Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Surprise demo "Fall of a Hero in Nibelheim" now available!

Sony's State of Play this week featured a heavy dose of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. In addition to a 20 minutes of impressive gameplay footage and one final trailer before the game's launch, Sony released part one of a two-part demo.

The first part of this demo, titled "Fall of a Hero in Nibelheim" features an extended flashback section as Cloud Strife recalls an earlier mission in his career as a SOLDIER – “the Nibelheim incident.”

In the demo, you'll take control of a younger version of Cloud Strife and Sephiroth as the two SOLDIER heroes investigate the sudden appearance of monsters in the mountains above Cloud's hometown.

The demo will receive an update on February 21, introducnig a new playable sectoin titled "Dawn of a New Era in Junan." This is a special playable section that was made specifically for the demo and will allow players to explore the area around the harbor town of Junan.

This second part is designed to give players a feel for the open world aspect of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. While the game itself is going to have a massive world to explore, the Junan area in this demo has been altered so that the content is more compact. In addition to exploration, the demo will give players a taste of the new synergy attacks and powerful character bonds.

If you're interested in playing the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo, you can download it for free right now from the PlayStation Store. In the meantime, be sure to check out the 20 minute gameplay preview as well below. It features a wealth of new information and tons of exciting gameplay footage.

The progress you make in this demo will not carry over to the game's launch. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is set to launch exclusively on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024.