Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth elevates iconic locations with realistic design tweaks and expansions for a more immersive experience.
  • Mt. Corel in the remake now reflects the destruction of the Mako reactor, offering logical architectural changes for a more cohesive design.
  • From North Corel's rundown village to the bustling Corel Prison, Rebirth adds depth to make several areas feel more alive.

The opening stage of one of the greatest games of all time, Midgar is undoubtedly one of the most iconic settings in gaming history, but it's far from the only beloved location in the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7. After Cloud and the rest of the crew escape Midgar, they set off on a globe-trotting adventure to find and stop Sephiroth, and along the way they stumble into a wealth of now-iconic locales, from the calming beachside resort of Costa del Sol to the intimidating Shinra fortress city of Junon to Cloud and Tifa's hometown of Nibelheim.

Just like its predecessor did with each of Midgar's individual locations, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth goes above and beyond when recreating these iconic locations from the original game's second act. From major area expansions to slight tweaks in design that give the architecture and look of the area more realism, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth elevates the original game's settings, and that's certainly true for Barret's hometown of Corel and its various surrounding areas.

Final Fantasy 7 Junon Comparison
Related
How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Junon Compares to the 1997 Original

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth remakes a number of iconic locations from the 1997 original, and Junon features some of the most impressive enhancements.

Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Mt. Corel to the 1997 Original

One of the most extensive expansions in the entire remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Mt. Corel has seen some significant additions. In the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7, Mt. Corel was a fairly odd area, with juxtaposing architecture and level design that didn't blend together quite as seamlessly as some of FF7's other locations. For instance, players would travel from one screen that depicted a damaged Mako reactor to the next, which showed a seemingly unconnected mining bridge, and then the next, which showed a rollercoaster-like mining track. It didn't necessarily feel like these areas made logical sense in-universe, and Rebirth tries its best to rectify that while still retaining the same general layout.

Now completely destroyed, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Mt. Corel Mako reactor has clearly decimated the surrounding area, which leads to some changes in the architecture that closely resemble the original game's Mt. Corel design, thus explaining why these areas look the way they do. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Mt. Corel is also home to one of the lengthier filler sections in the remake, with Yuffie now being tasked with lowering the same bridge that took the original version of Cloud just a few seconds to cross.

Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's North Corel to the 1997 Original

Relegated to just one background screen in the original Final Fantasy 7, North Corel has received a bit of an expansion in the remake, but has still managed to retain its smaller size. Intended to be a tiny mining village on the verge of collapse, it wouldn't make sense for Rebirth's version of North Corel to receive the same glow-up as areas like Costa del Sol or Junon, so keeping it small and rundown was the best choice Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth could have made.

Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Corel Prison to the 1997 Original

After participating in a few mini-games at the Gold Saucer, both Final Fantasy 7 games have players thrown back down to the desolate surface below, a place filled with ruffians and thugs named Corel Prison. In the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7, Corel Prison is a wasteland containing a few destroyed car chassis, and a few low-life criminals. In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Corel Prison has been expanded into a bustling Mad Max-like town filled to the brim with thieves and gamblers. Though it retains its intimidating feeling, Rebirth's more populated version of Corel Prison makes the place feel more like an actual town than an empty wasteland filled with stragglers.