Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is looking like it’s going to expand on Final Fantasy 7 Remake in several ways, and one particular area of growth that has stood out in all that we’ve heard of the game so far is its open world setting. Previously described as a seamless map and a one-to-one recreation of the original game, what exactly can we expect from how it will be structured and the sort of content it will have on offer?
We’ll have to wait until we get our hands on the game to get a full picture, of course, but director Naoki Hamaguchi has made some interesting comparisons to give an idea of what Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s open world will be like.
Speaking in a recent interview during Paris Games Week with Final Fantasy Dream, Hamaguchi said that in addition to the development team’s experience with Final Fantasy 15’s open world being helpful for Rebirth’s development, the upcoming action RPG also takes cues from other open world experiences like The Witcher 3 and Guerrilla’s Horizon titles.
“We’re always looking at games that come out of our homes or elsewhere,” Hamaguchi said. “The experience gained in the open world of Final Fantasy 15 has served us well, but that’s not all, because personally, I’m a big fan of The Witcher and Horizon. So, we’re taking a cue from what worked, but keeping in mind that we’re putting our own spin on this game to make it unique to the Final Fantasy 7 universe.”
Previously, Square Enix has also confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s expansive setting is going to house twice as much side content as the main story itself, with a total playtime that can exceed 100 hours. In spite of the more open-ended approach, however, you can expect some imposed linearity during certain story sections.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to launch on February 29, 2024 for PS5.
