There have been some stark differences between the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy and the original game thus far, and the conclusion could be another place where creative liberties are taken. That said, don't expect any hints from overseer Naoki Hamaguchi, who's playing coy in the hopes people choose to just enjoy the journey instead.
"I have never told any media outlet about what kind of ending Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will have," he tells Automaton.
"I don't want people to focus just on the ending," he adds. "I’m aiming to create a game that will make people feel 'I'm glad they made the Remake series,' or 'I'm glad I was able to see the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series through to the end' when they look back on the whole trilogy."
Considering he and his team will have one PlayStation release into three blockbuster games on modern hardware, I can understand his perspective. That's a decade-plus of development, redesigning, and restructuring the narrative to offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, all while celebrating and maintaining the legacy of a game that shook the industry.
But as we approach the third and final installment, the big question is: Should we expect it to end like the 1997 version, or is Hamaguchi planning the curveball of curveballs? He's saying nothing.
"The ending might be fully faithful to the original, or it might end up being something completely different," he explains. "Or perhaps, it might go in a direction no one could have imagined in the first place. I’d like everyone to experience it for themselves."
Those are big words. The climax of Final Fantasy 7 is right up there when it comes to memorable scenes in the sci-fi adventure. I'd probably place it third behind Sephiroth burning Nibelheim and the death of Aerith in set-pieces that always give me goosebumps.
I mean, Cloud doing Omnislash? And then the lifeforce coming to protect the planet? It's pure cinema. I can't see your final limit break being removed - it's just such a perfectly timed moment - but Hamaguchi hasn't done me wrong yet. I trust him, and I'm ready for what Revelation has to offer.
