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.
With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth now behind it, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy presses on toward its third and last entry, which will undoubtedly result in an epic conclusion as Cloud Strife and his friends eventually square off against Sephiroth in a final confrontation. So far, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has already done a number on the original game, and not just in visuals alone. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake largely kept players within some tight boundaries, for example, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth opened up the world in an unprecedented way with multiple open areas to explore, leaving questions about what the third game might look like in that regard.
As for where Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 might land in terms of its world design and exploration, it's somewhat possible to predict that based on what is still left of the original game for the third entry in the remade trilogy to explore. That being said, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is proof that Square Enix is more than willing to throw a curveball at players if given the opportunity, and the long-term reception of its open-world zones may also be an indicator of where the third entry might go.
How Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Rebirth Reinforce Tifa's Strength as a Character
Tifa's birthday of May 3 just passed, so it's a great time to celebrate her legacy, with compassion furthering her strength in FF7 Remake and Rebirth.
Where Final Fantasy 7's Remake Trilogy Might Land Next
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3's World Will Be Built Around the Highwind
According to director Naoki Hamaguchi in an interview with The Washington Post, Square Enix is building Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3's world around the Highwind, though that doesn't necessarily narrow anything down to specifics. What it does present, however, are some weighty implications for what the world will be like in terms of its scope and design. Apparently, most of the work for the third game's world is already done, thanks to what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth offered in that arena, but with the Highwind now involved, that doesn't automatically mean that Part 3's world will resemble Rebirth's in scope.
In the original Final Fantasy 7, players would use the Highwind to explore and traverse the game's overworld map, making it easier to revisit towns or hunt for side content like materia caves, weapons, and Chocobo breeding. It's possible Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 could implement an overworld map of sorts and repeat this design, and it would make sense in light of Hamaguchi's comments about Part 3 taking a cue from Final F antasy 7 Rebirth's world design.
Apparently, most of the work for the third game's world is already done, thanks to what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth offered in that arena, but with the Highwind now involved, that doesn't automatically mean that Part 3's world will resemble Rebirth's in scope.
Since Rebirth is made up of multiple open-world zones, it seems likely that Part 3 will keep this structure and simply allow players to travel between each zone using the Highwind. In essence, it could potentially end up looking like something comparable to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's overworld map, which allows players to travel between the game's smaller locations either on foot or on Esquie's back. This would be a natural progression of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's world design, and it would keep Part 3 from going fully open world.
Why Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 Likely Won't Be Fully Open World
While it might make sense from one perspective for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 to be fully open world, it probably wouldn't be the best route for Square Enix to go. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's expansive environments were praised by some, but long-term reception was largely mixed. After the second or third zone, things start to feel a bit repetitive and time-consuming due to each area being too similar in its design. As such, if Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 were to go fully open world, it would likely be subjecting itself to more criticism than praise, since Rebirth's design alone was already met with a mixed reception.
In other words, it's likely Square Enix has considered this moving forward, and will instead keep the world design for the final entry of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy within Rebirth's borders — only with a different context now that the Highwind is involved. Not only would it be a bold move for Part 3 to be even more open than Rebirth, but Hamaguchi has already intimated that the third entry is already mostly done, thanks to Rebirth's design. In light of that, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 will more than likely be a larger version of what Rebirth offered in terms of its world design.
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
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Genre(s)
- RPG
