Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's skill trees are full of promising decisions and flashy moves

Cait Sith poses in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

(Image credit: Square Enix)

With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth less than a month away, we were invited to try out a preview build of the role-playing game (RPG) for ourselves. This included a look at character customization for the upcoming game which included Rebirth's new skill trees.

Not much has been known about how these trees would work - until now, that is. TechRadar Gaming (TRG) is happy to report that the new 'Folio' system is not only promising but also builds upon some classic Final Fantasy staples.

Characters in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth each have access to a unique 'Folio,' a library of potential skills and improvements linked together by nodes. New nodes can be unlocked by spending points that you acquire by leveling up or through certain books that can be found in the wild. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Folios open up like trees, with different branches for players to choose from - a contrast to the more direct and linear offering found in its predecessor Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

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In Remake, you could customize characters by upgrading their weapons. However, the scope for choice that came with these upgrades was often very limited and tended to offer minute stat increases. Conversely, Rebirth's Folios offer large stat buffs and brand new moves, including plenty of specialized synergy attacks - tag-team skills where party members attack in tandem for stronger effects.

Cloud and Aerith ready a synergy attack — (Image credit: Square Enix)

Fans of Final Fantasy 10 will recognize this system as similar to the 'Sphere Grid' which could be found in the 2001 RPG. Given that Yoshinori Kitase directed and produced Final Fantasy 10 and is acting as producer on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it makes sense that the two games would have some mechanics and design philosophies in common.

Though we only scratched the surface in our hands-on preview, the 'Folio' system seems as though it will offer meaningful character customization, giving us plenty to look forward to in the run-up to launch.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is due to release February 29 on PS5.

Looking for something to play while you wait for Rebirth to release? Our lists of the best RPGs and best single-player games 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.