![A young Sephiroth stands in front of a fire.](https://i.kinja-img.com/image/upload/c_fit,q_60,w_645/0717dcbf4a5f74e8ca8eb6e3f1a039d3.jpg)
Closing Fantasy VII and its varied spin-offs and prolonged media have gotten troublesome to maintain monitor of through the years. Lately, every numbered Closing Fantasy looks like an prolonged universe in its personal proper. Closing Fantasy XV acquired a complete film and anime mini-series earlier than it was even out, each of which factored closely into the principle story. Closing Fantasy 7 wasn’t like that when it initially got here out in 1997, nevertheless it grew to become an prolonged universe with a number of spin-off video games, a film, and now a Remake trilogy that components these tales into the plot in vital methods. That’s true of Closing Fantasy 7 Rebirth, which is launching on February 29. There’s a spin-off you most likely didn’t play that you need to brush up on earlier than diving in: Closing Fantasy 7: The First Soldier and its Ever Disaster chapters.
We gained’t get too within the weeds about how The First Soldier components into Rebirth’s story, however in case you don’t bear in mind the sport, it was an ill-fated battle royale that ran from 2021 to 2023. It was set a number of years earlier than the occasions of FF7, and had SOLDIER candidates combating in opposition to one another in a simulation. The sport is now gone, nevertheless it lives on in Closing Fantasy 7: Ever Disaster, the cellular and PC gacha recreation that retells the occasions of Closing Fantasy 7’s varied spin-offs.
The First Soldier chapters are an authentic story following characters featured within the battle royale recreation. Its important forged consists of SOLDIER recruits Glenn, Matt, Lucia, and a younger model of sequence antagonist Sephiroth. With out diving into spoilers, we will affirm that the occasions of the First Soldier chapters do tie into Rebirth, and look like they may have a ripple impact into the third recreation Sq. Enix is engaged on to finish the Remake trilogy.
When you’re attempting to get caught up earlier than Rebirth launches, the only factor to do is watch the First Soldier chapters on YouTube or discover a abstract of the occasions on-line. When it grew to become clear throughout my Rebirth playthrough that Ever Disaster and First Soldier had been factoring into issues, I watched YouTuber Sector 6’s recaps of the primary 5 chapters to acquaint myself with the fabric. As of proper now, the story is incomplete, as Ever Disaster’ chapters are nonetheless rolling out. However there may be sufficient so that you can get a way of how the occasions of Ever Disaster’ First Soldier chapters would result in issues that unfold in Rebirth.
After you sweep up in your Closing Fantasy 7 lore, be sure you clear your PlayStation 5’s onerous drive area and learn up on our fight ideas so that you’ll be prepared for Rebirth when it launches on February 29.