In VGC’s latest hands-on preview for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, we had been left with excessive hopes for the ultimate entry within the remake trilogy, but additionally startled by the overwhelming scope of the sport.
At Tokyo Game Show 2026, I caught up with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi, who mentioned he’s not involved about such critiques, and famous that the general public demo debuting in Japan this week provides a extra targeted have a look at what Square Enix is making an attempt to do with Half 3.
In our transient dialog, Hamaguchi mentioned latest information across the sport, together with affirmation of DLC tales, and phrase that each one bodily variations would require a obtain.
Ultimate Fantasy 7 Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027, for PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC.
A number of the feedback on-line from followers and press are involved that the scope of this sport could be a bit too huge. What would you say to them?
I’m actually not frightened in regards to the scale. It’s huge, however I’m not frightened about it. For the media demo, it begins at Chapter 4, which is just a few hours into the sport. The aim of that media demo was to point out the influence of how a lot there’s to do on the planet – that was the purpose.
In that construct, should you go to sure areas, quests are locked behind stage blocks. We purposely put that in there to point out, ‘hey, there’s a lot extra right here’. We wished gamers to be excited that there’s a lot to do on this sport.
Whereas there’s a lot occurring, we make sure that to put markers and determine the rewards for why you’re doing what you’re doing, so moderately than being overwhelmed by alternative, gamers can resolve what they do and what they don’t wish to do.
You’re exhibiting a unique demo right here at TGS that’s playable for everybody. What’s the most important distinction you’ve heard from gamers versus the media impressions to this point?
For the media demo, we wished to point out that the sport is huge and throw them in with no restrictions. With the general public demo, it’s a hyper-focused model of one of many earlier chapters. You get to expertise what the sport appears like, how Sid performs, the story… the main target could be very clear.
Some individuals have instructed me they like this demo, however I inform them the opposite one is healthier! The 2 completely different demos have completely different focuses. We’re anticipating good issues to return out of this one.
You’re officially planning two story DLCs, one starring Vincent and the opposite Sephiroth. You beforehand mentioned you wished Revelation to have a definitive ending that wouldn’t be spoiled by DLC. So what does that imply for the DLC’s placement within the story? Are they prequels?
It’s finest to think about the DLC like what we did with Intermission: digging deeper into the characters of Vincent and Sephiroth. In regard as to if these tales happen previously or the current, I’m not going to let you know that now, however we’re excited to disclose that.
You latterly confirmed that all physical versions of Revelation will require additional downloads since you didn’t wish to ‘compromise’ the sport by way of file dimension. Does that imply that the sport obtain might be bigger than the 2 Blu-ray discs earlier entries shipped on?
In a phrase, sure. Issues are nonetheless getting labored out, nevertheless it’s most likely going to be round 200GB of sport. I perceive there are quite a lot of opinions about this matter, however on the finish of the day, the actual fact is we have to overcome the {hardware} to a sure extent.
“It’s finest to think about the DLC like what we did with Intermission: digging deeper into the characters of Vincent and Sephiroth.”
One factor I wish to say is, despite the fact that the sport won’t be on the complete disc, within the place we’re in, as a result of discs could also be dying out, or perhaps staying, with Ultimate Fantasy 7 Revelation, we positively wished to ship some sort of bodily product. That was actually necessary to us. Belief me!
Together with your background in programming, are you able to clarify for our readers some great benefits of transport all digitally versus on a bodily disc?
With a full disc launch, three months earlier than, you may have all these efficiency checks, and you really want to schedule issues out. To provide you an excessive instance, for a download-only model, you possibly can actually repair the sport up till the day of launch, so if there’s an enormous problem, you possibly can repair it earlier than launch. I’m not saying, ‘it’s important to consider me and it’s my approach or the freeway’ or something like that: that is strictly one of many advantages, talking as a developer. I’m not saying come what may. For me, these are the advantages.
There was combined pleasure and disappointment over the three-game Complete Edition and its Japan-only release. Is there any likelihood of that coming to the West finally?
From a manufacturing schedule, issues are so tight, and we have now to offer a restricted amount of editions: we are able to’t simply make a bunch of them. That’s one of many points.
So will it come to the West?
You’ll need to ask him! (Factors to PR)
You’ve taken half in an enormous variety of interviews since Revelation’s announcement this summer season. What are you able to inform me in regards to the sport that you simply’ve not but revealed?
(Lengthy pause)…
In Rebirth, there was a piano mini-game. This time round, that’s been drastically expanded, and it now accommodates data associated to Tifa. You’ll be able to study extra about Tifa by taking part in this Piano sport. I’m positively going to get requested by PR why I simply mentioned that, however I wish to hold our friendship going!
With Revelation, you’re in fact going to need to wrap up the trilogy. Have you ever seen any fan theories on-line about the place the story might go that had been shut, or that made you snort at how far off they had been?
That’s a tough query to reply, however we have a look at all of the fan theories and what individuals are writing. I’m not going to say that are proper and fallacious, however as a fan and a developer, we’ve been on this journey for ten years, and by the point all of it concludes, I believe it’s going to be very satisfying. We’re simply actually excited to see how individuals take to the ending.