Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director calls the original JRPG a “difficult title to get into today,” but hopes the sequel can be a better starting place

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s director doesn’t think the original classic is a good starting place for series newcomers.

In an interview with GadgetMatch during Thailand Game Show 2023, director Naoki Hamaguchi expressed that Final Fantasy newcomers might have heard the names “Cloud” and “Sephiroth” before now, but directing those potential fans to 1997’s original wouldn’t make sense, hence the decision to develop a three-part remake.

“We understand that [Final Fantasy 7] is a difficult title to get into today,” Hamaguchi said, “but the game [Rebirth] is developed very meticulously, so it won’t feel unnatural when you start playing. All the tutorials will be there.” That’s a slightly surprising perspective since Rebirth is itself a sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but perhaps the upcoming game recaps prior events somehow. Either way, Hamaguchi reiterated that the team “created everything carefully so that even a new player can enjoy the game.”

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Long-time Final Fantasy 7 fans will surely appreciate the finer details even more, though. When asked about the infamous scene that scarred a generation - the scene that Rebirth will supposedly end on - Hamaguchi teased that “there will be a surprise in this version as well.” That’s either a hopeful hint or a dangerous warning to our other beloved party members.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake was so fresh (partly) because it was a meta pseudo-rumination on what it meant to return to a classic, and also because it commented on the original game’s events. It wasn’t simply a pure remake, so I’d certainly recommend checking out Final Fantasy 7 in preparation for Rebirth’s release. Plus, there's a reason the game influenced none other than Baldur's Gate - it's just plain good. Final Fantasy 7 has been ported to PC, modern PlayStation consoles, the Nintendo Switch, and Xbox consoles.

Check out our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preview for more on the anticipated sequel - or see our best JRPG picks for something to play in the meantime.

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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.