Welcome back to Fantasy Gaming — your home for big bets, massive misses, and plenty of happy (and not-so-happy) tears. We kick off the month of March with a small but mighty update.
When last we fantasy-ed, Teams Amanda and Sam had some big points on the board, thanks to some heavy hitters coming early in the year. Here’s how the standings looked at January’s end:
Fast-forward to February. Despite being a shorter month (albeit with a leap day), it was hardly a quiet one. Microsoft announced that four Xbox games were going multiplatform, Nintendo had its latest partner Direct, and even Pokémon got in on the action. Sadly, the month was also punctuated by mass layoffs at Xbox, PlayStation, EA, and more.
If there’s a silver lining to the bad, however thin, it’s that game developers continue to deliver captivating experiences, despite the circumstances. Persona 3 Reload hit shelves following glowing reviews, Helldivers 2 took the world by storm, and a little indie named Balatro became an overnight sensation.
It was a monster month in general. And then Final Fantasy VII Rebirth dropped.
From the Ashes, a Phoenix (Down)
To say expectations were high for Rebirth would be a gross understatement. Everyone, from the Washington Post to the New York Times, had something to share or opine on in the lead-up to the game’s launch. Nearly four years after the acclaimed VII Remake, the only question bigger than “Will Aerith die again?” was “Will Square Enix deliver again?”
The 92 Metacritic rating speaks for itself. Although I’ve only played about five hours of Rebirth, everything I’ve seen, heard, and played has been nothing short of stellar. From the gorgeous overworld and snappier combat to the surprisingly challenging Queen’s Blood mini-game (move over, Triple Triad!), Rebirth recaptures the spirit of the original while offering so much more.
So, yes, it would seem Thundaga does indeed strike twice. Now, the question becomes: Thrice?
To the Victor Goes the Gil
Where does that leave us for fantasy? Team David drafted Rebirth, so he’s sitting pretty with a 92 average. Still, the competition is fierce, and Teams Amanda and Sam are not far behind. The year’s just getting started, so we’re bound to see some mammoth moves in the months to come.
Here’s how the standings look today:
That’s a wrap for this Fantasy Friday! As always, thanks for reading.
Liking Final Fantasy VII Rebirth so far? Tell us about your experiences in the comments below.
