Summary
- Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's sequel will feature the return of airship travel using Cid's Highwind, a beloved element from the original game.
- The third and final installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is reportedly already being written, confirming it as a trilogy.
- Although fans may have spotted the Highwind in trailers, players will likely have to wait until the next installment to pilot the airship themselves due to challenges in implementing it.
The currently-unnamed third installment in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake saga will see the return of one of the original’s most popular elements: airship travel using Cid’s trusty vessel, the Highwind. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to finally launch later this month, and will pick up the story of Cloud Strife and company where 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake left off. Square Enix has confirmed that these two games are part of a trilogy, and the third and final installment is reportedly already being written as of this writing.
Airships are a common recurrence in the Final Fantasy series, and Final Fantasy 7’s take on the trope remains one of the most fondly remembered in the franchise. Built by Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth party member Cid Highwind, the Highwind is first commandeered by Team AVALANCHE when Tifa and Barret are captured by Shinra. After the subsequent rescue mission, the Highwind serves as a speedy way to travel across the planet. In the original Final Fantasy 7, the Highwind allows players to backtrack through the game’s World Map, and can even be used to challenge the dreaded Ultimate Weapon boss.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Demo Length & What Carries Over
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth delivers its first demo as promised, re-introducing the players to Nibelheim. Here's how long the demo may last, and more.
Some eagle-eyed fans say that they spotted the Highwind in one of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s trailers, but it might not be until the next installment that players will get to pilot the legendary airship for themselves. FF7 Rebirth creative director Tetsuya Nomura recently spoke with Famitsu (as translated by Twitter user aitaikimochi) to discuss some of the challenges of bringing the world of Final Fantasy 7 to life on modern hardware. One of the topics he discussed was how the size and quality of FF7 Rebirth’s world map could make implementing airship travel in the next installment difficult.
The Highwind Could Take Flight In Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Sequel
Sure enough, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will see Cloud and his allies journey through the larger world outside of Midgar’s borders, and a recent trailer from this month’s PlayStation State of Play livestream demonstrated how players will explore the planet’s many different regions. Early previews for FF7 Rebirth have commented on how much bigger the game is than its predecessor, and this is evident in the game’s massive file size.
There will be plenty to see and do in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but it looks like players won’t get to fly around the planet in an airship until the next and final chapter in the series. This makes sense, as the Highwind wasn’t introduced as a mode of transport for the party in the original game until after their fateful trip to the Forgotten Capital, which serves as the ending point for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Fans will have to wait and see how the ongoing Final Fantasy 7 Remake series implements airship travel in its finale.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
- Released
- February 29, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
Discover a vibrant and vast world in this standalone entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the second entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake project, which retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. Iconic heroes Cloud, Barret, Tifa, Aerith and Red XIII have escaped from the dystopian city Midgar and are now in pursuit of Sephiroth, the vengeful swordsman from Cloud’s past who was thought to be dead. This new adventure can be enjoyed by all players, even those who have yet to play Final Fantasy VII Remake or the PlayStation original. Expect a new standard of cinematic storytelling, fast-paced combat and rich exploration across a vast world.
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC
- Genre(s)
- RPG
