Happy Friday! After a week of Final Fantasy coverage for the site, we end back where we started—celebrating the PC release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.



In episode 13 of The Punished Podcast, Amanda, Kei, and I dive deep into what makes Final Fantasy VII Rebirth such a special (though often frustrating) experience. Months have passed since the original PlayStation 5 release, and the gloves are off! Nothing is off limits, from the combat and characters to the mini-games, the soundtrack, and of course that wild ending.



Don’t worry! If you’re just playing Rebirth for the first time on PC, you can still listen. The first ~55 minutes of the podcast are spoiler-free, while the remaining hour and a half are for those already in the know. Regardless of your familiarity with the VII universe, we invite you to listen!



– David Silbert, Editor



The Punished Podcast Episode 13



I say it in the audio, but two quick notes about today’s episode:




* My audio levels are pretty atrocious (sorry in advance). Thankfully, things get a little better later on.



* Amanda, Kei, and I recorded this back in July 2024. So, we mention a few things (theories, GOTY commentary, etc.) that may be outdated. Even still, I think you’ll find most of what we talk about to be pretty topical.




That’s it! Have at it:







MP3 Download | Spotify | Apple Podcasts











Timestamps:




* 0:00 – Intro



* 4:21 – Our Final Fantasy Journeys



* 9:43 – Thoughts on Rebirth’s Structure



* 25:21 – TOO. MANY. MINI-GAMES!



* 28:22 – Favorite (& Least Favorite) Mini-Games



* 35:17 – Combat & Characters



* 43:56 – LIGHTNING ROUND!!



* 50:12 – How About That Soundtrack?!



* 55:45 – Spoilercast Time! Barrett, Dyne, and Cognitive Dissonance



* 1:04:13 – Discussing the New Party Members



* 1:12:23 – What the Heck’s Going on With Zack?



* 1:15:54 – Which Character Did You Date and Why?



* 1:27:40 – The Big Question: What Did We Think of the Ending?



* 1:53:18 – The Final Boss Gauntlet and Other Thoughts



* 1:58:14 – Rebirth’s Unparalleled Scale (and How It May Play Into Part 3)



* 2:00:32 – Loveless and “No Promises to Keep”



* 2:09:23 – Who’s Singing the Song in Part 3?



* 2:10:17 – Outro for Amanda



* 2:11:37 – Our Best Guesses on How Part 3 Will Be Structured (Full VII Universe Spoilers!!)



* 2:18:24 – How Will Cid and Vincent Play into Combat?