Remaining Fantasy VII Revelation is the finale of Sq. Enix’s bold undertaking that started with FFVII Remake in 2020 and continued with FFVII Rebirth in 2024. A full trilogy that retells and remixes the story and world of one of the beloved video video games of all time is a loopy concept on paper, however in lower than a yr, will probably be full. IGN not too long ago went hands-on with Revelation — you may learn Michael Higham’s preview coverage for his in-depth thoughts — and after taking part in for roughly two hours for myself, I sat down with two of the creators chargeable for bringing this saga to a satisfying conclusion: Director Naoki Hamaguchi and Battle Director Teruki Endo.
I requested the pair (by an interpreter) about how they’re retaining the third entry contemporary, each with small changes to the fight system and new occasions in areas we already visited in Rebirth. However I used to be most fascinated to study Sq. Enix’s method to wrapping up this saga: How did they select a subtitle for this all-important finale? What has this staff realized from releasing three AAA RPGs within the span of eight years? And, how does Hamaguchi really feel about Revelation releasing on a PlayStation 5 disc in Sony’s final year of producing physical games? Learn on to study all of this and extra, together with how Fortnite of all issues impressed Revelation in a single key means.
IGN: Thanks each a lot for assembly with me. I recognize the time. I performed about two hours of Remaining Fantasy VII Revelation yesterday, and I actually appreciated it. And one thing I am most all in favour of is that there are new areas in Revelation, however a variety of it’s the similar map as Rebirth. I am curious in regards to the staff’s course of for revisiting outdated areas and including attention-grabbing content material to distinguish them from how they appeared in Rebirth.
Hamaguchi: So I’ll say that each one the varied facet quests and facet contents which can be going to be showing in FFVII Revelation, these are going to be fully new. And with the meteor looming within the sky over the planet, there are a variety of, I assume, seismic shifts which have occurred due to the meteor approaching. So there are numerous geographical modifications that you can see within the current areas from Rebirth. So although they’re constantly showing from varied video games, it will look somewhat bit completely different from the earlier sport.
However when it comes to how the precise gameplay and the exploration would possibly really feel completely different from Rebirth is that once we had been making Rebirth, the main focus was on the open world facet of the sport. So we wished to introduce a variety of giant, huge areas that provided the horizontal width when it comes to how massive the world goes to seem like. With FFVII Revelation, we wish to take it a step above. So along with the horizontal width, we’re now including a vertical depth that enables gamers to discover utilizing the Highwind or the Chocobo. So each of those modes of transportation can help you fly and soar excessive within the air and issues like that. So it does provide you with a extra expanded really feel of how the open world goes to seem like on the planet of the FFVII Remake sequence. So in that sense, even with the preexisting areas showing in FFVII Revelation, the best way you would possibly method, the best way you would possibly discover, and the best way it feels while you discover these areas would possibly really feel completely different from FFVII Rebirth.
IGN: I did just like the Highwind lots, and having the ability to skydive down into completely different areas and steer the place I landed. It signifies there might be a variety of freedom in the way you re-explore areas. And I am questioning if there have been challenges in creating what seems to be a sport that is possibly extra freeform than Rebirth in how one can deal with targets.
Hamaguchi: So this sort of ties into the primary query that you just had, however one of many targets that we had as a improvement staff is to type of broaden as we step into the following installment. So from Remake to Rebirth and from Rebirth to Revelation, we wished to take a step above. So from the evolution from going from Rebirth after which heading into Revelation was that once more, “how can we broaden the open world?” And the best way we achieved that’s to attain this planetary exploration, the open world map scale the place gamers can simply actually simply discover the whole planet utilizing the Highwind. So taking over that problem was one of many moderately tough elements of the event for certain.
So the concept of the social gathering parachuting down from the Highwind was one thing that we had fairly early on within the improvement of FFVII revelation. While you take a look at the unique launch of FFVII, the best way it labored was that the Highwind would simply land immediately onto the bottom and the characters would simply exit out of the ship. But when we had been to try this on this very excessive constancy open world, we’d want to think about how the geography would work out within the map. So we would have liked designed surfaces the place it might make sense for the Highwind to have the ability to easily land, if that is smart. However that wasn’t actually lifelike for us to think about. In order that’s why we had this parachuting concept. And while you take a look at different video games, particularly like Fortnite, it did appear that gamers, fashionable audiences, had been fairly acquainted or welcome to this concept of characters flying down the air utilizing parachutes. So I believed it might be a enjoyable strategy to additionally introduce a seamless transition from the air to the bottom. And I feel the top outcome turned out properly for us. I am actually proud of how that’s within the sport.
IGN: As exploration has developed, fight has developed in every new entry as properly. In Revelation, there is a model of lessons, preventing on Chocobos, and different tweaks. How did you determine what components to stack on the fight system beforehand established in Remake and developed in Rebirth?
Endo: We as a staff felt that the fight system was in an ideal state with FFVII Rebirth. So whereas we did take into consideration, “what can we do so as to add extra?”, we could not actually discover any areas that wanted to be improved, if that is smart. I really feel prefer it was in fairly good state already. So due to that, moderately than arising with concepts of how we are able to change one thing, it was extra about increasing what we already had, as a result of once more, we felt that the fight system we had in Rebirth was already actually good and in a perfected, full state. So the concept was extra about, “how can we provide extra flexibility for personalization and freedom to gamers?” In order that’s type of the method that we had, and the way we got here with the concepts of the FITS system and the Chocobos partaking in fight.
IGN: Would it not be honest to say one of many themes of Revelation from a gameplay perspective is freedom? I take into consideration the Highwind’s exploration, after which what you simply stated in regards to the fight. Was that type of a core concept of this sport?
Hamaguchi: I feel sure, however one of many very massive ideas that we had for this sport is resolve. So resolve being the core theme of the sport, that does not solely simply apply to the story or the characters, it additionally applies to the general sport expertise that the gamers could have after they play FFVII Revelation. So the concept is that we would like the gamers to make the selection themselves. We will supply them a variety of completely different choices and selections they usually can select to regulate or play as Cloud, however they’ll additionally select to play because the completely different social gathering members on this sport as properly. In order that’s one instance. The opposite instance while you take a look at fight is that we’re giving them the FITS system. So that they have 4 selections there as properly. So once more, it is not simply in regards to the story, it is not simply in regards to the fight system, it is in regards to the total sport expertise. We’re providing them a big selection or a various vary of choices that the gamers will have the ability to select from. And that is one thing that was additionally provided within the unique FFVII as properly. So one of many targets undoubtedly was to recreate that have by FFVII Revelation.
And we type of confirmed a glimpse of this within the State of Play stream, however in sure facet quests gamers could have the selection of which character they might play as. So within the State of Play stream, it confirmed that gamers can both select to play as Vincent or select to play as Cid. In situations like that, relying on the character you go together with, the conclusion of the facet quest or the best way the story performs out may change drastically. So once more, that is additionally one other instance of the participant selections that we’re providing for the sport expertise. All in all, gamers might be confronted with these probabilities, alternatives the place they get to make these selections in order that each participant might need a really distinctive expertise relying on the alternatives that they made all through the sport.
IGN: So, resolve is a spotlight of the sport. I can not assist however discover that phrase begins with R-E. Was Resolve significantly thought-about as a subtitle for this sport, or had been there every other phrases that begin with RE that you just had been contemplating?
Hamaguchi: [Laughs] So to reply the primary query, “Resolve” was really not thought-about as one of many contenders for the title, and there really is a motive for that. The event staff that we’ve for this sport is in Japan and consists of Japanese employees. So once we had been having inner discussions about what the core idea or the philosophy of this sport was going to be, we did use the time period “resolve”, however in Japanese. So in Japanese, the phrase is named “ketsui”, which as you may inform, does not have that RE sound. After which once we had been planning for our first main reveal at Summer season Sport Fest earlier this yr, I really wrote a script for myself on stage, and I did wish to use the time period for ketsui, resolve. So after I was wanting on the English equal of that, I came upon that resolve really began with RE, so I believed, “oh, that is really an ideal match!”
I can discuss extra about how we ended up with the title Revelation. So means earlier than this entire resolve dialogue that we had, we did determine to go together with the title Revelation, however even earlier than we made that call, there have been really three last contenders and I had a dialogue with the inventive director of the sequence, Tetsuya Nomura.
By way of the opposite two contenders that we had other than Revelation, I’d share it someday sooner or later, however I do not suppose now could be the best time for us to share it as a result of the sport isn’t out but. If we do share the opposite two contenders, I do not need individuals to be like, “Oh, the opposite one was higher than Revelation.” And it feels prefer it’s simply going to create some pointless dialogue and debates on-line. So I really feel like now’s not the best time. Possibly someday down the road we’d have the ability to revisit this dialogue once more and share what the title may have been. However I’ll say that after I mentioned with the North American Sq. Enix staff, I did share the opposite two choices that we had as the ultimate contenders, and we unanimously agreed that Revelation was your best option. So I feel we made the best determination on that.
IGN: Okay, I will ask you once more in a few years what the opposite two had been.
Hamaguchi: [Laughs]
IGN: I might like to speak somewhat bit extra in regards to the fight as a result of Vincent shortly turned my go-to character through the preview. And I do know you have talked about Vincent somewhat bit earlier than, however what’s possibly your favourite element that’s gone unnoticed about Vincent’s fight model thus far?
Endo: I do not suppose that is one thing that I can say as one thing that was unnoticed as a result of I really addressed this myself through the PAX West stage panel that we had yesterday. However certainly one of my private favourite features of Vincent’s fight design is that I used to be in a position to implement this characteristic of him having the ability to flip into the Galian Beast anytime throughout fight. Simply to carry R1 and have the ability to revert again to human kind and return to the Galian Beast kind anytime throughout fight. Having that within the sport, I feel that is really my private favourite. I am actually glad I used to be ready to try this.
And one of many massive the reason why I wished to implement that was as a result of while you take a look at the prevailing social gathering of playable characters, we have already got a variety of completely different choices, a variety of completely different characters that every has its personal distinctive fight expertise. So individuals who have already performed Remake and Rebirth would possibly have already got their very own favourite character to play in fight. So to ensure that us to ship a really impactful gameplay expertise for these new characters, we would have liked to make it possible for there’s one thing very distinctive and completely different about them. So contemplating that, if we had been to observe go well with with the unique and have this operate the place Vincent is just in a position to flip into the Galian Beast solely underneath a particular situation, I do not suppose that might’ve been the easiest way to go about it with the FFVII Remake sequence. So I feel I made the best alternative to try this.
So when you consider it, Vincent having the ability to change backwards and forwards between his human kind and the Galian Beast kind, it is primarily two characters packed into one as a result of every kind has its personal distinctive movesets and motions as properly. So the animation artist had a little bit of an additional arduous time in comparison with the opposite characters making an attempt to implement all these motions into the fight. So in that sense, I feel we spent much more time and effort creating Vincent’s fight system.
IGN: I do wish to ask, Revelation is popping out within the final yr that Sony is producing bodily PlayStation discs, and it’s launching with a bodily version. And Remaining Fantasy VII has this wealthy historical past with PlayStation. Was it necessary to you to have this sport launch on a bodily disc?
Hamaguchi: Final week with the State of Play announcement, we tied it to the preorder as properly. So proper after the State of Play, the preorders launched. However earlier than we arrived at that call, there have been a variety of inner discussions and backwards and forwards amongst myself and different inner employees members when it comes to how we should always deal with or deal with the bodily editions. And this entire disc dialogue, it’s a moderately delicate situation, and I do not suppose a variety of the media has requested us about this thus far. So I wish to focus on how we approached it.
Before everything, personally, I am very glad that we’re in a position to launch a bodily disc model of FFVII Revelation contemplating how the whole gaming market, or the panorama, is veering in direction of the disc-less route. And after we launched preorders, we did see some followers voicing their issues and elevating questions in regards to the bodily discs requiring some web obtain. So I wish to deal with that.
Once we had an inner dialogue with the event staff about how we wished to method the bodily discs and the bodily releases of FFVII Revelation, initially there have been conversations about utilizing the identical disc dimension as we did for, say, FFVII Rebirth. But when we had been to try this, it might imply that we must make a compromise when it comes to the constancy and the standard of the sport. In order a improvement staff, we did not wish to try this. We did not wish to make any compromises for the sport. So realistically, the one alternative that we had was to launch this bodily disc, however with sure sections of the sport being a digital obtain format by the bodily disc. With that being stated, I fully perceive that not all gamers may be proud of this determination, however on the similar time, I’m glad that we had been nonetheless in a position to launch a bodily format of the sport. So I’m fairly happy with the top outcomes as properly. I’d hope that our followers and gamers would have the ability to share that as properly.
IGN: I feel it is spectacular that you’ve got launched an entire trilogy within the span of roughly eight years. That is uncommon within the online game business as of late. So I am questioning if there are any learnings from this main undertaking and its improvement that you may take with you as you progress on to no matter’s subsequent.
Hamaguchi: I’ll say that the highest precedence for us as a staff proper now could be to place a full concentrate on finishing the event of FFVII Revelation. So when it comes to what we might do as the following work or the following sport, we have not actually put that a lot of a thought into it proper now. That stated, wanting on the total panorama and setting of sport improvement, it does seem to be creating and creating these AAA titles, it simply takes longer and longer because it goes by. So contemplating that, having this constant staff that is caught collectively all through the final 10 to 12 years, creating the whole trilogy, and having the ability to collect all this data and expertise that may be utilized to future improvement, I feel we had been in a really fortunate place to have the ability to try this.
However yeah, we’re very a lot desperate to make the most of and leverage the experiences that we’ve made all through these years of improvement of the FFVII Remake sequence. I’d say it is undecided when it comes to the route that we will after the completion of the Remake sequence, however we hope the followers and gamers will look ahead to what we work on subsequent. However to reiterate our prime precedence, our full focus is on FFVII Revelation proper now. So till we really full it and guarantee that it is the meant high quality that the sport ought to be, I do not suppose we could have any precise concepts of what we will work on subsequent.
IGN: Thanks each a lot in your time, and good luck the remainder of the best way with Revelation. We’re wanting ahead to it.
Hamaguchi and Endo: Thanks.
Elements of this interview had been edited for readability.
Logan Plant
Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN’s Senior Editor, Playlist and DB. The Legend of Zelda is his favourite online game franchise of all time, and he’s patiently awaiting the day Nintendo pronounces a model new F-Zero.
Logan Plant is the host of Nintendo Voice Chat and IGN’s Senior Editor, Playlist and DB. The Legend of Zelda is his favourite online game franchise of all time, and he’s patiently awaiting the day Nintendo pronounces a model new F-Zero. You’ll find new episodes of NVC each Friday on the IGN Video games YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.