Final Fantasy VII Locations That Feel Completely Different Between the Original and Remakes

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10 Final Fantasy VII Locations That Feel Completely Different Between the Original and Remakes -

Published Mar 20, 2026, 3:30 PM EDT

Murillo Zerbinatto is a contributor from Brazil. He's a JRPG enthusiast who has been around the world of games and content creation for more than six years now. He has a particular love for Final Fantasy and has absorbed all the content this long-running series offers, including its obscure spinoffs such as Dimension I & II, Explorers, and My Life as a King. While playing JRPGs is already a time-sinking endeavor, Murillo doubles down by being a platinum hunter as well.

Remaking one of the biggest JRPGs in the world isn't an easy task, as we've seen in recent years. Not only did Square Enix split the original Final Fantasy VII into three parts, but it also made several changes to adapt to the new 3D presentation and the story, for reasons we'll only fully understand when the third part releases.

Several locations from the original Final Fantasy VII also underwent changes, either expanded to better fit the new narrative, given greater depth to the lore, or simply enhanced with new activities, minigames, and side quests. There are even brand-new areas that highlight how massive the world of FFVII really is.

10 Best Final Fantasy Spinoffs, Ranked

Since you already know the first one, take a look at nine other great Final Fantasy spinoffs.

While some of these changes were well received, others weren't. Today, I'll go over some Final Fantasy VII locations that feel completely different between the original and the remakes, whether due to major visual and geographical changes or shifts in tone and purpose.

10 Crow's Nest

A Brand-New Location

Let me start with a brand-new city introduced in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. If anything qualifies as completely different, it's the addition of a location that didn't exist before. Crow's Nest is an entirely optional settlement in the Junon area.

It's inhabited by people similar to those from Under Junon who also dislike Shinra. The whole settlement looks hastily built, with improvised wooden houses and logs, lacking comfort and modern amenities. Still, it's a pleasant place and a great spot to play a few Queen's Blood matches and complete several side quests.

9 Cave of the Gi / Village of the Gi

Black Materia Origin

Still on the topic of (somewhat) new locations, the Cave of the Gi appears during the Cosmo Canyon events. It expands Final Fantasy VII's mythology, giving more background on the origin of the Black Materia and adding weight to Seto's sacrifice, Red XIII's father. In the original, we only heard about his actions, but never truly understood their gravity.

The first segment acts as a trial for Red XIII to become a Watcher of the Vale and feels like an entirely revamped zone filled with puzzles and danger, unlike the simple cave in the original. We traverse it with only Red XIII and Barret and face Gi Nattak at the end.

After learning about Seto's fate, the game expands further into the Gi's lore, taking us to the Village of the Gi. It's a new storytelling-focused area meant to deepen the game's lore. That said, its main contribution is narrative, since the location itself is essentially a simple reddish cave without standout design.

8 Swamplands

Mandatory Boss Fight

After leaving Midgar and passing through Kalm, we reach the Chocobo Farm, where we learn we need to catch a chocobo to cross the marshes and avoid the mighty Midgar Zolom. It's a short segment, and the marshes are just a different overworld texture, very straightforward.

In Rebirth, however, this area becomes the Swamplands. While not a full dungeon, it's much more memorable. We still need a chocobo to traverse it, but now we can explore patches of land, collect items, and even fight some enemies.

Then, when we finally encounter the Midgardsormr (now correctly named), we engage in a boss fight, unlike in the original where avoiding it was the intended approach. The following cutscene is also different. Instead of showing the snake impaled after crossing Sephiroth's path, here he actually saves Cloud. I think. It's pretty confusing.

7 Nibelheim

Rehabheim

In both the original Final Fantasy VII and Rebirth, Nibelheim serves the same narrative purpose and has a similar layout. The town was destroyed in the past after Sephiroth threw a tantrum, but Shinra rebuilt it using paid actors and employees to cover up the truth.

When Cloud and Tifa return years later, they're confused, especially since everyone pretends nothing ever happened. This makes players question Cloud's sanity even more, and even a bit of Tifa's memories.

In Rebirth, this remains mostly the same, but the key difference is that Nibelheim is now faking it as a Shinra-managed mako poisoning treatment center. This explains the presence of black-hooded victims wandering around, creating an eerie atmosphere, and the lack of concern for them.

6 Cosmo Canyon

Tithe Money

Cosmo Canyon is often considered one of the best locations in Final Fantasy VII, thanks to Bugenhagen's lore dumps, the incredible soundtrack, and the party's bonding moments. In the original, it feels mystical and deeply spiritual. Also, we have Seto's storyline, which is a tearjerker.

In Rebirth, it remains a place of contemplation, but it's far more lively than expected. It feels like a pilgrimage destination, with people meditating, attending classes, buying souvenirs, and even hanging out at a bar.

Seeing crowds in Cosmo Canyon, with structured activities and tourism, takes away some of the original's mysticism, but it still works, I guess.

5 Wall Market

Temu Las Vegas

Exploring Midgar's slums shows just how harsh life is for its residents. When we reach Wall Market in the original, it feels like an entertainment hub for the slums, but it's still ruled by crime and has an oppressive tone.

In Rebirth, though, Wall Market feels like a place I'd actually want to visit, a mix of Las Vegas and a red-light district. Ok, maybe not visit since I'm a married man, but you got my point. As soon as we enter, vendors are already trying to promote Wall Market's attractions to us. The buildings, while still run-down, are lively, colorful, and almost tourist-friendly.

The tonal shift is striking. In the original, walking into an alley felt like an invitation to get stabbed. In Rebirth, it feels more like you'll get scammed by someone targeting tourists, but at least you'll walk away alive. And maybe even entertained.

4 Temple of the Ancients

So. Many. Puzzles

One thing the Temple of the Ancients keeps consistent between the original and the remakes is that it's still a large and somewhat frustrating dungeon. Both versions feature puzzles, but while the original keeps them relatively simple, Rebirth goes all-in, with shifting architecture and more complex mechanics.

The tone also changes significantly. It becomes a major lore dump, diving deeper into the Cetra past and also Cloud's deteriorating psyche as he grows increasingly unstable. The Turks also play a bigger role here, narratively and gameplay-wise.

The biggest change comes at the end, when Cloud hands over the Black Materia to Sephiroth. In the original, it's a short scene. In Rebirth, it's far more dramatic, leaning heavily into multiverse elements and making everything way more complex.

3 Kalm

Not Calm Anymore

Kalm is the first town we visit after leaving Midgar. I remember reaching the overworld for the first time and being amazed by entering Kalm, which showed me a new side of the game. The thing is, in the original Final Fantasy VII, Kalm was just a small area with a few houses, an inn, and a shop, mainly serving as a place for Cloud to tell his backstory.

In Rebirth, Kalm is massively expanded into a full-fledged city, filled with lively NPCs, activities, side quests, and even an action-packed escape sequence from Shinra. Plus, it's where we first learn about Queen's Blood, which is already enough for me.

It's a joy to explore, seeing people exercising, tourists taking pictures, and merchants doing their thing. This new version of Kalm perfectly sets the tone for how Rebirth expands on everything from the original, not just visually but in terms of depth and meaning.

2 Gongaga

From Small Village to Big Jungle

Speaking of expanded locations, Gongaga is impossible to ignore. I know many players had issues with the Gongaga region and its labyrinthine jungle. I was one of them, especially because traversing it was highly frustrating, and some side quests weren't particularly engaging.

However, the additions to the story are excellent. In the original, Gongaga was just a small village where we learned a bit about best boy SOLDIER Zack. In Rebirth, not only do we get more of his story, but we also meet Cissnei, fight Scarlet, and even encounter a Weapon that swallows Tifa and sends her into the Lifestream.

Exploration aside, Gongaga becomes an important part of character development. While it's debatable whether Square revealed too much too soon with Tifa's Lifestream experience, it's undeniably powerful and heart-wrenching to watch Cloud slowly unravel.

1 Midgar

Setting of an Entire Game

In terms of tone, Midgar feels similar in both games. We still explore the slums, witness the harsh living conditions, and see the class divide when Barret confronts Shinra Middle Manager. But in terms of scale, depth, characters, and everything else, it's completely different.

That's expected, since Final Fantasy VII Remake takes place entirely in Midgar, whereas the original only spent a few hours there.

We meet many more characters like Johnny, Marle, Kyrie, Leslie, Madam M, and Andrea, all contributing to a more vibrant and memorable experience. There's even a new subplot involving Jessie in Sector 7, where we fight Roche.

The main story beats remain similar, but stepping off the main path reveals just how much bigger Midgar is. It helps reinforce Barret's motivations and makes Shinra's executives even more detestable. I understand the criticism of Remake focusing solely on Midgar, but at least the developers went all-in on making it a fully realized location.