Don’t expect more Final Fantasy 7-level remakes for other entries in Square Enix’s legendary role-playing game series anytime soon. At least that’s what Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida seems to think. During the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest in Berlin, Yoshida said he believes that similar scale projects could take even longer than the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy — which is really saying something.
The weekend of Berlin Fan Fest was predominantly devoted to revealing new information on Final Fantasy 14‘s next expansion — Evercold. But Yoshida discussed the series at large during the Naoki’s Room event on July 26. He was joined by special guest Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy. Naturally, the two eventually discussed the appetite for further remakes. “I understand the feelings of the players, but you have to think about it,” said Yoshida through a translator, “Look at Final Fantasy 6. It’s such an incredibly huge game. The scale is just immense.” In his mind, that scale means even more work for the developer who undertakes the project. “If we did remake those other titles,” Yoshida adds, “we’d probably end up having to release them in four or maybe even five installments.”
-
Image: Square Enix -
Image: Square Enix
Such a prospect gives players little hope. If the third entry in the remake trilogy, Revelation, is released in Spring 2027 as planned, that would mean the entire development will have lasted over a decade. Yoshida uses Final Fantasy 6 as an example, probably because of just how grand that game is, with over a dozen party members and a game world that changes drastically. If audiences expect a modern take on the game to look and play like the remake trilogy, the project may not be feasible.
Of course, Square Enix could avoid making the developing cycle of a future remake so massive. The trilogy expands the original with additional story and gameplay elements, with varying success. A more straightforward recreation of older titles, perhaps Final Fantasy 8 and 9, could benefit greatly just from a graphical overhaul and quality-of-life features. Furthermore, pixel-art games like Final Fantasy 6 could forego a realistic remake entirely in favor of using Square Enix’s HD-2D engine, used in the upcoming Final Fantasy Resonance. This would make the scale of the game less daunting, and would likely allow for a remake to be done in a single release. While the remake trilogy has been a fascinating experiment, Yoshida makes great points as to why it may not be something Square Enix can repeat.