The year has been good for RPG fans, and one of the crown jewels of 2024’s RPG scene is absolutelyFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The game has received numerous awards and nominations at game awards shows across the industry, including a nomination for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024. That’s not the only thing it showed up with. Square Enix announcedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s PC release date, January 23, to bring its expanded view of the classic PlayStation series to a wider audience.
As the team shifts gears toward the third and final installment of theFF7 Remakeproject, Game Rant spoke with producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Naoki Hamaguchi at The Game Awards to look back onFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s success. Alongside its accolades and PC release, we also discussed some of the changes in the title, including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s ending. We also spoke about their proudest accomplishments in the title and their hopes for the future.The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Please note that this interview contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Reflecting on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas been racking up accoladesas a critical darling following its release, and it’s easy to see why. The middle child of theFF7 Remakeproject is visually breathtaking, brings in beloved characters from the broader Compilation ofFinal Fantasy 7, and continues the project’s commitment to deepening and enriching the narrative of one of the best RPGs of all time.
Q: What’s it like to be getting accolades for all the work you’ve done onFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth?
Hamaguchi:With the offline version being released and receiving over 90 points on the Metacritic score, it felt like quite a feat that we haven’t achieved in a while. In terms of when we first releasedFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we were very confident in the quality of the game.
It’s been about eight months since the release, and we are entering this awards season. We’ve been seeing a lot of nominations and wins even, and it feels like we’ve been sort of appreciated or given this sort of acclaim for what we have done throughout this year. It makes us very proud, and it’s a very happy feeling.
Q: Did you feel nervous about how fans would receive any particular part of the game? Or something fans were excited about that surprised you?
Hamaguchi:I think the most recognizable would beCissnei from theCompilation of Final Fantasy 7appearing in the game. Those who are familiar with the universe might be very excited to see her showing up. When the game was released and I saw the players' reactions, I was really glad to see that people were actually excited to see her.
Kitase:And one more thing about player reaction is the ending and Aerith’s fate. Of course, we’ve been kind of hinting at it, and we’ve been mentioning it throughout our messaging leading up to the release. Our intent behind that sort of depiction of those final scenes was to connect it because we have a third installment waiting for us in our trilogy, so the way we depicted that series of scenes differs from the originalFinal Fantasy 7.
I think, for those who have played the original, we have gotten their interest going, speculating and whatnot. But at the same time, we have seen mixed reactions. Some people reacted differently to how it may be interpreted, so it’s very interesting to see people having their own interpretation withRebirthand having that sort of struggle to try to speculate what’s going on. It’s very interesting to see these different reactions, and realizing that people do have different ways that they look at it and think about what has happened.
Q: What was it like having to balance gamers with expectations from both the originalFinal Fantasy 7and the wayRemakeestablished things might play out differently with people who, for instance, don’t know Aerith’s fate?
Kitase: We have this sort of understanding that some people already know what happens in the original story, so with that understanding, we had to approach the way we depicted this loss of Aerith in a different way inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. With the originalFinal Fantasy 7,Aerith was sort of suddenly taken away from us, and we kind of leaned into that sort of sudden feeling of loss. Whereas in this iteration, we tried to approach it with the mindset of “we can’t really grasp that this is actually happening,” like the reality hasn’t hit yet. I think that’s how Cloud probably felt and probably how the players felt, so that was the kind of thinking that went into that sort of depiction of Aerith’s fate.
Q: Rebirth also massively expanded Zack’s role in the story of the originalFinal Fantasy 7. What was it like incorporating such a beloved character from the widerCompilation of Final Fantasy 7?
Hamaguchi:First and foremost with the wholeRemakeproject, our goal was to incorporate elements of the different titles that are spread out in theCompilation of Final Fantasy 7in general. It’s good.
Of course, with theRemakeproject being a trilogy, we are expecting a time span of perhaps around 10 years. We want to make sure that we are also continuing to engage with our players, making sure that we are incorporating elements that are familiar, and introducing elements that are something that the players would look forward to that’s within theFinal Fantasy 7universe. We mentioned Cissnei earlier,and then Zack was another one. We looked for characters or settings that are familiar to those who know the series and are something that can reach them easily throughout ourRemaketitles.
With that in mind, our overall vision acrossRemake,Rebirth, and of course, the third installment is to continue bringing that sort of excitement and a sense of surprise, and while doing so, incorporating the different elements that are spread out through ourFinal Fantasy 7brand.
Q: What are you both most proud of inRebirth?
Kitase:If I were to list what I’m proudest of, one area would be the Gold Saucer and the theme song that we had Loren [Allred] sing,No Promises to Keep. Aerith and the Gold Saucer location, I believe, is a scene the fans of the original would be really looking forward to seeing in theRemakeproject. The date event and that whole sequence, as well as the stage play, was not as elaborately done in the original, so we tried to make it more of a spectacle, especially with acting out on the stage and that kind of theater experience. Having our setting and our stage, having Aerith there, and then having that theme song play as the characters take the stage really matched her emotions. And I think we were very successful in bringing that to life.
Hamaguchi:For me, I would mention the world map and that sort of overworld that the characters can traverse through. I’m sure players were looking forward to seeing how we would reimagine that overworld of the original into a more modern sort of setup, and we worked really hard in terms of trying to get it to a very high quality and allowing players to explore the field with excitement. I think that could have only been achieved because our development team has been working on not justRebirth, but they have on sinceRemake, so they have the skills and knowledge to develop something like that. With the third installment coming up within our trilogy, I think they can continue to strive and endeavor and take on more challenges, so that’s why I feel that it’s a very exciting area that I wanted to bring up.
What’s Next for the FF7 Remake Project
While the biggest thing on the horizon for the retelling ofFinal Fantasy 7is the third and final installment of the project, there’s also the debut of the PC version ofRebirth, announced at The Game Awards. Hamaguchi and Kitase looked ahead at both and gave insights into what’s coming up as the project progresses.
Q: Looking ahead to the final chapter of the trilogy: do you know how it all ends?
Hamaguchi:For sure, we do have this sort of goal of where it all lands with the conclusion of the trilogy. In that sense, we do know how it will all end, and right now, we are trying to get that delivered to our players and trying to build all the details that go into that package.
Q: Is there a moment from Part 3 that you’re looking forward to bringing to players?
Hamaguchi:WithRemakeand thenRebirth, we’re hoping that the players have seen the evolution ofFinal Fantasy 7, withRemakebeing more story-driven and thenRebirthhaving that sort of open field where you can traverse freely. Then, we are interested inproducing the Highwind, so in the third title, we’re hoping that it will allow for an even more expansive map and players will be able to experience that.
Q: Do you see the PC version of Rebirth as being the definitive way to experience the game?
Hamaguchi:I just want to clarify one thing ahead of time in terms of the content of the game. Of course, rather than reallocating our development resources to extra content, as we did forIntermission, we do want to concentrate on working on the third installment. From that aspect, we do not have any sort of additional episodes on the PC version. Just wanted to get that out of the way.
In terms of the graphic fidelity and the quality that we’re offering, the PC version is definitely improved compared to the PlayStation version. Specifically, the lighting processes have been reassessed overall, so we are confident that the way the characters are set in the different scenes, as well as the modeling of the textures, have been improved since the PlayStation version. We are hopeful that the PC version ofRebirthwill be of a graphical quality you’re able to only experience on a PC.
Q: How does it compare to the PlayStation 5 Pro version of the game?
Hamaguchi:If we’re looking at a high-end PC, I think it’s higher quality in terms of graphical fidelity. Of course, with the higher end, we had these different offerings. We also have graphical settings where people can configure the options, but at the same time, we do want to reach as many PC players as possible. We’re, of course, accommodating and optimizing for people who may not have as high-end of a PC, and we’re also striving to befully functional on the Steam Deckas well.
Q: If this was the last thing you could say to fans before disappearing to work on Part 3, what would you want to say to them?
Hamaguchi:In terms ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, we first released it on the PlayStation 5. When we first released it, many players and fans out there were clamoring for the PC version as soon as possible. We’re very excited that we’re finally able to have players experienceFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, not just on the PlayStation, so I’m very happy and excited to deliver this to our waiting fans.
Kitase:Touching on what Hamaguchi-san said, we do want to have as many people as possible playFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth. We’re hoping that, with this PC version release, we can gain momentum, and we can continue that momentum until the conclusion of the trilogy. We’re hoping to carry those feelings that the players would have throughout, through until the conclusion.
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