In a recent interview, game director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed that the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will offer players a “high degree of freedom.” Although he did not confirm an open-world format, fans can expect larger areas to explore and more flexibility in dealing with side content. The game picks up where the first entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project left off, following Cloud and his gang as they leave Midgar and arrive in the village of Kalm.
Producer Yoshinori Kitase also confirmed that development on the game is progressing smoothly and according to plan, with a release date expected this winter. However, Square Enix has not yet confirmed the rumored 26th-anniversary celebration for Final Fantasy VII. It may be revealed during the upcoming Summer Game Fest event, where Square Enix is listed as a key partner.
Sequel Being Developed for New Players to Jump In
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is being developed in a way that new players can directly jump in without worrying about previous context. Producer Kitase confirmed this in a press release from the game’s announcement. Writer Kazushige Nojima also revealed in a separate tweet that players will witness a chain of narrative developments that lie at the very heart of the Final Fantasy VII story while discovering each character’s destiny.
The game is part of a trilogy that reimagines the original 1997 PlayStation game for a new audience. Part one of the trilogy was released in 2020, before eventually making its way to PC and PS5 in the following year. The game essentially reimagines the original game, tossing players into the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar and dividing the chapters into three standalone experiences.
Ditching the turn-based combat system of the original, Final Fantasy VII Remake employed a real-time battle system that has players switch between party members and characters on the fly. The plot centers around Cloud Strife, an ex-SOLDIER operative, who joins a ragtag group of idealists called Avalanche to help destroy the Mako Reactor 1. The bombing plunges the city into fiery chaos and brings visions of a bitter enemy long believed to be dead.
Making the middle part of a trilogy has its own challenges, but producer Kitase believes that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be more gripping than the first part. He hopes to create a game that has stunning story twists and deeper explorations of the characters. The developers are working on setting a concrete release date, which Kitase confirmed last year would be released next winter, pointing toward a late 2023 or early 2024 launch window.
Fans of the Final Fantasy VII Remake project have plenty to look forward to with the upcoming release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. With a promise of a high degree of freedom and a storyline that can be enjoyed by new players and fans of the original game alike, the game is sure to be a hit.
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