FF7 Rebirth’s new difficulty mode turns it into FF8

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will feature a new difficulty mode that makes things easier or harder, as Final Fantasy VIII did back on the PS1.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is an action RPG, a stark difference from the original Final Fantasy VII, which was a turn-based RPG. This meant that Final Fantasy VII required a degree of timing skill to play, unlike Final Fantasy VII, which could be enjoyed at the player’s pace.

Final Fantasy VII Remake added difficulty modes for turn-based RPG fans to mitigate this genre shift. One was the “Classic” mode, which catered to turn-based RPG players, with easier/harder modes available for those of different skill levels.

The upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will feature the best of both worlds, through a new difficulty mode that aims to challenge players of all skill levels as it adapts to the player’s progress through the game.

Square Enix

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s Dynamic difficulty scales like FF8

A new article on the official Square Enix website has announced the Dynamic difficulty mode. When selected, this will adjust the difficulty of the monsters based on the party’s current level. As the party progresses through the game, the monsters get stronger.

The Dynamic difficulty mode is interesting because it’s the same system used in Final Fantasy VIII. In that game, the monsters’ stats were based on the party’s level to ensure that the game was always challenging without becoming too easy or hard.

Unfortunately for the developers of Final Fantasy VIII, this system was broken, as players quickly realized that the Card ability let them win battles without gaining experience points. The party could then equip high-level gear while mowing through low-level enemies.

It’s doubtful that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will have a similar exploit, considering it’s an action game. Hopefully, Square Enix learned its lesson from Final Fantasy VIII and prevented players from avoiding experience point gain outside of specific challenge modes.

Dynamic difficulty is exciting for returning players, as it can give them more of a challenge from the start. The battle system in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has all kinds of new features, like combo attacks, and the combat needs to be hard to encourage players to use everything at their disposal.