From what we’ve seen thus far, the Final Fantasy VII remake is a true remake in the sense that while the core of it remains similar, it truly is a brand new experience. It’s because of that delicate balance that Square Enix is saying that oftentimes remakes are infinitely more challenging than coming up with an original IP.
Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda recently sat down with the folks over at GamesBeat to talk about some of the biggest challenges that face studios that take on a huge remake project such as Final Fantasy VII.
“I’d say that what we’ve learned is that making remakes can be very challenging,” said the CEO. “It’s as difficult or even more so than making an original title, a new title, in a different sense. What I mean is that when you’re making a remake, you can’t just chase nostalgia. That’s not going to work out. You have to make it the latest game, a game that’s current.
“In making the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, we have to think about the fans of the original, who know Final Fantasy 7, but at the same time we want to expand beyond that to people who may not have had any experience with Final Fantasy 7, or even Final Fantasy altogether. I don’t believe we can just be thinking about the fans of the past game when making this. Of course we value how much support they’ve given us, but at the same time we’d like to see new customers play this as well. We need to make a game that will satisfy both of those customer bases. That’s why I say it’s so challenging.”
Seeing all of the differences come together, it’s easy to imagine the challenges faced. On one hand, remaining faithful to the source material is key, while on the other a remake is much more than a simple remaster and requires a unique creative touch that both feels new and familiar at the same time. It looks like it’s shaping up quite well for the Final Fantasy title (Sephiroth drooling commence), and we can’t wait to get our hands on it to see all of those changes for ourselves.
As for the game itself, Final Fantasy VII Remake makes its official debut on March 3, 2020, exclusively to the PlayStation 4.
