TheFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy has spent a long time in development, but the idea that may have justified its existence is actually far older than anyone could have expected.FF7 Remakewas first announced in 2015 but wouldn’t see release until five years later in 2020, followed byFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthin 2024. With the third and final part of the trilogy still yet to see any concrete information, it’s not impossible that it could be used to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the original game’s release.
Final Fantasy 7was released in 1997 and was a cornerstone of theoriginal PlayStation’s library, becoming a must-have game for owners of the console and launching protagonist Cloud Strife into becoming a mascot for the PlayStation brand. It was also a pivotal moment for theFinal Fantasyfranchise as a whole, shaping the direction of all future games for decades after its release. As it turns out, some of the very ideas that led to the creation ofFF7twenty-eight years agocould have also been used to justify the creation of theFF7 Remaketrilogy.
FF7 Was All About Taking Advantage Of New Hardware
Developers Wanted To Push Their Boundaries On PS1
In a series of interviews from 1997 (translations provided byShmuplations), several of the key developers forFF7shared their insights on the game’s inspirations and design goals. In particular,the team was motivated to expand the scope of the project in comparison to previous games in order to take advantage of the leap to new hardware, as the PS1 offered far more power than the Super NES had for previousFinal Fantasygames. The game’s producer Hironobu Sakaguchi explained how their work on the game began with experimentation in making movies.
After FF6 was completed the staff had some free time. We then started thinking about what new hardware there was and what we wanted to do with our next creations, and we created a movie as an experiment. At that time we were working with the SG1 workstations, which had rendering software designed for next generation hardware. For that reason we thought it would be good if we could continue using this setup for our next game. With the SG1 software, we could develop graphics for any hardware.
This seems to have informed the direction of the entireFF7project as the team goes on to describe their cinematic aspirations for the game, combining exploration, combat, and cutscenes into one seamless experience. Without the graphical and memory limitations of the SNES restricting them,the team was free to push the boundaries with larger environments and more detailed character models, a far cry from the sprites and pixels ofFinal Fantasy 6. They also aspired to include a movie-style soundtrack without any repeated tracks throughout the game.
After Playing FF6, Here Are The Character Moments I’d Like To See Fleshed Out In A Final Fantasy 6 Remake
After playing through Final Fantasy 6, I found myself thinking about how a potential FF7 Rebirth-style remake could flesh out some of its characters.
The developers make frequent reference to feeling that they had “no limits” in regards to the hardware when designingFF7and were able to make a game that lived up to what they envisioned. Character models were closer to the designs crafted by the artists, and the city of Midgar was larger and more realistic than anything seen before. In the same spirit,it seems only fitting that the world ofFF7would be revisited now with the power of available hardwarepushed even further than ever.
FF7 Remake & Rebirth Double Down On Its Goals
Modern Hardware Allows For A Truly Cinematic Experience
With the power of the PS4 (and later the PS5 and PC)FF7 RemakeandRebirthwere able to create the most fully-realized rendition of the game’s world yet.The characters ofFF7look and feel like real human beingsin a way the original developers never thought possible when the original game was envisioned, creating a game that’s almost indistinguishable from the art that inspired it.FF7 Remakebrings to fruition the goals and ambitions that drove the originalFF7almost thirty years ago and in doing justifies its own existence.
PlayingFF7 Remakefeels like a truly seamless experience; exploration segues directly into combat when an enemy is encountered with no hard breaks or transition screens, and cutscenes begin and end in a way that flows right back into the gameplay.It feels exactly like what the designers described as their goal with the originalFF7, but while that concept may not have been possible to execute on fully in 1997, in 2025 it works to perfection. With several of the key development personnel from the original returning forFF7 Remake, those original plans seem to have been remembered.
10 Iconic Bosses Final Fantasy 7 Part 3 Should Include
Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth included a number of the original game’s boss fights, but there are still some iconic fights needed for Part 3.
FF7 RemakeandFF7 Rebirthalso deliver on the other promises of the original game. While the developers admitted in the interview that their intentions to have no repetition of music inFF7didn’t quite come true,FF7 Remakewas able to deliver on this with an adaptive soundtrackthat changes depending on the player’s situation and the scene’s mood. It’s an addition to the remakes that perfectly captures the cinematic ideals the original game was trying to pursue, and it cementsFF7 Remakeas a worthy successor to the game it’s remaking.
How FF7 Remake Part 3 Could Continue The Original Vision
Reimagining A Classic Thirty Years Later
As hardware continues to become even more powerful,FF7 Remake Part 3can fulfilleven more of the original game’s ambitions. Whether that be further blurring the line between story and cutscene or iterating on the previous games' adaptive soundtrack,FF7 Remake Part 3should have plenty of opportunities to provide an even more cinematic experiencethan what we’ve seen already. That’s an extra tantalizing notion considering how many fantastic beats of the story remain to be told, and seeing how they play out should be a treat.
When FF7 Remake Part 3 Could Release, Based On How Much Time Was Between FF7R & Rebirth
A release date prediction for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 means analyzing past development timelines and key factors influencing the game’s launch.
While the time we spent exploring Midgar inFF7 Remakeand the wider world inFF7 Rebirthwas full of gorgeous areas, there are still many iconiclocales still to be visited inPart 3. Seeing one of the most iconic settings in gaming recreated in full HD and 4K is a dream come true, but it’s even more meaningful when you realize thatthis is what the designers were envisioning all those years ago. It’s a true full circle moment for one of the most ambitious and influential games of its era.
It’s no overstatement to say thatFinal Fantasy 7is one of the most beloved games of all time, and while its massive popularity was almost certainly a deciding factor in the decision to develop a remake, there’s another reason for it as well.FF7was a game that dared to dream big, and those dreams deserve to be fully realized inFinal Fantasy 7 Remakenot just for the sake of fans, but for the sake of the developers who put everything they had into making such a beloved classic in the first place.
