One of the key elements of the game development process that makes it different from various other jobs is that you invest a lot of time into the game you’re making, then it’s done, and you move on to the next game project. Depending on the game, it might take a while to get done, but “the end” is always in view, and you then prepare for what comes next. In the case of the Final Fantasy VII Remake games, director Naoki Hamaguchi has been with the project for quite some time and is still working on the third and final part of the project right now.
As such, when asked about “what’s next” in a recent interview with GamerBraves that was posted on YouTube, he made it clear that what he would NOT be doing is another remake saga:
“I have received a lot of voices from fans to make a Final Fantasy VI Remake. But because I have been involved in the Final Fantasy VII remake project for now about 10 years from start to finish, and now finally basically seeing the end of the tunnel.”
Yeah, it’s been a long road just to get these three games made, and it has been anything but easy on multiple levels, and we don’t even know how the third and final entry will be received by fans and critics.
That’s not to say Naoki is opposed to the 6th game being remade, which has been a fan request for some time, but rather, he feels someone else should take the reins for it:
“So rather than myself heading another remake project, I would rather see maybe a new creator come in and put myself in the support section to sort of cheer them on rather than being the one to head a new remake project.”
That’s a fair thing to ask, and it’s also something that highlights Naoki’s nature, as he’s clearly unselfish with this kind of thing and wouldn’t mind seeing one of the younger members of Square Enix get the chance to “step up” and see just how far they can push things within the span of their own creativity. For the record, this does NOT confirm the 6th game is getting remade, but it is nice to think about.
Hopefully, whatever Hamaguchi does next will make him happy, and just as hopefully…won’t take him a decade or more to get done. Just saying!
