• In the early hours of this morning, PlayStation held a standalone State of Play event to showcase its highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
• Along with 11 minutes of gameplay, a demo for the title has now been made available to PS5 owners.
• The game launches on 29th February exclusively for the PS5 and retails from R1 499 locally.

Last week PlayStation held a State of Play event to highlight upcoming titles that its community of players should keep their eyes on, but there was a curious oddity in the fact that nothing was mentioned regarding Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is one of the most highly anticipated games set to launch exclusively on the PS5.

Well PlayStation changed that in the early hours of this morning, hosting a standalone State of Play for the game, which is set to launch on the PS5 at the end of this month.

Developer Square Enix served up 11 minutes of gameplay, detailing the main protagonist Cloud Strife, his companions, exploration of the city of Mako, as the pursuit of the game’s antagonist Sephiroth.

Added to this is a demo for the game which launches today, and will give PS5 players a little taste of what will be available come 29th February.

“Taking place several years before the events of the game, this will set the stage for several important moments within Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. What’s more, we’re planning to release an update later this month that will allow you to explore part of the Junon region before the release of the full game on February 29,” noted Square Enix in a PlayStation Blog post.

Some of the elements showcased in the 11 minutes of gameplay unpack traversal, with Chocobos being key in exploring different areas of the massive world map. “Chocobos will be of particular help to Cloud and his companions, since they have different abilities in each area. Some can swim through raging currents, jump over mushroom footholds, or even scale sheer cliffs,” Square Enix explained.

Outside of the main storyline, exploration will be encouraged for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the developer continued.

“In the vast field areas, there are all kinds of points of interest to explore that will call to your sense of adventure. Broadly speaking, the first category is World Intel – where you survey the world, fighting fearsome foes and seeking out various resources or hidden treasures as you go. The second type is odd jobs, which delve deeper into the world and characters. Today, we’ve introduced sanctuaries, which reveal knowledge on this game’s summons, helping Cloud and his companions conquer them to subsequently call on their power in battle.”

Square Enix is also talking up the capabilities of the PS5 when it comes to rendering a beautiful gaming environment.

“The high-quality, rich graphics that use the PlayStation 5 console’s ultra-fast SSD to its fullest can show the subtle nuances of the emotional state of the characters, further elevating the narrative experience its depiction of Cloud and his companions forging ever-stronger bonds. More detailed and nuanced facial animations will lend additional depth to the characters’ journeys, especially as Cloud and his friends face down the destiny that awaits them at their story’s end.”

While it remains to be seen whether that is indeed the case, as we saw with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 last year, hopefully the game will not push the current-gen console to close to the edge in terms of performance.

What will be pushed, however, is your budget for February and March, as the latest instalment in the Final Fantasy franchise does not come cheap. It is currently listed on the South African PlayStation Store for pre-order, starting at R1 499 for the standard edition on PS5.

This rises to a staggering R1 899 for the Digital Deluxe Twin Pack, which features both FF7 Remake Intergrade, FF7 Rebirth, a digital mini soundtrack, digital Art Book, Magic Pot Summoning Materia, Reclaimant Choker accessory, and Orchid Bracelet armour.