I'm not a huge fan of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy – much to the dismay of my colleagues. The shift to a more action-driven RPG with an open world cluttered with towers and collectibles felt a little off. safe for the series, and splitting it into three parts only messed up the pace. I'm not too confused, though: the original still exists. But I'm always a little worried that Square will use FF9's painterly art style or the moody FMV charm of FF8's old cutscenes as a template for future remakes.
Thankfully, Square Enix isn't taking a one-size-fits-all approach to future projects. As reported by Insider Gaming, at a recent shareholders meeting, the team said that each remake will take a unique approach based on “market trends” and player expectations.
“As part of our go-to-market approach, we engage in trial and error to establish what is best for contemporary customers based on current market needs and trends,” explained Square Enix. “In doing so, it is extremely important to us that we maintain the right balance between our vision and the expectations of players who love the original works. While specific titles may call for specific mechanics, we will continue our development efforts by evaluating what truly resonates in the current market environment for both original titles and new remakes.”
Come on Square, where is that HD-2D Final Fantasy 9?
Given the sheer expense of turning Final Fantasy 7 into a blockbuster trilogy, and the fact that Rebirth's profits failed to meet expectations, it's easy to imagine the scope being scaled back for future projects. Of course, there's a whole cocktail of reasons why Rebirth didn't perform as well as Square Enix had hoped, namely launching as a timed PS5 exclusive—a mistake Revelation won't repeat.
I'd argue as an FF7 critic that a more modest scope for future remakes would only be a good thing, but there's also a glimmer of hope in the corporate promise to balance the “expectations of players who love the originals.” This isn't just an empty platitude: Square Enix announced a new HD-2D Final Fantasy game at the most recent Nintendo Direct in June, returning to a turn-based combat system similar to the classics. The studio is clearly willing to experiment with its games, so we'll see an HD-2D remake of Final Fantasy 9 that modernizes its storybook-like art style, or a Clair Obscur-esque combat system with Squall's iconic gunblade in a fantasy FF8 remake.
The possibilities are endless. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Reports suggest that the rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake – which first appeared in the infamous Nvidia GeForce leak – is “on ice”, and it's unknown if Square Enix will return to it. So, what can be rebuilt after FF7, if anything, is up in the air. At any rate, it's good to know that Square Enix is open to taking different approaches with future games instead of forever riding Cloud Strife's coattails.
- issued
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2027
- Number of players
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single player
