Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will feature Yuffie and Vincent as the main focus, a significant departure from the original Final Fantasy VII, where these two potential party members were entirely optional.
In an interview with the Japanese gaming website Gamespark (and translated by aitaikimochi on X), Naoki Hamaguchi, the game director, and Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director, confirmed that Yuffie and Vincent will no longer be optional in Rebirth, allowing for new moments that will showcase the bonds between the game’s various party members and deepen their relationships.
This is a significant departure from the original Final Fantasy VII released in 1997, where Yuffie would join the party only after a chance random encounter and specific dialogue options. On the other hand, Vincent required players to solve a riddle and overcome a challenging optional boss battle to awaken the gunslinger from his slumber.
While Yuffie and Vincent will have a more prominent role in Rebirth, only one of them will be playable. Similar to Red XIII in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Vincent will not be a playable member of the party in Rebirth. Yuffie, who made her gameplay debut as part of Remake’s INTERmission DLC, will continue to be playable in Rebirth.
In a recent hands-on preview, we highlighted how Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s gameplay is expanding on the foundation established by Remake in “clever ways,” including the introduction of powerful Synergy abilities that allow two party members to team up. According to Hamaguchi, Rebirth will offer “almost 100 hours” of content, but players will not be able to import their saves from Remake.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to release exclusively for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024, with a recent trailer showcasing the game’s open-world, minigames, and story. The game’s exclusivity on PS5 will last for three months, after which Rebirth may become available on PC or Xbox platforms, although no official announcements have been made.
