Summary
In addition to providing some surprising and unexpected wrinkles to the source material,Final Fantasy 7 Remakeintroduced some new characters that take on important roles in the context of the title’s gameplay. One of the more significant additions to the character roster was Chadley, the polarizing android created by Shinra scientist and villain Professor Hojo.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthsees everyone’s favorite/least-favorite Materia-developing automaton show back up again, only this time his presence looms large over the entire game. Thanks toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s implementation of open-world game design, Chadley is now more important than ever.
Chadley’s presence inFinal Fantasy 7Remakewas mostly as the go-between for the title’s Combat Simulator, which was both an entertaining distraction from the main quest and a necessary component toward acquiring all the game’s summon Materia. Now thatFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthgives the player their first taste of the larger world of Gaia and introduces 7 distinct open-world zones, Chadley becomes something like a “Fifth Beatle” toFinal Fantasy 7’s main cast. Though he doesn’t ever join Cloud and his allies directly, he is a constant source of updates and info on the regions the player explores and continually provides bonuses in exchange for gathering valuable World Intel.
Chadley’s Reminders Underscore a Key Fact About Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Just like inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, Chadley follows the player around throughout their journey inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Only now, Chadley’s intel gathering and requests for Cloud and his companions spill over into nearly every facet of gameplay thanks to the title’s incorporation of an open-world. Entering any of Gaia’s variousregions inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthsees Chadley inadvertently show up to request that Cloud not give up on his promise to continue gathering valuable data about the world these characters inhabit. In the process, he relays an important lesson to the player, which is to not rush through the game in hopes of seeing the story.
Rebirth’s open-world components are all inextricably tied to Chadley’s intel-gathering mission, and the NPC is always quick to remind Cloud when it seems like progress on that mission has stalled. While these reminders serve the primary purpose of keeping the player on-track, they carry the secondary effect of making sure players don’t missFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s proverbial “forest for the trees.“Rebirth’s open-worldis a joy to explore, and each of the various activities players can accomplish have the cumulative effect of making the party better, stronger, and more connected with one another. It’s possible to rush through the game’s critical path, but to do so means missing out on some of its best content.
Players Need Chadley to Craft Some of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Best Materia
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthsees Chadley serve a similar role to his appearance inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, developing exclusive and powerful Materia in exchange for a special currency earned by completing tasks for the NPC. Just like inRemake, most of the summon Materia inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthrequire defeating the creatures in Chadley’s Combat Simulator.
Restricting the best and most powerfulsummon Materia inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthbehind collecting World Intel for Chadley means that players need to at least partially engage with the title’s open-world content in order to obtain these game-changing items. Summons have traditionally held a significant amount of power inFinal Fantasygames, and inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, activating summon Materia at the right time can turn the tide of a losing battle.
Essentially, Chadley is the player’s connection to getting the most out of playingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. His place as the party’s resident guide to the world of Gaia and in-house researcher makesgathering Intelfor him a worthwhile and rewarding experience. He may be an NPC, butFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s core gameplay loop transforms Chadley into an unofficial member of Cloud’s party.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
