Dad, please play Final Fantasy!
A few months ago, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, was finally released. The game had generated very high expectations, as the first installment, launched at the beginning of the pandemic, had set the bar very high. I had thoroughly enjoyed it and was more than eager to continue the journey.
My kids, Santi (12) and Sami (9), also experienced the first game with me back in 2020, even though they were quite a bit younger. Whenever I sat down to play in the afternoons or on weekends, they would join me, following the characters’ adventures closely and cheering along whenever I won a tough battle (Santi still remembers Hell House on hard mode, what a nightmare that battle was!).
Of course, now that there was a new installment in the series, they wanted in on the action too. I promised them I wouldn’t play while they were sleeping or at school so we could enjoy it together. So, when they got home from school, or on weekends, they would say:
“Dad, please play Final Fantasy!”
Naturally, most of the time I was working or had other family responsibilities to attend to, so progress was much slower than I wanted it to be, and many days I couldn’t advance at all.
But this weekend, after just over 3 months, I finally reached the end. It took me 130 hours to finish the main story and most of the side quests, and I still have the toughest challenges left to achieve 100% completion.
Playing as a team with my kids
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, like most games of this genre, is a single-player game. However, that didn’t stop my kids from sitting next to me and offering tips or sometimes outright instructions on what to do:
“Dad, don’t go that way, the mission is on the other side!”
“Dad, don’t do that minigame! Stick to the main story, I want to know what happens next!”
For instance, I told Santi he was my copilot in the toughest battles. He was always mindful of the enemies’ weaknesses and would suggest spells or character abilities to take advantage and defeat them. Sometimes we’d even debate strategies if the battle got really tough, or if I had been defeated and needed to try again:
“Dad, use Chi Trap first and then hit them with Thundaga!”
“Dad, that enemy isn’t weak to fire, don’t use Fire! They’re weak to ice, use Yuffie and throw the ice star!”
One thing I particularly enjoyed was playing Queen’s Blood, the card minigame included in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Throughout the main story, there are side challenges where you have to defeat multiple opponents in this card game. Some of those rivals were quite tough, and Santi would eagerly recommend strategies to beat them:
“Dad, use the Cactuar first, then the Titan when they’ve played their special card.”
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has many minigames. It’s probably my only critique; some minigames felt superfluous and added very little to the experience. But others, like Queen’s Blood, were very entertaining and gave us great moments of fun.
And of course, there were the Chocobo races. Here, Sami was the most involved; we spent a Saturday afternoon playing together, taking turns to win several races. She also enjoyed changing the Chocobos’ accessories, which also modified their speed, weight, etc.
“Dad, did you see how I came first in the race? I’m the best!”
“Dad, look at the cute accessories I put on the Chocobo, and it’s faster now!”
The story, the world, and the music
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is much more than minigames and battles. The story, similar to the original Final Fantasy VII but with some significant changes, and the way the characters develop kept me captivated these three months. The voice acting brings each character to life, and it elicited many laughs and emotions from me in different chapters of the game.
The game involves a lot of exploration, with huge regions where you can spend hours exploring every nook and cranny, facing various enemies, and completing different challenges. The graphics are stunning, with tropical beaches, dense jungles, and vast deserts. I often found myself lingering for a few seconds upon reaching a new area just to take in the scenery.
And of course, as with all games in the franchise (or at least the ones I’ve played), the music is simply epic. Like the first part of the trilogy, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth features a soundtrack that reinvents the classic themes from the original game, adding modern instrumentation and arrangements that elevate each track to a new level.
Moreover, composer Nobuo Uematsu took the liberty of composing a new theme and recording it with singer Loren Allred to breathe life into a new scene in the game where Aerith (one of the main characters) sings. The lyrics and music are moving, especially considering how the game’s story unfolds, particularly Aerith’s.
Now that I’ve finished it, I can say Final Fantasy VII Rebirth lived up to my high expectations. Playing it was a tremendous experience, and I am very glad to have shared that experience with my kids.
Have you had similar experiences playing with your kids on this or other games of the same genre?
Juan Pablo makes videogames since he was 8 and he is a father since 2004. Today, he has three children and he has worked in more than 20 videogames. He got interested on how paternity and the videogame industry are related and he decided to write about it, founding "Papa Game Dev".
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