Exciting news for fans of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series: Part 3's story is now complete, and the development is progressing smoothly without any delays, according to director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase in a recent interview. Dive into the details to see what this means for the much-anticipated trilogy!
Final Fantasy 7 Part 3’s Main Scenario Is Complete
Development On Schedule, No Delays For Its Upcoming Release
In a recent interview with Famitsu, ahead of the PC port launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, series producer Yoshinori Kitase and Rebirth game director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed that the development of the third installment is on track with no delays. They confirmed that the story for the third game is now fully complete.
Hamaguchi stated, "We are progressing without any delay from the schedule we planned when we launched the remake project, so we hope you will look forward to it." This follows Kitase's earlier comment before the PlayStation 5 release of FF7 Rebirth in February 2024, where he mentioned that the main scenario for Part 3 was already finished but needed further polishing. Now, he's satisfied with the final product, saying, "I gave it [the storywriting] to Nomura (FF7 Rebirth Creative Director, Tetsuya Nomura) as homework to conclude the remake project, while respecting the original and providing a sense of satisfaction that wasn't felt in the original. That was finally completed at the end of the year, and the scenario for the third installment was completed there." He's confident that the conclusion will satisfy fans.
Image from Famitsu
Team Admits That They Were Worried About Rebirth’s Release At First
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, released early in 2024, received widespread acclaim and positive feedback from critics, fans, and gamers. However, the development team initially had concerns about its reception. Kitase expressed his initial worries, stating, "I was worried about how it would resonate with players and game fans because it was a remake and the second in a trilogy. [But] In the end, I was happy to receive such positive reviews that it overcame those concerns." The positive reception has boosted the team's confidence in the upcoming finale. Hamaguchi added, "In that sense, I think we have done our job of creating a good atmosphere for the third installment."
The game's success is attributed to Hamaguchi's "logic-based approach." In an interview with Automaton, he explained their method for incorporating feedback: "If our goal is A, and we get an opinion like 'I want B instead,' we can't do anything about it as it is just someone's preference. However, if we get an opinion like 'If you added B too, wouldn't it be even better?' then I'll think about incorporating it, if possible."
PC Gaming Is Now The Norm
The interview also touched on the growing trend of PC gaming. Kitase noted that with rising development costs, reaching a broader market is essential. He said, "As for PCs, there are no borders, so I think it's inevitable that PC versions will be released in order to allow more people to play." This shift in the gaming industry has influenced the team's strategy for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, as Hamaguchi mentioned, "I feel like the flow of game users in the world has changed a lot there. That's why we focused on making the PC version of FFVII Rebirth shorter than the period when the PC version of FFVII Remake was released."
With the insights gained from the first two releases, the final installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy promises to be an exciting conclusion. Fans can also hope for a quicker PC release to fully experience the Remake Project.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on PC via Steam and on PlayStation 5. If you're yet to embark on this epic journey with Cloud and his allies, the first installment, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
