The original game hinted at these deeper personalities, though only in brief conversations — never in ways that felt substantial or even relevant to the broader picture. How these characters navigate their fears, tragedies, and hopes is as much the story of “Rebirth” as Sephiroth’s quest for vengeance or even the mystery of the Whispers, and it builds a new, richer, more complex legacy for “Final Fantasy 7” that goes beyond questions of who lives and dies. On a practical level, the cast feels richer and more thoughtfully considered as a result of these changes, which helps carry “Rebirth” through its slow beginning and lends extra gravity to the game’s more serious events.
“Rebirth” splits this important character development between quiet moments in the main story and side quests, the latter of which it handles in a much more refined fashion compared to “Remake.” Where “Remake” had its heroes finding cats or making repairs for people with no connection to them — and that they’d never see again — “Rebirth” ties its quests more closely with each character’s personal stories. An early quest in the second chapter, for example, has Aerith bond with a young girl whose situation mirrors her own. It even ends with a rare instance of the always-awkward Cloud showing affection and instilling confidence in the child, an especially poignant moment considering how his own fragility and lack of confidence are at the heart of “Final Fantasy 7.”
Even standard “hunt this monster” quests have at least a kernel of emotional significance at their center, and often something even more substantial. In one instance, Cloud agrees to help a farmer exterminate a mutated wolf preying on local cattle; Red XIII tags along to help track the beast, and the quest turns into a brief discussion of how Red’s captivity damaged his body and, by extension, his sense of self.
These scenes usually culminate with a branching dialogue choice for Cloud, where his choice influences how strong his relationship with the other character grows. The best scenarios leave the “correct” choice vague. Should you go along with Tifa’s memory test? Will Barrett mind if you tease him gently about his overparenting tendencies, or could it bring you closer together? Too often, though, the choices make deciding on the right course of action obvious. There’s only one way an interaction where you tell Red XIII that he’s useless will end, for example, and since deeper relationships lead to stronger abilities in battle, there’s no benefit from indulging Cloud’s indifference or snarky responses. Still, even in moments where “Rebirth” dressed the beneficial choice in flashing lights so I wouldn’t miss it, I felt a spark of warmth after seeing the result and how it brings two damaged people closer together.