Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 co-director Naoki Hamaguchi has assured fans that the team working on the highly anticipated final instalment is “striking a balance” between keeping the story moving and tightening the pacing.
Talking to ScreenRant, the director reflected on criticism of the series’s pacing and lengthy instalments. Asked if he agreed with the feedback that “certain sections” in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth felt a little long, he disagreed, saying: “Regarding time management in certain sections, especially in FF7 Rebirth, I honestly don’t believe that they were longer than necessary. I feel like nowadays, players just have too much to do and too much to play; so they often feel the urge that something has to be concluded quickly.”
That said, Hamaguchi is at least mindful of the criticism, adding: “As we work on the conclusion to the trilogy, we are striking a balance on how story arcs are told and spread out so as to ensure that the game feels a bit more concise.”
In the same interview, Hamaguchi — who was inspired to become a developer after playing 1994’s Final Fantasy VI — spoke of other games that have provided inspiration, including The Witcher series and Fable. He’s particularly taken with Ghost of Yotei at the moment, admitting: “I can’t wait to get home to continue playing it.”
RPG fans have been on the hunt for news about the next entry in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy since its last installment, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, launched in early 2024. We know development started as early as June 2022, with Square Enix saying last year that its goal was to see it launch by 2027. Excitement for the third and final chapter in the trilogy grew even more when the team revealed that it had completed its story earlier this year.
Hamaguchi also recently assured fans that despite Square Enix admitting last year that Rebirth “did not meet expectations,” the second part of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy has been “doing very well” on both PC and PS5, and the team has been able to channel that success into a “high-quality third instalment.” Co-director Tetsuya Nomura similarly acknowledged he’d heard the cries for updates on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 and Kingdom Hearts 4 last month, and happily reported that development was “progressing really smoothly.”
While we wait, you can read up why the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 team “will not cheat” when it comes to Final Fantasy 7’s iconic airship.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.