Final Fantasy 7 Revelation may be the largest game in Square Enix's remake trilogy, but director Naoki Hamaguchi says the original Final Fantasy 7 Remake was the most difficult installment to develop.
During a recent interview, Hamaguchi explained that the first game required the team to establish almost every major development system from the beginning, including its visual direction, combat mechanics and production structure.
The project initially involved around 30 developers and underwent a restart before the team established a stable development process.
By comparison, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Revelation benefited from the technology, experience and design foundations created during the first game's production.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Required Building the Development Foundation
According to Hamaguchi, creating Final Fantasy 7 Remake presented challenges that were less significant during development of its sequels.
The team had to determine how to translate the original game's mechanics and presentation into a modern gaming experience.
This involved establishing combat systems, character designs, environmental details and the technical framework needed to support the trilogy.
The development team also had to expand considerably from its initial group of approximately 30 people.
Although Rebirth and Revelation feature larger environments and more gameplay content, developers could build upon established technology instead of starting again.
Hamaguchi believes the experience gained during Remake helped make development of the subsequent games more manageable.
Square Enix Faced Commercial Risks With Its Remake Trilogy
The director also discussed the financial uncertainty involved in dividing Final Fantasy 7 into three separate releases.
He acknowledged that poor sales or disappointing reviews for the first installment could have threatened the entire project.
Maintaining a consistent development team across multiple major releases also created organizational challenges.
Another priority was ensuring that new story elements remained consistent with the original game's central themes.
Hamaguchi explained that the developers resisted making significant narrative changes simply because of audience reactions.
He wanted the trilogy to respect the original Final Fantasy 7 rather than become a personal reinterpretation.
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Expands Exploration and Summon Battles
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is scheduled for April 7, with versions planned for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The upcoming installment will expand world exploration while introducing changes to how players encounter summons.
Unlike earlier games, where many summon challenges appeared through Chadley's virtual reality simulations, Revelation will incorporate related activities directly into its environments.
This approach is intended to make exploration more connected to gameplay progression.
Although Revelation represents a larger production, Hamaguchi's comments suggest that establishing the trilogy's foundation during Remake remained the team's greatest development challenge.
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