With Final Fantasy VII Rebirth officially less than three weeks away, anticipation is especially high with the recent release of the demo featuring the infamous Nibelheim Incident. Since I love collecting vinyl records, especially gaming soundtracks, I didn’t hesitate to preorder the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Vinyl. Priced at $44.99 for nine tracks, it is a bit more expensive than comparable vinyl records on the Square Enix Store. Consider it a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth tax if you’re considering it.
The package art is familiar, featuring Cloud, Sephiroth, and Zack—who apparently isn’t as well known as he should be. One side of the record features Aerith’s iconic artwork where she’s looking up to the blue skies, while the other side has Tifa sitting at the familiar Nibelheim water tower, staring up at the starry night sky. If you’re a Final Fantasy VII fan, you’ll recognize both pieces of artwork, especially the Tifa side since that scene was used for the free Dynamic Theme for PlayStation 4 users.
Photo by: Jason Siu, FullCleared
The Aerith Side of the vinyl features four rather familiar tunes, setting the stage for the adventure the entourage will embark on February 29. Sense of Kalm and Farm Boy are environmental themes, both composed by none other than Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Shotaro Shima for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Chadley’s Theme is new to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, composed and arranged by Shotaro Shima. It’s a light-hearted, whimsical theme that is laid back. It’ll remind you a bit of a tropical paradise and has hints of what you’d expect to be hearing at Costa del Sol. I think it fits Chadley’s personality, but I wouldn’t say he’s the first person I would think of when hearing the theme.
Grasslands de Chocobo, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Shotaro Shima, needs no introduction. Every Final Fantasy fan has heard versions of this from every mainline title, and Rebirth has put its own little spin on the iconic tune. The star of Aerith’s Side is the final track, Main Theme of FFVII – Battle Edit, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and arranged by Shotaro Shima. This has quickly become one of my favorite Final Fantasy tracks of all time and you can learn more about it by listening to the wonderful Alex Moukala talk about it. The Aerith Side has an approximate runtime of 17 minutes and 14 seconds.
Photo by: Jason Siu, FullCleared
Over to the Tifa Side, the first two tracks focus on The Junon Region, an area we’ll get to explore when the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo gets an update on February 21. The Junon Region and The Junon Region – Battle Edit are composed and arranged by Yoshinori Nakamura, with the former being the overworld theme and the latter being the battle theme. Both tracks sound fresh with a sense of grandeur, and I imagine they’ll play in nicely with the open world we’ll get to explore in the game. The battle theme is a brilliant mix of the original Final Fantasy VII battle theme we all know, but blended with a faster-paced version of the Junon theme. It’s a mostly cheerful tune but shifts to a more dramatic note in sections. Worry not; this is not a battle theme you’ll get bored of hearing.
The third track is also related to the Junon Region but it’s Under Junon – Sunless Oasis. Under Junon is a town we’ll be visiting, and Sunless Oasis is a very fitting title, as is the tune. This track is also composed and arranged by Yoshinori Nakamura. Finally, the Tifa Side ends with Materia Guardian, composed by Nobuo Uematsu and Shotaro Shima, and arranged by Shotaro Shima. This track is very intense, featuring a mix of classic Final Fantasy VII battle and boss themes. It’s a complex, multi-layered track that may very likely be used towards the end of the game. The Tifa Side has an approximate runtime of 18 minutes and 26 seconds (Materia Guardian is quite long).
Photo by: Jason Siu, FullCleared
Overall, as with many of the Final Fantasy vinyl records I purchase, I wish there were more tracks to enjoy. I imagine in the future we may get a multi-vinyl release for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, because nine tracks out of the supposed 400 really is just a small teaser. The official Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Soundtrack is a seven-disc set! Personally, I most enjoyed the final tracks on both sides of the record, and it’s clear the team put a lot of attention and love into crafting excellent battle and boss themes for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Vinyl is ultimately a sampler that whets my appetite for the game’s release. February 29, 2024, can’t come quickly enough, but for now, I’ll just have to continue listening to this record.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Vinyl Track List
Aerith Side
- On Our Way – Sense of Kalm
- Farm Boy
- Chadley’s Theme
- Grasslands de Chocobo
- Main Theme of FFVII – Battle Edit
Tifa Side
- The Junon Region
- The Junon Region – Battle Edit
- Under Junon – Sunless Oasis
- Materia Guardian
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Vinyl Review Gallery
