10 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Locations That Feel Way Bigger Than Anything In the Series

2 hours ago 2

Published May 2, 2026, 4:30 PM EDT

Adam Braunstein is a Staff Writer at DualShockers who has been covering games professionally since 2019. He primarily writes lists and features, with a focus on RPGs, JRPGs, action-adventure games, VR, long-running franchises, nostalgia, and the broader state of the gaming industry.

Before joining DualShockers, Adam contributed to gaming outlets including Venture 4th, GameSkinny, The Nerd Stash, Attack of the Fanboy, and Daily Gamer. He has also interviewed developers, written occasional guides and news articles, and reviewed games for previous publications. Adam holds a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing.

Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth knew it had to up the ante from the relatively small scale of the first game in the remake series, but it picked its spots on where to make things bigger and grander.

So many spots that were nothing more than a blip on the radar suddenly became these huge, sprawling areas, and while some absolutely benefited from the expanded scope, others felt like they were a bit forced and did nothing to add to the experience, and in some instances took away from them.

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We're going to check out some Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth locations that felt bigger than anything in Remake.

10 Junon

Fall in Line, Soldier

Junon is an enormous area in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth compared to what it was in the original game and, in terms of scale, it feels like it's about as big as the entirety of Midgar in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It's huge and feels like a game of its own, and the amount of events that go down in this portion of the game is impressive in and of itself. You've got multiple buildings to explore, the amazing bald only club to get rejected by, and then a huge area where you have to fight your way out from as Cloud when everything goes down.

The iconic soldier marching sequence is also expanded here. In terms of comparing it to the remake, this area is probably the closest to the scope that that game had, but even then, it's clear to see how much better and bigger everything feels right off the bat in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. It doesn't just look bigger, it feels that way too, with many more activities and things to interact with to make it feel that way.

9 Nibel Region

More Than Meets the Eye

The Nibel reason is perhaps the most surprisingly expansive part of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. It's got a sizable amount of space to explore, from the town of Nibelheim, to Mt. Nibel, to the coastline, just by walking around or using the Chocobo's to traverse to places you just can't reach on foot. There are also some interesting side missions here, as well as some tough enemies to find, and you can get lost here for way longer than you'd initially think.

It's packed with story moments too, so the biggest areas in the Nibel Region get a lot of room to breathe and are generally packed with content, whether it be little side conversations, lore dumps, or pitting you against a tough mini-boss that came out of nowhere. You 100 percenters out there will find plenty to like in this spot as it feels like the russian doll area of the game, with layers upon layers that keep you gripped throughout, and even just one of these layers feels more ambitious than any area remake had to offer.

8 Shinra Mansion

Killing an Icon

Shinra Mansion is one of the most iconic locations in the original Final Fantasy 7, and in Rebirth, it's about 10 times the size it was. It's a location that has layers to it, expanding on the idea that there was a lab underneath it in the original game to some really impressive heights. Compared to Remake, it feels like what that game wanted to do with sections like the Mako Reactors and even Shinra Tower, but couldn't due to a variety of reasons.

But allow me to vent here, as bigger is not always better in the gaming world. It's just a bloated mess in Rebirth, with Cait Sith taking over for much of the show with his ever-thrilling box-throwing mini-game. Why that was ever the decision to put into this game is beyond me. It took away from any of the creepiness and, instead, resulted in a far too long gameplay loop that I think was designed in hell. But regardless, the expansiveness of the mansion itself is something that is still impressive and outdoes pretty much every location in Remake in that regard.

7 Gongaga

The Beautiful Maze

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Gongaga is a location that feels like it was properly expanded upon from the original game and is easily one of the most beautiful areas to explore in the game period. In comparison to the compact and corridor-filled areas from the first game in the new trilogy, Gongaga is a treat to see. Visually, it's gorgeous, and traversing it, typically best with a Chocobo, is just an awesome experience. There is a ton to find from exploring, and the several side quests in the area make good use of the overall region. The town itself is still as quaint as ever, but the surrounding scenery that you previously would only really find on the world map of the original game is now something you can fully interact with.

It feels like the proper evolution of the first game, which was going for a gritty, urban approach. The idea with Rebirth was to throw you out into the wild world, and Gongaga is one of the best examples of that. It's a jungle that's both dangerous and beautiful, and the layers to it are impressive, all culminating with the introduction of the Weapons to this version of the story and a thrilling sequence with a kick-ass boss fight to top it all off. It's one of the highlights of the entire game, and while it can be easy to get lost, it's still an awesome time.

6 Cosmo Canyon

The History of the Planet

Cosmo Canyon is one of the more unique-looking areas in all of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, and it's because of the incredible red cliffs and sands, making everything feel truly foreign compared to the rest of the game. It's an awesome experience to explore it, though, and finding the place where Red XIII comes from is one of the more impactful moments of the game.

It feels so big because of the verticality of it all, and it's something that Remake never really had to navigate, as its areas were pretty grounded considering the rest of the world. Cosmo Canyon manages to make a society that feels rather hidden from the world still feel big and meaningful to explore, especially the surrounding areas, which genuinely flesh out the feeling that this mystic land is trying to convey.

5 Mythril Mines

A Lot to Dig Through

The Mythril Mines are one of the biggest locations you'll find early on in the game. It's one of the locations that I felt was way too overly done compared to what was merely a pit stop in the original, but seeing as the locations in Remake were so brief, it makes sense that they went far beyond the call for some of these places.

Mythril Mines is definitely a victim of that, but if you're looking for big, you will find plenty here, from splitting the party up to exploring different areas, boss fights, hidden items, tons of enemies, it's all there. It's one of those ocean-wide-but-puddle-deep locations that probably could've used some trimming, but the result ends up padding the playtime, and sometimes that is all a location needs to do. So, mission is successful, if you view it in that way.

4 The Grasslands

Out of the Frying Pan

The Grasslands is one of the first areas you'll get to explore in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and it's good that they put it early because it really makes you feel how different this game is going to feel compared to Remake. You can feel that adventure aspect in a way the first game wasn't interested in creating, and the openness of the environments immediately feels foreign to what you're used to in this series.

It can be a bit jarring, honestly, as the various icons pull your attention all over the place, while you're just trying to get the story off and running. From the enemy variety you'll experience in the area to the towers you can find to unlock the map more and the lore drops you can find as well, it feels like you're entering an entirely new genre of game compared to Remake, which effectively kicks off one massive journey.

3 The Corel Region

The Fun Zone

The Corel Region is Square Enix really flexing its map-making muscles here, as there is a ton to do and see in this space, and, without exaggeration, you can easily find yourself spending 5+ hours here. There are multiple towns to visit, with side quests abounding, as well as the iconic Golden Saucer, which feels bigger than any area found in the Remake. I do think it kind of short-circuits the story a bit at this point in the game due to the kind of fun-loving nature of it all, but one can't deny how vast it all feels.

Just getting from point A to B in the Corel Region is a journey in itself, and the sights here are absolutely top-notch, giving you plenty of reason to not mind the overly big nature of the area. There's also plenty of side content to find in the outside areas of Corel, so those looking for constant dopamine hits won't find themselves left out in the cold in that regard. There's everything from a desert to a coastline and everything in between, so expect to see the full gamut of locales here, too.

2 The Meridian Ocean

Taking to the Seas

The Meridian Ocean is Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth finally giving you a taste of the open world that the series originally had. It's not quite the airship that we know is coming in the next game, but the expanse you get to travel here, with a few optional areas, is way beyond anything Remake had to offer. It's such a cool moment when you finally get the freedom to travel during the game, and although it's a bit towards the end, it makes traversing to previous areas a much more intuitive experience.

It also gives you a scale of the world like nothing else in the previous game. There, it was Midgar, and who knows. Here? You can actually see the locations you have or haven't traveled to. It's an awesome addition to the game that didn't necessarily need to be included, but one that makes you understand how much care really went into crafting this massive experience.

1 The Temple of the Ancients

The Secrets Unearthed

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The Temple of the Ancients is, in many ways, the climax of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth. And man does it ever live up to it. Comparing it to the biggest area in Remake is like night and day. It's an absolutely enormous location that takes the idea the original had and expands it into an incredibly complex area that has the party splitting up, a few heavy-hitting boss fights, and some incredible story reveals as well. This place takes hours to get through, with secrets strewn about and some set pieces that need to be seen to be believed.

If any part of the game made you wonder about where the budget went previously, well, the Temple of the Ancients will be a wake-up call. It's over the top, incredible looking, and a spectacle that the game keeps in its back pocket until the very end, but once you're in it, the scale and overall feel of it will engulf you in ways that Final Fantasy 7 Remake just wasn't capable of.