Summary
Final Fantasy is steadily building a strong presence on current-gen consoles. The recent release ofFinal Fantasy 16made waves with its impressive visuals and action, andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake IntergradeandCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionhave brought the most popular numberedFFinto the fold. Within the first few months of 2024,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill join this group, promising to tell the next act ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s story after leaving Midgar. Fans still have more to look forward to, asFF7 Rebirth’s own sequel should finish the trilogy before the next consoles arrive.
While details are still scarce, there’s a lot of excitement building forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. More open environments have already been confirmed, with many hopeful that the newer title is usingfeedback gathered byFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. One of its bigger changes, alternating linear sequences and larger field areas, should feel similar to howFinal Fantasy 16is laid out.FF16has gathered its own criticisms though, particularly in the realm of side content, andFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill have to sort through those issues to recapture what works and avoid what did not.
RELATED:Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Share One Major Element
Recent Final Fantasy’s Struggle to Nail Sidequests
Reflecting on the optional quests inFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, most players will fondly remember their optional boss fights. Unfortunately, side quests with engaging gameplay are a minority inFF7 Remake, and mostbonus fights are concentrated in the VR Missions. Still, there are at least surprises like the early Behemoth fight, various mini-games, and reactive NPCs to make quests feel a bit more worthwhile. They won’t engage the player as much as the main content, but the experience doesn’t feel as lopsided asFF16’s did.
Final Fantasy 16’s NPC requests have drawn near-universal ire. While the hunts that offer unique bosses were well received, many would prefer if those fights had been scattered among the sidequests to give them more variety. On a whole,FF16’s quests are boring and repetitive, offering easy yet time-consuming content for minimal rewards. Many players are stunned when a side quest tells them new information about the world or characters, as those often stand out as the game’s best moments of writing. Yet with the most basic ofFF16fetch quests playing out like a straight-faced parody of vintage MMORPG padding, it can be difficult to appreciate the moments where the game’s storytelling shines through.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Must Refine FF16’s Approach to Quests
It falls toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthto pick out what worked in these games and separate it from what didn’t. Populating its larger maps with side quests would be a good way to make the most of their space, though more variety and attention paid to not wasting players time is necessary.Final Fantasy 16was capable of endearing minor charactersto the player, and that will be a vital trait for the many new faces acrossFF7 Rebirth’s travel narrative. There still need to be quests for the sake of storytelling, asFF16had some terrific narrative moments within its side quests, but their gameplay elements must not be as exhausting or repetitive.
Dropping the fetch quest style would help, andFinal Fantasy 7fortunately has many alternatives to regular gameplay. Multiple kinds of vehicles including Chocobos, the many minigames at the Golden Saucer, plenty of other side paths and activities, and the distinct locales Cloud and the party will visit can all add variety to sidequests. IfFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcan effectively pair good gameplaywith the optional parts of its narrative, then it could set an example that many futureFinal Fantasy’s will strive to emulate.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthlaunches early 2024 for PS5.
MORE:Why Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Will Likely Fix One Big Problem With FF16’s Combat
