With the release of FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH (hereafter, FF7 Rebirth) approaching on Thursday, February 29, 2024, and the recent release of the demo version FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH DEMO and the final trailer, I'm sure everyone's excitement is at its peak!
This time, at Taipei Game Show 2024, we conducted an interview with the game's Co-Director Motomu Toriyama and Battle Director Teruki Endo.
We asked them about the length of the main story, the signature synergy moves, and more!
Interview with Toriyama and Endo for "FF7 Rebirth"!
Note: Since this is a joint media interview, it includes questions from outlets other than the Saiga NAK editorial team. Below is a translation of the full interview from Japanese.
Q. Please tell us your impressions of Taipei Game Show 2024.
Toriyama: I have been coming to Taipei Game Show for promotions since the days of FF13, and my impression is that Taiwanese players give us very passionate support.
Because the sense of distance between us and the fans is so close, even on stage, I always feel energized by it and am able to apply that energy to the next title.
Endo: This is actually my first time coming to Taiwan, but I feel a lot of excitement at Taipei Game Show, and the venue was designed in a way that is constantly thrilling as you walk through it.
Everyone responded to us on stage and gave us a warm welcome, and there were also people cosplaying, which made me happy to see them in person.
Q. Are there any major differences between "FF7 Remake" and "FF7 Rebirth"?
Endo: Regarding the battles, we have added various elements by expanding the range of play, which was difficult to do in the previous game, so that each player can approach combat differently.
We also performed detailed readjustments on characters that appeared in FF7 Remake.
Toriyama: I think the biggest change, after all, is that the world has expanded.
In this game, the world opens up according to your progress, and side quests that can be played at any time also trigger sequentially.
Q. Yuffie and Vincent can be seen in the footage, but how will they join the party in this game?
Toriyama: In the original, Yuffie becomes an ally depending on the player's actions and choices, but in FF7 Rebirth, she naturally enters the story while ensuring that atmosphere is preserved.
Regarding Vincent, he will not yet join the battle party, but his appearance will take advantage of his personality as a cool but mysterious character.
Q. How long is the main story?
Toriyama: We estimate the main story to be about 40 hours if you play normally, but if you include side quests and world exploration, it easily exceeds 100 hours.
Even as we are doing the final playtests now, we feel that it has been a long time since we made a Final Fantasy with this much content; perhaps it is the first time ever.
Q. Does the content faithfully reproduce the original?
Toriyama: While we have not changed the basic flow of the story from the original tale, it is not identical to the original either.
Because the story progresses through chapters like in FF7 Remake, there are times when new episodes are included to create a climax for each chapter.
Of course, there are parts that reproduce the original exactly as it was, so it is designed to be enjoyed by both people who know the original and those who don't.
Q. The end of "FF7 Remake" shocked players, but what kind of reaction are you expecting for the end of "FF7 Rebirth"?
Toriyama: I cannot answer that at all (laughs).
Of course, a story with surprises will unfold following the previous game, and since new stories and episodes are included beyond just the ending, I hope you will check it for yourself by actually playing.
Q. There is an event called LOVELESS at the Gold Saucer; was this something inspired by "FF6"?
Toriyama: Of course, since the opera scene in FF6 is very famous, it exists as a kind of benchmark when producing this type of show in the Final Fantasy series.
We wanted to take what was originally a comical stage play and make it gorgeous. Also, I had a desire to properly produce the stage play called LOVELESS and show it to all the players.
Q. How did the collaboration between "FF7 Rebirth" and "Apex Legends" begin?
Toriyama: There were many Apex Legends fans among us as well, and there were many FF7 fans among the Apex Legends staff, so I think we were able to have a very good collaboration through synergistic effects.
Q. Rich synergy elements have been incorporated into this game; what kind of ideas did they come from?
Endo: While creating FF7 Remake, I had a desire to increase the affinity between the battles and the story even more next time.
Then, the ideas of Synergy Actions, which expand the action, and Synergy Abilities, which expand the commands, were born, and we implemented them in FF7 Rebirth.
Q. Can synergy elements be used in Classic Mode as well?
Endo: It is possible to use them in both Active Mode and Classic Mode.
However, since actions are executed automatically in Classic Mode, the game won't use Synergy Actions on its own if you leave it completely up to the auto-battle.
If the player gives instructions, Synergy Actions can also be executed, and Synergy Abilities can be used in any mode, so there is no difference.
Q. Can synergy elements be enjoyed from the beginning of the story?
Endo: The system itself is unlocked relatively early, but the variations will increase as you progress through the story and side quests.
Since synergy moves are included within the skill tree, many synergy moves can be used at an early stage depending on the player's choices.
Q. The world is very vast in this game, and the physical version is also on two discs. Is it necessary to swap discs in the middle of the game?
Toriyama: No, you can play just by installing it at the start of the game (laughs).
Even so, we struggled a lot to fit it on two discs... the truth is we wanted to make it three discs (laughs).
Q. The sight of Red XIII riding a Chocobo in previously released footage became a hot topic; please tell us the reason for implementing it.
Toriyama: Of course, there were opinions that perhaps it would be faster for Red XIII to run by himself instead of riding a Chocobo (laughs).
It was implemented with the feeling that it might be more interesting to have him ride a Chocobo together with Cloud and the others.
Combined with Red XIII's background, I think he has become a more charming character.
Q. Finally, please give a brief word to all the players.
Endo: It has become a work with a lot of effort put into it, and regarding the battles, it has powered up significantly from FF7 Remake by adding a great many elements.
I hope you will definitely play it.
Toriyama: When exploring the vast map, there are various Chocobos like sea and mountain types depending on the environment, and the game experience itself changes. Please enjoy it.
