Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will continue the FFVII remake trilogy with a more open world-like design. To that end, Naoki Hamaguchi, one of the game's directors, admitted he took inspiration from Western games like CD Projekt RED's The Witcher and Guerrilla Games' Horizon.

　　Speaking at Paris Games Week to a bunch of French media (as transcribed by Finaland), Hamaguchi-san said:

　　We always watch games that come out from home or elsewhere. The experience gained in the open world of Final Fantasy XV has served us a lot, but that's not all, because personally, I'm a big fan of The Witcher and Horizon. So, we're taking an example of what worked, but keeping in mind to add our touch to this game so that it is specific to the Final Fantasy VII universe.

　　The focus on larger spaces came not only from the development team but also from the fans' reception of the previous installment, according to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase and Hamaguchi.

　　Hamaguchi: As you know, FFVII was a story-driven game. People really liked it, but they also wanted to be able to walk around and go wherever they wanted at any time. It is this kind of comment that encouraged us to improve freedom of action. Some players liked FFVII Remake, but felt a need for exploration. This will be the case here, with much more freedom.

　　Kitase: We game designers are very interested in player feedback and we look at social media. So, don't hesitate to give your opinion on the Internet or by meeting us, like today. All your comments are important, and I will leave with them.

　　Powered by the Unreal Engine 4, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be released for PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2024. A PC version is likely to happen at some point since the Final Fantasy VII Remake launched on PC a year and a half after the console debut.

　　For our hands-on impressions of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, check out Kai's article.