Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Devs Talk Praises PC Release and Part 3

It's been a great year for RPG fans, and here are some of the biggest gems of the RPG scene in 2024: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The game received numerous awards and nominations from game award shows across the industry, including a nomination for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024. That's not the only thing that has appeared. Square Enix announced Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's PC release date is January 23rd, and is intended to provide an expanded look at the classic PlayStation series to a wider audience.

As the team shifts gears towards the third and final installment. FF7 Remake Game Rant caught up with producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Naoki Hamaguchi to reminisce at The Game Awards. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis a success. With its favorable reviews and PC release, some changes to the title were also discussed, including Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's ending. They also talked about their proudest accomplishments in the title and their hopes for the future. The following has been edited for clarity and brevity.

This interview contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Reflections on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth It's been receiving critical acclaim since its release, and it's easy to see why. middle aged child FF7 Remake The project is visually breathtaking and brings beloved characters from the wider compilation. final fantasy 7It continues the project's efforts to deepen and enrich the narrative of one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

Q: What's it like to be praised for everything you've done? Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ?

Hamaguchi: When the offline version was released and the Metacritic score reached over 90 points, I felt that I had achieved a great achievement that had not been achieved for a while. Based on when it was first released Final Fantasy 7 RebirthWe were very confident in the quality of the game.

It's been about eight months since its release, and we're entering this awards season. We've been nominated and won a lot of awards, and I think we've gotten some kind of appreciation or praise for the work we've done throughout the year. It makes us very proud and makes us feel very happy.

Q: Did you feel nervous about how fans would receive certain aspects of the game? Or was there something that surprised you that fans were excited about?

Hamaguchi: I think the best known is Cissnei. Edit of Final Fantasy 7 Appears in the game. Those familiar with space will be very excited to see her appear. After the game was released and seeing the reactions from players, it was great to see that people were actually excited about her.

Kitase: And one more thing about player reaction is the ending and Aerith's fate. Of course, we've kind of hinted at that and mentioned it in our messaging leading up to launch. Our intention behind that kind of final scene depiction was to connect it. Because the third installment in our trilogy awaits us. So the way we depict that series of scenes is different from the original. final fantasy 7.

I think people who played the original think we've got their attention, guessing, etc. But at the same time, we had mixed reactions. It's very interesting to see people have their own interpretations because some people react differently to how it is interpreted. rebirth Trying to guess what's going on. It's very interesting to see these different reactions, and to realize that people have different ways of seeing and thinking about what happened.

Q: What was it like having to balance gamers' expectations with the original? final fantasy 7 and the road make again For example, might things that have been established unfold differently for those who don't know Aerith's fate?

Kitase: We had the understanding that some people would already know what happened in the original, so with that understanding we had to take a different approach to depicting Aeris' loss. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In the original final fantasy 7Aeris was suddenly taken away from us and we were left with such a sudden sense of loss. Whereas in this iteration, we tried to approach it with the mindset of, 'I can't really figure out if this is actually happening,' as if reality hasn't reached us yet. Cloud probably felt that way, and probably the players felt that way too. So that idea influenced the depiction of Aerith's fate.

Q: Rebirth also significantly expanded Zack's role in the original story. final fantasy 7 . What was it like incorporating such a beloved character into a wider context? Edit of Final Fantasy 7 ?

Hamaguchi: Above all, overall make again Our goals in the project are Edit of Final Fantasy 7 In general. good night.

of course, make again The project is a trilogy and is expected to take approximately 10 years. We want to continue to communicate with our players, incorporate familiar elements, and introduce elements in the game that players will expect. final fantasy 7 universe. We mentioned Cissnei earlier and Zack was another one. We looked for characters or settings that would be familiar and easily accessible to those who know the series. make again title.

With this in mind, our overall vision is: make again, rebirthAnd of course, the third piece is about continuing to bring that excitement and wonder, while also incorporating the different elements that unfold through us. final fantasy 7 brand.

Q. What are you both most proud of? rebirth ?

Kitase: If I were to pick the part I'm most proud of, it would be the theme song by Gold Saucer and Lauren. [Allred] sing, There are no promises to keep . I think the filming location for Aerith and the Gold Saucer is a scene that fans of the original work are really looking forward to. make again Project. The date event and the entire sequence, as well as the stage play, were not as elaborate as the original, so I tried to make it more spectacular, especially through acting on stage and such theatrical experience. Our setting and stage, having Aeris there, and having the theme song playing when the character goes on stage really matched her emotions. And I think we've been very successful in making that happen.

Hamaguchi: I'd like to mention a world map and some sort of overworld that the characters can traverse. I'm sure players are looking forward to seeing how the original's overworld is reimagined in a more modern setting, and we've worked really hard to make it very high quality and make it easy for players to explore. The field with excitement. our development team rebirthBut I've been keeping it ever since make againSo they have the skills and knowledge to develop something like that. With the third installment of our trilogy coming out, I think they'll be able to keep trying and trying and taking on more challenges. So I think this is a very interesting area that I wanted to introduce.

What's next for the FF7 Remake project?

The biggest problem with retelling the story is final fantasy 7 is the third and final installment of the project, and a PC version has also been released. rebirthAnnounced at The Game Awards. Hamaguchi and Kitase both looked ahead and provided insight into what will happen as the project progresses.

Q: We are approaching the final chapter of the trilogy. Do you know how it all ends?

Hamaguchi: Obviously, we have this kind of goal of where everything will end up with the conclusion of the trilogy. In that sense, we know how it's all going to end, and right now we're just trying to communicate that to the players and build out all the details that will be included in that package.

Q: Is there a moment in Part 3 that you want to convey to players?

Hamaguchi: with make again Then rebirthwe the players final fantasy 7with make again Become more story-driven, rebirth There is an open field where you can roam freely. Then we're interested in the creation of Highwind, so we're hoping that the third title will feature a much more extensive map and allow players to experience it.

Q: Do you think the PC version of Rebirth is the most authentic way to experience the game?

Hamaguchi: Regarding the content of the game, I want to make one thing clear upfront. Of course, rather than reallocating development resources to additional content, stopWe want to focus on working on the third installment. In that respect, there are no additional episodes in the PC version. I just wanted to disrupt that.

The PC version is a clear improvement over the PlayStation version in terms of graphical fidelity and quality we deliver. In particular, I'm confident that the lighting process has been reevaluated across the board, improving the texture modeling as well as the way characters are set up in various scenes since the PlayStation version. I'm also looking forward to the PC version. rebirth Provides graphics quality that can only be experienced on PC.

Q: How does it compare to the PlayStation 5 Pro version of the game?

Hamaguchi: If you look at it as a high-end PC, I think the quality is higher in terms of graphical fidelity. Of course, at higher levels we offered these different products. There are also graphics settings that allow people to configure options, but at the same time we want to reach as many PC players as possible. Of course, we're optimizing and accommodating people who don't have high-end PCs, and we're working to make sure it works perfectly on Steam Deck as well.

Q. Is there any last words you would like to say to your fans before you disappear to work on Part 3?

Hamaguchi: from the side Final Fantasy 7 RebirthWe first launched on PlayStation 5. When it first launched, many players and fans wanted a PC version as soon as possible. We're excited for players to finally be able to experience it. Final Fantasy 7 RebirthWe are very excited and excited to deliver this to not only PlayStation but also the fans who have been waiting for it.

Kitase: To add to Mr. Hamaguchi's words, I hope that as many people as possible will play it. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. We're hoping to build momentum with this PC release and maintain that momentum until the end of the trilogy. We're hoping to convey the emotions the player can feel all the way through to the end of the game.

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