As Square Enix revels in the critically acclaimed release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the PlayStation 5 on February 29, the development team is currently basking in the praise and glory following a job well done. But this is a temporary reprieve.
According to the insights shared with The Washington Post, FF7 Rebirth Game Director Naoki Hamaguchi has revealed that the development for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is well underway, with significant advancements already achieved.
Apparently, a key focal point for the threequel is the integration and enhanced role of the Highwind, the iconic airship from the original Final Fantasy 7.
The Highwind, known for its critical role in the latter part of the original game, will receive a more prominent place in the remake trilogy’s concluding chapter. The airship facilitated exploration on a grand scale in the 1997 classic, allowing players to traverse the vast world with freedom previously unseen in the narrative. Hamaguchi’s intention to spotlight the Highwind doubles down on the expansion of exploratory elements and an open-world experience that transcends the ambition of FF7 Rebirth.
It makes sense as well for the Highwind to take a more prominent role in FF7 Remake Part 3. The party’s chief pilot, Cid Highwind, joins in FF7 Rebirth but he isn’t a playable character. Like Vincent, Cid’s time as part of the party will have to wait until the third game.
While it’s only natural for fans to express concern about burnout and high development costs following the recent developments – Square Enix going through a rough financial patch didn’t help at all – franchise producer, Yoshinori Kitasi, credited Hagamuchi for a relatively seamless transition in the development between the first and second game. Kitase is hinting at a similarly smooth process for the third game, emphasizing that the continuity in the game won’t suffer from potential delays.
Finally, Kitase highlighted the advantages of focusing development on one platform, a decision that enabled the creation of FF7 Rebirth‘s massive map. This strategy will carry over to the third entry, with Hamaguchi expressing his desire to recreate the expansive exploration facilitated by the Highwind in the game. The studio’s commitment to single-platform development has allowed for a level of polish and detail that might have been compromised had the game been developed for multiple platforms.
The Highwind in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 promises to elevate the remake trilogy’s exploration mechanics to new heights.
With the franchise’s history of delivering engaging stories and immersive gameplay, the final chapter should offer a fitting conclusion to this epic now-multi-dimensional saga.
In the same interview, it was revealed that the third installment will remain exclusive to PlayStation but the entire trilogy technically isn’t.
