Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s long-awaited Part 3 has completed its story, and development is progressing without delay, said director Hamaguchi and producer Kitase in an interview. Read on to find out what this means for the trilogy!
Final Fantasy 7 Part 3’s Main Scenario Is Complete
Development On Schedule, No Delays For Its Upcoming Release
Image from Famitsu
In an interview with Famitsu ahead of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s PC port launch, series producer Yoshinori Kitase and Rebirth game director Naoki Hamaguchi shared that the third title’s development is smoothly moving along with no delay and has already completed its story.
When asked about the development of the third game, Hamaguchi answered that it’s going very well, as they began working on the title right when FF7 Rebirth’s development concluded. "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."
Kitase previously mentioned before the PlayStation 5 release of FF7 Rebirth in February 2024 that the third game’s main scenario had already been completed by then, but there was polishing that needed to be done. He then gave an update to that, saying that it definitively is completed and that he’s satisfied with the output.
"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 added that he’s sure it will be a conclusion to the trilogy that will satisfy fans as well.
Team Admits That They Were Worried About Rebirth’s Release At First
Released in early 2024, the remake series’ second installment, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, made waves in the video game sphere and has received worldwide acclaim and highly positive reception from critics, fans, and gamers alike. Despite the game’s success, the devs were initially worried about how players would react to the game.
Kitase and Hamaguchi admitted to Famitsu their worries regarding Rebirth’s release after the success of the first entry. "I was worried about how it would resonate with players and game fans because it was a remake and the second in a trilogy," Kitase said. "[But] In the end, I was happy to receive such positive reviews that it overcame those concerns." The plethora of good reviews motivated the team and made them more confident about the upcoming finale. "In that sense, I think we have done our job of creating a good atmosphere for the third installment," Hamaguchi added.
With the game being praised for its compelling storyline and engaging gameplay, they have director Hamaguchi and his "logic-based approach." to thank for that. In a separate interview with Automaton, he explained that while they do get opinions from staff and players through beta test sessions as to what should be put in the game, there’s a certain policy that narrows down what is considered. As translated by Automaton, "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." c
PC Gaming Is Now The Norm
The duo also spoke about the booming popularity of PC gaming as in recent years, many gamers now prefer to play video games on their personal computers instead. The video game industry has definitely taken notice of this, and games in the present era are now usually available on PC from launch. Console-exclusives also eventually come out on PC as well afterwards to cater to a wider audience.
Kitase expressed his opinion that it’s the trend of the times, and from a manufacturer’s point of view, development costs are rising, hence the need to deliver to a much wider market. He pointed out that some regions do not sell mainstream consoles due to certain policies, but PCs or laptops are a must everywhere all around the world. "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."
With that said, the FF7 Rebirth team felt the need to release the PC port of the second game as soon as possible, and focused on porting the title to PC. "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," Hamaguchi stated.
Taking into account all their experiences from the first two releases in the trilogy, the grand finale of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is surely something to look forward to. Perhaps it may even be available on PC quicker than the last as well, to deliver the full Remake Project experience to fans across the globe.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on PC via Steam, but is also available to play on its original console, the PlayStation 5. If you haven’t started your journey with Cloud and his allies, the first installment, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
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【PC版】『FF7 リバース』北瀬P、浜口Dインタビュー。最高品質のグラフィックや操作などへのこだわりを訊く。3作目はシナリオも完パケし作り込み段階へ
『ファイナルファンタジーVII リバース』PC版開発者インタビュー。「PCゲーマーの遊び方」をできるだけ尊重する、新しい『FFVII』リメイクシリーズの届け方
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s director Hamaguchi stresses a “logic-based” approach when incorporating user feedback to make sure a game sticks to its original vision
