FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH Steam reviews: 52.8% positive, gameplay complaints
The sample contains 816 reviews written in Japanese and 212 reviews written in English between 23 Jan 2025 and 22 Sep 2026.
Own research by 648 News. Every figure in this article was counted by us from 816 Steam reviews written in Japanese and 212 written in English, collected between 2025-01-23 and 2026-09-22.
Overall ratings and sample size
Players writing reviews in Japanese recommended the game in 52.8% of the 816 collected reviews. This matches Steam's all-time figure for Japanese-language reviews, which stands at 52.8% across 818 total reviews. Players writing reviews in English recommended the game in 67.9% of the 212 collected reviews. Steam lists a 78.7% positive rating across 16642 total English-language reviews. The collected Japanese sample is 15.1 percentage points lower than the collected English sample. The difference carries a p value of less than 0.001.
The numbers
What recommending players discuss
In recommending reviews, combat and core mechanics appears in 64.7% of the classified Japanese reviews. Players describe the battle system as complex and rewarding. They note that mastering the mechanics requires patience. Content volume and length appears in 30.4% of the recommending reviews. Reviewers highlight the massive open world and lengthy playtime. Several mention that clearing the main story takes over one hundred hours. Narrative and writing appears in 27.6% of the recommending reviews. Players appreciate the detailed character arcs and expanded lore. Graphics and art direction appears in 23.4% of the recommending reviews. Reviewers praise the high frame rates and detailed visual effects.
とにかく『凄い』です。
It is simply amazing.
Character design appears in 16.5% of the recommending reviews. Players find the protagonist and his companions well realized. Audio design appears in 3.9% of the recommending reviews. Reviewers note the orchestral arrangements and clear audio mixing. PC port performance appears in 4.6% of the recommending reviews. Players confirm stable performance on high-end hardware. They mention that exploration feels rewarding when paired with fast travel. The soundtrack shifts dynamically during boss encounters. The voice acting matches the high production values of the visuals. Reviewers confirm that frame pacing remains consistent on dedicated graphics cards.
What non-recommending players discuss
In non-recommending reviews, combat and core mechanics appears in 80.0% of the classified Japanese reviews. Players complain about pacing issues and forced restrictions. They note that battle mechanics often feel unfair or overly punishing. Content volume and length appears in 39.7% of the non-recommending reviews. Reviewers describe the side content as repetitive and time-consuming. Several mention that clearing optional quests drains motivation. Performance and stability appears in 27.3% of the non-recommending reviews. Players cite frame drops and stuttering during heavy scenes. Narrative and writing appears in 23.6% of the non-recommending reviews. Reviewers feel the story diverges too much from the original. Difficulty and balance appears in 16.4% of the non-recommending reviews. Players struggle with enemy scaling and aggressive hitboxes.
素材は神ゲー、調整がクソゲー
The raw material is a god-tier game, but the tuning is a trash game.
User interface and controls appears in 3.9% of the non-recommending reviews. Reviewers find the menu navigation slow and unintuitive. Value for money appears in 1.8% of the non-recommending reviews. Players question whether the full price matches the playtime. They note that loading screens interrupt the flow between major areas. The pacing suffers from frequent unskippable cutscenes. Enemy placement often forces players into narrow corridors. Reviewers find the difficulty spikes during late-game boss rushes. The control scheme requires multiple button presses for basic actions. Players feel the base price is high for the amount of grinding required.
Differences between language groups
Players writing reviews in English recommended the game in 67.9% of the collected sample. Players writing reviews in Japanese recommended it in 52.8%. The English sample is 15.1 percentage points higher than the Japanese sample. The two groups of reviewers differ significantly. English-language reviews were not classified into topics. Japanese-language reviews focused heavily on combat mechanics and content volume. The p value is less than 0.001.
Methodology and sources
Data
Steam user reviews, retrieved with Steam's public review listing between 2025-01-23 and 2026-09-22: 816 written in Japanese and 212 written in English. Steam's own all-time totals for FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH were read on 2026-09-23.
How the reviews were classified
Every review was read by a language model, which rated how positive it is, how much concrete detail it gives, and which of 15 fixed topics it talks about. The counts and percentages in this article were then computed from those labels in ordinary code, not by the model. Automatic classification makes mistakes, so single percentages should be read as approximate. Reviews of fewer than 15 characters were not sent to the model; they count as positive or negative from the reviewer's own recommendation and carry no topic.
Limits
People who write a Steam review in Japanese are not a representative sample of everyone who plays in Japan, and the language of a review does not establish where its author lives. Steam's default filter for off-topic review activity was left on, so periods Steam marked as review bombing are excluded from the counts in this article. Reviews that arrived after the retrieval date are not included.
Links
Data from Steam. Steam and the Steam logo are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Valve Corporation.