Excitement is building for fans of the Final Fantasy 7 series as the long-awaited Part 3 of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has reached a significant milestone. In an exclusive interview with Famitsu ahead of the PC port launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, series producer Yoshinori Kitase and game director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed that the story for the third installment is now complete, with development progressing smoothly and on schedule.
Development On Schedule, No Delays For Its Upcoming Release
Image from Famitsu
Hamaguchi shared that the development of the third game has been going exceptionally well, with the team starting work immediately after wrapping up FF7 Rebirth. "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," he stated optimistically.
Kitase, who had previously mentioned the completion of the main scenario before the PlayStation 5 release of FF7 Rebirth in February 2024, provided an update. He confirmed that the storywriting, entrusted to Tetsuya Nomura, the creative director of FF7 Rebirth, was finalized by the end of the year. "I gave it [the storywriting] to 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," Kitase explained. He expressed confidence that this conclusion would satisfy fans of the trilogy.
Team Admits That They Were Worried About Rebirth’s Release At First
The second installment, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, released in early 2024, received widespread acclaim and positive feedback from critics and fans alike. Despite its success, Kitase and Hamaguchi admitted initial concerns about how players would react to this continuation of the remake series. "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 confessed. However, the overwhelmingly positive reviews alleviated these concerns and boosted the team's confidence for the trilogy's finale. "In that sense, I think we have done our job of creating a good atmosphere for the third installment," Hamaguchi added.
The game's success can be attributed to its compelling storyline and engaging gameplay, a testament to Hamaguchi's "logic-based approach" to development. In a separate interview with Automaton, he detailed how the team incorporates 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," he explained.
PC Gaming Is Now The Norm
The interview also touched on the growing trend of PC gaming. Kitase noted that with the rise in development costs, it's essential to reach a broader audience, which increasingly includes PC gamers. "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," he stated, acknowledging the global reach of PC gaming.
The team's focus on releasing the PC port of FF7 Rebirth quickly reflects this shift in gaming trends. "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 explained.
With the completion of the story for Part 3 and the insights gained from the first two releases, the finale of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy promises to be a thrilling conclusion. Fans can look forward to possibly experiencing it on PC sooner than expected, ensuring a comprehensive and satisfying end to the Remake Project.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on PC via Steam, as well as on its original console, the PlayStation 5. For those yet to embark on this epic journey, the first installment, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
