Highlights
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an open-world game true to the JRPG genre, with seven major regions based on locations from the PS1 original.
- The remake brings low-polygonal environments to life with expanded ideas and details, introducing new narrative beats and characters.
- Each region offers unique experiences, from the vast Meridian Ocean to the lush jungles of Gongaga, with exciting quests and story moments.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is an open-world game, true to the JRPG genre, unlike the first part of this remake trilogy. There are technically seven major regions based on locations from the PS1 original. This remake did a great job of bringing the low-polygonal environments to life with expanded ideas and added details.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Beginner Tips
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth can be confusing for new players. In this guide, they will find useful tips that will help them in their adventure.
The same is true for the story, as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has a lot of new narrative beats and accompanying characters. The core idea still remains intact though. Which area of the world map was the most fun to explore or experience through a variety of measures? Let’s go through all of them and see.
Spoilers Ahead
7 The Meridian Ocean
Chapter 13
The Meridian Ocean is both a large region and small one, as it takes up a lot of space, but doesn't contain much in the way of activities. In the second to last chapter, players will unlock Cid's airplane, the Tiny Bronco, to explore the world. It's no longer flyable, but players can still use it as a boat, like they did in the original game, and explore the ocean that way.
The middle section is called The Meridian Ocean and there are a few related side quests tied to it. However, Chadely seemingly does not have an interest in this area, so there are no towers to climb or Summons to gather. There's not much to see, but it game, so it must be noted.
6 The Grasslands
Chapters 2-3
The Grasslands is the first area of the game, and players should definitely have a moment similar to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild when they first see it. They will leave Kalm, which is great in its improved state, to see sunlight and green grass for the first significant time since leaving Midgar. From there, the open-world is the player’s oyster, although they should visit the Chocobo Ranch as soon as possible to get some quests going.
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Players will ultimately have an easier time in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth by avoiding these common mistakes.
It’s a good starting area, but there aren’t a lot of interesting quests yet or big story beats. The highlight, besides seeing a more in-depth boss fight with the Midgardsormr, is Kalm. It may give fans hope for a Final Fantasy 9 remake based on the look alone.
5 Cosmo Canyon
Chapter 10
Cosmo Canyon has one of the most confusing areas to navigate. Chocobos in this region can glide around after jumping off ledges. As it is a large canyon, there are high walls everywhere and the game's map doesn’t do a very good job communicating elevation levels.
To complete Chadley’s quests, players may need to run around endlessly just to find a safe route on foot or while riding Chocobos. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth does the original, smaller version of Cosmo Canyon justice in this remake, which makes the hard-to-navigate segments even more frustrating. Even the story moments aren’t that great, save for the brief introduction of Cid.
4 Nibel
Chapter 11
Nibelheim has one of the best uses of Chocobos in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as they are water-based. They can shoot water out of somewhere on their body, which looks hilarious, and propel the party into the air. It makes navigating through the craggy terrain a cinch, almost like these Chocobo types were an apology for the trek players had to make through Cosmo Canyon.
The area is small compared to other regions though, and the story-based missions are brief but impactful. For example, this was the first time Cloud and Tifa returned to Nibelheim since the incident with Sephiroth. Also, Vincent gets introduced here but is unplayable in the game, just like Cid, although both presumably will be in the series' finale.
3 Gongaga
Chapter 9
Gongaga was barely an area in the first game, but it has evolved in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The town is small, and it’s part of a side quest that isn’t necessary, even though it holds significant ties to Zack. Gongaga in the remake is an incredibly lush jungle complete with ancient ruins, as if the party was transported to Costa Rica.
There’s a choir-backed score to this section too, which may have Square Enix fans thinking about NieR: Automata’s heavy choir-infused soundtrack. The Chocobos of this area have an interesting twist to them too, as they can hop on mushrooms to help with exploring. As fun as bouncing around can be, it can be confusing to navigate too, which is a letdown. Story-wise, some big lore beats happen here, as players arrive in the region between Tifa almost dying and the return of Cissnei from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7.
2 Junon
Chapters 4-5
Junon is a standout area that injects a lot of life into the game, showcasing its wackier side. The area looks a bit bleak as it is full of junk and craters, but the further players travel, the more interesting it gets. There are mountainous trails, a rebel village, and a death-defying rope bridge, with the coolest being the sunken shipyard. One of the best quests in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth involves a Fort Condor mini-game in a Tron-like situation that's located here as well.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Every Playable Character, Ranked
Here's every playable character in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ranked from worst to best, along with some other interesting info about each one.
Junon itself is the real treat, as this is where Cloud and the others get introduced to Yuffie, Roche comes back, there’s a super weird bald-themed bar, and then there is the parade mini-game. The Shinra-8 tour boat should be mentioned as well, which is where a grand Queen’s Blood tournament takes place, with tons of oddball characters. The strangest moment of all has to be Red 13 doing his best Michael Jackson/Chester Cheetah impression.
1 Corel
Chapters 6-8
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Corel has so much going on that it’s almost unfair to the other areas. After players take the Shinra-8 boat from Junon, they will spend some time in Costa del Sol. Here they will ride around on scooters, play mini-games, do some beach fights, and so on. The surrounding area seems like a now-defunct ski resort which leads to Barret’s home turf of North Corel.
After that, there is the highlight of Gold Saucer, with even more side attractions than Costa del Sol. Even the prison area has been significantly fleshed out, not to mention the desert beyond once players get the Buggy vehicle. It’s without a doubt the biggest area of the game, and besides having a lot of side activities, there are some solid story beats here too, like more shenanigans involving The Turks, the introduction of Cait Sith, and Barret reuniting with Dyne.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- RPG
