Choosing which party members to take into combat is always an important part of a Final Fantasy game, and that’s especially true in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The just-released RPG offers intense, action-packed combat and gives every character their own signature fighting style. While you may have old favorites from the original, or want to keep the Avalanche crew from Remake together, that isn’t always feasible here. But one thing remains true in Rebirth— Yuffie is simply the best party member.
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Rebirth brings back the action-forward combat of Remake which lets players create a party and take control of each member at any given time, though some sections force you into a predetermined party. Getting lost in the game’s narrative may lead you to play most of Rebirth controlling Cloud, but if you aren’t switching up who you play as, you are missing out on the full-spectrum of combat that the game has to offer. And you’ll likely never grow to appreciate why I (and many others) love Yuffie’s combat so much.
Most combatants in Rebirth are ranged or close-combat fighters. There are ways to make every character have some versatility through materia and Folio upgrades, but at the end of the day, Cloud and Tifa are going to get up close and personal while Barret and Aerith are going to stay back and provide cover fire. But Yuffie walks the line between both sides. Wielding her giant shuriken, Yuffie can slash up foes at close range but can also throw it at an enemy from a distance, which triggers her ninjutsu to inflict damage and stagger.
The ability to zip right back to her shuriken with the press of a button increases her mobility and makes her a great aerial fighter, as opposed to the likes of Cloud. Of course, like any good RPG, you can upgrade and tweak each party member so that they’re feasible to use in any fight, but Yuffie is built to be indispensable from the start. There isn’t a time when I wouldn’t want her on my team.
Aside from her actual usefulness, she’s also just fun as hell to play. As much as I am a proponent of the remake trilogy’s combat, it certainly has some sore spots. Guarding can feel especially slow at times and certain fighters feel totally ill-equipped to handle aerial enemies (which I understand is supposed to make you change characters but it’s still very frustrating). In contrast, Yuffie’s controls feel tight and responsive. Every time I press an input while playing as Yuffie I know exactly what I am doing and what the result will be, which I don’t always feel like with the other party members. Playing Yuffie is a purely joyous experience where I zip across the screen and wrecking enemies with style.
Yuffie’s superiority in battle isn’t news though, at least not to those who played Episode INTERmission, which starred her in a brand-new adventure. While Yuffie did have a companion in that game, you only control her, so she was designed to be an effective, all-around battler in combat.. Rebirth shows that even in a party setup, Yuffie’s combat style reigns supreme.
