Summary
The originalFinal Fantasy 7has more than its fair share of complex narrative themes at its center. From environmentalism to terrorism to dystopian governments, and a whole lot more in between,Final Fantasy 7’s storytries to explore a wealth of complex ideas, though not all are fully fleshed out in that original 1997 version. But that’s whereFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthcomes in.
One of the greatest benefits of splitting the originalFinal Fantasy 7into three parts for the remake is that it not only paves the way for more complexity when it comes to gameplay mechanics and presentation but also when it comes to the game’s narrative themes.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthsimply has more time than the original ever did, which allows for some rather extensive explorations of some of the series' most prevalent themes. Being the second part in a trilogy,Rebirthis able to continue the themes of its predecessor, reinforce them, and introduce new ones, with one of the most engaging being the theme of found family, whichFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthexplores far more than anyFF7title that came before it.
The ‘Found Family’ theme or trope—also referred to as ‘Family of Choice’—is one often found in fantasy media, and essentially encompasses any narrative that sees the non-biologically-related protagonists form an ongoing social support structure with one another, or in other words, a family.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Doubles Down On The Series' ‘Found Family’ Them
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Humor Brings Out New Family Dynamics
WhiletheFinal Fantasyfranchisehas dabbled with humor in its past, many fans weren’t expectingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthto be quite as funny as it is. Though the main narrative is still filled with dark and gritty drama,Rebirthhas plenty of lighter moments in between that help to keep the game feeling light. There are many benefits to this approach inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but one of the most apparent is that it helps to emphasize the game’s found family theme.
While traveling across the planet’s various regions,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s party makes constant quips and light-hearted jabs at one another during story sequences and open-world exploration. Along with lightening the mood, these little asides go a long way in developing the thematic bond between each “family” member, resulting in some fun dynamics between the characters that weren’t necessarily present in the originalFinal Fantasy 7.Tifa and Aerithare shown to essentially be sisters, while Barret becomes an almost brother-like figure to Yuffie, and these bonds are all usually forged and reinforced with humor.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Party Travels Together
But it’s not justFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s humor and dialogue that establishes its found family theme since several major gameplay mechanics subtly build upon this theme as well. One of the best examples of this isRebirth’s open-worldparty mechanic. While players can only select three party members to fight alongside, the rest of the crew still follows them around the open world.
Though they don’t help much in terms of gameplay, their presence acts as a constant reminder that theentireFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthpartyis all on this journey together and that they all have each other’s backs. Even in the missions where the party splits off into two groups, the overarching goal is to always meet up as soon as possible, cementing this feeling that the party needs to be together and that it’ll always come back together.
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.
