Though it likely wasn't the first studio to have them, the concept of a 'stepping out' moment has been most commonly associated with Bethesda's RPGs. The term 'stepping out' usually refers to the first time a player is given free rein over a game's open-world, often coming after a brief tutorial that takes place in a more confined space. This moment is an incredibly important one, not just being an introduction to the game's world and general aesthetic, but being a tease of everything the game has in store. While it may not be a fully open-world game, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has its own stepping out moment.
The third part in the ambitious Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is still likely a ways off, but given that the last two games in the series have adhered quite closely to the 1997 original, fans have a good idea of where the story is going next. And if Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's sequel follows the original's story closely, it should contain one pivotal sequence that would make for an incredible stepping out moment.
One Year Ago, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Rewrote the Rules of What a Remake Can Be
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's anniversary makes it worth recognizing what it did to redefine the way remakes are done in its bold, risk-taking approach.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3's Stepping Out Moment Could Be An All-Timer
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's Stepping Out Moment Will Be Hard to Beat
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is home to a breathtaking stepping out moment, but fans had to wait a long time for the emotional payoff. For Final Fantasy 7 Remake's 30+ hour runtime, players are mostly confined to the walled city of Midgar. From dense slums to grimy sewers to seedy clubs to eerie offices, all of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's locations are designed to feel claustrophobic, mirroring Shinra's oppression.
At the end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, players finally escape Shinra's clutches, and leave the industrial city of Midgar behind. The game ends with Cloud and the rest of the crew looking towards greener pastures, teasing the player of the wide world beyond. However, it takes some time before Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth makes good on that promise.
Chapter 1 of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is dedicated to retelling Cloud's memories of Sephiroth, and after the flashback has ended, players need to make a sudden, daring escape from Shinra's forces. But the moment players leave the town of Kalm, they're presented with a majestic camera sweep across the Grasslands. The metallic gray walls of Midgar and the cramped layout of Kalm give way to lush green fields, expansive and full of natural life. As Aerith excitedly jumps forward and remarks that they've just taken the first step on their new journey, the much larger scope of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is revealed to the player for the first time.
Final Fantasy 7 Part 3's Stepping Out Moment Could Be Even More Impactful
It's going to be hard for the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy to have a similarly impactful stepping out moment, especially as there are a lot of repeat locations in the series' final acts. But there's one key moment in the original 1997 Final Fantasy 7 that could provide a similar level of excitement and anticipation for what comes next.
Without spoiling too much, there's a sequence in the original Final Fantasy 7 where players take control of Tifa and commandeer Shinra's flagship, the Highwind, which they've already seen stationed in Junon during Rebirth. Upon getting the Highwind, players are suddenly given the ability to travel freely across the game's open-world, and land on any plains.
It's unclear if Final Fantasy 7 Remake part 3 will give players free rein over the skies like the original did, but given the effort Square Enix put into making Rebirth a semi-open-world game, it seems a likely direction for the climactic finale. As such, getting the Highwind in part 3 would mark a huge step-up in terms of player-freedom that many fans might not have expected, and if the sequence is accompanied by some stellar visuals and music, it could easily rival Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's stepping out moment.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 92 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- February 29, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- RPG
