Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Says Streaming RPGs is a ‘Bit of a Crisis’

Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third and final installment of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, at Summer Game Fest. Following the reveal, director Naoki Hamaguchi conducted extensive interviews with over 30 media outlets, influencers, and streamers to discuss the game’s design decisions and development philosophy.

Hamaguchi addressed concerns about streaming culture’s impact on narrative-driven games, explaining that allowing players to experience story-heavy RPGs through streams rather than playing them directly poses significant challenges for developers. This phenomenon reportedly creates a “crisis” for titles with heavy narrative focus like Revelation, as audiences may feel satisfied simply watching streams rather than engaging with the full gameplay experience.

Regarding specific content decisions, the developer confirmed that Bone Village, a location from the original Final Fantasy 7, will not appear in Revelation. Rather than streamlining the experience based on feedback about Rebirth’s pacing issues, Revelation will actually feature even more minigames than its predecessor. Hamaguchi justified this approach by emphasizing that the development team must maintain the game’s creative vision and distinct character rather than removing every feature criticized by players, as excessive revision would result in a homogenized, characterless experience that fails to honor the original’s identity.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Says Streaming RPGs is a ‘Bit of a Crisis’

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