Highlights
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will feature an open-world map adaptation of Gaia, with faithfully recreated areas and new additions like landmarks, treasures, battles, and mini-games.
- The final location in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be the Forgotten Capital, which marks the end of the first disc in the original game and hints at a potentially different outcome for Aerith's fate.
- The third installment of Final Fantasy 7 Remake will likely have a fully accessible world map, allowing for new events and exploration of the Northern Continent, Wutai, and the ocean floor, with multiple character arcs and confrontations with Shinra and Weapons.
Unlike the mostly linear Midgar section covered in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth takes Cloud and the party into the open air of Gaia, finally showing how FF7's world map will be adapted. Current previews look promising, with the different areas not only recreated faithfully, but peppered with new landmarks, elevations, treasures, battles, and even mini-games. Whatever changes come along the way, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth looks like it's delivering exactly what FF7 fans want.
Among the recent outpouring of previews and interviews for FF7 Rebirth were several details that could be taken as spoilers. Marketing has all but confirmed that Zack Fair will have a greater role this time, and players may be looking at over 100 hours of content in a thorough playthrough. However, the most sensitive detail is exactly where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will end. In an interview with the PlayStation Blog, creative director Tetsuya Nomura stated what the final location in FF7 Rebirth will be, which paints a much clearer picture of how much of FF7 is in each Remake installment.
Final Fantasy 7's First Disc Takes Up Most of the Remake
According to Nomura, the final area in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be the Forgotten Capital, the final location players visited on the original Final Fantasy 7's first disc. It seems like the point at which Aerith originally died will be the last thing players see before the wait for the third FF7 Remake game begins. It's impossible to say how differently that event will play out, but players should expect a wild ride near the end of FF7 Rebirth.
This also clearly divides how much of Final Fantasy 7 will be adapted in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Likely starting with the Kalm flashback, players will proceed through the Eastern Continent up to Junon, then completely explore the Western Continent. This is where things get tricky, as players should encounter Vincent, Cid, and the Tiny Bronco near the end of this journey, gaining access to FF7's full party and most of the ocean. A lot of backtracking should then occur before the party reaches the Forgotten Capital, which will be difficult for FF7 Rebirth to design around.
What Will Be In The Third Final Fantasy 7 Remake
Even though some events are being shuffled around, the third Final Fantasy 7 Remake title might seem comparatively light on content. It has been confirmed that some Rebirth party members will become NPC allies like Red XIII in the first Remake, saving new play styles for the final game. It has also been confirmed that Wutai is exclusive to the third FF7R game, implying it's now mandatory. However, that still means that the FF7 Remake will probably end with the party clearing the rest of the Northern Continent, visiting Wutai, and then hopping around the world map until the Northern Crater opens up.
It's not entirely clear how the later parts of Final Fantasy 7 will be paced and organized, but the third remake should involve a fully accessible world map. This leaves the most room for new events compared to the last two remakes, and what's in the original FF7's second and third discs also can't be sold short. Players will be fighting Shinra and the various Weapons on their way to collect Huge Materia, exploring the ocean floor, and concluding multiple character arcs along their globetrotting journey. For as many features as Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will throw at the players, there could be even more waiting for them in the grand finale of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be released on February 29, 2024, for the PS5.
