Summary

• FF7 Rebirth expands original locations into detailed 3D environments with more side content, but it doesn't work for everything.
• The livelier Corel Prison in the game loses some of its thematic intent and atmosphere compared to the original.
• The desert in Corel ends up being more exhausting than mysterious once it's filled with objectives.

Bringing the locations of the original Final Fantasy to life is one of the most exciting things about Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but one region is a clear example of how the game can miss the mark. From the slums of Midgar to the military fortress of Junon, FF7 packed a lot of flavor into a globe-trotting adventure. FF7 Rebirth transforms these originally pre-rendered destinations into detailed 3D environments, expanding many of them in size while packing them full of more side content than ever.

Picking up after the opening events in Midgar that were covered in FF7 Remake, FF7 Rebirth starts out in the city of Kalm and ventures forth into a world full of large explorable zones attached to each major location. Some of these spots offer particularly memorable highlights, like the mostly relaxing beach getaway of Costa del Sol or the vast variety of activities available at the Gold Saucer. In the very same region as these great destinations, however, FF7 Rebirth also includes some changes that showcase the downsides of its fresh approach to the world of Gaia.

FF7 Rebirth Expands Corel Prison In The Wrong Ways

One of the biggest changes in the constantly shifting adventure of the original FF7 is the contrast found between the Gold Saucer and its underbelly, as the Corel Prison located beneath could hardly be more devoid of glitz and glamour. It's one of many reminders that the luxurious lifestyle afforded by sucking the planet of its mako energy isn't all that it's cracked up to be and a quick reality check for anyone wooed by the amusement park. Although FF7 Rebirth maintains some of this dichotomy, it does so in a way that loses a good bit of its efficacy.

In the tradition of expanding locations and offering more side activities, Corel Prison isn't really a prison at all in FF7 Rebirth; instead, it takes on a role similar to Wall Market in FF7 Remake. Although the place has a decidedly criminal air, it's a hotbed of activity, with a sprawl of ramshackle buildings, multiple sidequests, and several Queen's Blood games to play. Complaining about having things to do might seem like looking a gift horse in the mouth, but this surplus of entertainment trades out a lot of the atmosphere and thematic intent expressed so clearly in the original location.

FF7's classic take on Corel Prison was never boring, just bare. The criminals that loitered there could steal valuable items from the party, creating a palpable sense of threat, and Barret's backstory working its way into the narrative offered plenty to take interest in. The Mad Max-esque chaos of the new Corel Prison feels like the result of a frantic need to keep the player engaged, but directly after all the fun that can be had at the Gold Saucer, there's no reason for Corel Prison to be in need of its own heightened amusements.

The Corel Desert In FF7 Rebirth Loses Its Mystery

This problem extends to the desert that surrounds the Gold Saucer, an area that arguably suffers even more from the change in approach. The original desert operated on the kind of confounding puzzle logic that's more common in older games, where hints from NPCs had to be applied in the right way for the party to navigate seemingly unending wastelands without getting lost. The nearly impenetrable space worked as the open-air walls to Corel Prison, isolating it in a land where escape would likely mean dying on the sands.

Unsurprisingly, FF7 Rebirth converts the Corel desert into another open zone like all the areas preceding it, filling out the previously empty wastes with the standard fare of general tasks to complete. It's not an environment that offers a lot in the way of interesting exploration, and it largely feels like a step down after the more focused areas of Junon and the other half of Corel. While the content added to Corel Prison is at least consistently fun, the same can't be said for the desert, and its Protorelic quest might be the least fun of the lot.

Not only does this approach throw away the way that the desert truly hemmed in Corel Prison, but it's also one example of how remakes can lessen the mystique found in the comparative minimalism of older games. A few repeated desert screens used judiciously created the sensation of a threat that was grander than the party's capability to tackle it in FF7. Rolling around in Dio's buggy and completing a checklist makes it feel routine and pedestrian, even if a couple of the objectives there invoke desert mysteries and legends.

Corel's Highlights Don't Solve The FF7 Rebirth Problem

The zone-oriented approach has its merits in the overall scheme of FF7 Rebirth, breaking up a large world into manageable chunks that are able to retain some individual flavor and focus. At the same time, there's definitely a sense of a template being repeated. At its best, the game rises above this structure with inspired shake-ups, but Corel shows that some areas just can't be crammed into a design model that ultimately doesn't fit them.

A good example of a zone that works comparatively well is Cosmo Canyon, which blends open expanses with some complex gliding navigation to make for a more interesting experience.

There's still plenty to appreciate in Corel Prison and the surrounding desert, not the least of which is the depth of emotion that voice actor John Eric Bentley lends to Barret in some climactic emotional scenes. How the game handles his backstory is another can of worms entirely, and there are definitely points to be made in favor of either the original or Rebirth treatment. At any rate, a strong performance anchors the story in a similar way to the sequences surrounding the plate fall in FF7 Remake, showing that the update can provide more than just eye candy.

The low points of the Corel region are just one part of a huge story in FF7 Rebirth, and the changes made there definitely don't sink the entire experience. As each game evolves, however, it would be nice to hope for a conclusion that's more careful about maintaining the unique atmosphere and tone of every part of the story, whether it provides constantly maximized stimulation or not. Corel Prison is called a prison for a reason, and making it into a slightly zanier Wall Market ultimately does a disservice to the stronger moments found elsewhere in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.