Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Trilogy Guide, Platforms & Differences

For millions of fans, Final Fantasy VII defined a generation—so remaking it meant walking a tightrope between nostalgia and reinvention. Square Enix split the journey into three standalone games, and that decision shapes everything.

Release Year: 2020 · Developer: Square Enix · Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC · Part in Series: 1 of 3 · Enhanced Version: Intergrade

How many FF7 remakes are there?

The FF7 remake project currently spans three distinct releases, with the third installment still in development.

Remake as Part 1

Final Fantasy VII Remake launched April 10, 2020 exclusively for PlayStation 4, covering the industrial city of Midgar where Cloud Strife joins the underground resistance group AVALANCHE. The main story takes approximately 30 hours to complete, with full completion ranging from 60-80 hours depending on difficulty settings. This was the foundation for the entire trilogy—Square Enix confirmed it would be the first installment in a three-part reimagining of the 1997 original.

Intergrade Edition

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrived June 10, 2021 as the enhanced PlayStation 5 version, featuring improved graphics, performance modes, and new content. Intergrade offers two display modes: Graphics Mode prioritizing 4K resolution at 30fps, and Performance Mode prioritizing 60fps with less sharp graphics. The biggest addition was Episode INTERmission, a new playable story featuring Yuffie Kisaragi as the main protagonist set between Chapter 8 and Chapter 12 of the original narrative. This DLC campaign takes approximately 5-7 hours to complete.

Intergrade brought substantial system changes beyond visuals. ATB Boost Materia cooldown times are halved, ranging from 180s–60s instead of original values. Synergy Materia no longer consumes ATB or MP, a significant balance shift. Enemy unblockable attacks now display a visual red warning symbol, and limit abilities grant temporary invulnerability during their sequences.

Rebirth as Part 2

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth released February 29, 2024 for PlayStation 5, expanding the story far beyond Midgar into an open-world environment. Unlike Remake’s linear structure, Rebirth employs a large open-zone design with interconnected regions. Player reports indicate initial playthroughs clock around 150 hours.

Voice Cast

The English cast includes Cloud Strife voiced by Steve Burton, Tifa Lockhart by Ashley Johnson, Barret Wallace by John Novotny, Aerith Gainsborough by Brittany Snow, and Yuffie Kisaragi by Brianna Knickerbocker. Japanese audio with original voice actors remains available as an option.

What’s the difference between FF7 Remake and Rebirth?

The two released games differ dramatically in scope, structure, and mechanical depth.

Story Coverage

Remake confines itself entirely to Midgar, following Cloud and AVALANCHE as they battle the Shinra Electric Power Company. Rebirth begins the moment characters leave Shinra’s host city, taking players across diverse open-world regions with entirely new environments, characters, and story beats.

New Content

Rebirth introduces Synergy abilities where two characters unleash special moves together—a system expanding on mechanics from Intergrade’s Episode INTERmission. Red 13 and Yuffie are now fully playable main party members, whereas Red 13 was non-playable in Remake and Yuffie existed only in DLC. Rebirth also adds Dynamic difficulty where enemies scale alongside Cloud and friends.

Gameplay Changes

Remake features a linear structure with limited exploration corridors. Rebirth pivots to a large open-zone architecture where players navigate between regions, engage in World Intel collection, and tackle side quests. Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed each game in the trilogy is balanced independently, so levels and abilities will not carry over between installments.

Is the FF7 Remake going to be 3 parts?

Square Enix officially confirmed the trilogy structure from Remake’s announcement, treating each game as a standalone installment in an ongoing story.

Official Trilogy Confirmation

Final Fantasy VII Remake was announced as “Part 1” from its debut, with Square Enix explicitly framing it as the first entry in a trilogy remaking the 1997 original. This follows a pattern similar to Xenosaga—three distinct games with one ongoing narrative.

Part 3 Development Status

Square Enix confirmed Part 3 is in development without announcing a release date or final title. The company has not specified whether the third game will launch on additional platforms beyond PlayStation 5, leaving Xbox availability uncertain.

The trilogy structure follows the pattern of Xenosaga: three distinct games with one ongoing story.

— Steam Community Discussion (player analysis)

Each game in the trilogy is balanced independently, so levels and abilities will not carry over between games.

— Naoki Hamaguchi, Director, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PlayStation Official)

Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake a full remake?

Remake reimagines the original 1997 title but in a substantially expanded, restructured format.

Scope of Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake originally released for PlayStation on April 10, 2020—a modern reimagining built from the ground up with new combat systems, expanded characters, and a fully 3D Midgar. The scope exceeds the original’s opening section by orders of magnitude, padding what was a few hours in 1997 into a full 30-80 hour experience.

Original vs Remake Coverage

The 1997 original covered the entire journey from Midgar through the Northern Cave. Remake (Part 1) covers only the Midgar section, expanding it dramatically. Rebirth (Part 2) covers the immediate post-Midgar journey through the Grasslands, Junon, and beyond. Part 3 will presumably complete the remaining story.

Do I need to play remake before Rebirth?

Sequential play is essential for narrative coherence.

Recommended Play Order

Square Enix designed Rebirth as a direct sequel following Remake’s ending. Characters, relationships, and plot developments carry forward. Playing Rebirth first would spoil major narrative reveals from Remake, and Rebirth assumes players understand established context.

Story Continuity

Rebirth’s narrative begins immediately after Remake’s conclusion with Cloud and company departing Midgar. The PlayStation Guide for FF7 Rebirth explicitly recommends playing Remake first for full narrative appreciation. Without Remake’s foundation, players miss critical character development and story context.

The current FF7 remake trilogy: a specs rundown

Square Enix transformed the 1997 classic across three distinct games, each with different technical profiles and gameplay approaches.

The trilogy structure follows the pattern of Xenosaga: three distinct games with one ongoing story.

— Steam Community Discussion (player analysis)

Each game in the trilogy is balanced independently, so levels and abilities will not carry over between games.

— Naoki Hamaguchi, Director, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PlayStation Official)

For players entering the FF7 Remake trilogy, the path is clear: start with Remake or Intergrade (the latter offers better performance and the Yuffie DLC), then progress to Rebirth. Expect roughly 180 combined hours across both released games. Waiting for Part 3 means accepting an incomplete story—Square Enix designed each installment to end mid-arc, driving trilogy sales through narrative momentum.

Related reading: Fallout New Vegas Remastered · Rings of Power Season 3

Final Fantasy 7 Remake immerses players in an expanded Midgar right from the start, where Midgar remake overview highlights the stunning graphical upgrades and evolved combat system.

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