Summary

• FF7 Rebirth features some subpar textures, similar to Remake's door issue.
• The occasional lack of detail doesn't ruin the overall effect of seeing Gaia in HD.
• Fans can appreciate the overall impressive visuals while acknowledging occasional textural inconsistencies.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake attracted a fair share of criticism despite its overall acclaim, and one particular note of complaint has reappeared in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. As updates to one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, it's no surprise that the remake games are prime targets for critique. Although it's definitely possible to make valid points about their weaker elements, one that's gotten a lot of practice in the past is ultimately a fairly minor issue to fixate on.

A major part of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's appeal is the draw of seeing the world of Gaia rendered in the detail that's possible on modern consoles. The original FF7 made excellent use of PS1 capabilities with a vast array of gorgeous pre-rendered backgrounds, but this approach also locked the game into one perspective for each setting. FF7 Remake offered a lot of new ways to look at Midgar, and Rebirth significantly expanded that vision to cover iconic locations from Nibelheim in Chapter 1 to the Gold Saucer and beyond.

FF7 Rebirth Has Some Shoddy Textures Again

One issue in Final Fantasy 7 Remake that got blown way out of proportion was that of the door to Cloud's room, which had an unusually low-resolution texture in the original PS4 release of the game. In the context of a game with stunning visuals overall, it was a bit of an odd distraction, but hardly anything that had much of an effect on the game as a whole. Anyone who found this issue distressing is going to have a bad time with FF7 Rebirth, however, as the new game doubles down on this particular problem.

It doesn't take long to start spotting some textures that aren't up to par in FF7 Rebirth, which can be a letdown, considering how impressive the detail is when it's at its best. Fans first noticed some graphical issues in the demo of the game, but a pre-launch update to Performance Mode alleviated the worst of the offenses. The inconsistent textural quality, however, seems to be an issue of its own.

These out-of-place elements can pop up anywhere in the game, from a notably smudgy pipe that Zack ducks behind in the opening sequence to the interior of the truck that takes Cloud and Sephiroth to Nibelheim in the flashback from the demo. The counter at Maghnata Books in Kalm is another prominent example, mostly because the store has one of the most detailed and memorable interiors in the game overall. It's also possible to spy a number of assets that have noticeably lower polygonal detail than the average, typically as generic interior objects.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Textures Aren't Game-Ruining

It's a problem that's worth pointing out, and it's possible to make an argument that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth weirdly looks less impressive than playing Remake on PS5 does in more areas than one. The lighting can sometimes have strange effects on faces at a distance, and a lot of areas have the lightened shadows that are common in current AAA games but make interiors look washed out. That said, there was a recent update improving shadows on faces. In other regards, the game is absolutely stunning, and it can sometimes be hard to believe that it was wrangled out of the fairly dated Unreal Engine 4.

When getting hung up about disappointing textures in FF7 Rebirth, it's best to take a step back and appreciate everything impressive about the game. The original title clawed its way to an enduring pedestal with low-resolution backgrounds, and the occasional weak link in FF7 Rebirth's detailed rendering of Gaia doesn't take away from any of the fun gameplay or memorable storytelling to be found within it. There's plenty to appreciate in the overall visual work, with lots of stunning vistas, detailed foliage, and great FF7 Rebirth characters that make it stand out as a whole.

It's generally harder to notice any out of place textures when exploring the open world vistas, which tend to be consistently impressive.

There's always a possibility that Square Enix will fix some of the textural issues in the future, as the PS5 re-release of FF7 Remake actually took care of the offending door. Even if improvements do come, it's a bit frustrating that they aren't here at launch, but it also isn't the end of the world. Of all the problems for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to have, a stray low-resolution texture here and there is about as inoffensive as it could possibly get.