If You Like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, You Need To Play Xenoblade Chronicles

I wasn’t the biggest fan of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, mainly because of how restricted it feels being confined entirely to Midgar. Thankfully, Rebirth corrects that by opening things up and giving you different types of environments to explore.

As soon as I stepped out into the Grasslands region in the early hours of the game, I was reminded of the open areas in the Xenoblade Chronicles series. Similar to Rebirth, the Xenoblade Chronicles games follow a linear storyline but have open-world elements as you can freely explore the world’s separate regions.

In Rebirth, you’re encouraged to go off the main path in pursuit of World Intel for Chadley in exchange for materia and summons, similar to how discovering landmarks and secret areas in Xenoblade Chronicles rewards you with EXP, as well as encounters with challenging (and often comically high level) overworld bosses.

The Frogs Are The Best Part Of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Once you turn into a frog in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you'll never want to be anything else

While others might find these kinds of tasks tedious, I found the same satisfaction in completing Rebirth’s regions as I did when exploring every nook and cranny of the areas in Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. I can’t move on if there’s any Intel left to do in Rebirth, the same way I couldn’t leave areas of Xenoblade without finding every landmark to satiate my desire to see as much of this world as possible.

The similarities in exploration are what initially stood out to me, but the more I played Rebirth, the more connections I noticed. We’ll start with the obvious: Final Fantasy 7 and Xenoblade Chronicles both straddle the line of science fiction and fantasy. Their worlds are fantastical, full of monsters and beasts, but there’s no shortage of mech-like machines either, whether it’s a creation from Shinra or a Mechon.

They touch on similar themes, too. Identity is explored through Cloud’s flawed memories and traumatic experiences as he claws to find himself again, while Shulk and Noah, protagonists of Xenoblade 1 and 3 respectively, both fight to have a sense of self in the face of those who seek to control them.

The similarities go a lot deeper than thematic parallels, however. Final Fantasy 7’s characters have always been one of its strongest aspects, but Rebirth further explores the dynamic between party members and takes the time to make them more lifelike.

The affection system plays a big part in this, as your choices when speaking to the rest of the party affect their relationship with Cloud. This is reminiscent of the affection system in the first Xenoblade Chronicles, though it’s somewhat deeper there — you can build the affinity between each member of your party, rather than just between the main character and the others.

It’s a similar premise, but there’s more payoff in Xenoblade Chronicles. Rather than the prize being a date with the party member you’re closest to, you’re continually rewarded with ‘heart-to-heart’ conversations between different pairs. You get to see the characters be silly, comfort each other, and just generally discuss things that don’t come up in the main story.

Raising the affinity between party members in Xenoblade Chronicles also affects how they work together in battles, adding yet more depth to the mechanic.

If you enjoy the affection system of Rebirth, Xenoblade Chronicles’ version is essentially an expanded version of it for every main character. While paying attention to the affection levels between the characters is entirely optional in both games, it adds a tangible connection between the party members, which takes the RPG to the next level.

So, if you reach the credits of Rebirth and find yourself wanting another story-rich, exploration-filled journey, consider giving Xenoblade Chronicles a try if you haven’t already. Plus, it has Nopon, so if you like FF7’s silliness, you’ll like them too.

When Are We Getting A Real Final Fantasy 7 Remake?

I don't want to play a janky game as old as I am just to understand Final Fantasy 7 Remake.