Is Final Fantasy VII Remake open world?

Final Fantasy VII Remake is more than just a carbon copy of the original. The remake of the iconic title has additional quests, more character development, and new areas to explore — all of which means you’ll have plenty to do when you get your copy.

These new environments within Midgar, coupled with the Final Fantasy series leaning into an open world aesthetic in recent entries, means that you might be wondering if Final Fantasy VII Remake is an open-world game. We’re here to provide you with more details on whether it is or not.

Is Final Fantasy VII Remake open world like Final Fantasy XV?

While Final Fantasy VII Remake is only one portion of the original game — the whole story is being told across multiple games — we know that it will be bigger than its predecessor.

Director Tetsuya Nomura explained, during a YouTube series, that new areas will be opened to gamers, and that players can “explore more of those places that they wanted to see in the original.” That means you can expect to have new districts of Midgar to traverse, more people to interact with, and other elements.

However, Final Fantasy VII Remake is not open world in the traditional sense. While recent games in the franchise, such as Final Fantasy XV, have been true open-world experiences, Final Fantasy VII Remake isn’t. It’s still a linear game with an overarching plot to follow, and you won’t leave the city of Midgar at all during your playthrough.

You’ll still be able to explore in between main story missions, conduct side quests, or mooch around to see what Midgar has to offer. If you’re expecting something akin to Final Fantasy XV, though, you’ll need to temper your open-world expectations.