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“4 or maybe even 5 instalments” If you want Remakes of older Final Fantasy games, prepare for them to be even bigger than the FF7 Remake trilogy
At the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest in Berlin, series figureheads Naoki Yoshida and Naoki Hamaguchi discussed the prospect of remaking older Final Fantasy titles following the success of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. Yoshida suggested that games such as Final Fantasy 6, 8 and 9 are so vast in scope that remaking them properly could require four or even five separate instalments, echoing the multi-part approach taken with FF7. The pair's comments suggest fans hoping for a straightforward, single remake of a classic entry should temper their expectations, given the scale such a project would demand.
Hamaguchi, who leads the FF7 Remake series, added that he is grateful his team has largely stayed together throughout the trilogy, noting this level of continuity is rare in the games industry and not something he could easily replicate for another remake. He also addressed recurring rumours that he is secretly working on a Final Fantasy 6 remake, insisting this isn't the case despite media speculation each time he discusses the game. Elsewhere in the panel, Yoshida teasingly hinted that Hamaguchi might have his sights set on a future Final Fantasy 17, though Hamaguchi declined to confirm or deny it.
In short
- Remaking classic Final Fantasy games could need four or five instalments each
- Hamaguchi says an FF6 remake isn't currently happening despite ongoing rumours
- Yoshida playfully hinted Hamaguchi may eventually work on Final Fantasy 17
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Older Final Fantasy entries like VI, VIII and IX contain vast worlds, intricate narratives and substantial content that deserve comprehensive treatment rather than condensation. Expanding remakes across multiple instalments allows developers to properly flesh out stories, develop characters with the depth modern audiences expect, and honour these beloved classics rather than diminishing them. The FF7 Remake trilogy's success demonstrates that players value and will commit to expansive, multi-part reimaginings that do genuine justice to the source material.
The case against
Whilst expansive remakes have artistic merit, stretching them across four or five instalments risks audience fatigue, protracted development cycles spanning many years, and considerable financial gamble. More focused, contained remakes that capture a game's essential spirit in a single cohesive release would reach broader audiences and deliver satisfying complete experiences more efficiently. Not every classic necessarily requires dramatic expansion to be worthwhile; streamlined reimaginings might better serve both commercial viability and accessibility for players seeking definitive, finite remakes.
Explained simply
Final Fantasy is a long-running series of video games from Japanese developer Square Enix, with each numbered entry offering a separate story and world. Several of the older entries from the 1990s, such as Final Fantasy 6, 8 and 9, remain beloved by fans who would welcome modern remakes of those games.
Square Enix has been remaking Final Fantasy 7, a particularly popular 1997 entry, but rather than creating one single updated version, they chose to expand it into a trilogy of games released over several years. This showed just how much content and development time a faithful modern remake of a classic title can require.
Senior figures at Square Enix have now indicated that remaking other classic Final Fantasy games would involve even more work, potentially requiring four or five separate instalments rather than three. This suggests that fans hoping for straightforward remakes of their favourite older titles should expect substantially larger projects than they might have anticipated.
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