While Tekken 8 and Like Dragon: Infinite Wealth launch next month, all eyes are arguably on February 2024 when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth drops. Director Naoki Hamaguchi has revealed a lot about the world, from how it’s seamless map with the freedom to go anywhere to the sheer amount of side content. In new preview with Game Informer, he confirmed there would also be new cities to explore that weren’t in the original game.
After reaffirming the ability to seamlessly travel between locations, Hamaguchi showcases Crow’s Nest in a hands-off demo. It’s a sister town to Under Junon, where you’ll find side quests, mini-games and a fair amount of hatred for Shinra.
“In Rebirth, we’ve added these types of cities like the Crow’s Nest – totally new cities that did not exist in the original to go deeper and create this whole worldview of Rebirth. We reach this area after completing a quest, and then this place unlocks. The residents already know Cloud and the party are a part of Avalanche.”
While players can skip the side content, Hamaguchi and the development team have examined ways to motivate them. “Part of our game design that we took on for Rebirth is that in the main storyline, you’ll be saving Yuffie and Under Junon, and then from there, going towards Junon, and then going forward towards Costa del Sol.
“But for example, hearing the stories of the anti-Shinra people living in Under Junon, you could then feel like, ‘What about this Crow’s Nest area that I’m hearing about? Maybe I want to go over there and explore and go into a side adventure on my own to save people.’ We want the player to be able to make these different adventures and go on their own journeys according to their interests.”
Perhaps the most appealing part of the side quest is the deepening relationships between the cast, with secondary protagonists accompanying Cloud. In one side quest, Red XIII is the secondary protagonist, as the crew ventures to a lighthouse to take on a request from Kyrie (who debuted in the novel Final Fantasy 7: The Kids Are Alright: A Turks Side Story and popped up in Final Fantasy 7 Remake).
The quest involves exterminating monsters to help with her fledgling mercenary business. That won’t be the last you see of her, as Kyrie appears in other regions as the story progresses.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches on February 29th, 2024, for PS5. Check out the latest images and details for Summons like Bahamut Arisen, Titan and Phoenix here. You can also watch the newest trailer here.