Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PC)

The Remake trilogy continues on PC and compared to the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix has both improved the port and changed the release strategy with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Why this change of strategy?

Having learned from press and user feedback on the PC port of Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix has taken a slightly different approach to both the release strategy and the port itself. Final Fantasy VII Remake was released for PlayStation 4 on 10 April 2020 and had sold over five million copies by August. An expanded edition, Intergrade, was released for PlayStation 5 on 10 June 2021. A PC version followed in December 2021, initially exclusive to the Epic Games Store. Six months later it was released on Steam, which also explains the CCU of 13,803, as many players probably bought it on the Epic Games Store in the first place. The game also performed well on the Steam Deck. Although many gamers were happy to see the game available on PC, the port had technical shortcomings, notably micro-stuttering during gameplay and insufficient configuration options. By September 2023, the game had sold over 7 million copies, but Square Enix does not provide any further details regarding platforms.

Now on to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The game was released on 29 February 2024 for PlayStation 5; the PS4 platform was left unsupported. Despite universal critical acclaim (great combat, visuals and music; huge world; lots to do, but too much open-world bloat and some story pacing issues), Square Enix has yet to release official sales figures, so it is likely that the game did not quite match the sales of its predecessor. However, producer Yoshinori Kitase told IGN that they were quite confident and happy to have reached a certain level of sales, but the modernity of games made it clear that they could no longer be exclusive to one platform. They had to make the game accessible to as many players as possible.

Even before that, the publisher had announced the PC version of Rebirth for 23 January 2025, during the Game Awards 2024. This time, the game will be released less than a year after its console debut, which is much quicker than FF7 Remake considering the PS4 original, and it will be available on Steam and the Epic Games Store at the same time. On top of that, Square Enix is offering a 30% pre-sale discount, meaning that the game, which would otherwise cost €69.99, will be available for €48.99 - a pretty hefty discount for an AAA launch, but one that is necessary in this highly competitive field. Speaking of AAA console releases on PC, just one week later, Sony will be releasing Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on Steam and Epic Games Store.

Square Enix has also put more effort into the PC version. To prevent micro-stuttering, the game, which is based on the Unreal 4 engine, will receive a shader precompile on first launch. In terms of performance and the current demands of PC gamers, at least one upscaler is supported. This is Nvidia's DLSS, although the option in the graphics menu looks very different to many other games, as it lacks the usual options such as 'Quality', 'Balanced' and 'Performance'. Instead, you can set the pixel percentage of dynamic resolutions. This is unusual, but at least it is supported. VRR is also supported. The other graphics options are decent, but would benefit from more choices and better descriptions.

If players connect a DualSense controller to their PC, they can use the same controls as on the PS5 version. Keyboard and mouse support has also been added, along with the option to freely configure the controls between world exploration, combat or mini-games. However, PC gamers will need to get used to using a controller, as the mouse and keyboard implementation is a little fiddly and overloaded at times, especially as you can't see a mouse cursor in any menu (even in-game).

Returning to the graphics, the PC version has more to offer here than the PS5 version. The overall lighting and rendering has been improved, both in the game world and in the cutscenes. The level of detail for background models and MIP maps for background textures can now both be configured in the options. This means that polygon and texture densities can be set higher than before. All in all, the PC version of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the best-looking edition of an already very good-looking game, especially the character models are stunning.

Rebirth can be played at up to 4k resolution and high frame rates of up to 120 fps, with the publisher highlighting three quality presets, and finally, the game is Steam Deck Verified. The PC versions from Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation PC are still a little more polished and generally better than those from Square Enix, especially when Nixxes or Jetpack Interactive have worked on them, but compared to Final Fantasy VII Remake, Square Enix has made some very noticeable improvements.

"Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a new, standalone adventure set across a vast and vibrant planet. The game sees Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith and Red XIII escape from the dystopian city of Midgar into the wide world beyond. To hunt down Sephiroth, a haunting figure from Cloud's past bent on ruling the planet, these unlikely heroes join forces with new companions like the spirited ninja operative Yuffie and the wisecracking, feline-shaped robot Cait Sith. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth delivers an unforgettable experience to players filled with unexpected twists, memorable characters and jaw-dropping set pieces that longtime fans and newcomers can both enjoy." - Product description from Square Enix

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be released on 23 January 2025 for PC on Steam and in the Epic Games Store. Square Enix has no plans for DLC for Rebirth, as they want to focus on completing the trilogy. However, there are also unconfirmed rumours that Remake and Rebirth will also be coming to Xbox and later Switch 2, which would also fit in with what Yoshinori Kitase said.

Conclusion

Finally available on PC: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is definitely an action RPG highlight on PC too, especially as the quality of the PC port has improved a lot compared to the Final Fantasy VII Remake.