For the purposes of this list, Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is excluded, as it is merely a retelling of the entire Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series.

The idea of Final Fantasy VII having a chronological order to be played in might sound ridiculous, but the game's legacy is extensive. After all, the numeric title seemingly makes it into another one-off entry in the franchise. Conversely, the title of Final Fantasy VII Remake suggests that it's merely the same game with a fresh coat of paint, which isn't exactly true.

As many fans of the Final Fantasy franchise are aware, Square Enix revisited Final Fantasy VII long before the Remake trilogy finally made its way to home consoles. With Square adding more spinoffs to FFVII's universe in the wake of Remake's success, including the recently released Rebirth and upcoming Remake Part 3, it's worth figuring out how to play all the Final Fantasy VII games in order. Likewise, knowing where these entries lie in the chronology is just as important as knowing how (and on which consoles) to play them

Updated on April 11, 2024, by Michael Colwander: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is now out to rave reviews and continuing Final Fantasy VII's legacy of being one of the most fleshed-out video game worlds to date. Where does Rebirth fit in the FF7 timeline?

1 Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Is Set 30 Years Before FFVII

It may seem odd that a Final Fantasy game jumping on the Fortnite bandwagon is the first game in Final Fantasy VII's timeline. The First Soldier doesn't add much to FFVII narratively, because it doesn't have a narrative to speak of. It does break new ground in the franchise by taking place three decades before FFVII. The First Soldier uses the origin story of Shinra's elite troops, SOLDIER, as the impetus for its mobile battles royale.

In Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, players take on the role of SOLDIER recruits, fighting to be the titular franchise player in Shinra's private army. Since it doesn't attempt Fortnite's level of worldbuilding, it adds little in way of substance for those primarily interested in FFVII's story. This might ultimately be for the best given its many issues. Conversely, The First Soldier has been shut down because of said problems.

2 Before Crisis Takes Place 6 Years Before FFVII

A game ripe for a remake of its own, Before Crisis was designed and released exclusively for mobile phones. Set six years before FFVII, it charts the rivalry between Shinra and AVALANCHE. This point in the Final Fantasy VII timeline begins in the wake of Shinra defeating Wutai and functionally conquering the world.

In an inversion of FFVII, Shinra's Turks are the protagonists and AVALANCHE are the villains of the piece. Iconic FFVII heroes like Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith make cameo appearances, as does main villain Sephiroth, who appears as a member of SOLDIER before he goes his own way. Before Crisis overlaps with the next game in the chronology, Crisis Core. Sadly, its release on older mobile hardware means that it's now considered an example of "lost media" and the most esoteric of the FF7 games.

3 Crisis Core Takes Place 7 Years Before FFVII

Coming next in the Final Fantasy VII timeline is Crisis Core, which continues the focus on Shinra's forces — namely, SOLDIER operative Zack Fair. Like Before Crisis, multiple major characters from Final Fantasy VII make appearances, albeit in a more significant way. Zack befriends both Aerith and Cloud, setting up his importance to Cloud's backstory.

It also chronicles Sephiroth's evolution from one of Zack's SOLDIER compatriots to the villain of FFVII. While it begins a year before Before Crisis, its epilogue winds up overlapping with Final Fantasy VII. The game also recreates FFVII's opening scene, with Cloud lending his Buster Sword to AVALANCHE's cause as a mercenary.

4 Final Fantasy VII Is The Middle Of The Timeline

The original Final Fantasy VII is what started it all, but it actually takes place midway through the FFVII timeline. While initially intended as a stand-alone title, like most games in the wider Final Fantasy series, playing the prequels before it does add texture to the game's world and fills in some gaps that even a game as massive as FFVII couldn't address.

It also spoils a major reveal in the process, which is worth taking into account before deciding to play the Final Fantasy VII games in order instead of merely release order. While FFVII was originally a PlayStation exclusive, it is handily available on modern consoles and the PC via an enhanced port that offers new features like 3x battle speed and the ability to turn off random encounters.

5 Dirge Of Cerberus Takes Place 3 Years After Final Fantasy VII

Dirge of Cerberus is the first game in the FF7 timeline to take place after the events of Final Fantasy VII. While it opens during Final Fantasy VII's climax, it primarily takes place three years after FFVII. Dirge of Cerberus stars Vincent Valentine, a hidden character who became a fan-favorite party member.

Since he wasn't a core member of the party in the first of the Final Fantasy VII games, Vincent didn't have much backstory beyond his ties to Cloud and Sephiroth. Dirge of Cerberus filled in the blanks in the character's history. The game's main antagonists are Deepground, a group created as part of a Shinra covert operation that's attempting to raise the WEAPON Omega.

6 FF VII Remake Takes Place During & After The Original

Final Fantasy VII Remake earns its name by not being more than a simple retelling of the original story with modern graphics. The first episode in a three-part Final Fantasy project, FFVII Remake expands the Midgar section of the original game to the length of the first game in its entirety. It also makes significant changes to the original story, which left some characters who had previously died alive and well in the FFVII Remake.

This puts the Remake trilogy at the furthest point in the Final Fantasy VII timeline. Square Enix is playing any details about where this is going close to the vest, but that Sephiroth is actively trying to avoid his FFVII fate suggests Remake takes place after the original happened, despite being mostly a retelling.

7 FFVII Remake INTERmission Is Set During Remake

The INTERmission DLC introduces the optional FFVII character Yuffie to FFVII Remake's universe. Although it takes place in parallel with Remake, Square has recommended playing it after finishing the base game. Opening after the bombing of Mako Reactor 5, Yuffie arrives in Midgar to steal Ultima Materia from Shinra, working with an AVALANCHE cell to achieve her goals.

After her plan goes sideways, Yuffie escapes Shinra's headquarters just as the Sector 7 plate falls towards the end of Remake. INTERmission exists primarily to introduce Yuffie in the Remake trilogy, setting up her appearance in Rebirth.

8 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Is Now The Furthest Entry In The Final Fantasy VII Timeline

Naturally, the game that takes place after Remake and INTERmission would be the furthest game in the FF7 timeline. Rebirth takes place after Cloud and company escape Midgar and are introduced to a wide-open world in their pursuit of Sephiroth.

For the most part, Rebirth progresses the story similarly to the original FF7. Although there are definitely some story deviations and alterations that drive home the fact that Rebirth could only take place after the original game. It's recommended to play the original, Remake, and INTERmission before delving into the impressive world of Rebirth. For now, Rebirth is the end of the FF7 timeline until Remake Part 3 releases, hopefully sooner rather than later.