One of the most notable annual gaming events undoubtedly includes the Tokyo Game Show, and without exception, we make our way to Tokyo, Japan every year to attned the extremely crowded event. This year, we are delighted to be invited Square Enix Asia, allowing us to have a firsthand experience of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

The demo provided this time is divided into two parts:

1. Fated Beginnings: Sephiroth & Cloud - This part primarily allows players to experience the story between the main characters, Cloud and Sephiroth. The demo sees both of them setting out to investigate an anomaly at the mako reactor on top of Nibelheim Mountain. In addition to controlling the main character, Cloud, players can also engage in battles as Sephiroth.

2. The World of FF7 Rebirth: Junon Area - In this demo, Cloud's party, including Tifa, Aeris, Barret, and Red XIII, arrives in the Junon Area for exploration. During this adventure, players can freely roam the area riding chocobos, explore a wider region, interact with different NPCs, and take on base assaults and challenges.

As an action RPG game, the combat system in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is undoubtedly one of the things that players are most interested in (what about Tifa?). One significant highlight in this regard is the Synergy System, which bears similarities to the cooperative combination techniques of Yuffie and Sonon in Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. In Rebirth's battles, as long as you expend a specific amount of energy from the newly introduced Synergy energy gauge, you can then unleash combo skills ("Chain Ability") from the Command menu. Furthermore, each character within the roster has the capability to collaborate and perform Chain Abilities in diverse combinations, including pairings like Tifa + Cloud or Aeris + Cloud, among numerous others.

The other fundamental combat mechanics, on the other hand, remains faithful to Final Fantasy VII Remake. However, there is indeed an improvement in the overall gameplay experience, coupled with the performance of the console, resulting in smoother and more vibrant visuals. By the way, it's worth mentioning that before starting the game, you can choose between a performance mode or a quality mode. The former prioritizes 4K resolution, while the latter prioritizes 60 FPS. Personally, I recommend the performance mode for a better overall experience.

Lastly, I can't help but mention the battle animations when Cloud and Sephiroth team up, which are genuinely impressive! And that concludes our brief thoughts and impressions of the Tokyo Game Show demo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. If you want to learn more, make sure to check out the two demo videos that we've shared.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is scheduled to launch on February 29, 2024, as a timed exclusive for PlayStation 5. More information and details will be revealed via official sources in the future. This demo only covers a small part of the game, so let's all look forward to the full game together!

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