Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailer comparison shows a faithful recreation of 1997's original scenes

 Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth fans are comparing the original game to the footage from the latest trailer.

Yesterday saw a long-awaited new trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, finally appeasing many, many desperate fans around the world. We saw the likes of Elena in action, Cloud approaching the Chocobo farm, Tifa springing into action, and Aerith being guided through the mythos behind Gaia, among other scenes.

Now, one quick-working fan has compared this new footage against the original Final Fantasy 7. In the top half of the TikTok just below, we can see the brand new footage from Rebirth's trailer, while in the bottom half of the screen, we can see how those exact same scenes played out over 20 years ago all the way back in 1997.

It's easy to forget just how advanced Final Fantasy 7 was for its time. Stuff like exploring the wider world once we'd made it out of Midgar was mind-blowing back in the day, and now it's all coming back to life in front of our eyes. If you were worried about Rebirth completely throwing out every plot point from Final Fantasy 7, this footage shows maybe you don't need to be.

It's a lovely project that attests to how much effort Square Enix has put into Rebirth. Well, one would only have had to play Final Fantasy 7 Remake back in 2020 to see first-hand just how much love and care had gone into the recreation of Midgar, so it's no surprise Square Enix has extended that passion to the wider world of Gaia.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches next year in early 2024 for PS5. Last night's trailer has also got Cloud and Tifa shippers at meltdown level after the two were seen exchanging some pretty angst-driven moments. 

You can head over to our Summer Game Fest 2023 guide for a complete look over all the other announcements from the last night.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.