I hated Chadley in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Like a lot of the newly introduced NPCs found in the game, he felt out of place. Like he was drafted in from Final Fantasy 13 to fulfil a role seemingly mandated in a modern video game. Here is an android with a grating voice and his dorky outfit who exists merely to grant you access to the battle simulator and offer materia or summon magic after you’ve met certain parameters. I got it, but I didn’t have to like it.

This hate has transferred over to Rebirth, with players already dragging Chadley’s expanded role in the sequel and the services he offers. Instead of loitering in Sector 7 and a few other areas of Midgar waiting for you to report back on how many enemies you’ve staggered, the wee little lad is now a permanent voice in your ear as you traverse the open world.

You can’t complete a handful of side objectives without him chirping in your ear about new intel or this cool thing you’ve unlocked by scanning some crystalline tree for five seconds. He even has a sister now in the form of MAI, who will inform you about fiends while you’re already defeating them, while also bickering with her brother.

Chadley’s mechanical role in the game is at least vastly improved this time around. He doesn’t feel like a needless distraction, but instead a seamless part of the experience.

We know Chadley is a physical presence, he appears in every major location in the game as a merchant and means to access the combat simulator, but is his sister a product of his own creation trapped within the digital purgatory of your CHAD Module? We never see her, so it’s not a question that’s ever answered. Let her out, Chadley.

It seems a lot of the hate for Chadley stems from his grating voice and regular interruptions, but it was something I grew accustomed to after only a few hours with the game. Besides, you can just skip over these conversations and still get all the information. Cool, I unlocked an optional boss battle or a new summon materia, thanks for letting me know, Chadley. There might be a cute joke or interaction between Chadley and his sister though, and there are also moments where even Cloud and other characters point out that this intergalactic twink is somehow following them everywhere. You’re just helping them.

Certain plot points also hint that Chadley was created by Professor Hojo at Shinra, meaning that all the intel you’re gathering on monsters and the world of Gaia is possibly fed back to the company, or maybe Chadley is a rogue android who has decided to a pursue a more productive life away from dystopia. There is no way to tell right now, but chances are he will be in the third game and this narrative thread will continue. I can’t wait for him to somehow pop up in the Northern Crater before your fight with Sephiroth like it’s the most casual thing ever.

But despite his grating voice and overly positive vibes, I never hated Chadley in Rebirth. The absurdity that rubbed me the wrong way in Remake was able to thrive in a more open environment, as he blended with an expanded world which was taking the original’s lore to a place we never thought possible. Chadley acting as the handler of side quests and busywork, is a necessary role to play, and I’d much rather an android with ties to Shinra plays that role than a named character I already have fond feelings for.

I will never get over Chadley appearing alongside Jessie, Wedge, and Biggs in the Gold Saucer Loveless segment. Why is this sassy lost child hanging with my dead friends?

He also justifies his once annoying presence by actually being useful and fun, while Remake had him present us with a so-so combat simulator and lightweight merchant screen that you could honestly take or leave if you weren’t chasing 100 percent completion. Chadley became a tonal oddity, whose character design and voice didn’t gel with the otherwise oppressive yet stylish confines of Midgar. In Rebirth, his design and personality has been fine-tuned, as the developers at Square Enix knew he needed to play a greater part in its creation, and they did everything in their power not to make him an annoying little brat. I think they managed it.

As I head towards the Platinum, I’m happy to have Chadley along for the ride. Even as he breaks the sacred rules of space and time to follow me around the world. Boy must teleport.

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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

RPG Systems 4.5/5 10.0/10 OpenCritic Reviews Top Critic Avg: 92/100 Critics Rec: 97% Released February 29, 2024 ESRB T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Engine Unreal Engine 4
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Final Fantasy Rebirth is the second part of the FF7 Remake project. It continues the story of Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER turned mercenary who joins Avalanche, a group of eco-terrorists seeking to save the planet from the malevolent Sephiroth. As the party pushes out of Midgar, leaving the Shinra Corporation devastated, where will their paths take them?

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