The big Final Fantasy 7 Revelation interview
Eurogamer’s interview with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi presents Square Enix as aiming to build on the strengths of Remake and Rebirth while avoiding familiar role-playing game conventions becoming stale. Hamaguchi says the team is refining Rebirth’s combat, reconsidering fast travel to preserve player agency, and using both nostalgia and new ideas as it approaches the trilogy’s final instalment.
The article highlights the developers’ attention to character detail and their willingness to adopt ideas from across the team. Hamaguchi cites Vincent Valentine’s distinctive parachute arrangement in the reveal trailer and Red XIII riding a chocobo in Rebirth as examples of staff seeking to make characters feel authentic, while drawing on their own familiarity with the 1997 original.
In short
- Revelation aims to evolve combat, exploration and fast travel.
- Developers prioritise player agency and character authenticity.
- Small team-led details reinforce Final Fantasy 7 nostalgia.
Explained simply
Final Fantasy 7 is a legendary 1997 video game that revolutionised the role-playing game genre. Square Enix is currently remaking it as a trilogy of modern games, with Remake and Rebirth already released. Revelation, the third and final game, is in development, and the company has been discussing its vision for how the trilogy will conclude.
The director of Revelation has outlined the approach the team is taking with the final instalment. Key concerns for the developers include building on what worked in the previous games, avoiding gameplay conventions becoming predictable, and deciding how to handle different systems like character movement and travel. These decisions matter considerably because millions of players have deep emotional connections to the original game.
The development team draws on both their knowledge of the 1997 original and ideas from across their staff when making creative choices. This approach aims to blend nostalgia with fresh innovation, ensuring that the final game honours the legacy of the original whilst offering something new to modern players.
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