Final Fantasy VII: Revelations Gives The Franchise Its Answer To Breath Of The Wild [Preview]

The inherent fantasy of the Final Fantasy series has been the sense that you’re stepping into a vast and unique world — one where magic is the norm, creatures roam, and anything is possible. It’s something that goes back to the original games in the series and their massive overworlds, carrying on into the modern day with open-ended adventures. In that sense, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is taking that even further.

The capstone on the modern FFVII remake trilogy, the game takes the open world established in the previous game and makes it even more massive. Rather than just feeling like a giant sandbox where players can run from marker to mission, though, Revelation feels like a genuine world. In a 45-minute demo held at Square Enix’s offices in Los Angeles, ComicBook got the chance to explore the world and discover a game that could genuinely give the vibrant design and the natural adventure of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom a run for their money.

The World Is Your Chocobo’s Oyster

Picking up shortly after the events of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the team is still reeling from the apparent death of Aerith, unaware of the multiversal circumstances that allowed Cloud to save a version of her. The demo picks up with players aboard Cid’s Airship, the Highwind. The demo quickly revealed that on top of the danger posed by Sephiroth and Meteor, the world’s natural response of kaiju-esque entities known as the Weapons has only increased the danger to the world. Players are quickly given free control of the Highwind, which can roam the world and move to different regions with ease. Once you reach it, players can visit settings like Junon, Mideel, and the newly introduced Wutai. Brought to vivid and gorgeous life by the game’s modern engine, the world of FFVII has never felt more realized or open. Parachuting off the Highwind, players are quickly given freedom to do whatever they want.

You can recruit soldiers for the battle against Shinra, sneak into ninja bases, embolden life around the planet, hunt down mysterious sources of the robed figures’ magic, collect Chocobos, or even just do some nature photography. All of it is at the player’s fingertips as soon as they land in the world. Riding atop a Chocobo is a quick and enjoyable experience, especially once you get the hang of the flight and glide mechanics. Building on the locations from the previous two games and opening up the full world really pays off the scope and scale of the previous two, making it feel like a complete story in the single setting instead of just levels within a larger game. It’s almost staggering how many options players have, with the game’s side quests and extra challenges creating a truly massive experience. There’s a natural sense of exploration that reflects your personal agency, with plenty of room for players to stay focused on the plot or engage in some games of Queen’s Gambit.

Square Enix Is Trying To Stick One Of Gaming’s Most Ambitious Landings

Final Fantasy VII has long been one of the undeniable benchmarks of the gaming landscape. While it was far from the first commercially successful RPG, the game caught the wider player imagination in a way few others had before it. It’s since seen a slew of re-releases, spin-offs, and tie-in material. Even compared to all that, though, the remake trilogy has been an audacious move on the part of Square Enix. They’ve expanded the narrative and broadened the horizon of the world, all while tweaking the story in some key ways. The result is a level of anticipation for the finale that’s hard to describe. With so much of the future in the air, players aren’t sure what to expect from the finale.

Even just 45 minutes of gameplay proved one thing, though: players won’t be without a wealth of options. The game’s truly massive world invites a lot of exciting potential directions or just the ability to explore. Vincent and Cid both add new dimensions to combat with their own unique attributes, and the new combat mechanics (like the FITS system) reflect the history of the franchise, opening up plenty of new customizable options.

Revelation is the conclusion of the modern trilogy and is doing a lot to combat the criticism levied at the previous game that it felt too bloated. This time around, even as the game expands to include more party members, customization, minigames, and missions, the world feels grounded by characters, danger, and adventure. Finding hidden caves and bringing light to the life within them felt as rewarding as taking down massive enemies, speaking to the layer of depth and natural adventure baked into the game. Expectations are high for Final Fantasy VII Revelation. However, if the full game can match the sheer scope made available to the press during the preview, then it might be the most technically impressive and naturally engaging game the series has ever produced.