The Return of the Explorable World Map in Final Fantasy
When Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2 in 2001, it not only revolutionized the Final Fantasy series, but also the role-playing genre as a whole. The perfectly balanced turn-based combat, the beautiful soundtrack, the captivating story, and the stunning graphics for its time made it one of the most important installments in one of the most significant video game franchises. However, there was one aspect missing in Final Fantasy X that several key developers regretted: an explorable world map.
Yoshinori Kitase, producer of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and also director of Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII, and X, found the absence of the world map to be painful. "We started creating this world that you can explore through this world map," he recalls. This was the case with Final Fantasy I, but with Final Fantasy X and the introduction of this real-time 3D world, the development of the world map ceased or was at least severely limited.
The Criticism of Linearity in Final Fantasy X
Despite all the praise and its significance, Final Fantasy X has received criticism for its linearity. The world only truly opens up towards the end of the main game. Even then, the best way to explore the world map is by selecting points of interest on an airship, which contradicts how the team envisioned it before Final Fantasy X.
The Realignment with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth
With the release of Final Fantasy XV in 2016, the explorable world map made a comeback, and in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Square Enix aims to further advance this concept of a modern RPG world map. The vast, explorable world of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is filled with story missions, side content, and mini-games, expanding the world map beyond anything seen in recent Final Fantasy games.
Player Freedom Takes Center Stage
The studio hopes that this will encourage players to explore and engage with the various types of content. "Part of our game design for Rebirth is that you save Yuffie and Under Junon in the main game and then move on to Junon and Costa del Sol," Hamaguchi explains. Players should be able to shape their own adventures based on their interests.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth - The Release Date
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be released on February 29th on PlayStation 5.
