Last Fantasy VII Revelation is the finale of Sq. Enix’s bold venture 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 vital beloved video video games of all time is a loopy thought on paper, however in lower than a yr, will probably be full. IGN just lately went hands-on with Revelation — you possibly can 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 accountable for bringing this saga to a satisfying conclusion: Director Naoki Hamaguchi and Battle Director Teruki Endo.
I requested the pair (via an interpreter) about how they’re holding the third entry recent, 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 crew 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 method.
IGN: Thanks each a lot for assembly with me. I admire the time. I performed about two hours of Last Fantasy VII Revelation yesterday, and I actually appreciated it. And one thing I am most excited about is that there are new areas in Revelation, however quite a lot of it’s the identical map as Rebirth. I am curious concerning the crew’s course of for revisiting previous areas and including fascinating content material to distinguish them from how they appeared in Rebirth.
Hamaguchi: So I’ll say that every one the assorted 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 quite a lot of, I assume, seismic shifts which have occurred due to the meteor approaching. So there are numerous geographical adjustments that you’ll see within the current areas from Rebirth. So regardless that they’re constantly showing from varied video games, it’ll look just a little bit totally different from the earlier sport.
However when it comes to how the precise gameplay and the exploration would possibly really feel totally different from Rebirth is that once we have been making Rebirth, the main focus was on the open world facet of the sport. So we wished to introduce quite a lot of massive, huge areas that provided the horizontal width when it comes to how massive the world goes to appear to be. 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 permits gamers to discover utilizing the Highwind or the Chocobo. So each of those modes of transportation assist you to fly and leap excessive within the air and issues like that. So it does offer you a extra expanded really feel of how the open world goes to appear to be on this 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 totally different from FFVII Rebirth.
IGN: I did just like the Highwind loads, and with the ability to skydive down into totally different areas and steer the place I landed. It signifies there shall be quite a lot 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 perhaps extra freeform than Rebirth in how one can sort out aims.
Hamaguchi: So this type of ties into the primary query that you just had, however one of many targets that we had as a improvement crew is to type of broaden as we step into the subsequent 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 your entire planet utilizing the Highwind. So taking up that problem was one of many relatively tough elements of the event for certain.
So the concept of the occasion parachuting down from the Highwind was one thing that we had fairly early on within the improvement of FFVII revelation. If you have a look at the unique launch of FFVII, the best way it labored was that the Highwind would simply land instantly onto the bottom and the characters would simply exit out of the ship. But when we have been to do 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 sensible. However that wasn’t actually reasonable for us to think about. In order that’s why we had this parachuting thought. And while you have a look at different video games, particularly like Fortnite, it did appear that gamers, trendy audiences, have been fairly acquainted or welcome to this concept of characters flying down the air utilizing parachutes. So I believed it might be a enjoyable approach to additionally introduce a seamless transition from the air to the bottom. And I feel the top end result 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 courses, preventing on Chocobos, and different tweaks. How did you determine what parts to stack on the fight system beforehand established in Remake and developed in Rebirth?
Endo: We as a crew 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 sensible. I really feel prefer it was in fairly good state already. So due to that, relatively than arising with concepts of how we will 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 personalisation 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 truthful 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 concerning the fight. Was that type of a core thought 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 may have after they play FFVII Revelation. So the concept is that we would like the gamers to make the selection themselves. We’ll provide them quite a lot of totally different choices and selections and so they can select to regulate or play as Cloud, however they will additionally select to play because the totally different occasion members on this sport as properly. In order that’s one instance. The opposite instance while you have 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 concerning the story, it is not simply concerning the fight system, it is concerning 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 authentic FFVII as properly. So one of many targets positively was to recreate that have via FFVII Revelation.
And we type of confirmed a glimpse of this within the State of Play stream, however in sure facet quests gamers may have the selection of which character they’d 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 eventualities like that, relying on the character you go together with, the conclusion of the facet quest or the best way the story performs out might 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 shall be confronted with these possibilities, 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 am unable to assist however discover that phrase begins with R-E. Was Resolve severely thought-about as a subtitle for this sport, or have been there every other phrases that begin with RE that you just have 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 purpose for that. The event crew that now we have for this sport is in Japan and consists of Japanese employees. So once we have been having inside 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 possibly can inform, would not have that RE sound. After which once we have been planning for our first main reveal at Summer time Recreation 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 once I was trying on the English equal of that, I discovered 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 method earlier than this complete 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 ultimate contenders and I had a dialogue with the artistic director of the sequence, Tetsuya Nomura.
When it comes to the opposite two contenders that we had apart from Revelation, I’d share it someday sooner or later, however I do not assume now could be the suitable 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 suitable time. Possibly someday down the road we would have the ability to revisit this dialogue once more and share what the title might have been. However I’ll say that once I mentioned with the North American Sq. Enix crew, I did share the opposite two choices that we had as the ultimate contenders, and we unanimously agreed that Revelation was the only option. So I feel we made the suitable resolution on that.
IGN: Okay, I will ask you once more in a few years what the opposite two have been.
Hamaguchi: [Laughs]
IGN: I would like to speak just a little bit extra concerning the fight as a result of Vincent rapidly grew to become my go-to character throughout the preview. And I do know you’ve got talked about Vincent just a little bit earlier than, however what’s perhaps your favourite element that’s gone unnoticed about Vincent’s fight type thus far?
Endo: I do not assume that is one thing that I can say as one thing that was unnoticed as a result of I really addressed this myself throughout the PAX West stage panel that we had yesterday. However one in all my private favourite capabilities of Vincent’s fight design is that I used to be capable of implement this characteristic of him with 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 do this.
And one of many massive the reason why I wished to implement that was as a result of while you have a look at the present occasion of playable characters, we have already got quite a lot of totally different choices, quite a lot of totally 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 guarantee that there’s one thing very distinctive and totally different about them. So contemplating that, if we have been to observe swimsuit with the unique and have this perform the place Vincent is barely capable of flip into the Galian Beast solely below a particular situation, I do not assume that may’ve been one of the best ways to go about it with the FFVII Remake sequence. So I feel I made the suitable selection to do this.
So when you concentrate on it, Vincent with the ability to swap forwards and backwards 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 exhausting time in comparison with the opposite characters attempting 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 Last Fantasy VII has this wealthy historical past with PlayStation. Was it essential 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 quite a lot of inside discussions and forwards and backwards amongst myself and different inside employees members when it comes to how we must always deal with or deal with the bodily editions. And this complete disc dialogue, it’s a relatively delicate problem, and I do not assume quite a lot of the media has requested us about this thus far. So I wish to focus on how we approached it.
At the start, personally, I am very pleased that we’re capable of launch a bodily disc model of FFVII Revelation contemplating how your entire gaming market, or the panorama, is veering in direction of the disc-less path. And after we launched preorders, we did see some followers voicing their issues and elevating questions concerning the bodily discs requiring some web obtain. So I wish to deal with that.
After we had an inside dialogue with the event crew 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 have been to do 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 crew, we did not wish to do this. We did not wish to make any compromises for the sport. So realistically, the one selection that we had was to launch this bodily disc, however with sure sections of the sport being a digital obtain format via the bodily disc. With that being stated, I fully perceive that not all gamers is likely to be proud of this resolution, however on the identical time, I’m pleased that we have been nonetheless capable of launch a bodily format of the sport. So I’m fairly happy with the top outcomes as properly. I might hope that our followers and gamers would have the ability to share that as properly.
IGN: I feel it is spectacular that you have launched an entire trilogy within the span of roughly eight years. That is uncommon within the online game trade lately. So I am questioning if there are any learnings from this main venture and its improvement you could take with you as you progress on to no matter’s subsequent.
Hamaguchi: I’ll say that the highest precedence for us as a crew proper now could be to place a full give attention to finishing the event of FFVII Revelation. So when it comes to what we’d do as the subsequent work or the subsequent sport, we have not actually put that a lot of a thought into it proper now. That stated, trying 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 crew that is caught collectively all through the final 10 to 12 years, creating your entire trilogy, and with the ability to collect all this data and expertise that may be utilized to future improvement, I feel we have been in a really fortunate place to have the ability to do this.
However yeah, we’re very a lot desirous to make the most of and leverage the experiences that now we have made all through these years of improvement of the FFVII Remake sequence. I might say it is undecided when it comes to the path that we’ll 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 high precedence, our full focus is on FFVII Revelation proper now. So till we really full it and guarantee that it is the supposed high quality that the sport must be, I do not assume we may have any precise concepts of what we’ll work on subsequent.
IGN: Thanks each a lot in your time, and good luck the remainder of the best way with Revelation. We’re trying ahead to it.
Hamaguchi and Endo: Thanks.
Components of this interview have 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 declares 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 declares a model new F-Zero. You could find new episodes of NVC each Friday on the IGN Video games YouTube channel, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast app.