The developer, a student at the time of the classic, has pointed out the importance of respecting the legacy of the 1997 work.
Resuscitating a classic is not easy, especially one as dear as the seventh installment of Squaresoft's final fantasy. Naoki Hamaguchi was only a student when the original game went on sale, but now, more than twenty years later, he has become the co-director of Final Fantasy VII Remake. In an entry on the official Square Enix website, Hamaguchi has written about what it has meant for him to create this title. “I have considered the following sentence as important: respect the original,” said the creative.
According to the head of the project with Tetsuya Nomura, the challenge is to create something that can be designed “thanks to the technological power and the quality of entertainment provided by the current generation”, all without forgetting “try to capture elements of the original with respect". According to his words, those who played it at the time will feel "new but familiar", while those less versed in the saga "will experience the charm of Final Fantasy VII, which thrills the hearts of many." Of course, with the latest technology.
Develop the remake, thing of destiny
“When the original Final Fantasy VII game went on sale,” he recalls, “he was just one more student who dreamed of being part of the video game industry. Of course, I played the game, but I also read the guide again and again. His universe stole my heart. ” The director remembers wishing to be able to design a video game like this one day.
“22 years later, that student who dreamed of Final Fantasy VII Remake is involved in the development of the remake. I feel it as if it were destiny, ”he admits. In his work, he has been able to make high-level decisions and work with the Unreal Engine 4 engine. “I have met the team members who worked on the original game,” something he feels “gratitude for”.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is in development for PS4. Its first episode will be released on March 3, 2020 and will include the whole part of Midgar, although with novelties both at narrative level and at playable level.
