FF7 Revelation Will Fix One of Rebirth’s Worst Features
Square Enix is implementing a significant change to Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the concluding entry in its reimagining of the classic 1997 JRPG. Director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed in an interview with IGN Japan that the game will feature an auto-leveling system designed to streamline gameplay and allow players to focus on the main story.
This adjustment directly addresses widespread criticism of Rebirth, the trilogy’s second installment. While Rebirth introduced a massive open-world environment that helped expand the original’s limited narrative scope, players found the world felt overstuffed with activities. The bloat of side content distracted from the core experience, prompting Square Enix to reconsider its approach for Revelation.
The auto-leveling system represents a thoughtful solution to a fundamental challenge: how to sustain a trilogy’s worth of content from a relatively compact source material. By automating character progression, the developer removes the pressure to engage with excessive side activities simply to maintain competitive power levels. This should allow players to pursue content based on interest rather than necessity, creating a more focused and potentially less overwhelming experience.
Square Enix’s willingness to refine its open-world formula demonstrates the developer’s commitment to learning from player feedback. Rather than doubling down on the bloated design that characterized Rebirth, the team is course-correcting to deliver a more streamlined conclusion to the trilogy. The change reflects the developer’s recognition of the tension between providing substantial content and maintaining narrative momentum—a critical consideration for an episodic retelling of Final Fantasy VII’s sprawling story.