The highly anticipated Final Fantasy 7: Revelation is set to bring back the beloved airship dream, offering players the freedom to explore the world from the skies. This marks a significant shift from the series' past, where the overworld was a crucial part of the gameplay, and the airship was a symbol of unparalleled excitement. The original PlayStation game's Highwind, with its multi-propeller majesty, unlocked go-anywhere freedom across the world map, allowing players to soar at high speed and explore any location that caught their eye.
However, the series has evolved significantly over the past quarter-century, with the first nine games featuring an overworld that provided the stage for a sprawling, epic adventure. When the PlayStation 2 arrived, it brought a new generation of graphical fidelity, and Final Fantasy 10 did away with the traditional overworld, opting for a linear chain of level environments. This shift was evident in the helm of the Fahrenheit, the airship in Final Fantasy 10, which was nothing more than a fancy fast travel menu.
The mainline series has never revisited the idea of the overworld, and the airship dream faded. While locations became more expansive, such as Final Fantasy 12's sprawling deserts and 13's late-game Gran Pulse region, these games followed FF10's lead, forgoing the need for a world map. However, as gaming technology advanced, the worlds of Final Fantasy began to resemble the overworlds of its past, with the power of the PlayStation 4 unlocking Final Fantasy 15's Eos, an open world of rolling verdant hills.
But even the flying Regalia Type-F in Final Fantasy 16 was better than the bait-and-switch of the PS5's Valisthea. The upcoming Final Fantasy 7: Revelation looks set to take the next step, turning the structure of hubs into a true open world. The Highwind will be a fully controllable airship that can navigate through a densely detailed, full-scale open world, offering players the freedom to explore the world from the skies.
In my opinion, the return of the airship dream is a significant development in the series, and it is exciting to see how the developers will implement it in the final chapter of the remake trilogy. The Highwind will undoubtedly be a highlight of the game, and I am eager to see how it will be used to enhance the open world experience. The trailer promises an updated version of Nobuo Uematsu's immortal theme, and I can't wait to hear it soar through the skies.
However, I am also curious to see how the developers will handle the integration of the Mako-powered city of Midgar into the open world. The groundwork has been laid in the second game, 2024's Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, which pushed the series into the modern day understanding of an open world game. But how they will unify the existing regions with the new areas in Revelation remains to be seen.
In conclusion, the return of the airship dream in Final Fantasy 7: Revelation is a significant development in the series, and I am eager to see how the developers will implement it. The open world experience promises to be enhanced by the Highwind, and I am excited to explore the skies of the remake trilogy. The trailer proclaims that it will create Final Fantasy's 'most expansive open world yet', and I can't wait to see what the developers have in store for us.
