As one of the most praised RPGs of last year,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthhas represented a successful undertaking as the second entry in an entire trilogy reimagining the original PlayStation classic. With rumors surrounding future attempts at doing the same for otherFinal Fantasytitles circulating in recent months, the current trilogy might not be alone for long. When it comes to Square Enix revisiting subsequent games followingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it’s unclear whether splitting them up into multiple games will translate as naturally.
Following the release of the final installment in theFF7 Remakeproject, it’s possible that therumors of aFinal Fantasy 9remakecould come to fruition in the form of yet another multi-game production. Between the potential of that title andFF8, there are several possible routes that the studio could take to bring them into a new generation. While expanding on their depth by exceeding the bounds of a single release could offer similar quality to what’s now available, remaining more faithful to their directions might require a more concise approach.
Square Enix’s Focus Could Remain on Final Fantasy Remakes For Years to Come
Capitalizing on the Momentum of the FF7 Remake Saga
After years of fans requesting a return to the adventures of Cloud and friends, theline ofFinal Fantasy 7 Remakegameshas yielded a predictably high return with sales and reception. This came around the same time as a brand-new numbered entry premiered inFF16, demonstrating Square Enix’s ability to juggle multiple large development processes simultaneously. Considering how both ends of the greater franchise are performing overall, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the company remain on this path.
The massive resources needed to continuouslydevelop multipleFinal Fantasygamescould affect the release gaps between them, especially mainline releases. There’s achance ofFinal Fantasy 17not being seen until the next decade if remakes maintain their priority level afterFF7, but this circumstance also heavily depends on whether their pacing is broken up.
Weighing the Potential of Future Final Fantasy Remake Trilogies Versus Single Releases
Giving the Worlds of FF8 and Beyond the Same Expanded Treatment
They’re not as iconic on a surface level, but the titles that followedFF7have enough material to take up similar roles as flagship titles for multiple entries. To avoid completely revamping the art style of pixelated 2D entry from even further before, or risking redundancy with another outing in the more developed worlds introduced sinceFFX, two titles could make the most of another shot. There’s ahigh bar set for aFinal Fantasy 9remakethat would only be exacerbated by its fan-favorite status, but this could elevate Zidane to pop culture recognition.FF8’s Squall could arguably use that attention even more, with the “junction” system of that title likely being able to benefit heavily from being focused on for more than one game.
Achieving More Concise Timelines Through the Lessons of the FF7 Remake Project
It’s clear that the degree of quality on display inFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthequates tohow long Square Enix is takingon the overall saga, but this doesn’t have to mean that future attempts have to be such massive undertakings too. If the current engine and format can be translated so that production on further remakes can begin sooner rather than later, splitting them up into different outings runs the risk of dragging out relatively straightforward narratives for the sake of needlessly lingering in their worlds.
