Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth keeps iconic Costa del Sol small town charm, adding more buildings and activities for fans to enjoy.
  • Costa del Sol in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth provides a relaxing break with mini-games, music, and serene atmosphere for players.
  • Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth expands on the original location, offering a true resort feel with hotels, bars, and street vendors.

The Final Fantasy franchise features some of the most iconic locations in the world of gaming, from Final Fantasy 10's Zanarkand dreamland to Final Fantasy 9's breathtaking Lindblum and Final Fantasy 15's epic Altissia. These locations feature some incredibly innovative visual designs, along with a strong sense of atmosphere that's been created through the game's use of lighting, architecture, music, and color palette. Of course, the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7 has more than its fair share of similarly iconic locations, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth giving them a modern-age overhaul.

Though it might not be the most iconic location from the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7, Costa del Sol has gone on to have quite the legacy in the wider franchise, appearing as a settlement in Final Fantasy 14. A small beachside resort, Costa del Sol acts as a nice but brief reprieve from the rest of Cloud and company's heavier journey, and that purpose is made even clearer in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

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Comparing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Costa del Sol to The 1997 Original

On the whole, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's version of Costa del Sol bears a striking resemblance to its original 1997 counterpart, with the remake making practically no changes to the original look of the area, but simply adding more to it. In the original Final Fantasy 7, Costa del Sol consisted of just three background screens, with one depicting the harbor where the Shinra ferry docks, and the remaining two being used for the resort's center and beach.

The original 1997 version of Costa del Sol was very small, containing just one bridge, a beach, one storefront, and just a handful of buildings, giving the sense that this beachside resort wasn't a gigantic complex, but was still a popular vacation spot. The same can't be said, however, for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's version of Costa del Sol. Greatly expanded from the original version, Rebirth's Costa del Sol now features a plethora of hotels, seaside bars, street vendors, and storefronts, along with a lengthy beachfront and a much longer harbor area. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Costa del Sol feels like a true resort town, filled with eager vacationers.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Costa del Sol Puts an Emphasis on Relaxation

The biggest purpose of Costa del Sol in the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7 is to give players a bit of a break from the game's more weighty narrative, which has just taken an even darker turn, with Cloud and the rest of the crew having just faced off against a manifestation of Jenova aboard the Shinra ferry. Being a bright, sunny, and peaceful place, Costa del Sol allows players to catch their breath briefly before being thrown back into the fray once again.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Costa del Sol has the exact same purpose, but again, it expands on it. Rather than just offer a few shops and some calming music, Rebirth's version of Costa del Sol gives players a handful of minigames to participate in, from a pirate-themed shooting gallery to a Red XIII-led soccer match and a Tifa piano concert or another Queen's Blood challenge. These minigames do drag Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's overall pacing down quite a bit, but in the process, it gives fans a brief respite from the rest of the game's darker tone.