FF7 Revelation Director Talks Epic Sephiroth Fight & Trilogy's Future

Ever wondered if any developer could pull off a three-part remake of a classic like Final Fantasy 7 again? Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, isn't so sure. In a recent interview, he opened up about the challenges of the ambitious project and what it took to bring it to life.

Hamaguchi is remarkably candid for a major publisher director. He's happy to chat about everything from Vincent Valentine's unique skydiving animation to the sheer number of minigames in the game. And after 10-12 years with the same team, he's clearly proud of what they've built. "I think that this project has contributed hugely to Square Enix, not only in terms of the business as a successful game, but also in building this team that I can trust," he says.

But could this trilogy serve as a model for future blockbusters? Hamaguchi is skeptical. "Whether this becomes a model case or a template is, I think, a bit of a difficult question, because it becomes a question of whether or not other teams can recreate that," he explains. Keeping the same director at the helm is crucial, he adds. "If then the top person were to change, that can really change the trajectory of a project, the style of a project, even some of the themes."

In Revelation, Sephiroth has summoned Meteor, and the planet is fighting back with Weapons—kaiju-sized creatures causing chaos. The game covers the last third of the original FF7 and launches on April 8. With the world ending, you might think there's no time for side content, but Hamaguchi assures fans that minigames like Queen's Blood and dog football are still there. "We have been really careful about how that's approached," he says. "Cloud and all of the main characters are heading towards this final confrontation... but that means that they're also trying to find and discover their own motivations."

The team's consistency has paid off in the scope of Revelation: a bigger world map, more characters, more minigames, and the FITS job system. Hamaguchi notes that the pacing remains similar to Remake if you stick to the story. "We've essentially kept the approach the same for Revelation in terms of pacing," he says.

As for that "very extravagant" final Sephiroth fight? Hamaguchi didn't spill the beans, but with Meteor looming and Weapons on the loose, you can bet it'll be a spectacle. Will you be picking up Final Fantasy 7 Revelation when it launches? Let us know in the comments!