There seems to be a growing likelihood that Square Enix will consider multiplatform launches for Final Fantasy going forwards. It's not a surprise given the trends in recent years, but for Square Enix to make the most out of this strategy, it needs to ensure the PC ports are more than just an afterthought.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake's PC version was a huge disappointment, an example of what happens when you only do the bare minimum in porting a game over.
That game's qualities still managed to shine through, but not without a need to look past significant issues, which ranged from frequent stuttering and a lack of graphics options to awful keyboard and mouse controls.
Thankfully, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's PC version was taken more seriously. I had the opportunity to try Rebirth on PC ahead of its release and played through all the way to the end credits with keyboard and mouse, and though I had some issues with it, this port is a lot more playable.
PC features and performance
Rebirth offers more graphics settings to help a wide range of PCs reach greater performance, including the addition of DLSS upscaling support. Reaching a consistent 60 frames per second is easier this time around.
Playing with a RTX 3070 graphics card, I ended up lowering the graphics quality in exchange for a 120fps experience. While it meant I wasn't able to take advantage of the PC port's advertised 'enhanced visuals', the compromise was well worth it – particularly in making the action during the frenetic battles more thrilling.
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There was one area in the game where I experienced stuttering, but other than that, I had far fewer technical issues running Rebirth compared to Remake, which was a relief.
It's worth pointing out that the PC port is also Steam Deck verified, but I wasn't able to test Rebirth's performance on a Steam Deck.
One thing that is missing is ultrawide resolution support. This won't be a consideration for the majority of PC users, but Rebirth feels like a game that would have been enhanced by the added immersion created by ultrawide, including during open-world exploration.
Costa del Sol looks great on PC as you would expect, but imagine walking through the resort in ultrawide.
Keyboard and mouse controls for battles and menus
Perhaps the biggest improvement in Rebirth over Remake on PC is how the keyboard and mouse controls are handled.
In Remake, the keyboard and mouse controls were so frustrating to the point where using a controller was by far the best way to play through the game. Even after remapping, Remake felt awkward and rough to play during battles and the motorcycle segments.
It's wild that you could not map WASD to the commands menus and movement without them interfering with each other.
Rebirth addresses that problem, among many others. You can seamlessly use WASD for both the commands menus and character movement in battles. Outside of battles, the Esc key brings up the menu screen. And yes, you can now use the mouse to look around and interact with the map, instead of using keys.
These quality-of-life improvements make interacting with the game a more streamlined experience. Battles are much less of a struggle to the point where, unlike with Remake, I prefer using keyboard and mouse over the controller here. The controller remains the most natural way to play the game, but I like being able to move the camera with the mouse.
I do wish that I could have used a mouse cursor to select menu options, though. I got through the game using WASD but this is one area that could have been improved, particularly with the amount of time spent managing equipment and materia.
By comparison, I played the PC versions of Persona 3 Reload, Metaphor: ReFantazio and Dragon Age: The Veilguard last year, and they all had mouse cursor support for menus.
Keyboard and mouse controls for minigames
Having a mouse cursor would have been really nice for the Queen's Blood card game as well. It's not a big deal comparatively speaking; using WASD to select and place cards works as well as with a controller.
However – maybe it's because I've played a fair number of deckbuilders and take mouse support in those games for granted – but this feels like an odd oversight.
Elsewhere, the piano minigame is unfortunately not suited for the keyboard. It was designed with thumbsticks in mind, and without any tweaks to how it plays, the keys don't work well here at all. On the other hand, Costa del Sol's shooting gallery minigame is much easier with a mouse than with a controller (as well as the couple of on-rails shooting segments), so that sort of evens out.
The other minigames are perfectly playable without a controller, too. That includes the motorbike minigame, which is a lot more tolerable with keyboard and mouse this time around than in Remake.
Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth worth playing?
What about the game itself? Is it any good?
To be honest, you probably already know at this point whether or not you would enjoy the game, especially if you've played the first chapter of the trilogy. There are also hundreds of reviews from last year for the PS5 version and countless gameplay and review videos on YouTube you can check out.
In our review from last February, Ben Rayner gave Rebirth a glowing score and called it "the ultimate way to experience this much-loved story". In December 2024, it made our list of the top games of the year. So, there is a lot of appreciation for the game here.
Personally, I was left with mixed feelings – but I should also add that I don't have nostalgia for the original game like so many do, and Rebirth feels like a game specifically designed for fans of the original in the passionate way many of the moments, arcs, and locations are depicted and fleshed out here.
I enjoyed spending time with the core characters, the world-building is impressive, and the soundtrack is truly superb. I had plenty of fun with the battle system as well.
However, I found the narrative pacing poor and the open-world elements often tedious. The game is stuffed with minigames yet their quality is inconsistent, and there were late-game segments that I found to be a slog. Rebirth's penchant for padding and its 'more is more' approach take away from the overall experience, and I think it would have benefitted from some restraint and trimming.
There's also the incredibly divisive climax to the story, which I won't get into except to say that I thought that it was ambitious yet messy at the same time.
PC port verdict
That said, you can disregard my gripes with the game if all you want to know is whether or not Rebirth's PC port is decent. The good news on that front is that, a few issues aside, the PC version does deliver and is comfortably better than Square Enix's attempt with Remake.
While Remake's issues were significant obstacles that had to be overcome in order to enjoy the game itself, Rebirth's PC features make playing the game as intended a much smoother experience.
The lack of mouse cursor support is a bit annoying and ultrawide would have been nice, but otherwise, it's great to see Square Enix showing greater appreciation for PC as a platform for its single-player games.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is out on PC on January 23, and is also available on PlayStation 5.
