The ending to Final Fantasy 7 Remake firmly established that Square Enix were not content to simply upgrade Final Fantasy 7 using modern graphics but instead completely re-imagine the new remake trilogy as an alternate timeline within the FF7 universe. The upcoming second entry, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, will see Cloud and his companions venturing outside the walls of Midgar - a pivotal moment in the original game that placed players in the world map for the first time and also signaled the transition between the first and second discs. For all the changes that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will likely include, FF7's world map should still remain intact.
Following the typical introductions to the setting, characters, and conflict of each Final Fantasy game, players are set free onto the world map in a symbolic gesture of passing the fate of the characters (and subsequently, the world) into the hands of the player. While Final Fantasy 7 and the Remake each contained plenty of real estate for players to explore in Midgar, the introduction of the world map in disc 2 sets players loose to truly begin their quest. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will likely introduce new changes to the story of the original, but should still retain its world map along with the spirit of adventure it inspired.
Instead of Chapters, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Needs a Navigable Map
The original Final Fantasy 7 shuttled players through a mostly linear path and restricted movement through the opening location of Midgar except for in certain sections where Cloud could travel between Sectors. To address this linearity while also providing significant expansion to the interior of Midgar and its various Sectors, Final Fantasy 7 Remake adopted a Chapter model that allowed players to replay completed sections of the game to revisit certain areas while retaining all cumulative progress. With the characters leaving the confines of Midgar in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the game should abandon the Chapter model and adopt a map that players can navigate on foot or in vehicle.
The original Final Fantasy 7 included a variety of options for players to traverse its large world map. Whether on foot, via chocobo, in the buggy, or on the game's airship the Highwind, players were given increasing levels of freedom to explore the map as they progressed in their quest. With the possibility that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth might incorporate more areas for players to explore as well as mirror the amount of content in the original's second disc, that exploration shouldn't be restricted to selections on a chapter menu.
Borrowing the Large Interconnected 'Zones' From Final Fantasy 16
The next main numbered entry in the franchise, Final Fantasy 16, is giving players a large and interconnected world to explore that isn't an open-world map but instead a series of large, interconnected "zones". In determining how a large world map could be incorporated into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's gameplay, the developers could look to the map of Final Fantasy 16 as inspiration. The introduction of branching timelines in Final Fantasy 7 Remake could even give precedent for there to be more than one world map, with players hopping between realities in their quest to stop Sephiroth.
It's possible that making Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's map a true open-world area would be too taxing, giving even more reason to follow the new map model being used in Final Fantasy 16. The original Final Fantasy 7's dropping of players into a full-3D world map for the first time in the series was an eye-opening moment for fans, and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has a similar opportunity to "wow" longtime Final Fantasy devotees with its re-imagining of this pivotal middle chunk of the game. Whether the game's map is one large area or a series of interconnected smaller ones, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth should retain the original's spirit of exploration and adventure afforded by its beautifully realized world.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth releases in winter 2023 for PlayStation 5.
