So the Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania book has been a font of info for what’s to come in what is now called the “Remake Project.”
We learned that there is a second secret meaning to the term “Remake” that director Tetsuya Nomura will explain in a few years, and that future entries could err on the shorter side of things to get the project going along quicker. Now thanks to another Ultimania tidbit (translated by Twitter user aitaikimochi), we have some idea of when the next part is coming. A translation of that translation? Not anytime soon.
According to co-director Naoki Hamaguchi, they are “in the current stages of planning” for the second part, and “nothing is solid yet.” Another co-director, Motomu Toriyama, clarifies that since he was responsible for Midgar’s impact in the original game he “knows it like the back of [his] hand,” but the next installment is tougher as it involves areas he’s “forgotten about,” or perhaps doesn’t recall so easily.
The ever-popular “so will it have a world map” question comes up, which Hamaguchi says is “something [the team has to] consider.” This is just a prediction, but they do tackle it, they would have to balance the strong narrative focus with the ability to aimlessly wander around. If I had to guess, I don’t think it’s going to be so expansive: more like mini-sandboxes with quests that connect each major hub to one another (similar to Final Fantasy XII).
As for what the team is excited for next time around, Teruki Endo (who handled the battle system) chimes in, saying that they would like to enhance the gameplay aspect of the Remake. Hamaguchi wants to focus on “something different” that would shed the shadow of Midgar from the project, while Toriyama gives a very similar answer.
Ultimania has simultaneously given us everything we’ve wanted and dreaded from Square: answers. But at least now we have some clue as to how future iterations are going to be approached.
Ultimania [Square Enix via aitaikimochi]
Source: Destructoid Final Fantasy VII Remake’s second part is ‘in the current stages of planning’