Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy Team Takes Fan Feedback Seriously, Doesn’t Let it Affect Core Vision

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Square Enix is busy creating the eagerly awaited third game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series, and the company emphasizes that what players think is crucial to their development process. In a conversation with ntower, Naoki Hamaguchi, co-director of both Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, explained that fan feedback is valuable, and dividing Final Fantasy 7 into three games has actually helped the studio gather and use that feedback effectively.

“Yes, I believe that’s a key point,” Hamaguchi responded when asked about the role of fan feedback during development. “We definitely pay attention to a lot of what players tell us, as it’s very important to us. Our producer, Yoshinori Kitase, has pointed out that a strength of this series is our ability to analyze how the first game performs. Because it’s a trilogy of three games, we can release one, gather responses, and then use that information to improve the subsequent games. That’s absolutely a part of our process and is very valuable. It’s a fantastic opportunity to be able to do that.”

Hamaguchi also pointed out that player feedback shouldn’t completely change a game’s fundamental ideas. Regarding the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, he emphasized the need for a strong central theme, a solid base concept, and a defining creative vision to build the game upon. He suggested that fan input is more helpful when it comes to things like mini-games and adjusting their difficulty.

You know, as a fan, I really appreciated hearing this. He was saying that while player feedback is important, he wants to be careful about letting it drastically change what makes the game special. He emphasized that the main idea, the heart of the game, really needs to come from the creative team – in this case, people like Mr. Nomura, Mr. Nozuma, Mr. Kitase, and himself. They need to have a really solid vision for the game and the experience they want us to have. It’s good to know they’re focused on staying true to their original creative vision and aren’t just going to change things based on every comment they get. It’s reassuring that they’re prioritizing a consistent experience, even while listening to players.

The core creative direction isn’t influenced by what fans think at all – that’s entirely our call. However, we *do* consider fan feedback in other areas. Specifically, when it comes to how the game *feels* to play, things like the mini-games are important. We received a lot of comments on those – people telling us what they enjoyed or suggesting how to improve others. Another key area is difficulty. We really need to get that right and find the sweet spot. So, that kind of detailed feedback – the nitty-gritty aspects and small details – is really valuable to us.

Hamaguchi notes that this feedback is improving the third game in the series. The development team has learned valuable lessons from the first two games, specifically understanding what players enjoy and what doesn’t resonate with them.

Hamaguchi stated, “We expect the third game to be even better. We’ve taken what we’ve learned and are focusing on what players enjoy.” He continued, “It’s really interesting to work on a series like this. It’s unique because we’re releasing three separate, complete games. However, because they’re direct sequels, it also feels a bit like developing a service-based game – though not quite the same. Finding the right balance with player feedback is a special challenge, and I’m truly honored to have this opportunity, as it’s an experience few developers get.”

There’s no confirmed release date yet for the third game in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. But Square Enix is preparing to launch the entire trilogy on additional platforms, specifically Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2. They’re beginning with the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on January 22, 2026.

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2025-09-30 14:11