FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH (hereinafter referred to as "FF7 Rebirth") is about to be released on February 29, 2024 (Thursday). I think everyone's voltage is at its highest! We interviewed the game's co-director Motomu Toriyama and battle director Kouki Endo during the Taipei Game Show 2024. We asked them about the volume of the main storyline and the unique coordination techniques!
Interview with Mr. Toriyama and Mr. Endo of "FF7 Rebirth"!
(*Includes questions not from the SaigaNAK editorial staff, as this is a joint media interview.
Q. What did you think of the Taipei Game Show 2024?
Toriyama: I have been coming to the Taipei Game Show for promotion since the time of "FF13", and I have the impression that Taiwanese players are very passionate in their support. I feel that the Taiwanese players are very passionate and supportive. I always get a sense of closeness with them on stage, which gives me a lot of energy that I can apply to my next game.
Mr. Endo: Actually, this is my first time to visit Taiwan, but I feel the excitement at the Taipei Game Show, and it is always exciting to walk around the venue. Everyone greeted me warmly on stage, giving me reactions, etc. Some people even dressed up in cosplay, and I feel happy to see them in person.
Q. Are there any major differences between "FF7 Remake" and "FF7 Rebirth"?
Endo: In terms of battles, we have added various elements to expand the range of gameplay that was difficult to provide in the previous game, so that each player can play in a different way. We also made minor adjustments to the characters that appeared in the "FF7 Remake.
Toriyama: I think the biggest thing is the expansion of the world. In this game, the world expands according to your progress, and there are also sub-quests that can be played at any time.
Q. We can see Yuffy and Vincent in the video.
Mr. Toriyama: In the original story, Yuffy joins depending on the player's actions and choices, but in "FF7 Rebirth" he will join the story in a natural way, while not destroying the atmosphere of the original story. Vincent is not part of the battle party yet, but his cool but weird personality will be used in the story.
Q. How big is the main story?
Toriyama: We expect the main story to take about 40 hours of normal gameplay, but if you include subquests and world exploration, it will easily exceed 100 hours. When we were playing the game for the last time, we felt that it had been a long time since we had made a Final Fantasy game of this volume, maybe even the first time.
Q. Is the content faithful to the original?
Toriyama: The basic flow of the story is the same as the original story, but it is not completely the same. Like the "FF7 Remake," the story progresses in chapters, and each chapter includes new episodes that add excitement to the story. Of course, there are parts of the game that are based on the original story, so it can be enjoyed by those who know the original story as well as those who don't.
Q. The end of "FF7 Remake" was a shock to players. What kind of reaction do you expect from the end of "FF7 Rebirth"?
Toriyama: I can't answer that question at all (laughs). Of course, the story will continue to surprise you, and there will be new stories and episodes in the game, not just the ending, so I hope that you will actually play the game and find out what it is.
Q. There is an event called "LOVELESS" at the Gold Saucer.
Toriyama: Of course, the opera scene in "FF6" is very famous, so it was used as a reference point for this kind of show in the Final Fantasy series. The original stage play was comical in nature, but we decided to make it gorgeous. We also wanted to show the players a well-directed stage play called LOVELESS.
Q. How did the collaboration between "FF7 Rebirth" and "Apex Legends" start?
Toriyama: There were many fans of "Apex Legends" among us, and many staff members of "Apex Legends" were also fans of "FF7", so I think the synergistic effect made this a very good collaboration.
Q. This game incorporates many elements of collaboration.
Endo: As we were working on the "FF7 Remake," we wanted to further enhance the affinity between the battles and the story. We came up with the idea of "Linked Actions" to expand actions and "Linked Abilities" to expand commands, which we implemented in "FF7 Rebirth.
Q. Can we use the coordination elements in Classic Mode as well?
Endo: They can be used in both Action Mode and Classic Mode. However, in Classic Mode, actions are executed automatically, so if you leave them completely to the auto mode, the "linked actions" will not be used on their own. If the player gives instructions, "linked actions" can be performed, and "linked abilities" can be used in any mode, so there is no difference.
Q. Can we start enjoying the coordination elements from the beginning of the story?
Endo: The system itself is released rather early on, but as you progress through the story and subquests, the variety will increase. The skill tree also includes linked techniques, so depending on the player's choices, many linked techniques can be used at an early stage.
Q. The world of this game is very large, and the packaged version has two discs. Is it necessary to change discs in the middle of the game?
Toriyama: No, you can play the game just by installing it at the beginning of the game (laughs). We worked very hard to make this a 2-disc set... in fact, we even wanted to make it a 3-disc set (laughs).
Q. In the previously released video, there was a lot of talk about Red XIII riding a chocobo.
Mr. Toriyama: Of course, there were opinions that it would be faster if Red XIII did not ride a chocobo but ran by himself (laughs). Combined with Red XIII's background, I think it made him a more attractive character.
Q. Any last words to the players?
Endo: We have put a lot of effort into this game, and the battles are much more powerful than in the "FF7 Remake" with the addition of many new elements. We hope you will enjoy the game.
Toriyama: When exploring the large map, there are various chocobos in different environments, such as the sea and mountains, which changes the game experience itself. We hope you enjoy the game.