Final Fantasy VII Rebirth made an exciting appearance at the Thailand Game Show. While what was shown was mostly game features we’ve already seen, the nine-minute gameplay video posted by P4GTeam on YouTube did show a bit more of Rebirth’s Gold Saucer minigames, including Chocobo Racing and G-Bike.
In 2024, Chocobo Racing will be looking a lot more like Mario Kart than the short, obstacle-free tracks of the original Final Fantasy VII. In just about 15 seconds of revealed gameplay, Rebirth’s updated Chocobo Racing has players using speed boost pads, gliding through the air, and drift boosting. The short clip also shows Cloud collecting speed and dash items throughout the track.
The minigame montage also includes the updated G-Bike minigame; the aesthetic and combat of which are very reminiscent of the motorcycle sequences in Final Fantasy VII Remake. We got another look at the new card game, Queen’s Blood, the piano rhythm minigame revealed at the Tokyo Game Show (but in English), and other glimpses of the Gold Saucer’s offerings.
In an interview during the Thailand Game Show with Sanook–a Thai news and culture site–Rebirth developer Naoki Hamaguchi elaborated a bit on the team’s approach to the Gold Saucer in the upcoming game. Translated to English, Hamaguchi says, “We created the Gold Saucer in this game with the idea of expanding the Gold Saucer's footprint in Final Fantasy VII. There are more minigames to play.”
While we’ve only gotten a small taste of Rebirth’s minigame offerings, Hamaguchi’s words seem to ring true based on what we’ve seen. At this point, we think it’s safe to assume the Gold Saucer will be the wonderful time sink we all hope it’ll be when Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29, 2024.