Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's card game isn't just fun, it's also everywhere if our hands-on preview is anything to go by

(Image credit: Square Enix)

While we already know that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will include a brand new in-universe card game called Queen's Blood, it looks as though the game is prolific, with opponents all over the game world.

In our hands-on with a preview build of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we got to experience the Grasslands Area, the action RPG's first open-world zone. In addition to trying out the card game for ourselves, we also saw that the world of Rebirth is full of Queen's Blood players. While not everyone can be challenged to a round, the card game seems so popular that it seems reminiscent of Gwent from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt when it comes to the number of people that play.

Every major town seems to have at least someone keen on Queen's Blood. The game itself is great fun, too. Like Marvel Snap, the minigame is played in three lanes. The aim is to exert control of the board, staking claim to territory, which, in turn, allows you to play more powerful cards. You take turns placing your cards, and once everyone has played as many cards as possible, the scores in each lane are tallied up. Whoever has the most points in a given lane gets to add that score to their total, meaning that putting all your eggs in one basket can sometimes pay off. If you have a bigger total than your opponent, you win.

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A game of Queen's Blood in FF7 Remake — (Image credit: Square Enix)

To spice things up, different cards influence the areas around them in different ways, exerting control over the board in interesting patterns. Some cards even have special abilities, too, which can really shake things up.

Though we only saw one of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's explorable zones in the preview, it looks as though Queen's Blood will be spread throughout the rest of the RPG, too. According to the Japanese Twitter account for Rebirth, the Shinra cruise ship, which travels between the Junon and Costa del Sol areas, will boast a Queen's Blood tournament of its own.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth releases on February 29 for PS5.

Want similar titles to play in the meantime? Our lists of the best RPGs and the best JRPGs have you covered.

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.