What is ‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ fits in with the rest of the series: a newbie’s guide

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Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is here and is geared up to be one of the biggest games of the year. It already boasts “universal acclaim” on Metacritic, RPG fans are salivating over it, and social media is about to light up with discussion of its story, characters and themes. But, if you haven’t been keeping up with all things Final Fantasy you may feel left out in the cold.

Rebirth is simultaneously a remake and sequel with a complex place within the sprawling Final Fantasy franchise. So, if your girlfriend, son, wife or friends are about to disappear into a world of spiky-haired drama and ludicrously-sized swords, here’s a prep guide so you can at least follow their feverish enthusiasm. Heck, why not even play the game for yourself?

What is Final Fantasy?

Let’s start with the basics. Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise began in 1987 with the original Final Fantasy on the NES. To date, there have been 16 mainline entries in the series and innumerable spinoffs and crossovers in most genres, ranging from tactical RPGs, online multiplayer games, rhythm action, fighting, and so on.

Despite this being a huge franchise it’s surprisingly easy to jump in. Each mainline entry begins a new story in a new world with an entirely fresh cast of characters. Though separate from each other, almost every game will feature elements like chocobos (rideable giant birds), someone called Cid, various monsters, elemental gods like Shiva and Ifrit, and all too often there will be crystals woven into the story.

Why is Final Fantasy VII so popular?

1997’s Final Fantasy VII was the moment Japanese RPGs exploded in popularity in the West. Previous entries had been popular games, but this was the first developed with CD-ROM technology in mind, allowing for an enormous amount of detailed pre-rendered backdrops, fully animated CGI videos, and the power of the 32-bit PlayStation allowed for a 3D world map and polygonal characters.

But it’s not just the tech boost that made VII so