Summary
There are some incredibly dark and depressing fantasy action-RPGs out there that bathe themselves in themes of death and despair, butFinal Fantasyisn’t really one of those. WhiletheFinal Fantasyfranchisehas explored its fair share of dark and dramatic themes over the decades, it’s extremely rare for the entire experience to revolve around a heavy tone, andFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis the perfect example of that.
Essentially theStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Backof theFinal Fantasy 7saga,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthbegins with the heroes on the run from an evil corporation, setting out to defeat an ultimate evil that looks to destroy the whole world - and that’s just the beginning.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthgets very serious very quickly, but its willingness to embrace more humor than its predecessor keeps the entire experience feeling suitably fun.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Humor Serves a Good Purpose
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Tackles Some Dark Themes
As alluded to above,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthbegins with its heroes in a tough spot, and their trials and tribulations only continue to grow worse as the game continues. During just its opening chapter,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthimmediately bombards players with a horde of heavy moments, with Sephiroth’s sudden turn to evil,Cloud and Tifa’s hometown of Nibelheimbeing burned to the ground, and Tifa being mortally wounded all within just the first hour or so of gameplay.
After that dark introduction, players are free to roam about the Grasslands and eventually journey into Junon, which is home to another selection of darker themes, this time revolving aroundShinra’s attempt to bleed the planet dry, despite the damage it’ll cause both the planet and its people. Over the course of the next 40 or so hours, players will have experienced a plethora of darker moments like these, all of which begin to give the game a bit of an oppressive atmosphere. However, that atmosphere doesn’t last for too long.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Humor Offers a Much-Needed Respite
Between each ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s darker moments, players are usually given a fairly lengthy break in which the tone takes a much lighter turn. Often accompanied by large batches of minigames and side missions, these moments of respite really thrive thanks toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s humor. Though it isn’t constant,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas plenty of moments of levity, with some of the most memorable really leaning into the series' more absurd aspects.
For instance, one of the most bizarre moments of humor inthe original 1997Final Fantasy 7came when Red XIII dressed as a Shinra soldier to sneak onto the ship departing Junon. In this original version, Red XIII’s polygonal character model strafes from side to side, showing that the creature is having a tough time standing on two legs.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthdoesn’t just recreate this moment, but embraces it fully, having Red XIII show up in full Shinra gear just so he can play a round of Queen’s Blood with Cloud. It’s a truly absurd moment, and one that’s been deliberately placed there to defuse tension from the previous section of the game, giving players a break before the next onslaught of enemies and themes.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthalso contains a ton of genuinely humorous interactions between its main party members, both during story sequences and while exploring the open-world. One of the best comes right before Cloud and the rest of the teamleave Costa del Sol, where Yuffie makes a grand showcase of her skills in an attempt to be welcomed into the group, only to have Cloud nonchalantly utter the word “Cool,” before walking away unimpressed. It’s a great denial of expectations, and just one ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s much-needed moments of humor.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
