Summary
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis an open-world game, true to the JRPG genre, unlike the first part of this remake trilogy. There are technically seven major regions based on locations from the PS1 original. This remake did a great job of bringing the low-polygonal environments to life with expanded ideas and added details.
The same is true for the story, asFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas a lot of new narrative beats and accompanying characters. The core idea still remains intact though. Which area of the world map was the most fun to explore or experience through a variety of measures? Let’s go through all of them and see.
Updated on February 4th, 2025 By Joshua Leeds:There is a lot to do in each region beyond the required content from the main story. This article has been updated to include a full breakdown of the World Intel for each region, along with which summon you’ll be able to unlock for each. There is also a list of side quests in each region, though some will unlock as you progress through the game and revisit that region later on. The only exception is The Meridian Ocean, as the only additional content in this region is the lost Pirate’s Treasure, which isn’t even classified as a side quest for this region in the menu.
7The Meridian Ocean
Chapter 13
The Meridian Oceanis both a large region and a small one, as it takes up a lot of space, but doesn’t contain much in the way of activities. In the second to last chapter, players will unlock Cid’s airplane, the Tiny Bronco, to explore the world. It’s no longer flyable, but players can still use it as a boat, as they did in the original game, and explore the ocean that way.
The middle section is called The Meridian Ocean and there are a few related side quests tied to it. However, Chadely seemingly does not have an interest in this area, so there are no towers to climb or Summons to gather. There’s not much to see, but it is part of the game, so it must be noted.
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The Grasslandsis the first area of the game, and players should definitely have a moment similar toThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwhen they first see it. They will leave Kalm, which is great in its improved state, to see sunlight and green grass for the first significant timesince leaving Midgar. From there, the open world is the player’s oyster, although they should visit the Chocobo Ranch as soon as possible to get some quests going.
It’s a good starting area, but there aren’t a lot of interesting quests yet or big story beats. The highlight, besides seeing a more in-depth boss fight with the Midgardsormr, is Kalm. It may give fans hope for aFinal Fantasy 9remake based on the look alone.
Cosmo Canyonhas one of the most confusing areas to navigate. Chocobos in this region can glide around after jumping off ledges. As it is a large canyon, there are high walls everywhere and the game’s map doesn’t do a very good job communicating elevation levels.
To complete Chadley’s quests, players may need to run around endlessly just to find a safe route on foot or while riding Chocobos.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthdoes the original, smaller version of Cosmo Canyon justice in this remake, which makes the hard-to-navigate segments even more frustrating. Even the story moments aren’t that great, save for thebrief introduction of Cid.
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Nibelheimhas one of the best uses of Chocobos inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,as they are water-based. They can shoot water out of somewhere on their body, which looks hilarious, and propel the party into the air. It makes navigating through the craggy terrain a cinch, almost like these Chocobo types were an apology for the trek players had to make through Cosmo Canyon.
The area is small compared to other regions though, and the story-based missions are brief but impactful. For example, this was the first time Cloud and Tifa returned to Nibelheim since the incident with Sephiroth. Also,Vincent gets introducedhere but is unplayable in the game, just like Cid, although both presumably will be in the series finale.
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Gongagawas barely an area in the first game, but it has evolved inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The town is small, and it’s part of a side quest that isn’t necessary, even though it holds significant ties to Zack. Gongaga in the remake is an incredibly lush jungle complete with ancient ruins, as if the party was transported to Costa Rica.
There’s a choir-backed score to this section too, which may have Square Enix fans thinking aboutNieR: Automata’sheavy choir-infused soundtrack. The Chocobos of this area have an interesting twist to them too, as they can hop on mushrooms to help with exploring. As fun as bouncing around can be, it can be confusing to navigate too, which is a letdown. Story-wise, some big lore beats happen here, as players arrive in the region between Tifa almost dying and the return of Cissnei fromCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7.
Junonis a standout area that injects a lot of life into the game, showcasing its wackier side. The area looks a bit bleak as it is full of junk and craters, but the further players travel, the more interesting it gets. There are mountainous trails, a rebel village, and a death-defying rope bridge, with the coolest being the sunken shipyard. One of the best quests inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthinvolves a Fort Condormini-game in a Tron-like situation that’s located here as well.
Junon itself is the real treat, as this is where Cloud and the others get introduced to Yuffie, Roche comes back, there’s a super weird bald-themed bar, and then there is the parade mini-game. The Shinra-8 tour boat should be mentioned as well, which is where a grand Queen’s Blood tournament takes place, with tons of oddball characters. The strangest moment of all has to be Red 13 doing his best Michael Jackson/Chester Cheetah impression.
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Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’sCorelhas so much going on that it’s almost unfair to the other areas. After players take the Shinra-8 boat from Junon, they will spend some time in Costa del Sol. Here they will ride around on scooters, play mini-games, do some beach fights, and so on. The surrounding area seems like a now-defunct ski resort which leads to Barret’s home turf of North Corel.
After that, there is the highlight of Gold Saucer, witheven more side attractions than Costa del Sol. Even the prison area has been significantly fleshed out, not to mention the desert beyond once players get the Buggy vehicle. It’s without a doubt the biggest area of the game, and besides having a lot of side activities, there are some solid story beats here too, like more shenanigans involving The Turks, the introduction of Cait Sith, and Barret reuniting with Dyne.
