Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Crisis Core expand the remake universe

During Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII 25th anniversary stream, the company revealed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. It’s the second part of the remake series, and it’ll launch next winter for PlayStation 5. Square Enix also confirmed that the remake series will be a trilogy, with the third game coming later. Rebirth has entered full production, and some of the development staff are already working on the third entry. Also announced was Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion, a remaster of a 2007 PSP game that will release this winter for Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S. Square Enix also took some time to show off Final Fantasy VII games on mobile and PC. On the mobile front, we saw the new season of Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier and learned that Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis will get a closed beta later this year. Meanwhile, PC players can expect it on a new storefront. Final Fantasy VII Remake was previously a PlayStation console exclusive but came to PC late last year as an Epic Games Store exclusive. Thankfully, Square Enix announced during this stream that Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally come to Steam on June 17. It is also verified to work on Steam Deck for those who prefer a portable experience. It’s currently unknown whether Final Fantasy VII Remake or Rebirth will ever launch on Xbox or Nintendo platforms, as they weren’t brought up during the livestream. Those games were all the highlights of the stream, but Square Enix also highlighted that there is some merchandise available to order, such as a Buster Sword alarm clock. It’s certainly an awesome time to be a fan of Final Fantasy VII. After a long wait, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake is finally coming to PC and consoles — and yes, that’s its official title. The NES revival launches on November 14 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC. An HD-2D remake of Dragon Quest 1 and 2 is set to follow in 2025. Ahead of its release date reveal during today’s Nintendo Direct, I got a deeper look into all the changes coming to the game, as well as a bit of hands-on playtime. Along with making some key quality of life tweaks, the remake also features some radical changes to story and structure that will bridge it to the first two Dragon Quest games (both of which happen after 3, chronologically). Those modern touches are paired with very faithful decisions that leave the core combat of the original surprisingly untouched – a move that may divide purists and newer RPG fans.
Modern meets retro
First revealed in 2021, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D remaster is a project from Octopath Traveler 2 studio Team Asano and Artdink. We already knew that it would give an NES classic a fresh look thanks to Team Asano’s signature HD-2D art style, but details on the game have been scarce over the past few years. That seemed surprising for a remake like this, but it turns out that the project is much more ambitious than originally advertised. Starting a new story arc from scratch in a video game that’s been running for over a decade is a tall order — and it’s one that Final Fantasy XIV’s Dawntrail expansion sets out to accomplish. Setting sail westward and looking to the continent of Tural, the Warrior of Light and their companions seek to help Wuk Lamat, a female Hrothgar, in a contest for the right to rule the land of Tural. Dawntrail, which is set to launch on July 2 (and June 28 for those who preorder) sets the stage for political intrigue, exploration of a civilization unknown to us, and much more. The Tribeca Festival returns this June, and it will once again feature official games selections and even a game-focused panel. This year, the selections are all promising indie games, including a successor to 2021’s excellent Before Your Eyes. The show will also feature a talk on the making of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Tribeca Fest will feature seven titles this year. Some of those should look familiar, as games like Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure have appeared on high-profile livestreams. The list of games features titles from publishers like Devolver Digital and Raw Fury. Here’s the full list.