Beloved Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Mechanic is Missing an…

Summary

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has wowed players with its vast open world and captivating visuals, both of which shine in photo mode.
However, photo mode could still be improved, as it lacks expressions and poses.
The addition of facial expressions and poses in the photo mode could enhance storytelling capabilities through the images fans capture, while also allowing for a wider variety of shots to be taken and shared.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is Square Enix's second shot at proving what a true remake should look like, and it largely succeeds by setting new standards for the gaming industry, especially in the age of remakes and remasters. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's best features include its vast, immersive open world, which is as beautiful as it is intriguing, and its captivating visuals overall. Thankfully, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth includes a photo mode that allows players to take full advantage of those visuals and even encourages them to do so with a side quest that seamlessly integrates the use of photo mode to capture pictures of Rebirth's open world.

Photo mode is becoming a common feature in modern video games, especially action-adventure titles with captivating graphics, and is arguably most often utilized when a developer knows how beautiful its game is. The beloved feature almost functions as a post-release marketing scheme as players take to social media to share their photos in the weeks and months following a game's release. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth indeed makes use of its photo mode at various points throughout the game, but it is lacking a reasonably obvious feature that other games with photo modes have included — like Horizon Forbidden West, Ghost of Tsushima, and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom: poses and expressions.

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By Zackari Greif

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Photo Mode Needs More Creative Expression

Facial Expressions Would Add More Personality to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Photos

One photo mode feature that many games with the tool have been known to include is the ability to change a character's expression. This primarily depends on the player's intentions, but expressions can be useful for making a scene more funny, serious, or dramatic. For example, players can choose from a healthy variety of facial expressions for Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima, and the simple change of Jin's expression simultaneously changes the entire mood of the photo. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth currently doesn't give players the option of changing a character's expression, but there is a lot of potential for it, especially as players do have the option of including their entire party in the photo if they wish.

The option to change the facial expressions of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's characters in photo mode would add a layer of storytelling to the tool that it currently lacks. Each character (aside from Cloud, perhaps) is already very expressive, so it would make sense for this option to be present in the game's photo mode. With it, players could tell stories they wouldn't otherwise be able to. It would be especially entertaining to see photo mode enabled during Rebirth's cutscenes, and character's expressions changed in the middle of them.

Poses Would Allow Players to Personalize Their Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Photos

Many games with a photo mode tool also use poses, which allow players to manipulate their character's appearance without needing to do it in-game. Even more than facial expressions can accomplish, poses allow players to personalize their photos and set them apart from the photos that others take. A great example of this, albeit a limited one, is The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom's camera, which lets players change Link's pose to either show him contemplating, pointing a finger to the sky, standing with a hand on his hip, or holding his hand out as if to showcase an item or object in the background. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should consider implementing various poses into the tool to enhance its photo mode even further by allowing players more personalization options.

Despite its photo mode's lack of facial expression and pose options, the tool is nevertheless welcomed in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. There are many sights in the game that are worth capturing an image of, so the fact that players can do that is great. Still, more customization options in the game's photo mode wouldn't be a negative.

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OpenCritic Reviews: Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%

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Released: February 29, 2024
ESRB: T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix