Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is shaping up to be one of the year’s biggest game releases, with fans having to wait anxiously since the first part of the trilogy debuted back in 2020 and left everyone on a dramatic cliffhanger at the outskirts of Midgar.
The chance to relive the next major act of the story is finally just around the corner, and several new characters await Cloud and his allies on the journey ahead.
One such beloved and iconic character is Vincent Valentine, who proverbially rises from the dead to help the others defeat Sephiroth. Countless players are excited to have him join the group, but after Red XIII was only a guest character in ‘Remake’, it begs an essential question on many of our minds.
If you’re wondering the same thing, here is our handy guide that answers what we all need to know — can you play as Vincent in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Who is Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
While we revealed some information about his character in our Top Moments We Can’t Wait to Relive in FF7 Rebirth, for those who are experiencing the story for the first time ever, you of course want to know who this striking character in the flowing red cape is.
Vincent Valentine is a character from the original Final Fantasy 7 game that Cloud and his party stumble upon while exploring the ruins of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, and he’s about as mysterious and broody as they come. He awakens from a deep slumber inside a coffin in the Mansion’s basement and confronts Cloud about his journey to seek out and defeat Sephiroth. It’s their secondary intention to confront Professor Hojo, however, that especially gets his attention.
He seems strangely acquainted with their adversaries and agrees to join the group for the same purpose, though for his own personal, secretive reasons. As it turns out, his history with Sephiroth and Shinra Company goes far deeper than the others realize. The bulk of his backstory is actually revealed in far greater detail in his solo spin-off game, ‘Dirge of Cerberus’, which was released nearly a decade after the original Final Fantasy 7.
Vincent’s more classic design in Dirge of Cerberus has him wielding a unique, three-barrelled gun aptly called ‘Cerberus’, though it appears the weapon has been completely reworked for the FF7 remake trilogy, more closely resembling the classic ‘Quicksilver’ gun he also once brandished. His special Limit Break abilities include shapeshifting, which is thanks to the power imbued into him by something known as Chaos.
Can You Play as Vincent in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Vincent’s character is undoubtedly one of the coolest in Cloud’s entourage, and many longtime fans have him high on their list in anticipation of FF7 Rebirth‘s release. However, the addition of more new party members has had many folks wondering if the same gameplay stipulation for Red XIII in Remake will carry over to Vincent as well.
As you’ll recall, Red XIII was introduced to the group fairly late in Remake when they attempted to infiltrate the Shinra Building to find and rescue Aerith from Professor Hojo’s clutches. They wind up rescuing Red XIII in the process, and he joins the group, albeit as a ‘guest’. This means that while the character contributes in battle like everyone else, they cannot be directly controlled by the player, or have their items/gear changed.
In the case of Vincent, Square Enix has confirmed that for the duration of FF7 Rebirth, his character will participate in the party as a guest. This means that his actions will be AI-controlled, and players will not be able to move or customize him around the group as they please until the third and final game of the trilogy.
It’s certainly a bummer for those who wanted to get a feel for Vincent’s re-envisioned character in Rebirth, but at the very least he’ll still be along for the ride.
That concludes our guide that answers the question — can you play as Vincent in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth? We hope you found this helpful, and let us know if you’re as excited as we are to see Vincent return once more in the grand remaster of Final Fantasy 7.
Be sure to check out all of our other guides for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, such as whether demo progress carries over into the main game.
