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Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion are different kinds of games. Intergrade is the first chapter of a three-game reimagining of the 1997 Final Fantasy VII, set primarily in Midgar. Rebirth is the second chapter, beginning as the party leaves Midgar and ending at the Forgotten Capital. Crisis Core Reunion is a remaster of the 2007 PSP prequel, starring Zack Fair; it is not the third Remake chapter. New players can start with Intergrade, while the 1997 game remains the best first stop for anyone who wants its original mysteries and reveals preserved. The announced finale, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, is scheduled for Spring 2027 and is not playable yet.
Structural spoilers follow for the opening and major premise of all three released games. A later section labels more substantial story spoilers.
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| Name | Best for | Key spec | Platforms | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade | Starting the modern trilogy; Midgar-focused story | Part one; includes the Yuffie Episode INTERmission expansion | PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Oct 2026 |
| Final Fantasy VII Rebirth | Continuing Cloud’s journey across the Planet | Part two; runs from leaving Midgar to the Forgotten Capital | PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, PC | Oct 2026 |
| Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion | Zack Fair’s backstory and the events before Final Fantasy VII | 2022 Unreal Engine 4 remaster of the 2007 PSP prequel | PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, Windows | Oct 2026 |
What is the difference between Remake, Rebirth and Crisis Core?
Remake and Rebirth are sequential parts of one reimagined Final Fantasy VII story. Crisis Core Reunion is a separate prequel campaign about Zack Fair that supplies history for characters and events the Remake series deliberately revisits.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
Remake follows Cloud Strife, a former SOLDIER working as a mercenary for Avalanche in Midgar. It expands the original game’s opening city section into a full-length action RPG: real-time attacks are combined with Active Time Battle (ATB) commands, party switching and materia customization. The campaign ends when Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith and Red XIII leave Midgar.
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The Intergrade name identifies the enhanced edition. It includes the technical upgrade and Episode INTERmission, a side campaign starring Yuffie that takes place alongside the main story. Intermission introduces Yuffie and Sonon and sets up her place in the continuing party. A 2026 official catch-up feature also lists Streamlined Progression options such as unlimited HP and MP, a permanently full ATB gauge and easier weapon-ability acquisition.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
Rebirth starts immediately after the Midgar escape. Its journey crosses the wider Planet through regions including Junon, Costa del Sol, Corel, the Gold Saucer, Gongaga, Cosmo Canyon and Nibelheim, and it concludes at the Forgotten Capital (also called the City of the Ancients). The overworld is substantially more open than Remake’s urban chapters, with chocobo traversal, optional activities and numerous minigames.
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Rebirth does not import Remake’s equipment, materia, levels or other growth parameters. Director Naoki Hamaguchi told Game Informer in 2023 that no such progression carries between games. Existing Remake save data instead grants a summon materia at the start of Rebirth.
Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion
Reunion is a modern remaster of the 2007 PlayStation Portable game, built in Unreal Engine 4 and updated with presentation and quality-of-life changes. Zack Fair, a SOLDIER 1st Class, is the protagonist. His relationships with mentor Angeal Hewley and Aerith Gainsborough, the collapse of the older SOLDIER generation, Sephiroth’s Nibelheim breakdown, and Shinra’s experiments on Zack and Cloud form the campaign’s spine.
Its action-RPG combat and mission structure come from the PSP design, so the rhythm is more repetitive than Remake or Rebirth even after the remaster. HowLongToBeat figures cited by Kotaku in 2024 put the main story at about 14 hours and completionist play close to 50 hours. Reunion is valuable context, but it is not required to understand the basic Remake plot.
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Is Remake actually a remake or a sequel?
It is officially branded the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Series, but it is not a shot-for-shot reconstruction of the 1997 game. The opening Midgar scenario is rebuilt, expanded and then intentionally diverted when the party defeats the Whispers, beings that enforce the expected course of events.
That ending creates a story that remembers, echoes and changes the earlier continuity. Biggs survives the Sector 7 disaster in one thread, Zack is shown reaching Midgar alive in another, and Rebirth follows worlds whose details differ from the main party’s reality. Hamaguchi said in a 2026 WIRED interview that the developers prefer “multilayered” and “reunion” to “multiverse.” Those terms describe the series’ approach more accurately than a simple parallel-universe label.
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One informed reading, published by TrueTrophies, calls Remake and Rebirth sequels to Crisis Core and the original Final Fantasy VII rather than remakes. That interpretation explains the returning characters and altered outcomes, but Square Enix continues to market the project as its Remake Series.
Where does Remake stop and Rebirth start?
Remake covers the expanded Midgar chapter and ends on the highway outside the city. After the Whispers’ defeat, the party leaves to pursue Sephiroth. Rebirth opens on that departure, retells Cloud’s account of Nibelheim in Kalm, and follows the group across the Planet until the Forgotten Capital.
Rebirth deliberately does not reproduce the 1997 game in the same sequence. Nomura confirmed before release that the story would reach the Forgotten Capital while changing the order and manner of events. The two games therefore work as a continuous journey, but not as two halves that simply divide the old script at identical points.
Should you play Crisis Core Reunion before Remake or Rebirth?
For most newcomers, play Remake Intergrade first and postpone Reunion until after Remake or after the original Final Fantasy VII. Reunion reveals Zack’s fate and the Nibelheim history that the 1997 game originally presents as discoveries. Starting with it preserves chronology but sacrifices some intended mystery.
Play Reunion first if chronology matters most
Reunion shows Zack’s rise, his bond with Aerith, the Buster Sword’s meaning, and the experiments that leave Cloud psychologically damaged. It then ends with Zack’s stand against Shinra so Cloud can reach Midgar. That makes it the earliest major game in the Compilation timeline, but it also tells you information that the original and Remake initially withhold.
Play it after Remake if you want the new trilogy’s reveals to land first
Remake and Rebirth use Zack’s history as an emotional and structural mystery. Crisis Core then turns references to Aerith, Angeal, Genesis and the Buster Sword into a fuller account. Reunion still depicts Zack’s death in its own campaign, while Rebirth explores a layer in which he survives; seeing both versions is central to understanding the series’ “reunion of layers” idea.
Skip it when you have already played the 1997 game
The original Final Fantasy VII contains the essential Zack and Nibelheim revelations in abbreviated form. You can move directly from the original to Remake, although Reunion adds substantially more time with Zack and Aerith and explains the first SOLDIER generation in detail. It is an optional expansion of knowledge, not a prerequisite.
Do you need to play the original Final Fantasy VII first?
No. Remake Intergrade is a valid entry point and is designed to establish Cloud, Tifa, Barret and Aerith without requiring prior play. The original is preferable if you want to experience the 1997 game’s pacing, surprises and later references before seeing how the Remake series changes them.
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The original’s main story takes just under 40 hours, with more than 80 hours possible when side content is included, according to HowLongToBeat figures cited by Kotaku in 2024. Modern ports are available on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch and Windows, with an improved translation.
What order should you play the FF7 games in?
Choose based on spoiler tolerance rather than a single “correct” chronology.
| Path | Order | Who it suits | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern trilogy first | Remake Intergrade (including INTERmission) → Rebirth → Revelation | Players who want the current three-part project in release-style order | You encounter the original’s backstory through the Remake series’ altered framing |
| Original-first | Final Fantasy VII (1997) → Crisis Core Reunion → optional Dirge of Cerberus → Remake Intergrade → Rebirth → Revelation | Players who want the classic twists preserved | Requires starting with an older presentation and a separate prequel |
| Chronological | Crisis Core Reunion → Final Fantasy VII → Remake Intergrade → Rebirth → Revelation → Dirge of Cerberus | Players who prioritize in-world sequence | Reunion gives away mysteries the 1997 game expects you to uncover |
| Limited-time route | Remake Intergrade → Rebirth; add Reunion later | Players interested only in the modern core story | Less Zack-specific context at first |
How we picked these paths
They follow the story relationships, spoiler effects and availability described by Square Enix and the cited play-order guides. None requires the discontinued mobile projects Before Crisis or The First Soldier, and Ever Crisis is not a dependable catch-up route because its availability has changed and its monetized format was criticized as a way to learn the story.
Is Crisis Core canon to the Remake trilogy?
Reunion presents the same Crisis Core story as the 2007 game, including Zack’s death. Remake and Rebirth then show another layer in which Zack reaches Midgar, making the prequel newly significant rather than obsolete. The games do not state that every Compilation event will be reproduced unchanged in the finale, so Genesis, Deepground and future Advent Children connections should be treated as open story questions.
What is Intergrade, and what is INTERmission?
Intergrade is the current name for the upgraded Remake package. INTERmission is its Yuffie-focused downloadable episode, set during the main Remake timeframe. Buying or accessing Intergrade gives you the enhanced Remake experience and the side story that introduces Yuffie’s modern-trilogy role; it is not a separate numbered chapter.
Where can you play the games, and what should you buy?
As of June 2026, Square Enix lists Remake Intergrade and Rebirth on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The official FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE & REBIRTH – Twin Pack is listed at $59.99 by Square Enix in 2026; regional storefront prices can differ. Reunion remains a separate purchase across the older and current console generations, Nintendo Switch and Windows.
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For the announced finale, Square Enix specifies save-data bonuses rather than stat transfer: an Intergrade save unlocks Chocobo & Moogle summon materia, while a Rebirth save unlocks Phoenix summon materia. No Rebirth-to-Revelation gear or level carry-over system has been published.
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When is the third Remake game coming out?
Square Enix announced Final Fantasy VII Revelation for a simultaneous Spring 2027 launch on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox PC. No official calendar day was printed in the announcement, and no PlayStation 4 edition has been announced.
Revelation is described as the trilogy’s final chapter. Cloud and his companions will use the Highwind to pursue Meteor and Sephiroth, with a freely explorable aerial map, parachute drops, Wutai, the Northern Continent and the Mideel archipelago. Vincent and Cid are listed as playable, the combat keeps its action-and-Tactical-Mode hybrid, and FITS outfits provide job-like movesets. Until the launch, details such as the exact ending, the complete role of Zack and the amount of Compilation material carried forward remain unknown.
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What happens in each story? Major spoilers
Crisis Core Reunion
Zack inherits the Buster Sword and Angeal’s ideal of honor. A reactor mission at Nibelheim exposes Sephiroth’s connection to Jenova and leads to the town’s destruction. Hojo later experiments on Zack and Cloud; Zack escapes with Cloud, fights Shinra’s army and dies so Cloud can reach Midgar. That final stand explains why Cloud has the Buster Sword and why his memories are unreliable.
Remake Intergrade
Cloud’s group fights Shinra’s mako economy while the Whispers push events toward the 1997 script. Defeating the Whispers’ arbiter at Midgar’s edge breaks that enforcement. Zack is shown alive with Cloud, and altered Stamp imagery signals that the scene belongs to a different layer of the story.
Rebirth
Sephiroth seeks the Black Materia and Meteor while the party follows black-robed reunion subjects. Zack’s chapters take place in dying worlds where he survived. At the Forgotten Capital, overlapping outcomes for Aerith leave Cloud perceiving her afterward even as the rest of the party cannot, setting the unresolved emotional and metaphysical stakes for Revelation.
FAQ
Does Rebirth include the Yuffie episode?
Yuffie is integrated into Rebirth’s main campaign, but Episode INTERmission remains a separate Intergrade story set earlier. Playing INTERmission first gives her introduction and context for the Synergy-focused combat carried into Rebirth.
How long are the Remake and Rebirth campaigns?
Hamaguchi described the first two Remake-series games as each exceeding 100 hours when their broad content is considered. That is a developer characterization rather than an independently measured completion time, and optional activities account for much of the variation.
Is Vincent playable in Rebirth?
No. Vincent travels with the party but is not a controllable fighter in Rebirth, reflecting his late recruitment in the 1997 game. Square Enix’s Revelation materials identify him as playable in the finale, with gunplay and transformations.
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Will Revelation follow the original game’s exact route?
Not necessarily. The developers have repeatedly said the Remake series can change event order and that different routes will converge toward a conclusion. The announced finale keeps familiar destinations and the Meteor conflict while leaving the precise sequence and outcomes open.
Do I need to watch Advent Children or play Dirge of Cerberus?
No. They are optional Compilation works: Advent Children is a post-FF7 film, and Dirge of Cerberus is a later Vincent-focused game. They can add context for Geostigma and Deepground, but neither is required to follow Intergrade, Rebirth or the announced Revelation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Rebirth include the Yuffie episode?
Yuffie is integrated into Rebirth’s main campaign, but Episode INTERmission remains a separate Intergrade story set earlier. Playing INTERmission first gives her introduction and context for the Synergy-focused combat carried into Rebirth.
How long are the Remake and Rebirth campaigns?
Hamaguchi described the first two Remake-series games as each exceeding 100 hours when their broad content is considered. That is a developer characterization rather than an independently measured completion time, and optional activities account for much of the variation.
Is Vincent playable in Rebirth?
No. Vincent travels with the party but is not a controllable fighter in Rebirth, reflecting his late recruitment in the 1997 game. Square Enix’s Revelation materials identify him as playable in the finale, with gunplay and transformations.
Will Revelation follow the original game’s exact route?
Not necessarily. The developers have repeatedly said the Remake series can change event order and that different routes will converge toward a conclusion. The announced finale keeps familiar destinations and the Meteor conflict while leaving the precise sequence and outcomes open.
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No. They are optional Compilation works: Advent Children is a post-FF7 film, and Dirge of Cerberus is a later Vincent-focused game. They can add context for Geostigma and Deepground, but neither is required to follow Intergrade, Rebirth or the announced Revelation.
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