Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Is Doing Airships Right

Square Enix has reintroduced the Highwind airship in the reveal trailer for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, featuring a seamless parachute system that allows players to dive from the clouds directly to detailed terrain. According to the trailer, the game will feature the series’ “most expansive open world yet,” moving away from the hub-based structure seen in previous entries.

How does the Highwind function in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation?

The Highwind airship no longer requires a designated landing spot to allow player exploration. According to the reveal trailer, players can dive off the vessel’s lower deck and parachute to the ground.

Developer Square Enix describes this transition as completely seamless. The mechanic is likely inspired by the original game’s late-game insertion into Midgar, removing the gap between airborne travel and ground exploration.

Did You Know? Final Fantasy Type-0, released in 2011, featured an airship called the Setzer that included cannons for airborne combat encounters.

Why is the return of a controllable airship significant?

The move marks a return to the “overworld” concept used in the first nine games of the series. These original maps provided a stage for sprawling adventures before the industry shifted toward higher graphical fidelity.

FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION – Reveal Trailer

When Final Fantasy 10 launched in 2001, the series abandoned the traditional overworld due to the technical demands and disc space limitations of the PlayStation 2. The airship in that title, the Fahrenheit, functioned as a fast-travel menu rather than a controllable vehicle.

Subsequent titles followed this linear trend. Final Fantasy 15 introduced the open world of Eos but relied primarily on car travel via the Regalia, while Final Fantasy 16 limited movement to walking or using Chocobos.

Expert Insight: Samantha Carter notes that the shift in 2001 represented a critical trade-off where graphical textures and detailed 3D environments were prioritized over the systemic freedom of the overworld. The return to this model suggests that current hardware can finally support both high fidelity and true-scale navigation.

What may happen next with the world design?

Director Naoki Hamaguchi and his team could unify the hub-based regions established in the 2024 title Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. This may include integrating areas like Junon, Corel, and Cosmo Canyon into a single cohesive map.

The development team is likely to incorporate new locations such as Wutai and the Mideel Archipelago. A possible next step involves determining how the Mako-powered city of Midgar fits into this expanded, seamless landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new travel mechanic in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation?
Players can dive and parachute from the Highwind airship directly to the ground in a seamless transition.

How did airships change after Final Fantasy 9?
Starting with Final Fantasy 10, airships transitioned from controllable vehicles used to explore an overworld into UI elements used for fast travel between destinations.

Which regions are expected to appear in the new open world?
The world may unify existing regions like Junon, Corel, and Cosmo Canyon with new areas including Wutai and the Mideel Archipelago.

Do you prefer a seamless open world or a hub-based exploration system?