Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: What the Sequel Might Look Like

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Summary

  • Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s world will be centered around the Highwind, potentially implementing an overworld map.
  • The game likely won’t be fully open world to avoid criticism of repetitive design from the previous installment.
  • Part 3 will expand on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth‘s world design, likely allowing travel between open-world zones with the Highwind.

Now that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been released, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy moves forward towards its final chapter, promising a grand finale as Cloud Strife and his companions prepare for their ultimate showdown against Sephiroth. The first two games of the trilogy have already made significant changes to the original game, going beyond just visual upgrades. For instance, while Final Fantasy 7 Remake kept players within confined spaces, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth introduced a broader world with multiple open areas to explore, raising curiosity about what the third game might offer in terms of exploration.

Regarding the potential world design and exploration in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, it’s plausible to speculate about this based on what’s left unexplored from the original game for the final installment of the remade trilogy. However, we should keep in mind that Square Enix has shown a knack for surprising players, as evidenced by Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The response to its open-world zones could potentially hint at the direction the third entry might take.

Where Final Fantasy 7’s Remake Trilogy Might Land Next

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s World Will Be Built Around the Highwind

Director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed during an interview with The Washington Post that Square Enix is designing the world for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 around the Highwind. While this doesn’t provide concrete details, it does suggest significant aspects about the world’s size and layout. Most of the groundwork for the third game’s world has already been laid due to the offerings of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but the inclusion of the Highwind means that Part 3’s world may not mirror Rebirth’s dimensions exactly.

In the original “Final Fantasy 7”, players could use the Highwind airship to navigate and traverse the game’s open world, allowing them to easily return to towns or search for additional content such as materia caves, weapons, and Chocobo breeding spots. It is plausible that “Final Fantasy 7 Remake” Part 3 may incorporate a similar open-world design, given Hamaguchi’s comments suggesting Part 3 will draw inspiration from the world design of “Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth”.

As a devoted fan, I’m thrilled to share that the foundation for the third game’s world seems nearly complete, thanks to the expansive offerings of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. However, just because the Highwind is now part of the story doesn’t necessarily imply that the world in Part 3 will mirror Rebirth’s scale. Each game offers its unique twist on the epic saga of Final Fantasy 7.

It appears reasonable to assume that, as Rebirth consists of numerous open-world zones, the structure of Part 3 might remain similar, enabling players to navigate between each zone utilizing the Highwind. This could result in a layout resembling Clair Obscur: Expedition 33‘s overworld map, where players can traverse the game’s smaller locations either on foot or with Esquie as a mount. Such a design change for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth would be a logical evolution of its world design, ensuring that Part 3 doesn’t adopt a fully open-world format.

Why Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Likely Won’t Be Fully Open World

Although it could seem logical from a certain point of view that the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake should adopt a fully open-world format, such a decision might not be beneficial for Square Enix. The extensive environments in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth received acclaim from some players, but overall feedback was mostly divided. After the second or third zone, the gameplay starts to feel repetitive and lengthy due to similarities in design among the areas. Consequently, if the third part of the remake were to adopt a fully open-world format, it could face more criticism than praise, given that the design of Rebirth itself was already met with mixed reactions.

Essentially, it seems Square Enix may have decided to keep the setting for the final installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy confined within the boundaries of Rebirth, though with a fresh perspective since the Highwind is now part of the story. This shift could make Part 3 more expansive than Rebirth, given Hamaguchi’s suggestion that much of it has already been completed due to Rebirth’s design. Consequently, we can expect the third chapter of Final Fantasy 7 Remake to present a larger world design compared to what was offered in Rebirth.

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2025-05-31 15:07