Summary
Though Cloud’s path may have strayed into unknown territory,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthstill follows the same general story structure of the 1997 original. After leaving Midgar, Cloud and the rest of the gang set off to find Sephiroth. Their journey in bothRebirthand the originalFinal Fantasy 7takes them to a number of iconic locations, some of which hold an incredible amount of importance forthe entireFinal Fantasy 7saga.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Nibelheim is one such location, directly tied to some of the game’s most important characters and events. First visited in a flashback, Nibelheim is Cloud and Tifa’s hometown, the site of the very first Shinra Mako reactor, and where Sephiroth makes his dramatic turn to evil after uncovering secrets that shatter his entire worldview. WhileFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthtakes some creative liberties with some iconic locations, Nibelheim has essentially been recreated one-for-one, albeit with a handful of new additions.
Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Nibelheim Town Center to the 1997 Original
One of the most iconic background screens inthe originalFinal Fantasy 7, Nibelheim’s town center has been largely unchanged inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In both games, after passing through the town’s gateway, players will be met with a fairly compact town square: an inn on the left, a water tower in the center, a locked manor on the right, and Cloud and Tifa’s childhood homes directly in front of the player.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s version of Nibelheimis incredibly faithful, pretty much remaking the town exactly and each building boasts the same architectural design as the original. Even the placement of certain lampposts and road signs are nearly identical. One of the few significant changes made to Nibelheim’s town center inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis its general color palette, with the original using a more muted, green-colored tone, whileRebirthgives the town a warmer brown hue.
Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Nibelheim Shinra Manor to the 1997 Original
While Nibelheim’s town center is very similar across its two versions, Shinra Manor features a few more significant changes. Located in the same spot in both games,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Shinra Manoris a much more linear experience than its original counterpart. In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, Cloud can explore the entirety of Shinra Manor during the Nibelheim flashback, including its side wings and its upper floors.
InFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Shinra Manor’s upper levels have been blocked off, as have its lower-level wings, meaning that the only path Cloud can take is the one that takes him straight to Sephiroth.
In both versions, players willfind Sephiroth in Shinra Manor’s underground library, and while the look of the library itself is very similar across the two games, the visual design of the underground area leading up to it looks and feels very different. In the 1997 original, the library is located in Shinra Manor’s secret dungeon, hidden behind a false wall. This area is dim and eerie, with skeletal remains strewn on the ground. InFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, this area doesn’t resemble a dungeon at all, but rather an excavated cave, with high ceilings and bright lighting, which does make the manor lose some of its creepy atmosphere.
Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Mt. Nibel to the 1997 Original
Probably the area of Nibelheim that’s changed the most inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Mt. Nibel has been greatly expanded upon and has been given a completely different visual design. In the originalFinal Fantasy 7, Mt. Nibel is just a few short screens of underground caverns and an overground area that leads to the Mako reactor. InFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Mt. Nibel has been expanded upon greatly, featuring far more underground caverns and far more preamble before players make it up to the reactor.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
