Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is going to feel surreal once it’s finally here. Square Enix has slated the game’s launch for April 8, 2027, and it will mark the end of an era when it comes to this chapter in Final Fantasy history. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is the final entry in the FF7 remake trilogy, and like many finales, this game is going bigger than its predecessors in a variety of ways. One of the most notable ways that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is taking the trilogy to new heights is through its open-world design.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2020 opted for a more linear world, but Rebirth shook things up in 2024 by opening up the map with a semi-open-world approach. Now, Revelation is taking things further, and it’s a big risk on Square Enix’s part. Because of new features, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation‘s open-world map expansion makes a lot of sense. However, it also risks becoming a far more cumbersome experience than a lot of fans may be expecting. The team behind Revelation wants to offer a grand finale, and director Naoki Hamaguchi has made it clear that this is going to be felt throughout the entire game and not just the story.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s Open-World Design One-Ups Rebirth By Giving Players Control of the Highwind
There are going to be several key differences in Revelation compared to Rebirth, but the most notable of all is definitely the introduction of a playable Highwind. Piloting the Highwind is bound to be an exciting moment for longtime fans of the original Final Fantasy 7 who have been waiting for this moment, since it could be flown in the 1997 version. This airship is iconic, and it’s also going to completely transform traversal in Revelation. Bringing the Highwind into the core gameplay mix adds an entirely new layer to the experience, which is something that Naoki Hamaguchi seems quite excited about.
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Square Enix has already confirmed several changes in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation that will make the gameplay stand out from its two predecessors, but the Highwind officially takes players away from Rebirth‘s terrain-dependent open world. Now, the sky is literally the limit, as players can fly around and parachute down to the map as they please. Flying would be a big enough change to the open-world design on its own, but Hamaguchi confirmed with GamesRadar that even the map’s size is considerably larger, even though it’s Rebirth‘s same world.
With the third entry of our FF7 Remake series, Revelation, we’re offering an even bigger open world map. How that works is that there’s obviously the Highwind traversal feature, where players can fly around in the open world, and they can parachute down anywhere they want to. It’s not just that, but there’s — when you look at the scale of it — the horizontal width of the map is far bigger than Rebirth, but it’s also the vertical depth as well, because now you can control these skies, too.
That’s a lot to unpack, and Hamaguchi’s words have me both excited and worried at the same time. On the one hand, seemingly endless exploration can be a lot of fun. However, if it isn’t balanced out with a story that helps the size of the world make sense, the map can quickly begin to feel like filler. The last few years have been defined by games with massive open worlds, and they’re often great. There is definitely a limit, though, and it sounds like Hamaguchi and the rest of the team might be testing what exactly counts as taking it too far. Hamaguchi expanded on this new design by giving a little hint at how it will affect the map that Rebirth established.
I am happy to say that yes, again, all areas featured in Rebirth will also appear in Revelation in the same scope, if not bigger. We didn’t want to just keep it the same as it was in Rebirth. We’re actually adding a little bit of touches and twists to it.
What these “touches and twists” are remains to be seen, but it sounds just as intriguing and nerve-racking as his other comments. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation‘s larger world has been igniting some conversations among the fan base about whether it’s the right direction for the game or not. Admittedly, I have my own reservations, but I choose to remain optimistic until I experience the game for myself.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s Going Even Bigger With Its World Ultimately Means More Player Freedom
Player freedom isn’t always as good as it sounds, but Final Fantasy 7 Revelation‘s take on freedom-loving traversal could prove to be a hit if balanced well with the overall story. Fans who preferred Rebirth‘s traversal will still be able to get that experience. Players that prefer to travel via Final Fantasy 7‘s Chocobo will get the chance to do so again in Revelation. So, even if traveling through the air in the Highwind isn’t exactly your cup of tea, the Chocobos will be around to save the day.
Even though the final chapter hasn’t launched yet, Square Enix has already confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set to get two post-launch DLCs. The first one will focus on Sephiroth, while the second will be centered on Vincent Valentine.
Ultimately, it’s going to be highly subjective. Some players are going to love running around on an adorable Chocobo, while others are bound to prefer the Highwind’s ambitious air travel. Since this ship is an essential piece of the game, it only makes sense for Square Enix to want to expand Final Fantasy 7 Revelation‘s gameplay in this way.
Final Fantasy Rebirth‘s map was already an impressive size, though, so it’s genuinely surprising that Hamaguchi and his team opted to expand even further. Granted, it’s not the biggest open-world map that gaming has ever seen, but it definitely isn’t anything to scoff at. It’s hard to imagine that Revelation‘s world would have felt small if Rebirth‘s original map was reused.
Over the years, it has slowly become clear that it’s possible for developers to create open-world games that are too big. Bigger isn’t always better, so it’s going to be fascinating to see how fans react to Revelation‘s large open world when the game debuts. I’m holding out hope, though. If there isn’t enough story and content to back up Revelation‘s ambitious world design, it could hurt the entire experience. The flip side, though, is that Revelation could prove to be a huge upgrade from Rebirth if the balance between air and land travel is properly nailed.
- Released
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April 8, 2027
- Prequel(s)
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Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
