Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was a no-show at the PlayStation Showcase on May 24, 2023. The game was first announced in September 2022, and fans have been eagerly awaiting more news ever since. However, the PlayStation Showcase came and went without any mention of Rebirth, leaving fans disappointed. Let us dive into the possibilities as to why the highly-anticipated game did not make a splash at the recent event.
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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: What We Know So Far
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the second installment in the planned trilogy of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. Which, in turn, is a brave reimagining of the well-beloved 1997 role-playing video game, the original Final Fantasy VII. Last we heard, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is penciled in for a winter 2023 release date.
The sequel aims to follow up on the events of the previous game, with Cloud Strife and his friends on the run from Shinra Electric Power Company after the events of Midgar. The group travels to the snowy continent of Icicle Inn, where they meet new allies and face new challenges.
Moreover, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is being developed using the ultra-impressive Unreal Engine 5. Apart from boasting a more robust graphics quality, the sequel will reportedly feature a more open-world environment than what we had in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Although there is no confirmation as of yet, it is highly rumored that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth intends to introduce new gameplay mechanics as well.
The game’s development team includes Tetsuya Nomura, who directed the original Final Fantasy VII, and Naoki Hamaguchi, who directed Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The game’s music will be composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who composed the music for the original JRPG classic.
Why It No-Showed The PlayStation Showcase
There are a few possible reasons why Rebirth was not present at the PlayStation Showcase. One possibility is that the game is simply not yet ready for the showcase. Besides the glimpse we had last year, maybe Square Enix is still yet ready to show off the highly-awaited sequel on a grand stage, such as the PlayStation Showcase. Perhaps it is still deep into its development that a teaser, let alone a full-blown gameplay trailer is still not available.
Another possibility is that Square Enix is saving Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for a later event. The best we can guess is on their studio’s showcase itself or fan event. It is also possible that Square Enix is simply trying to build up anticipation for Rebirth by keeping it under wraps. That said, if the studio intends to keep its winter 2023 release date announcement true, it is safe to assume that we’d hear from them sooner rather than later.
Final Thoughts
While fans’ disappointment is understandable, it is also worth noting that Square Enix did not explicitly say that it will show off Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in the PlayStation Showcase. Square Enix indeed took part in the aforementioned highly-awaited PlayStation event, but they were there to reinforce the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI and present a brand new IP instead. Ultimately, it is only we, the fans, that assumed that they would do so.
With all is said and done, it is important to remember that Rebirth is still in development. It may be a while before we see the game again. However, fans can take comfort in the fact that Square Enix is still working on the game. Hopefully, we will not have to wait too long for more news.
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