Recently, the first chapter demo of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth showcased the linear dungeon of the Northern Crater. Playtesters felt that compared to the previously crowded open-world demonstrations, this more focused segment clearly presented the characters, narrative, and combat structure.
In the story, Cloud's party is still affected by Aerith's departure and rushes to the Northern Crater to stop Sephiroth. Meanwhile, Cloud's mental state continues to deteriorate, and Sephiroth's control over him grows stronger.
The demo also showcased the FITS system. This system functions like a scaled-down traditional job system, providing each character with abilities that supplement their original roles. When Cloud equips the Summoner FITS, he can consume ATB to summon Shiva and Ifrit to fight alongside him.
Cid and Vincent join the party as playable characters for the first time. Cid wields a spear for attacks and uses jumps to reposition, allowing players to enhance his moves by pressing buttons precisely when blue glows appear; Vincent provides ranged suppression with his handgun and can consume ATB to transform into Galian Beast, though maintaining this form increases Chaos Level and reduces maximum HP. Playtesters noted that while their basic combos seem simple, they actually emphasize precise button inputs synchronized with combat rhythm. This demo segment concludes with the Jenova battle and hints related to Nibelheim.