Compare Final Fantasy VII Rebirth vs Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “You can also switch between all three levels at will.”

Reviewers described the sequel as more understandable and more accessible, with lore and design changes that reduce friction for more players.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “this one is a bit more violent than Remake.”

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “In reality it’s just a super hard NPC that that the AI cheats for.”

Enemy AI was a rare weak spot, with one review saying it was not especially sharp even as combat remained playful.

Aiming drew a small caveat because one reviewer wanted gyroscopic aiming despite the stronger focus on ranged weapons.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “standard gameplay animations are not far behind at all.”

Animation and motion capture were praised as elite, with reviewers pointing to fantastic performance capture and some of the best motion work they had seen.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “art direction and design of these worlds showed Square-Enix at the peak” and “Recognizing the general layout of the old, familiar map.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “This is a world of beauty and loss.”

The atmosphere was consistently praised for haunting landscapes, calm-chaos contrast, and strange moments that made the world linger.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “Fighting new foes and classic bosses with Rebirth's combat” and “boss fights are tremendous.”

Boss fights were broadly improved and visually striking, though several reviewers said they could be simple, optional, or less challenging than expected.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “I’ve run into no technical bugs or glitches” and “I did not encounter a single crash or bug.”

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “lock-on system has trouble tracking” and “I had a lot of trouble with the camera.”

Reviewers repeatedly highlight stronger characterization, deeper party relationships, and more nuanced portrayals of both returning and newly playable characters.

Character arcs landed unevenly: some reviewers warmed to the cast and late-game moments, while others felt arcs happened away from Sam.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “Each of the controllable characters in the game have a totally unique control scheme” and “Rebirth features up to seven characters.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “a helpful checkpoint system can keep you from having to repeat.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “every character feels viable and distinct.”

Reviewers broadly praise the hybrid action/ATB combat as fast, strategic, and improved by Synergy, with only isolated complaints about specific enemy or encounter tuning.

Combat was widely seen as improved, snappier, and more flexible, though a few reviewers found it clunky, overemphasized, or easier to avoid.

The community layer was a highlight, with reviewers praising the sense of shared infrastructure and collaborative help across the world.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “"backline" members lend some token aid” and “even characters not in your party can fight.”

Content variety is very high, especially through minigames, Queen’s Blood, side quests, world intel, and Gold Saucer activities, though a few reviewers call the volume excessive.

Weather, hazards, floods, earthquakes, fires, and other systems made the world and deliveries feel more varied and reactive.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “feels a little clumsy and clunky” and “pretty intuitive to pick up and use.”

Controls were generally praised as refined and smoother, including PC input options and better feel compared with the first game.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “open regions full of enjoyable optional activities” and “core gameplay Loop which is like engagements World dungeons bosses repeat.”

The delivery loop remained central but was described as tighter, more addictive, and more player-friendly across several reviews.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “new recipes to use in Rebirth’s crafting system” and “life Springs are a treasure Trove of crafting resources.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “I did not encounter a single crash or bug throughout my playthrough.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “One second I’m trying to earn a beach outfit.”

Dialogue drew a mild caveat from one reviewer who found some cutscenes too long, even while praising the cast overall.

Difficulty is adjustable and often satisfying, but several reviewers call out spikes, hard bosses, or uneven tuning.

Difficulty was mixed: reviewers noted optional harder settings and late-game challenge, but many felt vehicles, weapons, or BT changes made parts too easy.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “It is a fully fleshed out racing game.”

Vehicles were one of the biggest improvements, arriving earlier and handling better, though some reviewers felt they trivialized traversal.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “frees up a lot of Materia slots.”

Several reviewers describe strong emotional impact, especially through party relationships, grief, nostalgia, and character moments.

Many reviewers found the final hours, sincere human stories, and emotional stakes powerful, while one review felt comparatively unmoved.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “post-game content adds even more” and “combat challenges a super boss Etc.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “the enemies, they’re even better and more varied” and “enemy variety is so well done.”

Enemy variety was praised for making combat more engaging, especially with better-equipped bandits, BT variants, and Ghost Mechs.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “massive landscapes and ecosystems of Rebirth” and “awe-inspiring hugeness of nature.”

The Australia and Mexico environments were repeatedly praised for variety, vistas, textures, weather, and visual detail.

Exploration is often rewarding thanks to sights, world context, side discoveries, and region-specific objectives.

Exploration was praised for making the next horizon feel exciting and for encouraging movement through a striking world.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “facial animations bring emotional depth to every scene.”

Facial capture and character work were strongly praised, with reviewers calling the faces and cutscene direction exceptional.

Reviewers generally find the game respectful to Final Fantasy VII while still taking bold liberties with story, presentation, and structure.

Reviewers agreed the sequel keeps Death Stranding’s identity but debated whether the stronger Metal Gear-style action sands away some original friction.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “Many characters, both male and female, wear revealing clothing.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “Fast travel is also well designed” and “various methods of fast travel and the like.”

Fast travel through the Magellan and key waypoints was useful, though some reviewers noted scoring tradeoffs or occasional restrictions.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “chaining boost pads to stay airborne.”

Frame rate impressions are mixed: some praise smooth performance, while others say higher frame-rate modes sacrifice too much image quality.

Performance notes were positive, with reviewers citing 60fps on PS5 and high, steady PC frame rates.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “some of them are the best parts of Rebirth” and “one of the most lavish and charming RPGs I’ve ever played.”

Despite its strangeness and length, reviewers often found the sequel more fun, more gripping, or never boring.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “real time and menu based attack system.”

The mechanics were broadly praised as a major sequel upgrade, with richer delivery tools, stronger systems, and more approachable play.

Graphics are often praised for vistas, cutscenes, and character models, but multiple reviews mention blurry performance mode, pop-in, or inconsistent visual quality.

Visuals were one of the strongest consensus points, with repeated praise for stunning landscapes, fidelity, faces, and next-gen presentation.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “receive a massive bonus to XP gained” and “not even a single hour feels like a grind or a chore.”

One reviewer specifically noted that the game can be played at a relaxed pace without needing to grind it out.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “played the game on the verified Steam Deck without gameplay issues” and “plays very well on the PlayStation Portal.”

The PC review found Steam Deck and handheld play workable, though at a fairly low resolution on Steam Deck.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “DualSense controller’s motion controls and haptics.”

DualSense haptics were singled out as excellent, bringing surfaces, weather, gear, and action details into the controller.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “Rebirth can't do horror.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “fewer on-screen markers detracting from the landscape.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “offering a deeper and more immersive.”

Immersion was praised through the world’s quiet storytelling and lingering human moments.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “made fresh again with clever new mechanics” and “sets a new standard for the.”

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “I slowly began figuring out the rules of the game” and “not too complicated so it doesn't bog things down.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “marry that gameplay to exceptional level design” and “level Design's really rough here.”

The new continent was praised for a far greater variety of locations and terrain challenges.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “with virtually no loading.”

Load times received a rare explicit rave, with one review saying transitions from menu to play were almost instant.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “there are more exotic Materia in Rebirth than before” and “rewards are locked to getting the highest possible score.”

Lore depth improves through World Intel, expanded backstory, new sequences, and additional Final Fantasy VII mythology.

The Corpus lore tracker was noted as a helpful way to manage the sequel’s dense terminology and story context.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “navigation can leave something to be desired.”

Route planning and the 3D map were praised as important, clearer tools for planning long deliveries.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “A few menu loads and animations can chug or hitch visibly” and “lack of a way to save loadouts.”

Menus were viewed as improved overall, though at least one reviewer still found inventory and menu handling fiddly.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “needless padding quickly wore on my patience” and “peak moments like every hour or so.”

Mission design was praised for moreish delivery structure and some fun, weird orders, though the core remains delivery-focused.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “thanks to how wildly varied quests are.”

Reviewers praised more varied cargo conditions, hazards, objectives, and mission setups that kept deliveries fresher.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “don't feel as fluid as they ought to be.”

Movement on foot was described as smoother, more responsive, and still satisfyingly weighty when hiking mattered.

The asynchronous multiplayer remained a signature strength, praised for paths, structures, likes, and indirect collaboration.

Narrative reactions are positive but nuanced: reviewers praise the character-focused journey and reimagining while noting the macro plot and ending can feel thin or convoluted.

Narrative response was mixed-positive: many reviewers praised the story and themes, while others found it opaque, messy, or oddly paced.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “contains a helpful “The Story So Far” summary of events” and “There is story summary accessible from the main menu.”

The sequel was seen as more welcoming and quicker to grab players, especially compared with the first game’s slow start.

One review encountered servers going down before launch, making this the only direct stability caveat in the review set.

Open-world design is divisive: reviewers admire the scale, region variety, and freedom, but several criticize checklist repetition and bloat.

One mixed review still called it a strong open-world sandbox checklist game, even while missing the first game’s sparer approach.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “original story threads unique to the remake trilogy’s alternate universe.”

Originality remained a strength, with one review calling the sequel exciting and original despite its imperfections.

Pacing is the clearest recurring tradeoff: some reviewers like the scenic route, but many say open-world checklists, minigames, and padding slow the main story.

Pacing was one of the most divided attributes: many reviews praised improvements, while others criticized slow burns, filler, or poorly paced story delivery.

Performance is mostly playable and sometimes smooth, but reviewers note technical tradeoffs, especially between image quality and frame rate.

Performance was strongly praised on PS5 Pro and PC, with several reviewers reporting flawless or dreamlike optimization.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “It's STILL NOT ON XBOX.”

PC and controller support were praised for deep options, upscaling support, and broad input compatibility.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “a quick platforming puzzle, utilizing the expanded movement system” and “aerial enemies really mess with.”

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “retain the polish and presentation of the first game” and “so breathtakingly massive so incredibly dense so remarkably polished.”

Polish was frequently praised through streamlined tasks, quality-of-life upgrades, tighter design, and a more focused sequel structure.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “spend the AP you’ve earned in battle to upgrade each character” and “Party Level, a separate progression system.”

Progression was praised for APAS, RPG-like upgrades, freely swapped perks, and systems that reward how players approach deliveries.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “His stoic demeanor, belied by his awkwardness in social situations, makes him endearing.”

Sam drew a mixed note from one review that still found him emotionally hard to connect with despite more range.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “carefully constructed each combat encounter to maintain interest and challenge” and “a series of DualShock gyro box-chucking minigames.”

Side quests fare better than typical busywork when they deepen character relationships or world context, though some still see unevenness.

Quest design was mixed, with some reviewers finding filler or insufficient challenge despite the stronger overall delivery structure.

The remake quality is considered ambitious and meaningful, with reviewers praising the reimagining even when some story choices divide them.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “rebirth is no joke a lot of people” and “offers plenty of content to keep you engaged.”

Replay value was split between extensive remaining missions and one reviewer saying they would not replay from scratch.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “greater sense of exploration and freedom than before” and “empowers players to discover the world around them.”

One reviewer praised the sandbox for giving players broad choice across traversal, combat, and stealth.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “less significant Side characters that the party encounters.”

Side characters were a major strength for several reviewers, though some felt the new cast was underused or less forceful.

Folios and Synergy nodes are usually seen as a meaningful, more strategic evolution of character progression.

The APAS and skill systems were described as useful and flexible without being overly bloated.

Social features were praised for ziplines, shared structures, likes, and infrastructure that made helping others satisfying.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “the music often drowning out the dialog” and “resulting in a chaotic stew of noise.”

Sound design was praised as immaculate or immersive, including 3D audio, voice work, and soundscape details.

The soundtrack receives near-universal praise for orchestral arrangements, new tracks, emotional callbacks, and genre variety.

The soundtrack was strongly praised for licensed music, original tracks, and emotional placement during key moments.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “The engine doesn’t lend itself readily to stealth maneuvers.”

Stealth was broadly improved through more tools, better combat integration, and added tactical options, though not always as deep as Metal Gear.

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “getting familiar with several of the mechanics.”

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “spend the AP you’ve earned in battle to upgrade each character.”

The upgrade system was praised because unlocked tools felt useful and rewarding during deliveries.

Reviewer evidence is critical, with support including “in-game map and compass are simply not up to the task.”

UI and UX were praised in one review for making objectives clearer and loadout handling smoother.

Value is high for players who want a long RPG, but some reviewers warn that the game asks for a lot of time.

Value was supported by the long runtime and substantial post-credits content, with the caveat that it asks for a major time commitment.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “you do actually get a buggy later on.”

Reviewer evidence is mixed, with support including “graphical aspects come to life and look stunning” and “the writing performances and animations sometimes Veer.”

Voice acting is consistently praised for emotional performances and strong casting across the main party.

Voice acting and performances were widely praised, especially Troy Baker and the broader ensemble cast.

Weapon balance was mixed, with reviewers noting a large arsenal but also saying it could overpower enemies or trivialize friction.

Reviewer evidence is strongly positive, with support including “extensive and intricate world-building.”

World-building was praised for being unique, expanded, bizarre, and richly thought out, though sometimes delivered through dense exposition.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “make the world feel reactive to my presence.”

World interactivity was praised through player-built structures that improve both the user’s route and other players’ journeys.

Reviewer evidence is positive, with support including “Rebirth is often cheesy in its writing” and “deepening the human element of the original game.”

Writing quality landed mostly positive but not unanimous, with praise for Kojima’s charm and story highs alongside some criticism of nonsense or opacity.