Naturally, this created a greater level of immersion, but it also gave us an opportunity to increase the variety in the locations without dismissing elements of the original. Our goal was to stay with the characters and flesh out those location gaps that the original navigated around. There were many shortcuts taken in the original, where there were deliberate jumps to the next location.

Due to technical limitations in the original FINAL FANTASY VII, traversal through the world was across fixed screens. Hamaguchi: I am very proud that the reimagined Midgar was accepted by the fans. Can you talk about how the team was able to meticulously flesh out the city of Midgar? With tremendous visual variety, the game's environments are more detailed than even the most ardent fans could have imagined. So, I believe the hard work that the development team put into the title was able to reach fans and newcomers alike. We received many comments from players saying they enjoyed and appreciated the remake that our team aimed to create. By doing so, we were able to depict the remake in the latest fashion, without breaking the image players remember from the original, and provide a “familiar-yet-new” experience for players. We aimed to create a remake that was not built as an entirely new title that was merely inspired by the world and lore of the original but rather aimed to pay homage to the world and lore while reimagining elements so they could be enjoyed as something new and modern. Looking at players’ reactions after release, I am really proud that the remake we strived hard towards was well received. Can you talk about how the team was able to strike this delicate balance?įINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Co-Director Naoki Hamaguchi: Thank you for your kind words. The co-director also elaborates on how transitioning to Unreal Engine helped propel the team forward.įINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE has been praised for maintaining the spirit of the original while also feeling fresh and new. He talks about how Square Enix was able to flesh out the game’s environments to create a new heightened sense of immersion, incorporate top-notch visual effects, optimize the game to be performant, and more. To get an in-depth look at how Square Enix revamped FINAL FANTASY VII's graphics, combat system, and world while keeping the spirit of the original game, we interviewed FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Co-Director Naoki Hamaguchi. Despite monumental shoes to fill, the Japanese studio took some bold new steps to modernize the game and delivered, with review sites like GameSpot stating, “This isn't the Final Fantasy VII your mind remembers, it's the one your heart always knew it to be.” Square Enix had tremendous pressure on its shoulders to revamp the beloved classic, which some have heralded as the best RPG ever made. Leading up to the title’s launch, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE was undeniably one of the most anticipated games of all time.

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