Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Confirms Planetary Exploration and Highwind Flight

Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi has shared new details about the open-world design of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation during a recent interview at Gamescom. Hamaguchi confirmed that players will be able to explore the entire planet within the upcoming action role-playing game. Building upon previous entries in the remake trilogy, the development team focused heavily on expanding the scale of the world to provide an escalation in exploration.

While Rebirth introduced large zones with significant horizontal width, Revelation adds vertical depth to the open world. Players will traverse this expanded environment using the Highwind or a Chocobo, both of which allow for flying and jumping high into the air. Hamaguchi noted that planetary exploration using the Highwind was one of the more difficult parts of development, requiring creative solutions to handle seamless transitions from the air to the ground.

Because the high-fidelity open world could not realistically guarantee safe landing spots for the airship everywhere, the team developed a parachuting mechanic early in development. This idea allows characters to jump directly from the Highwind, providing a smooth transition from aerial movement to ground exploration. To prevent open-world fatigue, the development team has also integrated enough guidance to ensure players do not get lost in the massive environment.

Square Enix has scheduled the release of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation for April 8, 2027. The title is planned for release across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2. Director Yoshinori Kitase has also indicated that Revelation is intended to be the final main installment of the remake series, though he has not completely ruled out potential spin-offs depending on fan reaction.