Poll: If any of these locations had to be moved to Part 3, which ones do you think are most likely?

[Golden Ear]

Kitase and Nomura have stated this past summer that the locational order may change. Most people agree moving Wutai and Fort Condor to part 3 seems likely, but what is the next likely in your opinion?

I narrowed down to these locations as I believe they have the best chances of doing so but I'm most interested in everyone else perspectives on this as I think it's an incredibly interesting topic. Feel free to suggest other locations that I didn't list, or if you think all of these have to be in Rebirth no matter what.

I know there's some small ones I didn't list like the Weapon Sellers house etc, but I'm mostly interested in what people think of some of the more prominent ones.

Some locations I feel go together so I put them under the same option.

***Pick up to 3 of the listed locations.

 

[Eerie]

I was going to say Cosmo Canyon, but it's a nice breather, though the caves of Gi can be moved I guess... the others are the only way to reach the next place or too much connected to the story. Like Gongaga, in the OG it's important to get Aerith there so she can react to Zack and I don't see them pass on that.

 

[Golden Ear]

It's tricky to say isn't it? There isn't any absolute need for Cosmo Canyon at this point for the story necessarily, but I feel we need to be introduced to Bugenhagen as I wouldn't want his role to be only half way through the last Part and that being all we got from him.

Also, there isn't any real story need for the Snowy Sections, but it's hard imagining them not being there as a preliminary for the Whirlwind Maze.

I feel like at least one or two locations from the topic above will probably get moved though.

 

[Makoeyes987]

It would make absolutely zero sense to relegate Bugenhagen to the final act of the story. He's what introduces the characters to the full scope and meaning of Planetology and Lifestream. How could the characters proceed with what's going on without a full grasp of what is actually going on? Barret has some idea due to AVALANCHE, as does Aerith, but it's Bugenhagen's iconic demonstration that dumbs it down for everyone else (like Cloud) who's not fully engaged in the politics of anti-Shinra or able to just simply speak to the Planet.

Also, Red XIII matters.

The only one that would sting less upon being pushed back would be Icicle Inn or Gongaga. And it's highly unlikely they're not going to include those places anyways.

 

[Golden Ear]

I agree and the more I think about it, Cosmo Canyon has to be in Rebirth for the reasons that you said. I almost wonder if Aerith's dialogue ("What we've done....") from the trailer is taken from Cosmo Canyon after talking to Bugen who just finished explaining what has happened (theory stuff). It might even be while sitting around the campfire reflecting on everything.

The Snowy Section could be moved, although if they were they would need to find a new way to give foreshadow and exposition to the Weapons (Gast Tapes) leading into the end of the game.

Heck maybe they just have all of the locations I suggested which would be great! It's just there is just so many locations/assets for one game to do that I can't help but wonder, plus enough time to have gameplay that makes use of them without just breezing by them in 30 mins or so.

Personally I'm leaning towards the Mount Corel Reactor and Railway Passage having a strong chance of being saved for Part 3's Huge Materia quest with Cid as leader. In Rebirth they could get to the Gold Saucer a new way.

 

[Makoeyes987]

Or it could be a full Final Fantasy game like always and include what's supposed to be included.

I do not understand this belief this is "too many locations." If XV can render a whole damn continent (from snowfields to tropical jungles) with wide as hell spaces and an open world on a PS4, I have no reason to doubt that they can make something just as interesting and Rebirth is not even an open world game.

 

[Golden Ear]

I want Rebirth to drop and to prove anyone wrong who doubted the amount of content that's possible for it.

It would definitely have to be one super long game even if you don't go on side-quest and mini-game tangents, at least 40 hours for main story play-through.

 

[Roger]

Whatever is going on with Zack, we are getting new scenerios with him as the crew is travelling around the world in any case. Gongaga doesn't seem all that likely to be left till later for that reason. Icicle Inn area is the only one that seems possible. Maybe Bone Village.

 

[Eerie]

Icicle and Bone villages will only be left out if we don't go to Northern Crater IMHO. And we WANT to go to Northern Crater.

 

[Golden Ear]

I probably should have added the Whirlwind Maze/NC as an option but I just can't unsee Part 3 starting with Tifa escaping Junon as the opening. I feel like the Maze/North Crater has to be the climax of Rebirth.

 

[OWA-2]

Or it could be a full Final Fantasy game like always and include what's supposed to be included.

I do not understand this belief this is "too many locations." If XV can render a whole damn continent (from snowfields to tropical jungles) with wide as hell spaces and an open world on a PS4, I have no reason to doubt that they can make something just as interesting and Rebirth is not even an open world game.

I think this belief, came from the devs saying that Wutai won't be in the next part.

 

[OWA-2]

I want Rebirth to drop and to prove anyone wrong who doubted the amount of content that's possible for it.

It would definitely have to be one super long game even if you don't go on side-quest and mini-game tangents, at least 40 hours for main story play-through.

Nomura already said that people will be surprised with the amount of content in Rebirth.

 

[Golden Ear]

I want it to have as much content as possible so they include everything I want.

When talking about the pacing referring to the Main Story outside of all the extra content, I admit it gets trickier to keep the story momentum when games start going over the 40 hour mark in my opinion. I believe XVI will be about 35-40 H which sounds pretty good so maybe Rebirth will be similar.

 

[null]

My imagination is too limited. I can't picture Cid being pushed back to part 3, or meeting him somewhere besides Rocket Town. Or not seeing Aerith's reaction to Gongaga. Or visiting the Gold Saucer without going through the railway or leaving through the prison (they'd just have to invent new entrances and exits, which sounds like extra work). Or Rebirth ending in any other way except Cloud being MIA and Tifa seeing Meteor through the window.

Dunno. My brain is paralyzed between "please assume the story will continue as it always has", and my own assumptions about when characters will and won't be around, and how easily the story could unravel by changing seemingly minor things. I feel like all these locations are important to visit in Rebirth.

 

[ForceStealer]

Nomura already said that people will be sustprised with the amount of content in Rebirth.

"How surprising that it only goes to the Mythril Mines"

 

[MoLe_BlAdE]

This is like Sophie's Choice. Each of these area's involves some really key character development and world building, not to mention story arcs. Honestly, I'd be disappointed if any of these were omitted from Rebirth.

Mt Corel/Railway Passage/Corel Prison - Barret's background (while not hugely impactful on the wider story of the game) is immensely important to his long feud with Shinra. I also think the Dyne/Eleanor/Marlene element in this could end up being somewhat important should Marlene turn out to be an Ancient.

Gongaga/Ruined Reactor - Again, huge in the context of Remake/Rebirth with everything that's going on with Zack. I'd be really interested to see how this compares to the OG when your bring Aeris and Tifa along.

Cosmo Canyon/Gi Cave - I for one I'm really looking forward to the development of Red XIII in the Rebirth, and again, it's important for that character development. Plus, I really can't see them scrapping Bugenhagen when he's so integral in explaining the ins-and-outs of how the plant works.

Rocket Town - Cid. We need Cid, man.

Bone Village - The gateway to the City of the Ancients. I really don't know where else we get the Lunar Harp From.

Icicle Inn/Snowfield/Gaes Cliff - This is really the only one out of the lot that could maybe be shifted, but then again, how would you then explain how the party gets to the Northern Crater? Also, there's all the interesting Gast/Ifalna tapes which again, add to the depth of the story.

 

[Golden Ear]

Looking back at the location choices I made for the poll, I think it would have been more fair to separate some of the areas I put together into separate choices. For example it's totally possible we get that railway passage through Corel but instead they save the actual reactor we pass for part 3, similarly we can totally be getting Gongaga but they may save the ruined Reactor for the next part as well. The logic partly stemming from those reactors being more relevant for the huge materia quests.

But all in all, my hope and basic prediction is that the vast majority of locations and areas in the trek is included in Rebirth, I think it will blow a lot of people away. The only place I think for sure will be Part 3 is Wutai and that's based on what Toriyama said. That's totally fine by me as it gives Wutai more room to breath and be expanded upon.

 

[Golden Ear]

So I think that might be the Mt. Corel Railroad tracks and the Mako Reactor on the left in the background there. If so that's awesome and means we'll probably traverse it in Rebirth.

 

[Tetsujin]

That's Midgar

 

[Golden Ear]

That's Midgar

LMAO

I think I need to get my eyes checked or I was just tired when I was posting.

 

[Golden Ear]

So.

We know it ends at the Forgotten Capital. The question is will the order be switched around so the Forgotten Capital comes after things like the Snow area/snowfields maybe even the Whirlwind Maze potentially?

Or will it basically be like: Temple of the Ancients--------(maybe Bone Village)---------> Forgotten City and then END?

Will Snow areas be featured in Rebirth? The Fields and Gaea's Cliff?

Will these areas be saved for Part 3? If they are, do we think that Part 3 will start heading towards the Snow Fields onward towards the events of the Whirlwind Maze?

Or will part 3 start with the escape from Junon like a lot of people were initially thinking?

 

[Golden Ear]

I haven't looked at any leaks or anything but I've noticed from the marketing that we meet Cid Highwind differently then the OG game.

It seems he is attending some old abandoned airstrips and we flag him and his Tiny Bronco down where he helps us out.

Couple this with the fact that they have said nothing will be cut but there will be a handful of re-ordering with when you visit certain locations makes me realize that most likely they are saving Rocket Town for Part 3. It also makes sense that we wouldn't dive super deep into his backstory yet since he isn't playable yet. Also, the pacing of Rebirth will be different than the original game so by the time we get to Cid things are ramping up towards the Climax of the game so putting in his whole backstory at this point would feel a bit misplaced.

So IMO I don't think Rocket Town will be in this game along with Wutai.

I think we've seen evidence for mostly everything else being in the game up until the Forgotten Capital except maybe Bone Village and the Weapons Seller's house.