Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the latest installment in the remake trilogy, is leaning heavily into its expansive open-world design, a decision developers state was always central to the game's vision. Despite some player feedback regarding the sheer volume of content in Rebirth, the team behind the game has embraced this approach for the trilogy's conclusion.
Director Naoki Hamaguchi acknowledged the discussions around whether "more is better or less is better," but emphasized that the core focus is on player preference and how the game design presents content. "At the end of the day, it’s really all about the discussion of preferences," Hamaguchi told Kotaku. "It’s about how certain players feel about this approach of having more content, but also just the game design of how we can present this."
Rebirth significantly expands the series' open-world scope, introducing new regions like Mideel and Wutai, while allowing players to revisit all areas from the previous game. Early hands-on experiences reveal a world brimming with quests, photo opportunities, collectibles, and hints of Weapon battles, all accessible after obtaining the iconic airship, the Highwind. This sheer scale, Hamaguchi explained, is a deliberate reflection of the original Final Fantasy VII's appeal, which offered a diverse array of side content alongside its main narrative.
"When you look at the original FF7, one of the big appeals wasn’t just the main story; it was also the fact it had a diverse amount of side content in quests and minigames," Hamaguchi stated. "For both Rebirth and Revelation, the core design philosophy that we had to reflect was that diverse amount of side content. After Rebirth, should we have less content for Revelation? That was never part of the discussion."
To address feedback from Rebirth, the development team has focused on enhancing player freedom and refining the rewards associated with optional content. Players will have the ability to skip minigames, which will also feature adjustable difficulty options. Furthermore, rewards for side quests and other activities have been diversified beyond combat-focused items, with the inclusion of elements like alternate costumes. The clarity of rewards for each activity has also been improved, allowing players to make more informed decisions about their engagement.
The narrative stakes of Rebirth are heightened by the impending threat of a meteor, a crisis that side content aims to explore by illustrating the party's responsibilities and their internal struggles. Hamaguchi noted that this optional content can lead to varied player experiences, reflecting different character moments based on player choices.
Travel in Rebirth is revolutionized by the Highwind, offering unrestricted world traversal. The airship also serves as a hub for character interactions, with dynamic changes in dialogue and the acquisition of memorabilia that players can display within the ship, fostering a sense of attachment. The game's enhanced camera feature allows players to take selfies and pictures of party members, with the potential for these mementos to be integrated into the Highwind environment.
Combat in Rebirth introduces two major additions: the FITS system, described as a modern take on job systems, and the playable characters Cid and Vincent. While distinct from traditional job systems, the FITS system is designed to be intuitive, offering four core options: Warrior, Knight, Black Mage, and Summoner. Cid, a Dragoon, excels in aerial combat, a feature designed to be more action-oriented than previous iterations of the job. Vincent, the other new playable character, is envisioned as a flashy and aggressive ranged fighter, built from the ground up to offer a fresh combat experience distinct from other characters like Barret.
Discussions are also underway regarding Vincent's expanded role and potential abilities, including the possibility of his monstrous transformations appearing in the game. While Vincent was an optional character in the original Final Fantasy VII, his story is being significantly expanded in Rebirth, with plans for post-launch DLC focusing on his character and his connection to Sephiroth. Hamaguchi expressed a personal fondness for Vincent, highlighting the character's complex background with the Turks and Shinra, and his link to Sephiroth as elements that will be explored.
Despite these expansions, Hamaguchi assured that Rebirth's finale will provide a definitive conclusion to the remake trilogy, stating, "That’s not going to change."