Some of the best adaptations and remakes — or at least some of the most enjoyable parts of them, anyway — are those that surprise us with meaningful changes that maintain the spirit of the original. The first two installments of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy take plenty of liberties with the original game’s story as they explore a parallel narrative with branching timelines. Despite the many strengths of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, playing the Xbox Series X port of FF7 Remake recently reminded me of one reason why it’s better than the sequel: Jessie.

