{"id":1908641,"date":"2026-04-29T09:49:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:49:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908641"},"modified":"2026-04-29T09:49:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T06:49:01","slug":"final-fantasy-7-remake-part-3-proceeding-on-time-and-on-schedule-director-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908641","title":{"rendered":"Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 &#8216;Proceeding on Time and on Schedule,&#8217; Director Says"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Hang in there, Final Fantasy fans \u2014 <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-remake-part-3\"><u>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3<\/u><\/a> director Naoki Hamaguchi has popped up to assure us that the eagerly-anticipated third instalment is &#8220;proceeding on time and on schedule.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">This would possibly be more comforting if we knew what, exactly, the schedule was \u2014 Hamaguchi is playing his cards very close to his chest, and we haven&#8217;t yet received a release window, let alone a firm date \u2014 but talking to <a href=\"https:\/\/comicbook.com\/gaming\/feature\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-naoki-hamaguchi-switch-2\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Comicbook<\/u><\/a>, the director insisted everything was &#8220;steadily underway&#8221; and asked us to wait for &#8220;just a little longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;What I can say is that development itself is proceeding on time and on schedule,&#8221; Hamaguchi said. &#8220;We believe it\u2019ll become a title we can deliver with confidence as the culmination of the trilogy. We know many fans are eagerly waiting, and preparations toward the announcement are steadily underway. Please look forward to it just a little longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Weirdest Things That Happened in the Original Final Fantasy 7<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Riding a Dolphin to Junon&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The nineties were a little obsessed with dolphins. Between the Flipper reboot, Ecco, and Jones the hacker from 1995's Johnny Mnemonic, we had our fair share of heroic bottlenoses. Final Fantasy 7's contribution to this trend involves a young Junon resident Priscilla and her pal, Mr. Dolphin. Needing a way to ascend former fishing town Junon to the Shinra base above, Priscilla and her aqua mammal comrade offer to take Cloud and the gang on Mr. Dolphin's back. Heeding the call of Priscilla's trusty whistle, Mr. Dolphin gives you a massive head start on the base of the Shinra tower, making the rest of the infiltration a cinch.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 22 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Getting Threatened For Angering a TV Producer&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;While visiting the Shinra presence in Junon, you inadvertently arrive during a military parade. As the city is crawling with soldiers and officials, the best way to avoid detection is to blend in, forcing Cloud to steal a Shinra uniform and march as part of the fanfare. This is all well and good, except the game frames this as part of a live TV broadcast, complete with a ratings meter to measure your score.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The aftermath can go one of two ways: either you do a great job and ratings sky-rocket, leading the producer to give you a hefty bonus, or you screw it up and the network executive orders someone to mail you a letter bomb. Not only a bit of an overreaction but also a stark reflection of a time when offhand references to terrorism didn't carry the same heft.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;The Date With Barrett&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;A drug trip of what a cyberpunk amusement park might look like, your time at the&nbsp; Golden Saucer is one of the highlights of Final Fantasy VII. Among all the various mini-games and character moments, there's a dating sequence where, depending on the choices made, Cloud can end up having a romantic evening with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or if you're very lucky, Barrett.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Each date has its own set unique dialogue, and for the most part, there's a sense of genuine connection. Aerith expresses a longing to meet the &ldquo;real&rdquo; Cloud, Tifa talks about wanting to tell Cloud she has feelings for him, while&nbsp; Yuffie plants one on his cheek. Barrett tries to get him to admit which of the women in your party he actually likes, before suggesting Marlene - who is 4-years-old - could be the object of Cloud's affections. A tongue-in-cheek joke likely made worse by poor translation, it makes an odd situation all the more bizarre.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Battling Palmer the First Time&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Cid's backstory that unfolds when you visit Rocket Town is somber, yet it&rsquo;s capped off by pure slapstick comedy. After Shera tells her and Cid&rsquo;s heartbreaking story&nbsp; you find Palmer trying to steal Cid's plane, the Tiny Bronco. Palmer's the head of Shinra's Space Development Division, and he and Cid have no love for each other.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The ensuing battle is a relatively normal second-tier boss fight, until Palmer makes the wise choice to retreat instead of facing death, and promptly gets hit by a truck. The scuffle happens on a country road so it makes sense there's traffic, but the timing is more than a little at odds with the bittersweet story you just heard.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Helping Tifa Win a Slap-Off&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Tifa Lockheart is a gaming icon. One of Cloud's oldest friends, and a ride-or-die companion, she's synonymous with the lineage of Final Fantasy&nbsp; 7 and the franchise as a whole. It's not the RPG's greatest moment, then, when Tifa becomes involved in a slap fight against Shrina brass Scarlet.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;As Tifa and Barrett make their desperate escape from Shinra captivity, Tifa comes face-to-face with Scarlet atop the Mako Cannon in what should be a tense one-on-one battle. Instead, we're given a tactless brawl of insults and slaps before Tifa's eventually hauled out of there. It's very much a credit to Tifa's character otherwise that this incident was largely swept under the carpet of history.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Knowing Square Enix is making &#8220;preparations&#8221; for the release date announcement sure is good news, too, given how long we&#8217;ve waited. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was chopped up into three different instalments, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-remake\"><u>with one releasing in 2020<\/u><\/a> and <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth\"><u>the second part in 2024<\/u><\/a>. That means that even if Part 3 is released by the end of this year, there&#8217;ll have been six years between the release of Part 1 and Part 3.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The director also reflected on what has been the biggest challenge of bringing Final Fantasy 7 to modern audiences. &#8220;The greatest challenge was thoughtfully evaluating, title by title, how far to push &#8216;nostalgia&#8217; and &#8216;innovation,&#8217; respectively, so they could work in balance,&#8221; Hamaguchi explained. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;For players familiar with the original game, I think what matters goes beyond the story arc itself \u2014 it\u2019s the relationships between the characters and the emotions they felt upon discovering this world. Those are elements we can\u2019t afford to treat lightly.&#8221; He also stressed that the team&#8217;s &#8220;guiding philosophy&#8221; was to ensure the gameplay experience feels expanded rather than just recycled. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Interestingly, Hamaguchi also offered additional details of <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth\"><u>Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth<\/u><\/a>&#8216;s <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-card-game-queens-blood-will-be-enhanced-for-ff7-remake-part-3\"><u>Queen&#8217;s Blood card game<\/u><\/a>, which we knew was <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-card-game-queens-blood-will-be-enhanced-for-ff7-remake-part-3\"><u>making a \u201cpowered-up\u201d comeback<\/u><\/a> for the final chapter in Square Enix\u2019s remake trilogy.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;From the very beginning, Queen\u2019s Blood wasn\u2019t designed to be just a mini\u2011game, but rather a strong, standalone gameplay experience within the world of Rebirth,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As players progress through their open-world RPG journey, an early focus for us was finding ways to integrate immersive moments, even during shorter stretches of play. A trading card game was one answer to that, and we paid special attention to ensure that everything \u2014 including its strategic depth and interplay \u2014 didn\u2019t feel half-baked.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Last month, Hamaguchi opened up about what to expect when Part 3 eventually comes out, hinting that we&#8217;ll get <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-remake-part-3-director-reveals-gameplay-mechanics-and-locations-fans-can-expect\"><u>new gameplay mechanics and locations, some of which we have yet to visit in the remake series<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The director also recently teased that the <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-remake-director-issues-update-on-part-3-progress-and-reveals-clouds-iconic-buster-sword-was-almost-resized-to-make-it-more-realistic\"><u>&#8220;core game experience is almost complete,&#8221;<\/u><\/a> and while he &#8220;really want[s] everyone to play it as soon as possible,&#8221; the team has now moved on to &#8220;refining and polishing.&#8221; He also <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-remake-series-going-multiplatform-will-not-lower-quality-of-part-3-director-insists-while-acknowledging-fan-concern\"><u>recently discussed the impact of expanding the platforms on which the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is available<\/u><\/a>, insisting that going multiplatform &#8220;will not in any way lower the quality of the third instalment.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world&#8217;s biggest gaming sites and publications. She&#8217;s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/vixx.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>BlueSky<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Hang in there, Final Fantasy fans \u2014 <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-remake-part-3\"><u>Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3<\/u><\/a> director Naoki Hamaguchi has popped up to assure us that the eagerly-anticipated third instalment is &#8220;proceeding on time and on schedule.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">This would possibly be more comforting if we knew what, exactly, the schedule was \u2014 Hamaguchi is playing his cards very close to his chest, and we haven&#8217;t yet received a release window, let alone a firm date \u2014 but talking to <a href=\"https:\/\/comicbook.com\/gaming\/feature\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth-naoki-hamaguchi-switch-2\/\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><u>Comicbook<\/u><\/a>, the director insisted everything was &#8220;steadily underway&#8221; and asked us to wait for &#8220;just a little longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;What I can say is that development itself is proceeding on time and on schedule,&#8221; Hamaguchi said. &#8220;We believe it\u2019ll become a title we can deliver with confidence as the culmination of the trilogy. We know many fans are eagerly waiting, and preparations toward the announcement are steadily underway. Please look forward to it just a little longer.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">The Weirdest Things That Happened in the Original Final Fantasy 7<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt aria-hidden=\"true\" role=\"presentation\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Riding a Dolphin to Junon&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The nineties were a little obsessed with dolphins. Between the Flipper reboot, Ecco, and Jones the hacker from 1995's Johnny Mnemonic, we had our fair share of heroic bottlenoses. Final Fantasy 7's contribution to this trend involves a young Junon resident Priscilla and her pal, Mr. Dolphin. Needing a way to ascend former fishing town Junon to the Shinra base above, Priscilla and her aqua mammal comrade offer to take Cloud and the gang on Mr. Dolphin's back. Heeding the call of Priscilla's trusty whistle, Mr. Dolphin gives you a massive head start on the base of the Shinra tower, making the rest of the infiltration a cinch.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 22 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Getting Threatened For Angering a TV Producer&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;While visiting the Shinra presence in Junon, you inadvertently arrive during a military parade. As the city is crawling with soldiers and officials, the best way to avoid detection is to blend in, forcing Cloud to steal a Shinra uniform and march as part of the fanfare. This is all well and good, except the game frames this as part of a live TV broadcast, complete with a ratings meter to measure your score.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The aftermath can go one of two ways: either you do a great job and ratings sky-rocket, leading the producer to give you a hefty bonus, or you screw it up and the network executive orders someone to mail you a letter bomb. Not only a bit of an overreaction but also a stark reflection of a time when offhand references to terrorism didn't carry the same heft.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;The Date With Barrett&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;A drug trip of what a cyberpunk amusement park might look like, your time at the&nbsp; Golden Saucer is one of the highlights of Final Fantasy VII. Among all the various mini-games and character moments, there's a dating sequence where, depending on the choices made, Cloud can end up having a romantic evening with Aerith, Tifa, Yuffie, or if you're very lucky, Barrett.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Each date has its own set unique dialogue, and for the most part, there's a sense of genuine connection. Aerith expresses a longing to meet the &ldquo;real&rdquo; Cloud, Tifa talks about wanting to tell Cloud she has feelings for him, while&nbsp; Yuffie plants one on his cheek. Barrett tries to get him to admit which of the women in your party he actually likes, before suggesting Marlene - who is 4-years-old - could be the object of Cloud's affections. A tongue-in-cheek joke likely made worse by poor translation, it makes an odd situation all the more bizarre.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Battling Palmer the First Time&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Cid's backstory that unfolds when you visit Rocket Town is somber, yet it&rsquo;s capped off by pure slapstick comedy. After Shera tells her and Cid&rsquo;s heartbreaking story&nbsp; you find Palmer trying to steal Cid's plane, the Tiny Bronco. Palmer's the head of Shinra's Space Development Division, and he and Cid have no love for each other.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;The ensuing battle is a relatively normal second-tier boss fight, until Palmer makes the wise choice to retreat instead of facing death, and promptly gets hit by a truck. The scuffle happens on a country road so it makes sense there's traffic, but the timing is more than a little at odds with the bittersweet story you just heard.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"&lt;h2&gt;Helping Tifa Win a Slap-Off&lt;\/h2&gt;\n&lt;p&gt;Tifa Lockheart is a gaming icon. One of Cloud's oldest friends, and a ride-or-die companion, she's synonymous with the lineage of Final Fantasy&nbsp; 7 and the franchise as a whole. It's not the RPG's greatest moment, then, when Tifa becomes involved in a slap fight against Shrina brass Scarlet.&lt;\/p&gt;\n&lt;p dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;As Tifa and Barrett make their desperate escape from Shinra captivity, Tifa comes face-to-face with Scarlet atop the Mako Cannon in what should be a tense one-on-one battle. Instead, we're given a tactless brawl of insults and slaps before Tifa's eventually hauled out of there. It's very much a credit to Tifa's character otherwise that this incident was largely swept under the carpet of history.&lt;\/p&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Knowing Square Enix is making &#8220;preparations&#8221; for the release date announcement sure is good news, too, given how long we&#8217;ve waited. Final Fantasy 7 Remake was chopped up into three different instalments, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-remake\"><u>with one releasing in 2020<\/u><\/a> and <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth\"><u>the second part in 2024<\/u><\/a>. That means that even if Part 3 is released by the end of this year, there&#8217;ll have been six years between the release of Part 1 and Part 3.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The director also reflected on what has been the biggest challenge of bringing Final Fantasy 7 to modern audiences. &#8220;The greatest challenge was thoughtfully evaluating, title by title, how far to push &#8216;nostalgia&#8217; and &#8216;innovation,&#8217; respectively, so they could work in balance,&#8221; Hamaguchi explained. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;For players familiar with the original game, I think what matters goes beyond the story arc itself \u2014 it\u2019s the relationships between the characters and the emotions they felt upon discovering this world. Those are elements we can\u2019t afford to treat lightly.&#8221; He also stressed that the team&#8217;s &#8220;guiding philosophy&#8221; was to ensure the gameplay experience feels expanded rather than just recycled. <\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Interestingly, Hamaguchi also offered additional details of <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/games\/final-fantasy-vii-rebirth\"><u>Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth<\/u><\/a>&#8216;s <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-card-game-queens-blood-will-be-enhanced-for-ff7-remake-part-3\"><u>Queen&#8217;s Blood card game<\/u><\/a>, which we knew was <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-rebirth-card-game-queens-blood-will-be-enhanced-for-ff7-remake-part-3\"><u>making a \u201cpowered-up\u201d comeback<\/u><\/a> for the final chapter in Square Enix\u2019s remake trilogy.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">&#8220;From the very beginning, Queen\u2019s Blood wasn\u2019t designed to be just a mini\u2011game, but rather a strong, standalone gameplay experience within the world of Rebirth,&#8221; he said. &#8220;As players progress through their open-world RPG journey, an early focus for us was finding ways to integrate immersive moments, even during shorter stretches of play. A trading card game was one answer to that, and we paid special attention to ensure that everything \u2014 including its strategic depth and interplay \u2014 didn\u2019t feel half-baked.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Last month, Hamaguchi opened up about what to expect when Part 3 eventually comes out, hinting that we&#8217;ll get <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-remake-part-3-director-reveals-gameplay-mechanics-and-locations-fans-can-expect\"><u>new gameplay mechanics and locations, some of which we have yet to visit in the remake series<\/u><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The director also recently teased that the <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-7-remake-director-issues-update-on-part-3-progress-and-reveals-clouds-iconic-buster-sword-was-almost-resized-to-make-it-more-realistic\"><u>&#8220;core game experience is almost complete,&#8221;<\/u><\/a> and while he &#8220;really want[s] everyone to play it as soon as possible,&#8221; the team has now moved on to &#8220;refining and polishing.&#8221; He also <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/final-fantasy-remake-series-going-multiplatform-will-not-lower-quality-of-part-3-director-insists-while-acknowledging-fan-concern\"><u>recently discussed the impact of expanding the platforms on which the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is available<\/u><\/a>, insisting that going multiplatform &#8220;will not in any way lower the quality of the third instalment.&#8221; <\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world&#8217;s biggest gaming sites and publications. She&#8217;s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/vixx.bsky.social\" class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>BlueSky<\/em><\/a><em>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Hang in there, Final Fantasy fans \u2014 Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi has popped up to assure us that the eagerly-anticipated third instalment is &#8220;proceeding on time and on schedule.&#8221; This would possibly be more comforting if we knew what, exactly, the schedule was \u2014 Hamaguchi is playing his cards very [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1908641","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908641","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1908641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908641\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1908641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1908641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1908641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}