So you’ve just finished Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and found yourself stuck in limbo. I don’t blame you for feeling a little hollow after such an experience. Unfortunately, we’ve got a few years until Cloud’s story continues in the next part of the series. So, now is the perfect time to play some new games after finishing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
10. Star Ocean: The Second Story R
Star Ocean: The Second Story R is a remake of a classic RPG that a lot of players might have missed out on late last year. This is technically a remake of a remake of the second game in the series, which I know is a bit confusing. Luckily you can jump right into this game without having any prior knowledge of the series. And then you’ll eventually want to play the rest of the games too after Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
The Star Ocean series is a long-running franchise of RPGs with strong action elements. And that DNA still resonates brilliantly with this title. It’s got deep character progression mechanics that can, quite literally, give you the power of a god if you know what you’re doing. Then throw in the fast-paced combat system and this becomes a very fun game at a blistering pace. Plus, all the little additions in this remake mean it’s an unmissable game for RPG fanatics.
9. Tekken 8
Alright here’s the first curveball of the list but there’s a good reason for putting it here. Tekken 8 is easily one of the best fighting games of the last few years and outshines Tekken 7 in nearly every way. But you should pick this up now for the tiny possibilities for the percentile chance that Tifa Lockheart becomes a DLC fighter.
Tifa has been a long-requested character in the series for years now. And since Tekken 7 featured Noctis— everyone’s favorite warp-striking goth kid — there’s a decent chance we could see another Final Fantasy collaboration. With that in mind, it’d be a good idea to get in some practice with Tekken 8 now to prepare for this. Until then you can always customize Reina to get a Tifa cosplay going.
8. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth
Back to the RPGs now, specifically the one that kickstarted our nonstop rollercoaster this year. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth once again gives us the reigns of our loveable cast of not-quite-Yakuza. Ichiban Kasuga and the gang are back once again except this time the action takes place in Hawaii and Kazuma Kiryu himself joins the action.
If like me you decided to save this game for a quieter part of the year, I don’t blame you. This is one of the longest games in the Like a Dragon franchise, which is saying a lot when some of these games push 50 hours already. You can expect to probably put in around 100 hours on the beaches of Hawaii this time around so clear your schedule if you decide to pick this game up.
7. Helldivers 2
Sometimes it’s nice to have a palate cleanser after diving into a big RPG. Helldivers 2 is one of those perfect games to play after Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth because it’s so different. If you’ve been craving an extremely satirical game about establishing Earthen dominance across a galaxy of bugs and robots, then say no more.
Helldivers 2 is also the perfect opportunity to play something with your friends. Genuinely fun and bombastic co-op experiences are a rarity these days outside of survival games and the odd couch coop title. Helldivers 2 manages to recreate the energy Halo in some ways with pure carnage taking center stage. Watch any gameplay of this game and you’ll see what I mean. There’s no better game to play while discussing and digesting complex Final Fantasy 7 lore than this one.
6. Final Fantasy 14
Don’t worry I won’t do the free trial meme here. With that said, if you haven’t played Final Fantasy 14 yet, then I do recommend grabbing that free trial. MMOs are hard to get into on a good day and Square Enix has done their best to make easing yourself into Final Fantasy 14 as smooth as possible. Starting this after finishing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is a good idea if you don’t want to leave these games behind yet.
Final Fantasy 14 is its own story with a bunch of expansions at this point. That means it’s not going to necessarily scratch the Final Fantasy 7 itch on its own. But if you want a game that you can sink literal months or years into while you wait for the next part of the remake, this is the one for you. We’ve also got Dawntrail launching this summer so hop in and catch up as soon as you can.
5. Persona 3 Reload
So you’ll be in one of two camps with Persona 3 Reload. You’re either like me and you chugged this game as quickly as possible before Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth came out. Or, you were smart and waited for Rebirth before starting this up. If you fall in the latter category then this is your sign to go and play Persona 3 Reload right now.
Something that makes Persona 3 Reload a particularly satisfying experience after Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the fact that it’s an open-and-shut story. It begins and has a definitive ending that wraps up everything perfectly. That might not seem like a big deal but sometimes that sort of experience is exactly what I need. Persona 3 Reload also has one of the greatest casts in an RPG so if you’re missing the Final Fantasy 7 family you can spend some time with SEES instead.
4. Baldur’s Gate 3
At this point, it’s hard to find a list that doesn’t include Baldur’s Gate 3 on it somewhere. And in this case, it’s an obvious game to recommend after playing through Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Sure as far as gameplay goes they’re nothing alike. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an action RPG whereas Baldur’s Gate 3 is a far more slow-paced strategic experience. But that contrast is what makes Baldur’s Gate 3 a refreshing experience.
Baldur’s Gate 3 will take you around 100 hours to complete most of the content on your first playthrough. And then you’ll probably want to do another two to three playthroughs after you’re done. Keep that up and you’ll enter a time warp taking you straight to the next Final Fantasy 7 Remake game.
3. Final Fantasy 16
Here’s another game that might seem a little obvious but it’s worth mentioning. Final Fantasy 16 was released last year to decent critical reception. But the passion for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was a little louder in comparison. So it’s not unlikely that a lot of people might have skipped over Final Fantasy 16 in favor of waiting for Rebirth.
If that’s true for you then now is the chance to go back and revisit a fairly divisive game in the community. And with The Rising Tide DLC coming out in spring you can check out new story content at the perfect time. You can even use the Buster Sword if you pick up the DLC. So if you aren’t quite ready to leave Cloud behind you can use that little memento.
2. Dragon’s Dogma 2
Capcom’s upcoming open-world RPG is shaping up to be quite the experience judging from pre-release material. And it should deliver a much more hardcore experience in comparison to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s normal difficulty. But Dragon’s Dogma 2 will still deliver fast-paced combat, interesting party dynamics, and an expansive open world to explore.
What sets Dragon’s Dogma 2 apart is its focus on letting the player drive the experience. As you play the game you’re likely to have some unique experiences and memorable battles that are unique to your playthrough. That dynamic experience will hopefully give way to dozens of exciting hours of gameplay. Experienced players of the first game also have a lot to look forward to with Dragon’s Dogma 2’s additions.
1. Final Fantasy 7
It wouldn’t be a list about Final Fantasy 7 without some kind of twist wrapping it back around to the game. Yes, I am serious about going back to play the original Final Fantasy 7. The remake games are only enriched by prior knowledge of the series. But the real value in playing the original game is being able to pick out all the tiny differences in the new games. The ability to have that context might be important in the next game.
Even if you’ve already played through Final Fantasy 7 a dozen times, it’s hard to stay away from it completely. There’s a reason it’s such a beloved game in the franchise after all. It offers one of the best stories, awesome character progression, and an iconic soundtrack that never gets old. If you’ve played through all of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and can’t leave this world yet, go back and play the original game.
If none of these games have scratched the right itch maybe it’s time to turn to the wider pantheon of the best turn-based RPGs.
