Final Fantasy VII Rebirth details supporting cast, new areas, folios, and mini-games

The latest salvo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth information comes on the heels of today’s ‘State of Play’ presentation broadcasted by PlayStation. Here, we got two expansive new trailers that show more of the game’s story, world, and activities – including a massive 11-minute overview.

Square Enix has also supplied more information about the supporting cast you’ll encounter, “folios” which allow you to upgrade your party members combat options, new synergy abilities, the different travel options you’ll have, and a swath of mini games you’ll be able to take part in.

Of course, if you’re itching to try out the game for yourself, a new demo is now available on PlayStation 5.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches February 29, 2024.

From Square Enix:

Characters

Cissnei

Voice Actor: Kayli Mills

“It’s nothing. For a second, I thought you were someone else.“

Leader of the Gongaga Youth Coalition. She initially visited Gongaga after the reactor exploded as part of the relief effort, then ended up calling the village her home.

Her past is shrouded in mystery, but her knack for both combat and leadership suggests she is no amateur. She employs those fighting skills while fending off fiends that have gone wild due to mako exposure.

Zangan

Voice Actor: Jamieson Price

“You could learn a lot from me. Don’t be shy─I have many pupils your age.”

The master and founder of his eponymous style of martial arts. He travels the world teaching his craft, accumulating 128 students along the way.

While residing in Nibelheim, Zangan takes Tifa under his wing, and works diligently to promote exercises inspired by his fighting style.

Rufus Shinra

Voice Actor: Josh Bowman

“But to the naysayers, and to you all, I say this… The Shinra Electric Power Company will endure.”

The young, newly inaugurated president of the Shinra Electric Power Company. After his father’s passing, Rufus has taken up the reins as head of the corporation.

He aims to break with what he views as outdated practices and instead rebuild the company with a new creed, declaring the dawn of a new era during his inaugural address.

Reno

Voice Actor: Arnie Pantoja

“Guess we’ll just have to pick this up next time.”

A member of the Turks unit of Shinra’s General Affairs Division. Known for his fiery red hair and permanent sardonic grin, Reno exudes aloof detachment.

Injured during the operation to bring down the Sector 7 plate, he is currently suspended from duty on recovery leave.

Roche

Voice Actor:
Austin Lee Matthews

“Come! Unleash your passion. Succumb to your instincts! Let us revel in a turbocharged tryst!”

A 3-C SOLDIER maverick best known for his insatiable need for speed. After their fierce battle in Midgar, Roche has taken a shine to Cloud.

He now vows to follow his newfound “friend” to the ends of the earth.

Bugenhagen

Voice Actor: Frank Todaro

“Planetology is not simply the study of the cosmos and the celestial bodies that dwell in it. Rather, it is a quest to comprehend the cyclical nature of life.”

Cosmo Canyon’s eminent authority on planetology.

This revered sage has dedicated himself to study of the planet, and now shares his teachings with
countless disciples.

He is also a scientist, having invented a number of clever devices, such as the wind turbines that power Cosmo Canyon, listening tubes to monitor the voice of the planet, and his enormous observational telescope.

Johnny

Voice Actor: Yuri Lowenthal

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not some…some sellout!”

A lovable dolt from the Sector 7 undercity prone to getting carried away. After leaving Midgar, he drifted over to Costa del Sol, where he was granted the alleged opportunity of a lifetime.

Yet despite becoming the owner of a hotel in this sun-kissed vacation destination, business is far from booming: not a single person has patroned his establishment.

Tseng

Voice Actor: Vic Chao

“You need someone to blame. I suggest you look in the mirror.”

Leader of the Turks unit of Shinra’s General Affairs Division. He has a knack for managing his eccentric subordinates, wrangling them into a professional team.

After Rufus Shinra takes over as president, Tseng works behind the scenes as his new righthand man.

Rude

Voice Actor:
William Christopher Stephens

“Orders are orders. The whys and wherefores are not our concern.”

A member of the Turks unit of Shinra’s General Affairs Division. Bald and burly, Rude is not one to waste words, preferring to let his fists do the talking.

He is currently standing in for Reno on a mission to track the robed men with Elena, their new recruit.

Professor Hojo

Voice Actor: James Sie

“Yes, yes! Only a reunion could produce such results!”

Director of Shinra’s Research & Development Division. The professor has worked to develop numerous twisted bioweapons, paying heed to neither ethics nor common decency: to Hojo, human life is but a means to a scientific end.

Currently, he is attempting to verify his “reunion” hypothesis by investigating the migration of robed men across the planet.

Key Art & Renders

Folios

These invaluable tomes contain instructions on various martial arts, ranging from swordsmanship to close-quarters combat.

They can be augmented at any branch of Maghnata Books around the world, thus giving you access to new abilities.

In order to do so, however, you will need to spend skill points, which can be obtained by completing odd jobs and other activities.

Synergy Abilities

Sweet and Sour Salvo

Barret + Aerith

Barret and Aerith strike a pose and unleash a flurry of ranged strikes.

SOLDIER Moogle Class

Cloud + Cait Sith

Cloud hops aboard Cait Sith’s moogle and lends it his sword to deliver fearsome slashes.

Call of the Wild

Tifa + Red XIII

Tifa and Red XIII tap into their inner warrior to decimate foes across a wide area.

Mystic Multiplication

Aerith + Yuffie

Aerith clones Yuffie, who launches a sprightly assault.

Ringmaster

Aerith + Red XIII

Aerith takes control of Red XIII, unleashing a ranged attack across a
wide area.

Feline Fury

Cait Sith + Red XIII

Red XIII and Cait Sith charge forward with an animalic abandon.

Halcyon Descent

Cloud + Yuffie

Cloud and Yuffie leap into the air and deliver a combo from above.

Regions of the World

Costa del Sol

A thriving resort town built on the continent’s always-sunny coast.

All visitors to this ocean oasis are welcomed with graceful dancers and colorful flower garlands.

While Costa del Sol has many attractions, its biggest draw is its pristine sandy beaches, which are always filled with tourists eager take a refreshing dip.

Gongaga

A small village situated in the middle of a verdant jungle. It is also the site of a horrific mako reactor explosion.

The Gongaga mushrooms that grow in the surrounding tangle are wonderfully fragrant and are considered a delicacy by many.

Due to the explosion, the Gongaga reactor remains offline to this day.

Cosmo Canyon

An arid expanse marked by its vivid red earth and majestic ravines. Known as the “sanctuary of planetology,” here you can find numerous scholars dedicated to studying the planet.

However, it is also populated by ascetics who have eschewed mako consumption and tourists enticed by the region’s deep spirituality.

Rather than mako, the settlement itself relies on wind power. Numerous windmills dot the canyon, harnessing the gale-force winds that whistle between its walls.

Nibelheim(5 Years Ago)

A quiet, antiquated village tucked away at the foot of Mt. Nibel—the location of Shinra’s first ever mako reactor.

While the reactor once brought prosperity to the village, it now seems to be a hotbed of monstrous activity, and the war hero Sephiroth is called upon to lead an investigation into the matter.

Shinra Mansion

A dilapidated building on the outskirts of Nibelheim owned by the Shinra Electric Power Company.

While it once housed a team of skilled researchers who carried out clandestine experiments in its subterranean chambers, it now lies vacant, and not even Nibelheim’s residents are allowed inside.

Transportation & Navigation

Ocean Chocobos

These chocobos use a steady stream of water to propel themselves across bodies of water.

Need to get to the other side of a raging river? Does the sea stand between you and your destination?

Well, neither are too tough for an ocean chocobo!

Forest Chocobos

This breed of bird comes in quite handy on treks through the woods, where it can springboard off giant mushrooms and slide down tree branches.

No matter how thick the trees or lush the undergrowth, forest chocobos make traversing the hinterland a breeze.

Tiny Bronco

The mechanical apple of Cid Highwind’s eye, this sturdy aircraft serves as Bronco Airlines’ entire
fleet.

Cid routinely lands it at old airstrips across the continent, so if you’re ever at one, send up a smoke signal and he’ll fly on down.

Bronco Airlines always gets you where you need to go, but brace for a bumpy ride!

During the journey, there will be times where Cloud’s companions will have to take the lead instead.

Make use of each character’s special trait to keep their adventure on track. For example, Red XIII can run on walls, while Cait Sith can use his moogle to throw heavy objects.

World Intel & Minigames

Chadley enlists your help with deepening his understanding of the world.As you explore the various regions, you will uncover new areas rich with treasures and natural wonders. Data points accumulated in your travels can then be spent to develop useful new materia

Combat Simulator

Assist Chadley with his research and complete combat assignments to unlock new, more challenging fights in the VR combat simulator.

Take on digitized summon entities here, and emerge victorious to claim their summoning materia.

Sanctuaries

Destroying guidestones will release a light that leads travelers to a summon entity’s sanctuary, within which lies a crystal brimming with divine knowledge.

Successfully attune to this crystal to enhance the entity’s summoning materia and weaken it in its combat trial.

Run Wild

Compete as Red XIII in a ferocious four-team battle to determine the real king of the jungle.

Bypass your opponents’ iron-tight defenses to shoot the ball into their goals, but make sure to defend yours while you’re at it!

Desert Rush

Smash mountains of boxes to dust like a Corel Prison inmate letting off steam.

Maneuver through a winding course to destroy as many boxes as you can within the time limit.

Rufus’s Inauguration Parade

After infiltrating the festivities as a Shinra trooper, Cloud takes on the role of parade captain.

Lead your drill team in a successful performance to win the coveted presidential commendation.

Fort Condor

A game of strategy in which you must position pieces on the field to defend your base and destroy the enemy’s.

Even Cloud and friends join the fray as commanders, each possessing a unique skill that can turn the tide of battle.

Dolphin Show

Hold on tight to Priscilla’s well-trained dolphin friend and sail through the waters of Under Junon.

Have Mr. Dolphin bop his beloved beach balls to improve his mood and kick that tailfin into high gear.

Minecart Adventure

Hop aboard a minecart for a thrilling run down Mt. Corel. Destroy the Shinra crates you encounter along the way to earn useful items.

Galactic Saviors

Join the space rangers in their war against the vile Gilgamesh Army and secure peace in the galaxy.

Pilot your very own starcruiser and lay waste to the fleet that threatens your freedom.

Jumpfrog

Tap into your inner toad and dodge all manner of obstacles in a game designed to test your amphibious reflexes.

Make it to the end without croaking to earn the title of Peerless Polliwog!

Pirate’s Rampage

A shooting gallery found in one of Costa del Sol’s many beachside stalls.

Take aim and bring down the moving targets to earn a reputation as the finest marksman to ever sail the seas.


About the Author

Tony Garsow Tony joined Nova Crystallis in 2015, and has spent more than a decade writing in the Final Fantasy community. He also contributes to the Nova Crystallis Twitch and YouTube channels, where you can watch select gameplay highlights, previews, and streams.

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