The worlds of Final Fantasy are incredibly varied and different, ranging from cyberpunk to medieval inspirations. Since each numbered game isn't connected with one another, the series has the freedom to change and evolve into whatever it wants to be. As a result, the variety of worlds in the series has crafted some of the most unique and iconic worlds in JRPGs. Now, as the next-generation of consoles loom, modern Final Fantasy environmental design has shown two different takes on in-game worlds.
Between Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 15, both worlds represent different ideas of JRPG world design. For Final Fantasy 7 Remake, it's plenty of focused linear environments with elements of sandbox/open world design. For Final Fantasy 15, it's a more expansive non-linear world that largely follows the player's pace. Remake's world is not so much an evolution of Final Fantasy 15's design, as the two games represent two methods of crafting a Final Fantasy world.
FF7 Remake's Midgar
Midgar in Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a response to Final Fantasy 15's world design, in a lot of ways. Considering the remake was only constrained to the opening hours of the original Final Fantasy 7, the story largely stays contained within the sci-fi city of Midgar. While the city itself has plenty of exploratory elements and open sections, these are largely relegated in between the main story beats of the game. That's not a bad thing by any means; in fact, this design very closely mirrors the opening hours of the original Final Fantasy 7. But for the free-form portions of the game in between major story chapters, exploring Midgar is still more condensed than a traditional open world.
Exploring Midgar in Final Fantasy 7 Remake functions more like traditional JRPGs, rather than an open world game. There's clear spaces in the story like chapter 8 and chapter 14 that allow for more free-form play, allowing Cloud and the gang to complete side quests and interact with the world of Midgar. These are deliberately scripted quests and events in the game, with specific locations in the game's world designated for these quests. Rather than creating the sandbox first and populating areas within it with quests, Final Fantasy 7 Remake is deliberately shaping its world around quests and the characters within it.
FF15: Eos' Countryside
On the flip side, Final Fantasy 15 took the series to a full-on, modern open world game for the first time. The world of Eos is expansive, full of all sorts of nooks and crannies for players to explore. The countryside that Noctis and the boys explore is vast and full of vistas and scenic imagery that make the world seem sprawling and inviting. Whether it's the Disc of Cauthess in Duscae, or the Vesperpool in Cleigne, there are tons of unique biomes throughout Eos that Noctis explores throughout Final Fantasy 15. Each region has its own respective quests, characters, towns, and regions to explore.
Final Fantasy 15's world specifically tailors the majority of its story-critical missions to the open world, with only a few linear segments towards the end of the game. Since Noctis' journey was a coming-of-age story all about collecting the royal arms from fallen kings, it made sense to spread the various kings' tombs across a sprawling kingdom. It's very much Final Fantasy's version of broadening horizons that makes exploring Final Fantasy 15's Eos enjoyable. Pair that with a visually enticing world that generally encourages exploration, and the narrative of Final Fantasy 15 finds its way of justifying the exploration, albeit at the expense of story pacing.
Worlds in Comparison
In general, open world games are only now beginning to explore the possibilities of endless sprawl and how gameplay can justify it. Games like Breath of the Wild, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Assassin's Creed Odyssey emphasize gigantic open worlds in their own individual ways. It's the same case with Final Fantasy 15 and to some extent Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
The open portions of Final Fantasy 7 Remake introduces players to the people of Midgar in such a way the original Final Fantasy 7 never really could. Whether it's meeting characters during side quests, or just the banter of citizens around Cloud throughout the game, Final Fantasy 7 Remake makes every effort it can to immerse players. Final Fantasy 15 does something similar with the events in Lestallum, but the many other regions in the game function like other open world games. There's tons of opportunities for hunting and exploring throughout the various biomes and wilderness throughout Final Fantasy 15's world. Only problem is that level of exploration doesn't connect with the core story of Final Fantasy 15 to a fault.
As mentioned earlier, the only problem with Final Fantasy 15's open world concepts is that it meddles with the story's pacing in a big way. Whereas Final Fantasy 7 Remake, for the most part, adds these moments in chapters were players are at least given the illusion that they have time to do side quests without impeding the pacing of the story. Final Fantasy 15's story kicks off with Noctis' kingdom being overthrown and his father murdered, to which Noctis then continues to explore the rest of the countryside at the player's will. Any sense of urgency caused by this tragedy is foregone in favor of exploring the open world, leveling up the party, and doing side quests.
It's the only major downside of Final Fantasy 15's competent open world, whereas Final Fantasy 7 Remake integrates lulls in the narrative to allow for side quests without drastically interrupting the story. Other than narrative pacing interrupting the main gameplay loop, it's really up to preference which Final Fantasy world may be better. Players who prefer traditional, mostly linear worlds in JRPGs would prefer Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Those who want something akin to open world western RPGs would find plenty to enjoy in Final Fantasy 15.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is out now, exclusively for the PS4.