Why Avowed's World Might Feel Similar to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's

Key things

  • Avowed expands on the Pillars of Eternity lore and explores The Living Lands in Eora.
  • The game's design philosophy mirrors Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's approach to map progression.
  • The world of Avowed will be unlocked gradually and linked to significant plot events, similar to FF7 Rebirth.



Open has been looming on the horizon since it was first revealed in 2020. Obsidian Entertainment's upcoming dark fantasy FPS RPG will take over much of the groundwork and significant world-building that was built for the studio's previous CRPG series, Pillars of Eternityand expand upon them as you tell a new story. Open it also places fans in a previously unseen part PoE's land of Eora, promising interesting additions to the existing lore and further refinement of the environment.

Earlier this year Final Fantasy 7 Rebirththe highly anticipated second entry in the modern remake series of the popular JRPG classic, was released to great acclaim. As Rebirth continued the story of Cloud Strife and friends, one noticeable difference from 2020 Final Fantasy 7 Remake was in the size of the overworld and the way fans are given access to each subsequent locale within it. Rebirth was much larger than Remakepound for pound. However, it required more of an “open zone” approach, where parts of the world gradually split up as the story progressed, as opposed to being completely explorable from the start. Based on what Obsidian has stated and shown about their intentions so far Openlooks like it may end up being very similar Rebirthdesign philosophy in this area.


Avowed's world design could heavily mirror Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's

Regional division of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Compared to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, RebirthThe map is certainly much larger. FF7 remake it was mostly contained within Midgar and the immediate surrounding areas of the city, in many cases showing an almost linear design in various parts. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth opened up the land of Gaia to encompass an impressive swath of land. However, as large as these sections are, they are bounded by major story events, and fans aren't technically free to go through and explore them all from the very beginning.


While this direction makes sense in the grand scheme of the narrative, and it would probably be pretty weird if, for example, players could visit the Golden Plate in FF7 Rebirth long before it becomes relevant or necessary to the story, it inherently prevents it from being classified as truly “open world,” at least by strictly traditional definitions. In practice, while FF7 Rebirth it may not seem as restrictive as described, however it does have firm boundaries in which areas of the world they are available at any given point.

Why Avowed's map design could feature major shades of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's

Obsidian has been transparent about the scope Open's world, while apparently undergoing several revisions during development. Currently, the expectations are this Open will have a similar approach to the studio's previous sci-fi title, Outer worlds. Follow the fans through OpenThe Living Lands region will seemingly be closely tied to major plot developments and will be split up gradually ala both TOW and FF7 Rebirth.


None of this is to say that it is inherently inferior or unsuitable Openbut a vision. In parallel with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's seven main regions, if the story factors are in place, it could then seamlessly translate into an enjoyable part of the larger experience. Access to other areas in Open could then feel like a reward for its own sake, as opposed to giving players absolute freedom to go wherever they wish from the start, and perhaps detracts from the carefully crafted story Obsidian is trying to tell. The decision to have Openthe world and the map work in a way that can be compared FF7 Rebirth means it will be an integral part of the narrative in the same way. And Obsidian's focus on incorporating this aspect similarly suggests it has a clear path in mind to make it work to its advantage.

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