Update: Hironobu Sakaguchi has since responded to the backlash his initial tweet has caused, though I can't say it's likely to make many feel better.
Original story: In the age of generative AI, the creed of not believing everything you see on the internet is more important than ever. Recently, the creator of Final Fantasy himself was taken aback by what looked like an elaborate remake of a fan-favorite installment Final Fantasy 6.
A video of what appears to be a fully 3D version of Final Fantasy 6 is doing the rounds on Twitter. Though eye-catching at first, it soon becomes apparent it's from gen-AI and not human hands. But the first impression was enough to draw in Hironobu Sakaguchi, the legendary JRPG developer who masterminded the series, who shared the clip on his personal account.
According to a machine translation, he incredulously asks what the video is, and seems pleasantly shocked by the contents. He perhaps thought it was some fan project to revamp the game that was showing off the work so far. Not the case, and another stalwart of Japanese game development replied to burst Sakaguchi's bubble.
Akitoshi Kawazu, a designer on the first couple of Final Fantasies who went on to direct the SaGa series, responded by telling Sakaguchi to hold his horses because it's an AI creation. He adds an anecdote about meeting someone who loves the sixth entry, and adds that he thinks a remake of Final Fantasy 6 would go down well.
I would wholeheartedly agree. Set against an arms race for magic amid a renewed industrial revolution, Final Fantasy 6 contains some of the biggest themes and finest writing across the whole franchise. The cast is large and varied, and it's got a distinct visual flare.
Although the PlayStation re-release in 1999 added CG cut-scenes, the gameplay has always been 16-bit, including the modern remasters on Switch, PX5, and Xbox Series X/S, causing it to be over-shadowed by the more technically impressive entries of the late-'90s on. A Final Fantasy 7-type project would be immense, but there's huge potential in a 2.5D remake too, and since Square Enix is keen to explore more of the IP, this would be a savvy move.
But if that happens, it should have nothing to do with the teaser Sakaguchi shared. At least he learned something about what Twitter has to offer nowadays.
