{
  "id": 6591742,
  "title": "Final Fantasy 7 Revelation: Our Big Interview with Director Naoki Hamaguchi and Battle Director Teruki Endo",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/10/final-fantasy-7-revelation-our-big-interview-with-director-naoki",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-10T12:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "IGN",
    "slug": "ign",
    "url": "https://www.ign.com/articles/final-fantasy-7-revelation-our-big-interview-with-director-naoki-hamaguchi-and-battle-director-teruki-endo"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "IGN: Thank you both for meeting with me. I played about two hours of Final Fantasy VII Revelation and really enjoyed it. One thing that stood out to me was the inclusion of new areas, while the core map remains unchanged from Rebirth. I'm curious about how the team approached revisiting these familiar zones and implemented fresh content to distinguish them from their previous appearance in Rebirth.\n\nHamaguchi: The side quests and additional content in Final Fantasy VII Revelation are entirely new. With the looming meteor in the sky, there have been seismic shifts that have caused changes to the geography of the existing areas from Rebirth. So, while the core areas remain, they will have subtle differences when compared to Rebirth. In terms of gameplay and exploration, we aimed to add vertical depth to the open world, allowing players to explore using the Highwind or Chocobo. This new dimension adds a fresh perspective to revisiting previously explored areas, providing a more immersive experience.\n\nIGN: The Highwind's ability to skydive into various locations was one of the aspects I appreciated. It seems as though there will be a greater sense of freedom in exploring the world of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Did developing a game with more freedom than Rebirth present any challenges for the team?\n\nHamaguchi: The primary goal behind developing Revelation was to build upon the foundation laid by Remake and Rebirth. We wanted to expand the open world, giving players a more expansive experience. The development team accomplished this by enhancing the planetary exploration and ensuring the entire planet could be traversed using the Highwind. Creating this seamless transition from the air to the ground was a challenging aspect of the development process. The idea of the party parachuting down from the Highwind was conceived early in the development of Revelation. As a nod to modern games like Fortnite, we felt that parachuting would provide a familiar and enjoyable method for players to transition from the sky to the ground. This decision turned out to be a success, and I am pleased with how it has been implemented in the game.\n\nEndo: The combat system in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was already in a perfect state when we began working on Revelation. While we did consider adding more elements to the combat, we found no areas that needed improvement. The combat system in Rebirth was already well-balanced and enjoyable, so we focused on refining and expanding upon its existing features. Our primary objective was to create a cohesive and satisfying combat experience that would carry over from Rebirth to Revelation, ensuring a seamless transition for players.",
  "summary": "We asked the directors about physical media, how they chose the finale's subtitle, and more.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}