The third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake hasn't revealed what style it'll be using for its map, but it shouldn't go with the same open-world style that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth used. While that design choice worked thematically for FF7 Rebirth, it brought with it some issues that might mean it's not the design choice that should be used for FF7R Part 3. Instead, it'd be best to narrow down the scope of the world for the last sections of this story.

I don't have anything against games using open-world maps, but I also don't believe that it's always the best option for every game. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth already included so much content that having an open world started to feel overwhelming at times. In some ways, it was good that Rebirth had the controversial yellow paint to help players like me stay on track rather than exploring endlessly and forgetting the main questline.

FF7 Rebirth's Open World Was Overstuffed & Bloated

A Massive Game Made Too Massive

Switching from the limits of Midgar to the vast open world of Gaia was a stunning way to switch from the first game in the remake to the second one, but it didn't take long to feel overwhelmed by the amount of side tasks you can do in Rebirth because of that open style. Then, you have additional activities to do in the locations you top at for the main story. Together, it feels like more than the game needed. Because of that, it's easy to get lost in side content and end up ignoring the main story.

It's possible that overstuffing the open world came as a result of the original game's limits, and ended up being a way to realize the dreams for the original that the developers were unable to implement because the technology simply wasn't there at the time. Of course, being able to explore the fully realized world of Final Fantasy 7 in the remake is amazing, but it might've been better to trim down the open world content in favor of keeping the main story stops filled with content.

FF7 Remake Part 3 Should Have A More Concise Narrative

Finish The Remake On A Strong Note

While it was fun to explore the world of Gaia and the content it offered, it would be better for Part 3 to learn from FF7 Rebirth and bring its narrative to the core rather than fill the game with additional side tasks. We've already had a lot of time to explore in Rebirth, and now we're at the final stretch of the game's narrative. Plus, there are so many plot lines in the main narrative that are going to need time to come together in the last part of the remake, it'll be difficult to add other content without going overboard.

On top of the story beats that we and love from the original game, the last part of the remake has to handle the circumstances set up in FF7 Remake. We know that the story for Part 3 is finished, and we'll need to see what role Zack plays now that he's alive and has the ability to travel between timelines. Then, we have Cloud seeing Aerith after her death, and there's still the matter of Sephiroth to solve. None of these will be simple loose ends to tie up, meaning each one will need hours to conclude.

Right Now, It's Not Confirmed FF7R 3 Will Be An Open-World Game

It Would Be Better Not To Go Open World

We don't know what style FF7 Remake Part 3 will use for its map, and it would be better to not use the same open-world style as Rebirth. After getting time to explore Gaia with the characters, some of whom were also experiencing their first real chance to travel without the expectations of work or duty, it's time to narrow down the scope of the game to give the narrative the send-off it needs and deserves. Therefore, it'd be best for Part 3 to at least reduce the map to semi open-world, where you can explore areas to an extent.

It's possible that we still have a long wait before we get a release date for Part 3, but the game has a lot to handle, and that's going to take time to put together. In the meantime, you can spend the dozens of hours needed to complete every bit of content available in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. After that, I hope that the developers focus on doing the story the justice it needs to complete the trilogy that makes up the remake of Final Fantasy 7.