Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s skill trees are full of promising decisions and flashy moves
Hitting the books
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WithFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthless than a month away, we were invited totry out a preview buildof the role-playing game (RPG) for ourselves. This included a look at character customization for theupcoming gamewhich includedRebirth’s new skill trees.
Not much has been known about how these trees would work - until now, that is. TechRadar Gaming (TRG) is happy to report that the new ‘Folio’ system is not only promising but also builds upon some classicFinal Fantasystaples.
Characters inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirtheach have access to a unique ‘Folio,’ a library of potential skills and improvements linked together by nodes. New nodes can be unlocked by spending points that you acquire by leveling up or through certain books that can be found in the wild.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Folios open up like trees, with different branches for players to choose from - a contrast to the more direct and linear offering found in its predecessorFinal Fantasy 7 Remake.
InRemake, you could customize characters by upgrading their weapons. However, the scope for choice that came with these upgrades was often very limited and tended to offer minute stat increases. Conversely,Rebirth’s Folios offer large stat buffs and brand new moves, including plenty of specializedsynergy attacks- tag-team skills where party members attack in tandem for stronger effects.
Fans ofFinal Fantasy 10will recognize this system as similar to the ‘Sphere Grid’ which could be found in the 2001 RPG. Given that Yoshinori Kitase directed and producedFinal Fantasy 10and is acting as producer onFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it makes sense that the two games would have some mechanics and design philosophies in common.
Though we only scratched the surface in our hands-on preview, the ‘Folio’ system seems as though it will offer meaningful character customization, giving us plenty to look forward to in the run-up to launch.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis due to release February 29 onPS5.
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Looking for something to play while you wait for Rebirth to release? Our lists of thebest RPGsandbest single-player gameshave you covered.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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