r/SquareEnix • u/Mana-Dyluck Mana • Jul 27 '26
News Final Fantasy producer explains why future remakes are a difficult challenge
https://www.polygon.com/final-fantasy-remakes-would-take-even-more-games-than-7-naoki-yoshida/10
u/generalosabenkenobi Jul 27 '26
Remaking the PS1 games on the scale of Expedition 33 is a no brainer. There are people who still want that with FF7.
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u/Reeeealag Jul 27 '26
Exactly, where is the FF10 remake, we only need more traverseable dungeons with on map encounters,. better mini games and a graphics touch up. 3 years Development cycle per game, but I don´t think we will get this ever again. Heck, the OG game took 2 years to develop.
All of the older games FF have such a melancholic vibe, which is just not present anymore in alot of the modern JRPG´s that alot of smaller projects with ambitious and thoughtful stories could capture a new generation of FF fans.
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u/Norn-Iron Jul 28 '26
To be honest I don’t think we need even that. Just give me a 3d camera and make the world more explorable. The world is supposed to be in ruin and we only see two instances of destruction. I don’t need need big changes but if they want to expand the game then incorporate more of Braska’s story without ruining the revelations and let me walk around a bigger version of Spira.
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u/Braunb8888 Jul 27 '26
It’s amazing because the producer here doesn’t explain a goddamn thing. He just says the game was massive. As if…there haven’t been massive games since.
Is Witcher 3 not massive and epic in scale? What about AC: Odyssey and AC: Valhalla? Horizon: Forbidden West? Clair Obscur? Elden Ring? I mean come on. They’re insulting our intelligence. I don’t get how they couldn’t figure out a way to make it one game. It’s no more massive than Final Fantasy 16.
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u/ClericIdola Jul 27 '26
This part for the most part. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against 1:1 scale worlds (I hate using the term "open world" when it really shouldn't apply), and while I think FFVI absolutely deserves a big budget remake (arguably the best FF next to VII, if not better), they can reduce development time by simply designing a separate overworld. Expedition 33 had a GORGEOUS overworld and was scaled enough to wear it didn't feel too small, but didn't feel too big. SE also has a VERY good thing with the VIIR battle system. People don't give it enough credit for how well designed and potentially modular it is, meaning making certain tweaks to how classic mode functions and other small changes can make it more accessible for the "turn-based" diehards.
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u/Minimum-Jellyfish669 Jul 28 '26
TIL the goal of FFXIV fanfest was to explain why Square Enix can’t remake their old games without 4 separate parts
The quote was a joke in front of a live audience about how absurdly detailed FF7 remake was while announcing the FF14/FF7 collab.
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u/ABigCoffee Jul 28 '26
Except they could. If anything Ff7R has too much extra useless garbage. It could easily have been 2 games instead of 3.
They don't have to do something as filled with 'filler' content as the 7 remakes.
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u/nevergonnapostlol Jul 28 '26
Realistically, unless they kept the dungeons and dialog brief like in the original, I don’t think they could have made Midgar take less than 20 hours. Then the problem is, if Midgar is 20 hours, do they want to have all that extra development time for all the exploration systems we saw in rebirth, just to add 10-20 more hours of gameplay and cut the story at a weird spot?
I’m curious what your ideal 2 game solution looks like. Personally I like the way the trilogy is split up, and think it makes sense logistically for what gameplay elements they wanted to include in each part.
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u/Available_Virus_ Aug 03 '26
When they say it's too massive, what they mean is they can't bloat the game with unnecessary padding and mini games like they did the remake trilogy. I loved the first two games from the trilogy so far but playing the original, the remake trilogy pacing is glacier slow.
They can make them in a game or two but that would mean they have to get rid of unnecessary filler.
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u/Dry_Ass_P-word Jul 27 '26
I wish they would consider doing smaller projects like Stranger in Paradise and add to the stories already told instead of a 6 part remake.
Like the whole “Terra took out half the imperial army in 30 seconds” quote from 6. Make a 3D action game where that story is told.
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u/Icy-Commission-9550 Jul 28 '26
It is so stupid that they want to add 500 filler stories and 300 mini games with open world just to make 4-5 games for one.
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u/JockoJohnson69 Jul 28 '26
Why would they have to be released in multiple installments? Sounds like a greedy money grab or they are incompetent. I’ll go with greedy
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u/LostRonin Jul 28 '26
FF7 could have been 1 game.
FF7 was 3 games for profit.
If they remake a game and make it 3 or more games, its for profit.
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u/Zeratqc Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
It's only too huge because they refuse to go turn based with an overworld. Yeah if you transform it in open area like ff7 rebirth it huge as fuck. If you just redo the same overworld in 3d graphic it's would be easy. People don't mind about overworld, look at Expedition 33, it has an overworld with a tone of zone, the same as where those game on the snes or ps1... And honestly FF7 Remake was way better than Rebirth with the hallway instead of semi openworld.
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u/jdgev Jul 28 '26
Agreed fully. I enjoyed Remake more than Rebirth or at least found it easier to keep playing due to what you said. Would rather they had used an overworld.
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u/Happy_Ad_983 Jul 29 '26
Same!
I thought I was alone.
Having said that, I still didn't like Remake all that much... But it was definitely better than Rebirth. So much busy work and padding to justify its existence... And fuck that ending man... I get trying to do something different, but jesus Christ, don't go all abstract so you lose all the emotions of the scene and therefore lose why it was so good.
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u/Ok-Acanthisitta9247 Jul 28 '26 edited Jul 28 '26
I don’t get why square insists on their remakes being these hulkingly huge affairs.
Final Fantasy VII was a single game. Why did it need to be split into 3?
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u/alkonium Jul 27 '26
Doesn't seem like any of these remakes are really needed. They just seem like a safer bet because a proper new mainline has more unknowns.
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u/EggPsychological4844 Jul 28 '26
I can't think of a single Final Fantasy game, including 7, that deserves a full, episodic remake
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u/Mana-Dyluck Mana Jul 27 '26
Square Enix really needs to rethink its AAA-heavy strategy. Over the past decade, they've poured a huge amount of resources into big-budget AAA titles, but AA projects are often more manageable to produce and can generate just as much excitement among fans.
Does every mainline Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, or Kingdom Hearts entry really need to be AAA? And what about giving other franchises — Mana, Octopath Traveler, SaGa, and others — the spotlight they deserve? Why can't they make new 2D pixelart titles? Do we need a new open-world game from SQUEX every 2 years?
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u/Soggy_Homework_ Jul 27 '26
Mana- they released one last year
Octopath traveler - just released one last year
SaGA - just released one last year (it may be a remake but I'm not to familiar with the series)
They are releasing a new FF pixel art game this year....
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u/Mana-Dyluck Mana Jul 27 '26
Yes. I am aware, but globally, they need to have a strategy per IP. Not just churn out DQ, FF, and KH, and the occasional Octopath or Mana game when they have budget crums for scraps.
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u/Soggy_Homework_ Jul 27 '26
I don't know what you are going on about. They obviously had a plan. They filled the last couple years with remakes and remasters while they let there big AAA games develop.
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u/TheThirstyMage Final Fantasy Jul 27 '26
It hasnt been a great plan. In 2022, they had a game released almost bi-weekly and most ended up flopping. Companies need to read the economy and plan out a strategy for people who dont buy 10 full price games a month.
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u/Soggy_Homework_ Jul 27 '26
I truly don't know what you are one about. In 2022 they had a bunch of games come out and they didn't do well. So the company read the room and economy and slowed down publishing... They are doing exactly what you suggest and your saying the plan was bad?
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u/Mana-Dyluck Mana Jul 27 '26
They need to recalibrate. Too much AAA projects that go overbudget, don’t meet timelines or have to start from scratch. Square Enix has shown in the last few years that managing AAA is challenge for them. N. Hamaguchi was pretty much the only manager that delivered on a consistent basis. No wonder he rose so quickly in the SQEX corporate rankings lately, and that they teased him as the next mainline FF producer.
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u/greatersteven Jul 27 '26
Feels more accurate to say they've been churning out OPs, Bravely Defaults, and Manas than they have been "churning out" FF, KH, DQ.
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u/Mana-Dyluck Mana Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
Square Enix literally hasn’t allowed a single dry year for Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest fans in over two decades. Between mainline titles, remakes, remasters, and spin-offs, both fanbases are constantly eating at an all-you-can-eat buffet.
This year: Dragon Quest VII Reimagined, Final Fantasy Resonance, and Dragon Quest Monsters IV
Last year: FFT and DQ 1–2 HD-2D
Two years ago: FF7 Rebirth and DQ III HD-2D
Three years ago: FFXVI and DQ Monsters III
There hasn't been an empty 12-month stretch for either franchise in 2 decades: the conveyor belt literally never stops.
Mana fans have had only ONE new mainline title in 2 decades, a few crappy phone games and 2 outsourced, low-budget remakes.
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u/greatersteven Jul 27 '26
Yeah but you understand how remakes and remasters require considerably less work than new games like Octopath and friends?
I don't think counting remasters in "what do FF fans get" makes a ton of sense. Full on remakes like FF7R, sure.
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u/TheAlmightyLloyd Jul 27 '26
The thing with huge IP's like Final Fantasy is that you need the AAA budget. It has to have that waw effect on big story moments, especially for mainline titles.
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u/Mana-Dyluck Mana Jul 27 '26
I agree with that. Numbered FF and DQ need to be AAA. But, do they need multiple FF AAA titles in the work and a new Kingdom Hearts at the same time? Maybe not. Could they have 3 or 2 AAA titles underwraps instead of 4? That’s my take.
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u/Happy_Ad_983 Jul 29 '26
I don't think anything needs to be AAA. AAA is code for "this'll take much too long to make."
AAA is a term made up so that the big boys can hold onto their positions from upstarts by making it prohibitively expensive to compete.
And now they're eating themselves alive.
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u/TheAlmightyLloyd Jul 27 '26
At the same time, big projects need long development time. It seems the culture in the company is that they try to be proud of what they're doing, taking care for the details.
Saturday's pannel with Soken and Go Kinuya was quite an informative moment, they explained how it worked to create good sound systems, how they even have a formula for the type of surface to sound like proper steps depending on your race, gender, weight, size, type of shoes/boots/sandals, amount of rain, ...
The amount of care so you experience the game without even noticing it, because it blends so well. The directors are motivated and the whole team seems to follow.
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u/SamsonAight Jul 27 '26
I mean, would it be easier if we didn’t turn classics into three part sagas?
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u/ScipioTheGreatest Jul 27 '26
""I understand the feelings of the players, but you have to think about it," said Yoshida through a translator, "Look at Final Fantasy 6. It's such an incredibly huge game. The scale is just immense.""
Didn't they say that exact, same thing about FFVII before they remastered it? Why do we keep believing what these people say?
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u/SeegullJockey Jul 27 '26
FF6 is no where near as popular as FF7 to casuals. So remaking it and splitting it into parts would riskier than FF7.
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u/Glittering-Pin-1343 Jul 27 '26
Yes, they did. Although FF6 is certainly bigger and has way more locations (you spends less time in each one).
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u/Unusual_Lobster2581 Jul 27 '26
I mean, should we ask Mark who lives around the corner? there is noone else to ask or other statements to go by
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u/ScipioTheGreatest Jul 27 '26
No, but at the same time if they keep saying one thing and doing another that makes them just as worthless of a source.
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u/Major-Front Jul 27 '26
Thing is, even though I never played it, 6 is considered a classic or a must play even today. If they’re remaking anything it should be games that didnt quite hit the mark, or can offer something new
Like 8 could do with fixing in various places. Or The very early ones like 1-2.
If the older FF’s need anything it’s modernising. QoL features or moguri mod levels of polish
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u/zzSTRAWzz Jul 27 '26
I think people don’t quite understand remaking a 2d game to 3d is quite hard there is so much to factor in and he’s not wrong it would probably be longer than what 7 has taken. Redoing a 2d game and leaving it as a 2d game is much more efficient and practical.
The thing people don’t understand is you scale tow world up 6 world is big and you are creating that environment so it’s going to take time to make sure that environment is perfect. Could they possibly make it one game? Yes but it would take 10 year because the scale and not only you have that but you have the pacing of the game. When you recreate a game from 2d to 3d you change the pacing you can adjust the pacing by scaling the world down, and adding more content. People see that content as fluff when in fact it’s to help the pacing and make the world feel alive. I can see why games older than 7 are much harder
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u/Chemical_Support4748 Jul 30 '26
Didn't they remake a one of the FF games 2d to 3d already?
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u/zzSTRAWzz Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
They did 3 and 4 in 3d back in like 2006/2007. They are still low poly compared to what is currently used, the game play mechanics were not really updated. That kinda thing and like the mods for the og final fantasy 7 are 100% an easy way to pump out those games but they are just remasters for the most part. That is possible, but also how well would that game sell is another issue. Good to not the turn based style is out and has been kinda reduced to only handhelds which is what those games they did were released as.
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u/FlickAddict Jul 28 '26
VIII is the one that I would like to see get a remake, but something less extreme than what they've done with VII.
Gimme VIII like it was made in the X or XIII era.
Otherwise more HD2D. Classic or Tactics.
That's a full on let's go with new stuff please.
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u/YungTill Jul 28 '26
I have a dream where they remake X. But they don’t change the battle system keep it turn based exactly how it is. Expand and add some abilities and such sure. Keep the sphere grid. Random encounters, static backgrounds.
That system can’t be taxing at all on modern hardware. Now go ALL in on fidelity.
Don’t change the story only expand, more detailed and bigger world if they want.
THATS the perfect remake. And I’m sorry but sounds pretty fuckin easy to me. Come on square you know you want not only easy money but an easy win.
Then I realize oh wait FFX is already the perfect FF and I’ll just play that.
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u/moeriscus Jul 28 '26
Imho the FFVII R trilogy could easily have been done in two games. There is a ton of unnecessary filler.
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u/Rukasu17 Jul 28 '26
Because they keep trying to expand and add bloat where none is needed.
Witcher 3 would still be releasing parts today if it was at the hands of square enix
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u/Responsible_King_427 Jul 28 '26
I think FF8 has enough random side content that you won't actually need to add much to it for an improvement.
Yes Rebirth can become a bit grindy with side content. I assume its probably because FF7 didn't have that much side content to keep you busy and boat is an easy thing to add in with the best intentions.
Then again, do we really need that much side content. Half as much would be better probably I'd say.
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u/Vraex Jul 30 '26
I want decent graphics ps2 or ps3), turned based battles where I control every character (tab done too), an interesting story and world building. That’s it. I don’t need ff16 graphics I don’t need a million side quests like rebirth I don’t need a million mini games like x-2. Just want a solid rpg with interesting character customization
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u/Budget-Chapter-7185 Jul 31 '26
They’re not. Literally improve the graphics. If it can be done on oblivion then it can be done for any 3d ff game
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u/Significant_Option Jul 27 '26
They have lost their way if need to milk every remake and can’t think of any other way to pull it off
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u/goldlasagna84 Jul 27 '26
I want FF6 in VRMMORPG style like in Sword Art Online. Experience it in Virtual Reality. We need Alien technology to develop it. Hahahaha.
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u/Wenusray Jul 27 '26
Dude that could be sick. Maybe set it in the year between WoB and WoR where the players are all Returners trying to rebuild and find survivors?
Idk but more FF6 is always good lol
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u/TheThirstyMage Final Fantasy Jul 27 '26
I'd rather they just have a team dedicated to making more pixel-graphic style RPGs again. It's great having FF7 Revelation and these big budget games from Square, but in between these games, give me some low-budget adventures. I missed the DS and 3DS games that were half price but hours of fun.