In a recent event at the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth exhibition in Riyadh, director Naoki Hamaguchi expressed confidence in the third installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.
He boldly proclaimed it would be one of the most loved and popular games in video game history.
Where it all started
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake series was first released in 2020. Since then, it has continued to build anticipation with its sequel. The third installment is now under active development by Square Enix. It is expected to take the series to new heights in narrative and gameplay.
“The development team is hard at work as we speak, and we’re going to make the game something that even beats any expectations that you have towards the game,” said Hamaguchi through an interpreter during his presentation via Videogameschronicle.com. As you can see, Hamaguchi isn’t afraid of building the hype. But can they deliver?
Hamaguchi, alongside the game’s producer, Yoshinori Kitase, outlined how this third part will build on the foundation laid by its predecessors, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
What Fans Can Expect
“We’ve done all of the groundwork now, all of the story which has been built up through Remake and Rebirth,” Hamaguchi stated. “And now we’re in a great position so all the fans are wondering and expecting how the story’s going to end, where it’s going to go from here.”
Kitase added that the development team has paid close attention to feedback from players. They hope that the third game will meet fan expectations: “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.”
Is it all just nostalgia?
Can the synergy between nostalgia and innovation strike gold? Kitase thinks so. In his view, it’s what will make the third installment incredibly special. “We hope you can look forward to that new synergy we’re coming up with right now, that merging of nostalgia and new innovation which will create something incredibly special.”
While fans are eager for more details, both Hamaguchi and Kitase were tight-lipped about specific release dates. They noted that the third game remains a few years away. However, Hamaguchi assured fans that the wait would be worth it, stating, “We really are looking forward to a date in the future when we can reveal more about what the third game will be, but I really can promise right now that it will be a game that perfectly reflects all of that passion that the fans have for Final Fantasy 7, so look forward to great things.”