One of my biggest highlights at gamescom wasn’t even any of the booths I went to; it was the invitation I got from Square Enix to be among the first people in the world to play Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. In 2024, I was graciously invited to Los Angeles to check out Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth before it came out, and the experience was nothing short of life-changing, from the game to the attendees and the event as a whole.
So, it was a no-brainer that I needed to check out the third and final part of the Final Fantasy 7 remake project. Considering just how much I loved the second part, I couldn’t wait to check out the Planet from the perspective of new characters. After 45 minutes checking things out from the Highwind, I wasn’t surprised to leave feeling that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation would have no contest for game of the year in 2027.
Rebirth’s World Was Only the Beginning
As I said before, the gameplay session starts in Cid’s famous Highwind and allows you to check out the Planet from above. Given where we started, I can imagine people unfamiliar with the events of the Rebirth would be incredibly confused; it jumps you right where you left off.
Before adventuring around and wasting way more time riding Chocobos than I probably should have, I paid attention to Yuffie and her plea to visit Wutai to progress the storyline while Cait Sith, Vincent, Barrett, Tifa, and Cid tag along. However, I’ll admit I got to that way later in the session because I was so enamored with how much the game felt the same, but fuller (?). While Rebirth introduced players to the world outside Midgard, it also brought it to life. Revelation enhances that.
I made sure to snag every single Queen’s Blood card when playing Rebirth (you can check out my guide here), so when I saw the familiar symbol to challenge other players, I immediately ran over and played a few rounds before moving on to more important matters. I also found a few Chocobo rest stops to use as fast-travel spots, which was the moment I really realized I’d been playing on autopilot since the last time I played. If that’s anything to go by, I already can’t wait for the full release.
Give Me the Highwind and Get Out of My Way
I also got the chance to enjoy some battle gameplay, which, again, is very similar to that from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It features a fast-paced, real-time action battle system that slows down when you choose your more tactical, active-time choices. So, you’re able to attack as you normally would in any game, but can then choose more powerful attacks and abilities, as well as Synergy Skills with other team members for some incredibly stylish and fun battles.
The other gameplay loop I got to check out was flying the Highwind, which felt absolutely unreal considering how you get around from area to area in Rebirth. Instead of having to find a boat or carriage to get from region to region, you speed over in the Highwind. I’m a player who really appreciates quick travel systems and fast traversability, so this was my absolute highlight of the session.
Before I could feel comfortable enough, as though I was in my living room, I got the dreaded tap on my shoulder that signified the session had ended. There was so much I wanted to see, but I felt that I had already gotten to experience so much; even smaller, quirkier things like how the developers kept in the weird way that Cid walks. I honestly cannot wait for release day, and I know it will be a light in my life the same way its predecessor was (see sad article here).
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is expected to launch on April 8, 2027, for Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.
