GameTimeline

Release & story order

Final Fantasy VII play order

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Compilation and Remake trilogy—from the 1997 PlayStation original through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024). Release lists major game launches including Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Remake, Intergrade, and Rebirth. Story follows practical lore order: Crisis Core → Final Fantasy VII → Dirge of Cerberus → Remake → Rebirth. Advent Children, Before Crisis, and Ever Crisis stay in FAQ. Series neighbors: Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts, and Persona.

Updated August 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When each major Final Fantasy VII Compilation / Remake game shipped in the US—from Final Fantasy VII (September 7, 1997) through Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (February 29, 2024), including Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core, Remake, and Intergrade. Advent Children is a film—see FAQ.

  • Newcomers → Remake → Rebirth (modern graphics; 1997 optional)
  • Classic Compilation → Final Fantasy VII → Dirge → Crisis Core (premiere order)
  • Full shelf → Release tab through Rebirth; Advent Children FAQ between VII and Dirge
  • Modern Crisis Core → Crisis Core Reunion (2022) replaces the 2007/2008 PSP original
Story order tips

Practical lore order: Crisis Core → Final Fantasy VII (1997) → Dirge of Cerberus → Remake → Rebirth. Intergrade is the Remake enhanced edition (Release only). Advent Children sits between the 1997 game and Dirge as optional film homework. Before Crisis and Ever Crisis stay FAQ extras.

  • Crisis Core → Zack prequel before Midgar
  • Final Fantasy VII → 1997 canon core
  • Dirge → Vincent sequel after Advent Children (film FAQ)
  • Remake → Rebirth → Remake trilogy branch (Intergrade = Remake edition)

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Final Fantasy VII

    Final Fantasy VII

    PlayStationPCSwitchRPGMain saga

    Square's 1997 Final Fantasy VII sends Cloud, Avalanche, and Midgar into cinematic JRPG history—materia combat, a world-map scale, and a story that still anchors every Compilation and Remake branch on this page. Release opens here; Story places Crisis Core before it as Zack's prequel.

    Overview
    Cinematic JRPG storytelling, materia customization, and a planet-scale adventure that defined late-1990s console RPG expectations worldwide.
    In-game setting
    Compilation core. Story neighbors: Final Fantasy mainline shelf and Final Fantasy media for Advent Children.
    Should you play it?
    Start here on Release. On Story it sits second, after Crisis Core. Required before Dirge and before treating Remake as a separate branch.
    Release date
    US PlayStation launch September 7, 1997. Prefer current PC/console ports when original discs are awkward.
  2. Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

    Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII

    PlayStation 2ActionCompilation

    Vincent Valentine’s 2006 PS2 shooter sequel—released second among these games—follows Deepground fallout years after the 1997 ending. Best after Advent Children for story; optional for Remake-only players.

    Overview
    Third-person gunplay starring Vincent inside Compilation continuity—expands Shinra Deepground secrets years after the 1997 ending for players who want shooter homework.
    In-game setting
    Compilation sequel after Advent Children (film FAQ). Release next is Crisis Core; Story already passed Zack’s prequel.
    Should you play it?
    Second on Release; third on Story after the 1997 game. Skip entirely if you only want the Remake → Rebirth modern branch.
    Release date
    US PlayStation 2 launch August 15, 2006. No modern remaster as of August 2026.
  3. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

    Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

    PSPPS5PCSwitchAction RPGPrequel

    Zack Fair's SOLDIER prequel shipped US PSP March 25, 2008—ending on the doorstep of Final Fantasy VII with emotional setup fans still quote. Crisis Core Reunion (2022) is the modern way to play the same story on current hardware.

    Overview
    Action-RPG prequel that fills Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis lore before Midgar's opening crawl—makes Zack's fate land harder if you play Story order.
    In-game setting
    Earliest required lore beat on Story. Prefer Reunion over original UMD when possible; next Story row is 1997 Final Fantasy VII.
    Should you play it?
    Third on Release; first on Story. Watch here in premiere order, or start Story with this title for Compilation chronology.
    Release date
    US PSP March 25, 2008; Reunion remaster December 13, 2022 on modern platforms.
  4. Final Fantasy VII Remake

    Final Fantasy VII Remake

    PS4PS5PCAction RPGRemake trilogy

    2020 Midgar reimagining—not a beat-for-beat replacement of 1997. Opens the Remake trilogy branch that continues in Rebirth. Intergrade (next on Release) is the PS5/PC expanded edition with Yuffie’s Episode INTERmission.

    Overview
    Real-time combat and a denser Midgar that diverges from 1997 continuity into its own trilogy path—not a beat-for-beat port of the PlayStation original.
    In-game setting
    Play Rebirth next on either tab. Treat 1997 FFVII as optional classic context, not a 1:1 spoiler map for Remake's ending.
    Should you play it?
    Fourth on Release; fourth on Story after Dirge. Modern entry point if you skip Compilation homework and start at Remake instead.
    Release date
    US PS4 launch April 10, 2020. Intergrade adds PS5/PC upgrades and Yuffie episode.
  5. Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade
    Optional

    Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade

    PS5PCEnhanced editionOptional

    June 10, 2021 PS5 enhanced Remake plus Episode INTERmission (Yuffie)—same Midgar chapter as base Remake, listed separately on Release as the definitive edition. Absent from Story because it is not a new chronological era, only a better SKU.

    Overview
    PS5 fidelity, performance options, and Yuffie's INTERmission side story overlapping Remake's Midgar timeline on current hardware.
    In-game setting
    Preferred buy path for Remake on modern platforms. Story continues from Remake's Midgar era straight into Rebirth—Intergrade is edition, not era.
    Should you play it?
    Fifth on Release only. Skip Story—buy Intergrade instead of base Remake if you own a PS5 or PC path before Rebirth.
    Release date
    PS5 June 10, 2021; PC (Epic) December 2021; Steam June 17, 2022.
  6. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

    Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

    PS5PCAction RPGRemake trilogy

    2024 open-zone sequel leaves Midgar for the wider planet—Remake trilogy part two that requires Remake or Intergrade first, with a third Remake installment still upcoming as of August 2026. Last on both tabs among released Remake-trilogy games.

    Overview
    World exploration and party systems that continue only the Remake branch—not a straight port of 1997 discs two and three.
    In-game setting
    Current Remake-saga endpoint until part three ships. Crisis Core and 1997 FFVII remain optional context rows, not required next steps.
    Should you play it?
    Last on both tabs among released Remake-trilogy games. Watch after Remake/Intergrade; Compilation Dirge remains optional side shelf.
    Release date
    US PS5 February 29, 2024; PC later. Prefer current digital editions.

FAQ

Compilation vs Remake branch, Crisis Core placement, Advent Children, Intergrade, Before Crisis, and Ever Crisis.

Play order

Release is premiere order (1997 Final Fantasy VII first, then Dirge, Crisis Core, Remake, Intergrade, Rebirth). Story is lore order: Crisis Core → VII → Dirge → Remake → Rebirth. Intergrade stays Release-only as the Remake edition.

Story & Compilation

For lore chronology, yes—Story opens with Crisis Core (prefer Reunion). For a first Midgar experience, many players still start with 1997 VII or Remake so Zack’s ending hits harder later. Both approaches are valid.

No. Remake and Rebirth are a new trilogy branch that reimagines Midgar and beyond. They are not a disc-for-disc remake of 1997. Play 1997 for classic canon; play Remake → Rebirth for the modern saga.

Remasters & editions

Optional & media

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.