Final Fantasy VII Remake Co-Director Reveals Tiny Jesse Detail They Wanted to Add

Final Fantasy VII Remake was a title that many people had to actually hold in their hands in order to believe that it was a real game. The game has proven to be a worthy remake since its release, with fans discovering that their return to Midgar is filled with old memories as well as new ones. While the updated adventure is a bit different from the original, co-director Naoki Hamaguchi has noted that he was not able to squeeze everything he wanted into the game.

During a recent discussion with Push Square, Hamaguchi stated how he felt he “managed to get everything I wanted into the remake and balance it correctly, so I am confident that is a worthy offering to bring to all the fans who live Final Fantasy VII.” He then went on to mention that there is one thing that didn’t make it into the remake and while “it is not so much a regret,” it’s “more of an interesting aside.”

As it turns out, this “interesting aside” comes down to a specific mini-game that didn’t quite make it into Final Fantasy VII Remake. “You can actually still just about see the impression of where this was supposed to fit in,” Hamaguchi said. “Fans might remember the basketball shooting mini-game in the Gold Saucer, but in actual fact we also put a basketball hoop in the park that you find on the way to Jesse’s family home in the slums and I wanted to make it playable there too.”

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However, as one might guess, basketball can be a loud game and it would not exactly fit with the part of Final Fantasy VII Remake in which it was meant to be placed. Hamaguchi noted that the “noise from rebounding basketballs really did not work with the atmosphere at that point in the story.” Since the team were trying to be sneaky in the middle of the night, the devs found it best to remove the mini-game from this section. The left a basketball behind, however, which can be rolled around. 

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Final Fantasy VII Remake is currently available exclusively on PlayStation 4. What are your thoughts on the balance between old and new in the game? Did you notice the abandoned basketball on your way to Jesse’s family home? Hit us with those thoughts over on Twitter @PrimaGames. Be sure to also check out our Game Hub for a bounty of tips and tricks you may find particularly helpful!