Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a relatively linear experience compared to the original game. With the entirety of the first entry taking place within Midgar, it has remained unclear whether future chapters in the reimagining will include a world map.
It turns out they likely will, although Square Enix is well aware of the expectations that come with recreating such an iconic aspect of the 1997 classic. We recently had a chance to talk with co-director Naoki Hamaguchi about this aspect of the game, and what exactly players can expect from future chapters in terms of worldbuilding and technical ambition.
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“I understand that there are lots of fans out there who want to see a world map, and we want to challenge ourselves to leverage the breadth of the world in the next game of the overall project, so you can expect great things to come,” Hamaguchi-san explains.
Certain elements of the original such as Fort Condor have been transformed into minigames as part of the remake, with many worrying that this indicates the future absence of a world map. This won’t be the case, as Hamaguchi-san tells us: “There is no connection between Final Fantasy 7 Remake not having a world map and Fort Condor being included. We wanted to include some kind of mini game in the Yuffie episode from the start of development, and felt that it would be better to have something that paid homage to the original and be nostalgic for those who had played it, rather than include something new.”
We don’t yet know how many games Final Fantasy 7 Remake will encompass, although co-director Motomu Toriyama tells us it will be a “coming together” of the 1997 classic and all of the films, spinoffs and other materials that have emerged in the decades since. “Remake is based on the original, but is being made after all of those additions to the universe, so we want to take advantage of that and are planning it out as a kind of “coming together” of all the works set in the Final Fantasy 7 universe to date,” Toriyama-san explains.
Our full interview with Yoshinori Kitase, Motomu Toriyama, and Naoki Hamaguchi will be coming soon, so keep an eye out for that alongside a number of other fascinating tidbits on Final Fantasy 7 Remake and the future of the ambitious reimagining.
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