a date with Tifa isn\u2019t quite the same if you haven\u2019t experienced their journey together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Look, I can\u2019t tell you what to do. But if you really want to get the most out of this collection of games, it\u2019s best to start at the beginning. In fact, I\u2019ll go a step further: if you really want to experience all that Final Fantasy VII<\/em> has to offer, you should play the original before Remake<\/em> and Rebirth<\/em>. That\u2019s because not only do the remakes expand the story but they also change things in notable ways, and understanding those changes can be powerful.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Yes, that means a lot of hours spent fighting monsters and fiddling with Materia. (Hey, at least I\u2019m not saying you should watch Advent Children<\/em><\/a>.) But the franchise also gets very meta in pivotal moments, using ingrained memories of the original to subvert player expectations. Nowhere is that more pronounced than with the ending of Rebirth<\/em> which… actually, I\u2019m not going to say anything about it. Go play the original first.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n