‘I Pushed for It’: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Director on Why the New Progression ‘Cheats’ Are Important

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Square Enix recently announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is coming to Switch 2 and Xbox with new features that will let players easily get through the game, essentially acting as cheats or shortcuts.

These features designed to make the game easier have sparked debate. Some players feel they diminish the overall quality, while others believe they help more people enjoy the game.

So, why were these features added? According to director Naoki Hamaguchi, he was the one who suggested them, wanting players to have the freedom to enjoy the game in their own way.

He explained to Automaton that announcing new features often brings strong reactions, like people calling them unacceptable. He admitted even some of his own team members felt that way initially, but emphasized that progress requires someone to take the lead and make things happen.

Hamaguchi explains that he feels players should be able to choose how they experience games, and that’s why he made it a priority during development.

The director points out that players can finish Remake Intergrade significantly faster by utilizing these new features. A typical playthrough usually takes 40 to 50 hours, but with these features, you could complete it in under 10 hours if desired.

Ultimately, Hamaguchi likely felt comfortable adding these ‘shortcuts’ because the original game is now quite old. These options help new players quickly experience the complete story, and allow returning players to revisit it without a lot of effort.

Adding new progression features to the third game right away could cause problems. We don’t want to upset longtime fans who are most excited to play it and deserve a great experience,” he said.

It’s also good to know these improvements will eventually be available on PlayStation 5. Square Enix has announced they’ll be added in a future update.

What do you think about using cheats in this game? Would you be willing to use them yourself? Let us know in the comments how you’d make Cloud’s journey easier!

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2025-10-06 17:36