Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy Was a Massive Risk, Director Admits

Final Fantasy 7 Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi has opened up about the risks involved in splitting the iconic remake across three separate games, revealing that the decision was driven by creative necessity rather than business strategy.

When Square Enix announced the episodic approach, skepticism was widespread. Many players questioned whether the company was simply attempting to maximize profits from its most popular franchise. However, Hamaguchi told Final Weapon that the multi-game structure emerged from the sheer creative scope of remaking Final Fantasy 7.

"From a creative perspective," Hamaguchi explained, the massive project "necessitated" the trilogy format. But he emphasized the commercial uncertainty: "From a business perspective, it's a totally different story."

The director highlighted the inherent gamble in committing to multiple installments without knowing how audiences would receive the first entry. "If the first title had sold really poorly and been poorly reviewed, I mean, what do you do with the rest of the titles?" he asked, underscoring the financial exposure of such an undertaking.

Beyond sales risk, Hamaguchi pointed to operational challenges. Maintaining team continuity across all three games creates logistical complications he described as "another huge headache, especially for people who control the strings." He characterized these as "big risks that you have to take" for a project of this scale, and suggested few studios would attempt something similar.

Despite these obstacles, the trilogy has delivered two critically acclaimed RPGs, with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation now among the most anticipated games in development. The PS5 Pro will receive a dedicated graphics mode leveraging PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution technology to deliver both 4K image quality and 60 frames-per-second performance, as confirmed by Hamaguchi on social media in September 2026.

Revelation will also feature quality-of-life options including automatic character leveling, addressing feedback from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth players who sought relief from extensive grinding.