Thanks to the latest issue of
Famitsu Weekly, we now have more detailed information about Square-Enix's upcoming Final Fantasy VII remake on the PS4 (or the PS5 depending on how long it takes). The most crucial piece of information was the clarification on that sentence from the press release that got every fan with an Internet connection howling with rage -- the statement that suggested this game would be released in chapters, not all at once.
Well, it's true. Director Tetsuya Nomura told Famitsu in an interview that "it's going to be multi-part because when we considered fully remaking
Final Fantasy 7 in PS4 quality, and as we look over much of it, we estimated the volume to be beyond what could be fit in one entry." Nomura has made similar comments before; in the past he's rejected the idea of remaking FF7 because he's said recreating every little thing in that game with full 3D would take too long and cost too much. This is his new solution, and probably the only reason it's even happening.
But what does that mean for the open-world feel of much of the game -- will that be lost? Not on his watch, Nomura says. The team promised Famitsu that players might not be able to go everywhere at once, but they'd be able to access a lot more within the places they CAN go, and that the 3D Midgar will be a lot more expansive than in the original. "As a gaming experience, each entry will have the colume of content equal to a full-sized game," said a Square rep.
Square is also taking efforts to make sure this game doesn't take decades to finish. In the past they've painstakingly created their own game engines, but this time they're working with Unreal Engine 4. They're also outsourcing much of the programming work to CyberConnect2, a company that previously created things like a spinoff minigame where you controlled Cloud's motorbike. And then there's the whole "release it in parts" thing. It all means you might not have to wait for FF7 like you waited for FF15.
