It’s fascinating to note how Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open environment affects the third entry’s confirmed airship feature.
HIGHLIGHTS
For a really amazing experience, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth masterfully incorporates every aspect of gameplay into its open-world layout.
The third installment’s verified presence of the Highwind airship suggests a base of operations for rapid travel.
With the emphasis on new locations, visiting earlier districts in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth might not provide as many distractions, but they might still have some role in creating the impression that the world is vast.
Following two previous mainstream entries in the series that experimented with open-world game design and gameplay, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth delivers on the promise of a true open-world Final Fantasy game. The meticulous incorporation of every aspect of gameplay into Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open-world architecture makes exploration and going off the beaten road equally as significant as completing the game’s main mission. This is where the open-world concept really hits the mark. It’s difficult to see the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy going back to its original open environment in chapter two, which makes the confirmed inclusion of the Highwind airship in chapter three all the more exciting.
Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director and character designer of the original Final Fantasy 7, said ahead of the game’s debut that fans may anticipate airship flying in the third and final sequel. Several astute fans saw the Highwind appear in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth trailers before the game’s developers confirmed it. However, the Highwind was not included in the final version of the game as a controlled vehicle. Here are some implications for what an airship flying in the High Wind will and won’t look like given the size and scope of Rebirth’s open universe and where the trilogy still needs to go.
What Final Fantasy 15, 16, and the Highwind’s Potential Significance in the FF7 Threequel
The Regalia, a feature exclusive to Final Fantasy 15, functioned as the series’ iconic airships and provided players with the main way to explore the expansive open world. Obviously, one of the shortcomings of Final Fantasy 15 was that the game shipped in an incomplete state due to its problematic development cycle, and the fact that players had to navigate its sparse and empty-feeling open world in a vehicle that was comparatively “normal” by Final Fantasy standards only made it feel even more unfinished. To address this issue, Final Fantasy 16 substituted semi-open “zones” for an open globe, although it’s possible that this ship has gone for the third installment of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy.
One of the great achievements of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is its open environment, which is so fundamental to the main gameplay cycle that it’s difficult to see the third game in some way going backwards. Despite the fact that players will be able to pilot the Highind, which will be a significant component in the third installment, the world’s vastness and scope make it illogical for it to be instantly navigable. More probable, though, is that the Highwind will function as a transportable headquarters similar to Hideaway in Final Fantasy 16.The Highwind allows players to quickly go around every location on the global map in Final Fantasy 7, using the ship as a hub and safe haven in between adventures.
Players Shouldn’t Expect Much From Returning to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Regions
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth grants players their first taste of branching out beyond the walls of Midgar and into the world of Gaia, providing 7 main open-world regions that players will get to experience during their time in its open world:
- Grasslands
- Junon
- Corel
- Gongaga
- Cosmo Canyon
- Nibel
- Meridian Ocean
There are countless tasks for players to accomplish in each of these open-world locations, in addition to unique enemies for them to engage in combat with. Though it’s conceivable that the third Final Fantasy 7 remake game’s use of the Highwind airship would let players revisit previously explored areas, it’s probable that these won’t provide as many notable side attractions. Even with the airship’s confirmed inclusion, fans can still expect the third game to focus more on exploring new sections of Gaia’s map than revisiting already-explored territory from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. There is still a lot of land to cover in Final Fantasy 7.