• What we know about the Final Fantasy VII Remake


    Final Fantasy VII Remake's key developers Yoshinori Kitase and Tetsuya Nomura recently had an interview with Famitsu. Thanks to translation by Siliconera, we have their highlights of what had been discussed. So far they have touched on the cross dressing to the different eposodic entries. Check it out!

    • The official title is Final Fantasy VII Remake. Square Enix thought about adding some kind of subtitle that is related to the game’s story, but they decided not to, since they didn’t want to give the wrong idea of it being some kind of “Legends” or a sequel-type game. They thought of different ideas, but in the end, they figured that having “Remake” in the official title would make it easiest to understand.
    • Final Fantasy VII Remake will be done in multiple parts, rather than a single entry. The reason for this is because doing a full remake of Final Fantasy VII using today’s technology would be a lot of work. Kitase felt that having the “voluminous” feeling you get from Final Fantasy VII wouldn’t be able to work with just a single title for an HD remake.
    • Nomura also commented on the subject saying that they would also have to make a lot of cuts if they decided to make it all under one title, and they would have no choice but to make it into a Final Fantasy VII “digest,” and they felt that it would be pointless to do a full remake if they were going to do just that.
    • For example, you’ll get to explore various parts of Midgar that you weren’t able to in the original version; however, in order to do that, it would need to be pretty dense. Of course, that also means that some parts will be cut from the game, but overall they’re adding much more to it.
    • As far as models go, Visual Works director is taking care of it, but they’re also getting a lot of help from external sources. Roberto Ferrari, the Italian designer for Square Enix, is focusing his work on sub-characters like Biggs and the others that we saw in the recent trailer. Additionally, Square Enix will get help for roles such as programmers, planners, and other core members from external companies.
    • Some of the other companies that will be helping include CyberConnect2, who’ve also helped in the development of Final Fantasy VII: G-Bike.
    • Kitase says that CyberConnect2 have experience and great knowhow in action games, and he feels that they have a special sense for cinematics; however, since their production “taste” is different from that of Square Enix’s, along with some complaints from Nomura, they decided to make the latest trailer closer to their own style.



    • The characters we saw in the recent trailer looked very close to actual humans, and Nomura says that it’s their current goal to make it as realistic as possible.
    • Square Enix is not using models from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, as it’s something from over 10 years ago, meaning that its technology is too old, and that it looks a bit too “deformed” when they look at it now. For the remake’s visuals, they’ve done numerous adjustments and balances between realistic and deformed parts of eyes, nose, hair, and other parts. They were finally able to settle on something they all liked.
    • Everything that was shown in the latest trailer is from in-game footage, and not pre-rendered material. After the camera goes close up on Cloud when he’s on the train, it’ll throw you right into the game. Nomura says that as far as quality goes, they’re still brushing up on it, and they’re only going to keep making it look better from here.
    • Famitsu mentions that Cloud looks a bit thin in the video, but Nomura says that it’s likely due to lighting, and also because of his pale skin.
    • Next, they ask if that means we’ll get to see Cloud in his cross-dressing appearance. Nomura responds with a laugh saying yes, the cross-dressing scene is in the game, but they haven’t done the design for it yet.
    • Square Enix was originally going to go with Barret’s Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children design, but they decided on going with a new design from scratch. Nomura says that they’ve wanted to make all the party members revamped from the beginning.
    • When asked whether the battle system will be closer to Kingdom Hearts or Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Nomura says “if anything, it’s action,” and it’s completely different from Crisis Core. It might not be as much of an action title as say Dissidia Final Fantasy on arcade or the Kingdom Hearts series, but it leans more towards there.
    • There is an ATB gauge, but it won’t be like the original version where you get to attack when the gauge fills up, but an action-based system that can only be done through the Final Fantasy VII Remake. Kitase says that they may even change the name to something else other than ATB. Nomura also teases that the part you’ll want to pay attention to is how “the ATB gauge may also turn red.”
    • Parties will consist of three members, and you’ll get to freely switch between the characters, but it won’t be a requirement, as you can stay as the same character for the entire time.
    • As far as the battle tempo goes, Nomura wants to make it close to that of Dissidia Final Fantasy on arcade. He says that what we saw in the trailer is simply the base of Final Fantasy VII Remake’s battle system, and that he’s currently thinking of some kind of original structure for the battle system that adds a strategic element, in the midst of being able to switch through characters, an action that involves more than simply hitting enemies.


    So that's what they've shared so far. Thoughts? Opinions? They haven't made cross dressing Cloud YET but it will be coming. Anyone think he'll look pretty?
    This article was originally published in forum thread: What we know about the Final Fantasy VII Remake started by Freya View original post
    Comments 38 Comments
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      That ATB thing kind of makes me thing of Secret of Mana for some reason.
    1. Sephiroth's Avatar
      Sephiroth -
      So it is episodes. Whatever that means and how it is gonna be done. I am for more than just a compressed version so that is okay for me.
    1. Shaibana's Avatar
      Shaibana -
      ''the cross-dressing scene is in the game,'' aaahahahaha
      im glad they didnt choose to shorten everything up so it would fit on 1 disc!
    1. Fynn's Avatar
      Fynn -
      You know, I think this actually may be a good thing. Not only will the game have everything it had before in it, but there's room for even more stuff. And since I can wait for this, I really hope they'll release a complete edition later so that I can purchase it then and go at my own pace instead of just waiting for new chapters to come out
    1. Zanmato's Avatar
      Zanmato -
      Episodes? That's not my cup of tea...

      I feel that it'll make the game more linear than any other FF and be more like an action game than RPG, but it's just me...
    1. Del Murder's Avatar
      Del Murder -
      Some interesting stuff. Hopefully the episodic format will allow us to play it earlier than we would have otherwise and it sounds like it will result in more content overall. It just may end up that this is a $100 game...

      All the design choices make sense and I like how it looks so far. Not sure what they mean by making battles at the same tempo as Dissidia. Those battles could take a long time and they are one-on-one...
    1. Sephiroth's Avatar
      Sephiroth -
      Oh man, the final battle Cloud VS Sephiroth could be very much like Dissidia.
    1. Wolf Kanno's Avatar
      Wolf Kanno -
      ^ He mentions that its the Arcade version of Dissidia that is in Japan right now, not the PSP one. Yeah, the battle system looks like Crisis Core with elements of Seiken Densetsu 3 in there with the charge meter. Fox I believe theorized that moves may have a cool down aspect. It will be interesting to see but I'm more concerned with how magic works because I traditionally hate how it works in Action-RPGs as it limits them when they are not AoE and wonder how the Materia system will be altered to work within the confines of the new battle system.
    1. Mirage's Avatar
      Mirage -
      I'm just glad the crossdressing scene is in the game.
    1. Freya's Avatar
      Freya -
      I made sure to mention that part an extra time just for you, Mirage.
    1. Mirage's Avatar
      Mirage -
    1. Ayen's Avatar
      Ayen -
      There's the Square Penis I remember.

      -takes out detonator and set off a chain of explosions of their headquarters-

    1. Bubba's Avatar
      Bubba -
      The way they've designed him... Cloud will make a beautiful lady. He wouldn't even need make-up for me to choose him at Don Corneo's mansion.

      Oh, and there is no news of Mukki yet. This displeases me.

      Everything else is awesome though. I don't care whether it's on one disc or five, full-game or episodic. We all know we'll be buying it on day one whatever format it is in.
    1. Skyblade's Avatar
      Skyblade -
      Quote Originally Posted by Bubba View Post
      The way they've designed him... Cloud will make a beautiful lady. He wouldn't even need make-up for me to choose him at Don Corneo's mansion.

      Oh, and there is no news of Mukki yet. This displeases me.

      Everything else is awesome though. I don't care whether it's on one disc or five, full-game or episodic. We all know we'll be buying it on day one whatever format it is in.
      If every episode is "it's own story, with all the content of a full game", then we can expect every episode to retail for at least $50.

      In which case, I probably won't buy it.
    1. Mirage's Avatar
      Mirage -
      One thing we know about the game that hasn't been mentioned yet, i think.

      It's running on Unreal Engine 4, instead of that engine they just made for FF15. This is why their development cycles take forever. They make huge complex engines and use them for one single game then move on to spend forever on making yet another engine that will be used for just one game.
    1. Elpizo's Avatar
      Elpizo -
      As far as the battle system goes, being able to switch on the fly to other party members is good, but I hope we'll be able to set AI for the ones we are not controlling. And I don't mean XIII's poor paradigms, but a return of XII's gambits, if nothing else. Preferably with even more gambit options for an even higher degree of customizing the AI.

      Not sure how the fight against Safer Sephirot would work in an action-based battle system, though.
    1. Fox's Avatar
      Fox -
      Quote Originally Posted by Elpizo View Post

      Not sure how the fight against Safer Sephirot would work in an action-based battle system, though.
      I wonder if we'll be able to fly around, Dissidia style?

      That is technically canon within FFVII itself, all the characters zipped around Sephiroth before the 'Birth of a God' fight started.
    1. Skyblade's Avatar
      Skyblade -
      Quote Originally Posted by Elpizo View Post
      As far as the battle system goes, being able to switch on the fly to other party members is good, but I hope we'll be able to set AI for the ones we are not controlling. And I don't mean XIII's poor paradigms, but a return of XII's gambits, if nothing else. Preferably with even more gambit options for an even higher degree of customizing the AI.

      Not sure how the fight against Safer Sephirot would work in an action-based battle system, though.
      Funny. I remember this awesome game where I had full control over all my party members, and could direct them to attack whichever targets I wanted or heal me when I needed freely.

      What was it called again..?

      Oh, that's right!

      Final Fantasy VII
    1. Sephiroth's Avatar
      Sephiroth -
      Quote Originally Posted by Elpizo View Post
      As far as the battle system goes, being able to switch on the fly to other party members is good, but I hope we'll be able to set AI for the ones we are not controlling. And I don't mean XIII's poor paradigms, but a return of XII's gambits, if nothing else. Preferably with even more gambit options for an even higher degree of customizing the AI.

      Not sure how the fight against Safer Sephirot would work in an action-based battle system, though.
      The purple heaven manifest of the lifestream could consist of multiple layers that people can fight on, similiar to how the FFVI heroes levitated one layer up and up and up to fight Kefka. Sephiroth could fly around with the heroes for example being able to jump around on rocks. Same goes for Rebirth Sephiroth with the exception of him being stationary. Well, Sepher Sephiroth could also be mostly stationary.

      The WEAPON battles could be some of the greatest battles in the game. Fighting gigantic bionic creatures, greater than shown in the original (probably still not as great as shown in the story) and jumping up to them. destroying several parts of their bodies and stuff.
    1. Fox's Avatar
      Fox -
      The Weapon fights could be half-battle, half Shadow-of-the-Colossus style climbing puzzles.

      Hold me I would die of joy xD
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