【TGS試遊するならこのゲーム】「FF7 リバース」プレイレポート！ Try "BEGINNINGS: SEPHIROTH&CLOUD", a co-op battle between Cloud and Sephiroth [TGS2023 Special Edition]!

Tokyo Game Show 2023 is being held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan, from September 21 to 24, 2023.

Although the scale of the show had been reduced since 2019 due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus, this year, for the first time in four years, the entire show floor is being used, with all halls from 1 to 11, the Event Hall, and the International Conference Hall, all of Makuhari Messe, being colored by games.

In this article, we will report on a play report of "Final Fantasy VII Rebirth," which we were able to try out at the Square Enix booth.

You can choose your favorite from two episodes.

This time, you can choose between two episodes, "BEGINNINGS: SEPHIROTH & CLOUD" and "THE WORLD OF FFVII REBIRTH: JUNON AREA". The former is an episode that takes place five years before the main story.

The former is a battle-focused episode set five years before the main story, in which you control Cloud and Sephiroth as they investigate Nibbleheim. In the latter, Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barrett, and Red XIII can be controlled to enjoy battles and exploration in the fortress city of Junon. The author chose the former.

The content of this episode is simple: climbing a mountain path to the "magical reactor" in Nibbleheim, but what makes this episode unique is that "that" Sephiroth can be controlled. In the original version of the game, Sephiroth was also involved in the battle in this episode, but his actions were all automatic, so it was a great feeling to be able to control him.

Sephiroth wields a long sword called "Masamune," which is taller than he is. By simply hitting the attack button, he slices through enemies at blinding speed, providing an exhilarating battle experience despite the simplicity of the controls. In addition, Sephiroth's unique element is that the abilities available to him change according to the number of attacks he makes. The "∆" button releases attack techniques that can be derived from the "Tsuri-Blade," a thrusting attack, to the "Sword Dance," a series of attacks.

In addition, the "parry" function can be used to repel an opponent's attack by pressing the □ button at the right moment while guarding with the R1 button, as well as long-range attacks by holding down the □ button. We were able to enjoy the seamless combination of offense and defense that is typical of the heroic character.

There are also "coordinated actions" with Cloud, such as "Void Break," which delivers a heavy blow, and "Counter Shoot," a counter move against an enemy's long-range attack. We were able to try out these various techniques on the playtest table.

Incidentally, the above coordination actions are new elements in this title. The actions change depending on the combination of the character under control and his or her companions, such as Tifa and Barrett, who cooperate with each other. In this title, the ATB Gauge, which increases over time and through normal attacks, can be used to activate various techniques such as magic and specific abilities, but the fact that coordinated actions do not require the ATB Gauge to begin with and can be easily incorporated into combos was also appreciated. This time we played only Cloud and Sephiroth, but we are sure that another episode set in Junon will offer a different kind of coordinated action.

The final boss, Materia Keeper.

During our exploration of the road, we also observed "parkour" actions when passing through the mountain paths. This is an element that allows you to climb over small bumps and other obstacles, and is performed with the ○ button. The exploration element seems to have been further enhanced from the previous game, as there are "materia" that can be found in the areas that can be reached by parkour, allowing for the use of special techniques such as magic.

There was also a gimmick of solving a puzzle in which a mechanical device was used to remove the miasma gas. It is nice to see a multilayered structure that incorporates not only movement and battles, but also a variety of other elements.

The episode I chose was less descriptive of the story, perhaps because it focused on battles. Nevertheless, I was impressed by the state-of-the-art CG depiction of Tifa as a child and Sephiroth before his obsession with Jenova drove him insane. Also, Cloud's voice was hilarious and juvenile. It was a different impression from the calm and cool voice of the original version, and at the same time, I just wondered again what had happened to him in the past five years.

The game was also a great experience from a story perspective, as we were able to enjoy battles using Sephiroth, which we were unable to do in the previous version, as well as a number of other effects that remind us of the five years that have passed.