If you’re wondering whether Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a sequel or a new story, it’s complicated. The FF7 remake trilogy reimagines the 1997 original but also serves as a pseudo-sequel to that game. So, Depending on how you look at FF7 Rebirth, it’s a little bit of both categories.
Is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a new story or a sequel?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, which isn’t really a remake at all. Sure, these games remake the original’s iconic locations, characters, and events, but there’s more to them than that.
FF7 Remake and Rebirth serve as pseudo-sequels that take place in a parallel universe where Sephiroth is aware of his destiny and attempts to manipulate it in his favor. As a result, the planet has dispatched creatures called Watchers to try to preserve the timeline and ensure Sephiroth’s fall.
So, Cloud and Party are aware that something is different, but unlike Sephiroth, they have only the slightest inkling of things to come. So, the story in FF7 Remake and Rebirth takes place in essentially the same order, but there are twists here and there. Additionally, characters from Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 titles like Crisis Core and The First Soldier make appearances and influence events.
However, there is a bit of confusion when it comes to these games. Sometimes, it’s hard to tell when something is a reimagining of the original or when it’s a result of the timeline being manipulated. This is where the line blurs between FF7 Remake and Rebirth being a sequel to the original or a remake. The result is that they’re a bit of both. It’s up to you to interpret what’s supposed to be an element from the original that’s been reimagined and what’s genuinely meant to be sequel material.