They finally confirmed it...

Let's go. Look at that. We will not reveal the answer until the end of the trilogy. Just said it himself because of course. Of course. Interview with Nintendo. I spoke honestly about what I can actually say regarding the philosophy behind the entire FF7 remake trilogy and its story. We're not giving you the answers until the end, dude. Sorry. Which is why the [ __ ] that they've been saying for years now has been literally not confirming [ __ ] Like one person says one thing and then somebody says something else and then one Ultimania says this and then some novella says that and then the director says this and the producer says that and then Omura says this and then it links up to Advent Children and actually it doesn't. And it's like, dude, this is intentional. Like, they're all talking before any of this [ __ ] happens because the whole point is that we want you to buy the final game to find out what actually happens. There was a sizable amount of conclusion that you could come to at the end of the first game. The vibes are kind of leaning in this direction, dude. Like, wo, this is really a sequel, dude. And what did the second game do? Oh, is it? And then anytime you tried to come to a sizable conclusion about well is it or is it not like or are we doing this or is it and then like it felt like it it rained it all in. Intentionally rained it all in. There was a point where any of the theory crafting gets to a certain point and then it immediately gets denounced by this thing happening. Red 13 does this. This character does that. They say this and it's like [ __ ] dude. What the hell? Felt specifically intentional where it's like you're not getting what you want right now. Including the death scene, bro. As soon as I realized they denied us the death scene, the burial, I was like, "Bro, this entire thing is here to save for the third game." They are literally cutting out key thematic moments that severely compromise the emotional integrity of its players to set up for something in part three. They specifically are just saying it now. Like, yeah, that's just what that's what's happening. You know what? Cool. That gets me more that gets me more excited. That actually gets me legit more excited that there are unanswered weird things that we just don't know. good. I don't want to know everything. I don't want to come to those conclusions. I think it's fun to have them. And it's fun to come to like interesting things of why things could get overwritten or why they won't or why it just continues on or whatever because we don't know what the hell is actually being said in here. Is it some saucy [ __ ] I'm almost done reading this stuff, man. I'm just actually, you know what? I'm back to reading this [ __ ] because there's a chance that FF7 final game might not get announced at Summer Games Fest. There's that could happen now cuz that might not be coming as early as we think. The concept of defying fate introduced in the remake game plays an important role. Would you say there are limits to how much story can deviate from the original? So, we're telling the story as a trilogy. It's essential to keep players engaged until the very end. For that reason, we've structured the narrative so that the central question whether the protagonist fates will truly change remains unresolved until the finale. Right? We're going to talk about this a little bit. Let me bring up the example. The red 13 date in FF7 Rebirth has a super good quote from Cloud in it. Whatever we have, I think the Whisperers took it from us when we left. Seems Arbiters of Fate can do whatever they want. So, you told us. Oh, did I? Huh? I wonder if this means we'll eventually forget they even exist. We'd be better off if we did. Frankly, there's no point in wasting our time worrying about fate if we can't change it. The fact that it zooms in on his mouth. Yeah. Okay. So, there's a counter idea here. The whole point of the previous game, they set up an idea and now there's a counter idea. This was this was the really cool idea in Subtext video, the thesis and the anti-thesis, right? Where you have this this idea that everything or things can change. [ __ ] can change or can they change, right? And in my opinion, like the final part, actually yes. Like usually that would mean actually no. Like that would be funny. I just think it'd be very funny if you promote this entire game of like or can it be changed? It can't. Like ah it's an interesting twist. Actually, no. It means nothing. I was like, "Oh, okay." Within this interview, this doesn't mean that everything can change. From the beginning, we decided that we couldn't compromise on the emotional core of characters. The reason FF7 has been so loved for so many years. Exactly. Like the characters are what we have envisioned for this [ __ ] forever. There's the hardest part and they nailed it. So the fundamental themes and story presented to players also can't change. That also makes sense. We can't we can't compromise what makes Final Fantasy 7 so good. The the themes and all that kind of [ __ ] that can't change, which technically hasn't yet, you know, which is very cool. There are elements that we've changed to create a pulse pounding sense of unpredictability and elements that allow those familiar for the original to be like this is truly FF7, which is me. And if we lean too heavily towards either one of these aspects, that simply wouldn't work. FS1 Rebirth isn't a game that blurs the line. It's a game where we deliberately chose to make change and preservation coexist while introducing the changes to shake up expectations. We protect the core that must remain until the very end. Yes, we believe this balance to be the most important aspect of the trilogy. Yes. You know what they have leaned into that in that aspect? You know what they've leaned into that [ __ ] dude? The themes of FF7 of characters like hiding who they are. The whole point of what made the old narrative so cool that you don't realize it when you're first playing it and then you analyze it a bit is that everyone is like hiding who they are. That is the same thing what happens to Sephro. Why why he loses his mind and goes in a different direction. He doesn't have friends to back him up and [ __ ] In FF7, Cloud literally has a support group to help him out through that [ __ ] of other people that are going through the same [ __ ] he is, which is why they ultimately win. You know, that alongside the themes of like life and death and all that kind of stuff. All that kind of stuff. Everybody has their trauma that they're dealing with. Everyone's dealt with some crazy [ __ ] and coming together is effectively what allows them to be stronger than the one guy who is singling himself out, which is Sepharoth, right? So, that's the OG FF7. Those are exponentially expanded on. Like those themes, those elements are way more way they they just commit to that [ __ ] super hard throughout this whole game. But they add a lot of other stuff, right? Which is like fate and being tied to the old story, being tied to the old destiny. Good. Is that what we should be going for? There's a moral gray area that's happening way more in the remake trilogy than the old one. Questioning, is this the right thing we should be doing? Are all the people in Shinra bad? Is trying to defy Destiny actually good? Like those kind of things where we're asking questions of this stuff. There's like a weird gray area. the planet in the ghee. Is Gaia is the planet in the live stream actually right? Were the Cetra actually good people? Like they sounds like they did some pretty [ __ ] up [ __ ] We'll see. I I actually really dig the new [ __ ] that they've added to this because to me it still feels very FF7 the same way that we were asking these questions and making these observations before about like the characters and why Cloud's such a good main character, why the cast is so good cuz everyone's dealing with this [ __ ] you know? When did you decide that Zack far would be a more prominent role in Rebirth? At what point was the project was that decision made? To be honest, like if you go back and look at FF7 Rebirth as a total with time now, Zach is effectively the most interesting thing that is happening in that game most of the time because the rest of the narrative is just following things one to one. Like mostly one to one, right? You just you're just kind of a world globe trotting adventure to the point where Aith is going to die. But Zack Zach is there to kind of throw you for a loop constantly of just like so where and how and what is happening with this dude and you still don't have an answer to that by the end of the game which is a little rough. There's aspects of him where he made significant changes compared to the original. Instead of conveying these shifts in worldview directly through dialogue or just explanations, we've taken the approach of allowing players to intuitively perceive them through Zach. Zach is a character whose mere presence naturally brings to the surface a different perspective in the world. Exactly as we just explained like he's the guy that throws everything us under. It's like what is going on here? That's precisely why in Rebirth we've incorporated him into the story in a way that maximizes his appeal. And of course this approach is maintained throughout the entire trilogy. In that regard, we hope you continue to see Zach's role in the story cuz we don't know where it's going. My assumption that the world that he has resided in right now is the same as the main party because that just seems interesting. So, and there's also a convergence of worlds that's also happening. That's what Sephro is doing. So, did that happen already? Is it happening? We don't know. We don't know if it took place if there is multiple worlds. That is the big what if. That is the thing where if anybody's trying to promote that they know what's going on, that [ __ ] has not been answered yet, dude. Are our characters in separate worlds? Is Cloud in a separate world where him and Aith are baristas? Is Cloud just in the same thing that's following the OG FF7? Is Zach in a completely different Like? Those things are not answered at all. And that's the whole mystery at the end of the game, too. Zach's presence was part of the concept from a very early stage. Since the original game, Sax has been Zach has become an enormously popular character through numerous FF7 spin-off titles, right? He was part of the concept of the remake series early on. Like even when they were first writing this [ __ ] out, Zach was going to be here. Are there hidden clues or foreshadowing elements in FF7 Rebirth that will only make sense when watching the complete trilogy? Oh, that's a good question. Oh, that is a good question. He says, "What I do know is that now that the end of the three-part remake project is in sight, I personally find myself reflecting once again on how the project as a whole will be received by players." Dude, we do we do this every time we talk about FF7 [ __ ] We go back and we look at stuff that's talked about. If you go back and you play remake now, [ __ ] changes, dude. Like, there is already weird [ __ ] that contextually is very different than what it was before. I've been involved with this project for over 10 years and during that time I've gained some strong sense of accomplishment knowing that we're heading towards a conclusion where I can confidently say I'm glad we made it this far. So they have said this, the devs seem to be pretty proud of their ending cuz they've mentioned this multiple times. They said that that an ending that's that's going to bring a greater sense of happiness, like a greater conclusion for characters. They have talked about this several times that they're really vibing with the the [ __ ] that they're cooking up for the ending of this thing. Okay. I believe this is the result of a carefully building of carefully building each installment including remake and rebirth step by step. That's why I'll be happy after playing the entire trilogy if you look at if you took the time to look back and revisit the previous titles if your experience changes depending on what you your context played them. I hope you enjoy those differences as well. It does like I they have successfully done that [ __ ] dude. I know not many people have gone back and played remake after rebirth. I haven't yet either, but I have gone back and looked at scenes and sequences from the perspective of of rebirth perspective. And it's like, oh [ __ ] that means something completely different now. Or that now leads to a situation where, oh, I don't have the same feelings I have about that that I had before. I thought that was something really interesting, and it was actually nothing. It was actually like leading towards just this. Mhm. That's weird. I'm already feeling those feelings that they're talking about. With so many fan theor theories circulating, was there any interpretations that surprised you or came closer than expected to your original intention? Damn, these are some funny ass questions. What surprised me was not whether or not a theory was correct, but how seriously the fans were delving and debating the premises and underlying meanings of the story, much more than I had anticipated. Ooh, this this this is a good quote because it also makes it feel like you guys are thinking about this more than we did. It's not that this is a good answer. You guys are thinking way too hard about this [ __ ] Oh no. However, I have no intention of evaluating those interpretations by saying that's right, that's close, or that's what was intended. The moment we start doing that, the story ceases to be an experience to be received and becomes a search for the right answer. In this remake project, we clearly presented the information that needed to be conveyed through a modern narrative. We deliberately left room for players to connect the dots and continue thinking for themselves. Okay, so they knew that we were going to be big thinking about this [ __ ] They were already aware of that. The decision to present this as a trilogy with each installment released separately is based on the idea that the story isn't meant to be concluded in a single experience. Praise the Lord. Good. but rather for players to engage with, including in the time leading to the release up to the next installment. We felt that especially after Rebirth. Dude, we deliberately left room for players to connect the dots and continue thinking for themselves. The decision to present it as a trilogy with each installment is based on the idea that the story isn't meant to be concluded and for players to engage with, including that time leading up to the release of the next installment. They literally designed the release of the games and the time in between to be theory crafted with. That was the whole point of it. People be big talking because now we live in a social media hive mind that is run by Elon [ __ ] Musk and everyone is at each other's throats making him a ton of goddamn money. Didn't think it would happen that way. But still, the fact that this has generated so much discussion amongst fans is to me a clear design that the design is working as we intended. Yeah. At what level of detail do you plan the emotional impact of iconic moments knowing that the fans already have very high expectations of the original game? Of course, we approach the creative direction of iconic scenes with utmost care. However, that care doesn't mean we hesitated to recreate them exactly as they appeared in the original work. Our fundamental approach is to use modern technology to enhance the subtle emotion nuances and details that could be could couldn't be expressed in the original. But because these are scenes many fans are familiar with, we aim to create an experience that feels both familiar and new. Yeah, there are things that happen in Remake and Rebirth that I think are worse than the original, and there are things that happen in Remake and Rebirth that I think are way better at several points. Like, it almost balances each other out. That balance feels good. Not everything has to hit every single highest high ever, but enough of it leads in us in directions that are like, "This is so good." Or like, "This is okay. This area is okay. These characters are okay, but this part is [ __ ] amazing. Oh my god." At the same time, we simply don't fill the gaps because we know the original work. We sometimes choose to prevent scenes or present scenes from a different angle. Deliberately subverting expectations in a positive way. We believe that leaving room for players to think this is how they've chosen to portray it is essential for creating emotional impact. The balance between respect for the original and willingness to explore new forms of expression is central to how we design each scene. Yeah, it's pretty clear, dude. The Tifa Gongaga mako reactor scene is not present in the original. And it's amazing. It's one of the coolest parts of the reilogy. The ghee being expanded upon is amazing. It adds way more depth to like the world and lore and narrative that was not present in the original. As a director, do you have a favorite character? Is it Tifa or Aerys? Damn, I get asked this question often, but personally, I've never This is is a smart answer, dude. I personally never made comments on this as my favorite. Every character has many fans, and I believe any unintentional bias in my words would be undesirable for both fans and the work. What I can honestly say is that after more than 10 years involved, there are times when I would have uh wonder if I've spent more times thinking about these characters and interacting with them than my own family. In that sense, for me, the characters aren't something I can separate individually. More than independent individuals, they are valuable presence presences close to a family, and the idea of classifying them does not occur to me. I think that's fair. That's actually a really cool thing because it's the part of the game. It's the part of the trilogy that they've hit the most. Not to hark back on the [ __ ] that I was saying. The reason I don't vibe as much, I love Advent Children. It's honestly one of my favorite [ __ ] movies, but there's a huge part of it I don't vibe with, and it's that most of it gets the characters wrong. That movie and the things that come after it have a very big disconnect on what I feel Final Fantasy 7 characters kind of were. Anyway, yeah, I completely agree with what he says, right? Yeah, I would I would like like one character more than the other, but still, I think, you know, the the important thing is that the cast feels so much better than they ever have. Like, it's it feels so much more connected. Now that the trilogy is nearing its conclusion, do you already have an idea what kind of game you'd like to create next? Oh, would you prefer to continue FF or continue uh something new? As the project nears completion, I want to meet the expectations of fans who desire even more depth in this world than its characters. At the same time, I am very aware of the need to consider how we expand the potential of the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole for the next generation. On the other hand, as a creator of these works that there's a demand for new and unique experiences that differ from what I've done, I'm also eager to face those challenges. While I may not be uh able to do everything at once, I'm not only a game director, but also the head of the studios within Square Enix. That's right, he got promoted. Looking ahead, the number of projects I oversee as a studio will likely increase. regardless of any form they take, I want to continue to deliver and engage experiences to fans that have high expectations. The fact that they immediately invited the Expedition 33 guys over was also really cool. Expedition 33 heavily influenced from OG FF7 and PS1 RPGs, like super influenced by it. So, the fact that it's not like they're completely close-minded to that [ __ ] that that they're open and discussing that is mad cool, dude. There are some things that I would love in Expedition 33 to be in part three of remake, right? And that's the cool part about this is that there's still one more game, dude. There's still more future to look forward to. That's what makes this so interesting. Yeah, that was a really good interview. There was some thoughtprovoking asked questions in there, dude. That might be one of my favorite ones so far. Going to really suck if we have to wait to the game awards to get a trailer on this [ __ ] though. Oh my god. Good thing I know Spanish. Lonza, the Final Fantasy 7 remake of Nintendo Switch 2. Sorry, I'm just going to read it like this and just and and just act like I know what it's