‘Final Fantasy VII’ Director Responds To Concerns Over Remake Trilogy’s Plot Changes: “I Don’t Think It’s Going To Be A Storyline That Will Betray The Fans Of The Original”
In response to the concern held by many fans that, when all is said and done, the trilogy’s story will be drastically different from that of the original game’s, original Final Fantasy VII director and recent Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase has attempted to assure them that despite any changes the plot may see, it will not “betray the fans of the original”.
Kitase, who has previously worked as a designer or producer on a such classic Square titles as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy X, and Kingdom Hearts shared his thoughts on the remake trilogy’s story during a recent interview given alongside Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi and battle director Teruki Endo to Anime News Network Executive Editor Lynzee Loveridge.
Amidst a larger discussion regarding Rebirth‘s direction and its upcoming sequel, Lynzee eventually pressed her guests as to what they considered to be “the wildest fan theory you’ve seen about the trilogy so far?”
Following an outburst of laughter from the group of Square Enix devs, Hamaguchi first replied, “After the [Otakon 2024] panel yesterday, we were chatting with the voice actors over dinner, and this exact topic came up, funnily enough.”
“We were talking about Chadley, which is that character who supports Cloud in Rebirth,” he recalled. “And we were talking about how, like, some people think that he’s actually evil and will turn out to be the last boss in the final title. We were cracking up about that.”
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Finding himself at a loss compared to his colleague, Kitase then asserted, “I don’t know if this is something unexpected or anything, and I guess there’s not really a specific thing or theory that I can comment on right now. But we do hear a lot of players’ different conjectures, saying, “Oh, how much will this story change from the original?” And I do want to comment that I don’t think that’s how it will be.”
“We’ve always kept the original in mind, and I don’t think it’s going to be a storyline that will betray the fans of the original,” the producer explained. “But also, at the same time, [it’s] been 27 years since the release of the original Final Fantasy VII. There are these things that we feel we can only do now in the remake project that can bring a new happiness, a new sort of feeling of satisfaction to the players playing this game now 27 years later. What this will entail exactly is something we hope players will experience soon.”
This is not the first time Kitase has made such a confident assurance regarding players’ inevitable reception to the remake trilogy’s final entry.
Speaking to the third game’s currently ongoing development during an August interview with Video Game Chronicle, he declared, “We really have listened very carefully and taken on board all of the feedback on the first two games in the series, and all of those learnings are going to be reflected in the third game, so it’ll be exactly what the fans are looking for.”
“We hope you can look forward to that new synergy we’re coming up with right now,” he added, “that merging of nostalgia and new innovation which will create something incredibly special.”
At current, the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy has yet to receive either a title or – like the all-but-confirmed PC version of Rebirth – an official release date.
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