Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3: Story Complete and Development on Track
Exciting news for fans of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series! In a recent interview with Famitsu, director Naoki Hamaguchi and producer Yoshinori Kitase revealed that the story for the highly anticipated third installment is now complete, and development is progressing smoothly without any delays. This update comes just ahead of the PC port launch of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the second game in the trilogy.
Development On Schedule, No Delays For Its Upcoming Release
Image from Famitsu
Hamaguchi shared that the team began working on the third title immediately after concluding the development of 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 confidently.
Kitase, who had previously mentioned that the main scenario for Part 3 was completed before the PlayStation 5 release of FF7 Rebirth in February 2024, confirmed that the storywriting has now been finalized. "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 explained. Kitase expressed his satisfaction with the outcome and believes it will provide a fulfilling conclusion to the trilogy for fans.
Team Admits That They Were Worried About Rebirth’s Release At First
Following the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in early 2024, which garnered widespread acclaim and positive reviews, Kitase and Hamaguchi admitted to having initial concerns about its reception. "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 feedback alleviated these concerns and boosted the team's confidence for the upcoming finale. "In the end, I was happy to receive such positive reviews that it overcame those concerns," Kitase added. Hamaguchi noted, "In that sense, I think we have done our job of creating a good atmosphere for the third installment."
The success of Rebirth can be attributed to its compelling storyline and engaging gameplay, which Hamaguchi attributes to his "logic-based approach." In an interview with Automaton, he explained the team's method for incorporating 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."
PC Gaming Is Now The Norm
The interview also touched upon the growing trend of PC gaming. Kitase highlighted the industry's shift towards making games available on PC from launch, driven by rising development costs and the need to reach a broader audience. "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.
Understanding this shift, the FF7 Rebirth team prioritized the PC port, aiming to release it sooner than the PC version of FF7 Remake. "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 team's experiences from the first two releases, fans can look forward to a grand finale for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. There's even a possibility that the third installment might see a quicker PC release, ensuring that the full Remake Project experience reaches fans worldwide.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is now available on PC via Steam, as well as on its original platform, the PlayStation 5. If you're new to the series, the first installment, Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC via Steam.
