FF7 Rebirth review round-up: What do the critics say?

Does the Final Fantasy sequel live up to expectations? Here’s what the reviewers think…

By Matt Poskitt

Published: Wednesday, 28 February 2024 at 11:21 AM

Almost four years since returning to Midgar, Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Aerith are set to journey out into the vast open world of Gaia in the highly anticipated sequel, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Following the conclusion of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, players will now travel across the world in pursuit of the fallen hero, Sephiroth.

The stakes are still as high as ever, however, with the fate of the planet in their hands.

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With the game’s launch for the PlayStation 5 imminent, what better time to look at what those lucky few who have played the game from start to completion think?

And the good news is that it all seems to be a mix of relatively positive to overwhelmingly positive.

With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about what the critics are saying about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as well as what aggregate score the game has earned on Metacritic.

What is the FF7 Rebirth Metacritic score?

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth still showing a group of characters overlooking the sea
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Square Enix

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has achieved an impressive score of 92 on Metacritic, at the time of writing.

This currently positions the game as the highest-rated of 2024 so far, beating out the likes of Tekken 8, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and The Last of Us Part 2: Remastered.

Additionally, FF7 Rebirth earned an even better rating on OpenCritic, with a score of 93 taken from the top critic average.

It’s fair to say, then, that it’s been received very positively, and fans of Final Fantasy Remake are likely to enjoy the sequel just as much.

FF7 Rebirth review round-up

Aerith, Cloud and Tifa in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth looking up at a starry sky
Aerith, Cloud and Tifa in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Square Enix

So, critic scores are generally high, yes. But what exactly are they saying? Well, we’ve rounded up a selection of reviews from several top outlets below to give you a better idea.

Let’s first start with a couple of five-star reviews. Writing for VGC, Jordan Middler stated: “Rebirth is another excellent, incredibly polished RPG from Square Enix that builds smartly on all of the best elements of the first game, even if some of its grander ambitions fall slightly short.”

Meanwhile, Gene Park of the Washington Post simply wrote: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is so good, it nearly wrecked my life.” High praise indeed.

A 9/10 score from Michael Higham of IGN reads: “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth impressively builds off of what Remake set in motion, both as a best-in-class action-RPG full of exciting challenges and an awe-inspiring recreation of a world that has meant so much to so many for so long.”

An 8.5/10 score by Wesley LeBlanc of GameInformer shows he was pleased with the elements that carried over from its predecessor, though he was mixed on the open world.

He wrote: “The best of Remake exists in Rebirth, but the various open-world areas surrounding it – the parts that make Rebirth unique from its predecessor – sometimes miss the mark.”

Tom Regan, writing for The Guardian, highlighted the nostalgic elements, but did note that those new to the franchise might struggle at points: “For Avalanche-loving diehards, this is a miracle of nostalgia-stirring dream fulfilment.

“Newcomers hoping to experience one of the medium’s most beloved stories in its new, modern form, however, should be prepared for some yawn-inducing lows, alongside many Buster-sword swinging highs.” They awarded the game four stars out of five.

Likewise, Eurogamer‘s Ed Nightingale felt four stars was justified: “Rebirth is a playful take on an emo classic that’s bloated but full of character in a bid to justify its own existence.”

It’s worth noting that not one review on Metacritic is below the equivalent of an 8/10 (at the time of writing), potentially proving the game’s universal appeal. Thankfully, we don’t have long to wait to see what fans think of the sequel.