[THGS2023] Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi Described Remake’s Development like Disney Movies

During our time at Thailand Game Show 2023, we had the golden opportunity to speak with Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in an interview about the game.

Interview is edited for clarity.

Naoki Hamaguchi has been with the series since Final Fantasy XII and is the director of both Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the previous entry, Final Fantasy VII Remake.

The Synergy System introduces more depth not only to the gameplay but also highlights Cloud’s dynamics with the party. What was the design process like to experiment with different attack combos and crafting character interactions?

Naoki Hamaguchi: For the design process, we didn’t compare with the previous version and which one to be added. It is just thinking more about design and setting the scenario. Yes, for this version, we’re focusing on the relationship between the characters.

After we launched Remake, we started the development of Rebrith, so we decided to do something to add the Synergy System. To add to that, the development of INTERmission and Rebirth was actually happening at the same time at some point, and that was how the system, was sort of, inspired by developing it from INTERmission.

Is there any special scene or interaction between Cloud and other party members that players have to explore or find out themselves? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: Compared with the previous game, not only that we have a main story, but we are also providing side quests and content that each player can experience differently. We have mandatory parts, but also optional ones. 

What inspired you the most when revisiting the original Final Fantasy VII for this project? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: When we decided to make the Remake, the concerning point was that overhauling the game was really difficult since Final Fantasy VII is such as beloved game. So, while working on Remake, we need to determine which part needs to be reused or which segment needs to be changed.

This point of development was really difficult because we were not sure how to make the players understand what was changing and what remained the same.

It is not so much an inspiration but when I watch one of the Disney movies adapted from animation to live action. What I got from that was Disney did not change the story, but more so how they focused on what they already had and what they could do at that time.

Were there any specific aspects of the original Final Fantasy VII that you were particularly excited to reimagine? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: We have considered every detail of the original game, so it is quite difficult to say which part we like more in terms of reimagining it. But if we are talking about something that reminded us from a memory, then it has to be Rufus’ ceremony. For that part, we made it by still respecting how the original game presented it, but we also changed the way the performance was shown. It will feel more entertaining and grand now.

In Rebirth, Cloud needs to perform well at the parade, but when he arrives at Junon, he can make his own party of SOLDIERS and have them join the parade. So he has his own parade group and each player will have a different combination of SOLDIERS, thus in turn a different performance. That really adds to what we can actually achieve today compared to how it was back in the day.

We noticed one detail in Rebirth and that is how Red XIII could ride a Chocobo. Could you provide us with more insight into this? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: Yes, we have two points on this. The first is, yes, we decided that Chocobo is used for riding. The designers then made an animation of Red XIII riding a Chocobo and it just looked adorable, so they immediately thought that players would love it.

The second point is that Chocobo has many special techniques, such as jumping and flying. Those actions are not possible for Red XIII, so that is why we decided that Red XIII should be able to ride a Chocobo.

What went into the thought process when creating the banter and voice lines of the playable Sephiroth in the hands-on demo? It turned out a lot more playful than expected, which is kind of different from what you would expect from Sephiroth.

Naoki Hamaguchi: The playable Sephiroth and Cloud was actually staged in Nibelheim 6 years before the main story. It was when Sephiroth was still human.

The reason why Cloud is a little more playful than what we expect him to be is that he is actually reliving a memory inside of him. That is what we aimed to do in this playable demo, which is to show these parts for Sephiroth and Cloud.

This is also why we decided to make the Remake, one of the two reasons. We didn’t plan to change any of the stories but just tried to use new techniques to retell them. For example, something you might not notice in Final Fantasy VII, you can now notice in the interactions between Cloud and Sephiroth.

Another thing is that we are trying to add new elements and to see how players would react. We added Whispers, which will of course appear again in this game. The same thing goes with Zack, and this would bring new excitement to find out what will happen next in the story.

Speaking of the Cloud and Sephiroth mission. There are many fans who love their relationship, especially the moment when Sephiroth called Cloud a puppy. What’s the team’s reaction to the positive reception from fans regarding the interactions between the two characters? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: That was exactly what the development team was aiming for. When the team decided on Cloud as a character, we really remade him carefully, such as trying to pick the right voice and face many times until we found the right fit.

In the previous game, the Hard Mode was really challenging and it required players to complete the game at least twice to get a Platinum. Would it be the same this time? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: The good news is that this time around, achieving the Platinum trophy is a LOT more difficult than in Remake!

This is because, this time, we have a World Map where you will need to explore and collect items. Of course, we also provide the option for players to play the game more freely and they can sort of decide how to proceed with quests, whether to return, finish, or reset it.

Does Square Enix have any plans to feature marketing in Southeast Asia or have Thailand localization such as subtitles? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: As of now, we don’t have a plan besides what we already announced, but in the future, we might consider it.

Looking back at Remake, there was a lot of feedback from fans. Given the feedback, were there any particular ones that really stuck with you? Was there any feedback that helped with the development of Rebirth? 

Naoki Hamaguchi: Final Fantasy VII Remake is a three-part project. If the first and second works are based on the same game design, the players will know the location of the third game. As such, there is a potential that players may lose interest. This is why I felt that we had to set an expectation of the game based on the feedback.

So for this game, we made it so that players can’t return to the path that they already passed. In Rebirth, everything is more based on the player’s intention. If you would like to go on a Side Quest while tackling the Main Story at the same time, they can do so.

Even if you don’t complete Side Quests, it will still feel like you are the one deciding where to go throughout the Main Story as compared to Remake, where it was the same linear story path that you need to follow. You will have a lot more freedom in Rebirth when it comes to progression.

There is also one thing that stuck in our memory while developing Remake, which is the minigames in Wall Market. I made the decision to make the minigame difficult to clear and the reason was to remind players of the sensation of passing tough challenges. This was when I browsed through social media and there was a comment from an angry player asking who designed this particular minigame, and in a way, it made me really happy.

Our interview concludes here. We would like to thank Director Naoki Hamaguchi for taking the time to answer our questions regarding Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and previous titles.

Previously at Tokyo Game Show 2023, we also had the opportunity to speak with Naoki Hamaguchi alongside other prominent Square Enix developers in an interview. In this interview, he shared more details on the Synergy System and more, which you read here.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is slated to release on 29 February 2024 exclusively for the PlayStation 5.

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