Summary
One of the most surprising things aboutFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthis the way that the game incorporates some of the best elements of the last decade of open-world game design. AfterRemake’s shepherding of players through relatively cramped spaces within the city of Midgar,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthessentially cuts the tether loose to allow the player to explore the wider world of Gaia completely unfettered. Not only isFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open world one of the game’s greatest strengths, but it also exhibits a massive leap in quality over the last mainlineFinal Fantasygame to adopt an open-world approach:Final Fantasy 15.
Even thoughFinal Fantasy 15’s world was large, its design and implementation of gameplay left much to be desired. There was plenty of space to take Noctis and his companions on a road trip of world-saving proportions, but the actual amount that there was to do and interact with within that world left the game feeling unfinished. The negative reaction toFinal Fantasy 15’s open world was so pronounced that Square Enix opted for semi-open “zones” inFinal Fantasy 16to make the experience more cohesive, butFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthproves that open-world game design and traditionalFinal Fantasygameplay are a compelling mix.
The Density of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Open World Makes Exploration Beneficial
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthgoes to great lengths to make both guided and unguided exploration through its massive open-world spaces a benefit to the player. Utilizing the game’s highly-detailed map menu emphasizes just how densely packed the open world regions are, and every distraction from the main and side quests serves some purpose that makes venturing off the beaten path rewarding. Though there are towers to unlock and markers to chase (not unlike the common tropes present in mostopen-world games), completing these activities feels like pieces that contribute to a sum greater than its individual parts rather than a checklist for players to methodically work through.
ThatRebirth’s new improvements toRemake’s combat system make its blending of real-time action and turn-based commands feel better than ever only adds to the experience, as combat encounters feel like a welcome surprise rather than an unwelcome interruption while exploring the open world. Ultimately, the experience of traversing throughFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s interactive spacesfeels much less disjointed than time spent wanderingFinal Fantasy 15’s large and beautiful, but sparse, open world.
What a Continued Evolution of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Open World Could Mean for a Third Installment
The open-world game design on display inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthsets an undeniably high bar for the eventual third entry to clear, especially considering that Square Enix has already revealed thatthe Highwind airshipwill factor prominently in theRemaketrilogy’s conclusion.Final Fantasy 16’s solution to cut down on the bloat ofFinal Fantasy 15’s open world was to separate the map into larger semi-open zones, with Fallen ruins acting as the hub and base of operations for Clive as the Hideaway base.
The definitive characteristic ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open worldis that it cribs the best lessons from over a decade of open-world game design to far surpass any modern open world in aFinal Fantasygame. Every bit of exploration feels beneficial to the player rather than becoming cumbersome or feeling like a chore, and maintaining that balance moving forward won’t be an easy task as theRemaketrilogy’s world continues to grow in size and scope.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
