We have not yet finished with the big releases of 2023 that will go down in history as one of the best years for all gamers of all-time, no matter what platform they play on, and yet we have already set our sights on 2024, where some of the confirmed titles are leaving breadcrumbs on their systems and, as is the case of Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth, new mechanics that we saw neither in the original Final Fantasy VII nor in the previous entry in the current series, Final Fantasy VII Remake, such as the new way of capturing and using Chocobos.
Indeed, the cuddly racing mounts will be more prominent this time around in Square Enix's game, as we'll now be able to stalk them out of the bush to ride them, rather than having to fight them like we did in 1998. This has been confirmed by the game's official Twitter/X account, which also shows a short clip of Cloud distracting one of the creatures and then sneaking up behind it and riding it. If you manage to calm it down, it will become a trusty companion to speed up your travels.
<social>https://twitter.com/FFVIIR_CLOUD/status/1717466094015746205</social>
But they're not just for getting around (or for breeding and racing, you know). They will also help with the search for buried treasure. "When a chocobo encounters the scent of treasure, a "?" will appear above its head. You may be able to unearth valuable items by following the scent trail using your chocobo's sense of smell."
<social>https://twitter.com/FFVIIR_CLOUD/status/1717467351761727507</social>
This looks like just one of the new features we'll be seeing on February 29 when Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth arrives exclusively on PlayStation 5. And if you want to know how the experience is shaping up, you can read our preview after testing a pre-release version.