Summary
As the trend for video game remakes continues and many of those remakes find themselves failing to deliver,Final Fantasy 7 Remakeand its sequel,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, are undoubtedly some of the best examples of what a video game remake is supposed to be. While these two games have taken plenty of liberties in certain areas in order to offer players a more modern experience, they are still both celebrated for their effortless ability to breathe fresh life into what is widely considered thebestFinal Fantasygameof all time. Even so, despite the glowing reputation of these titles, Square Enix might want to consider a different route for future remakes.
After seeing what Square Enix has been able to accomplish withFinal Fantasy 7 RemakeandFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it would be perfectly understandable for one to desire more of the same when it comes to other beloved games in theFinal Fantasyfranchise. However, there remains an argument for the approach that Square Enix has taken with remakingFinal Fantasy 7to come to an end once the third and final entry of theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy has been released. Specifically, for time’s sake and for the sake of remaining as faithful as possible to classicFinal Fantasygames, future remakes should tread a different path.
Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake Approach Should End After Part 3
Future Final Fantasy Remakes Should Adopt a Simpler Approach for Time’s Sake
Firstly, it would be wise for Square Enix to leave theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeapproach behind for future remakes simply for time’s sake. If the developer were to use the same method for futureFinal Fantasyremakes, many of the series' veteran fans might be long gone by the time their favorite installment is remade. For context,Final Fantasy 7 Remakewas released in 2020, withFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthfollowing it in 2024. If the same timeline applies for the third entry in theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy, it won’t arrive until 2028 at the latest.
For time’s sake and for the sake of remaining as faithful as possible to classicFinal Fantasygames, future remakes should tread a different path.
After that, the first installment of the nextFinal Fantasyremake potentially wouldn’t launch until 2032, with the final entry in that trilogy being released in 2040. Not only would that be 15 years from now, that would still only see one additionalFinal Fantasyremake made, and since there are plenty ofFinal Fantasygames worthy of a remake— likeFinal Fantasy 6,Final Fantasy 8, andFinal Fantasy 9— theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeapproach to developing these games would just take far too long.
Future Final Fantasy Remakes Might Benefit From More Faithfulness
Another reason Square Enix might want to consider leaving theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeformat behind is slight criticism the first two games of the trilogy have received for their deviations from the original game. For example, bothFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeand its sequel have taken notable liberties when it comes to the original game’s narrative by altering key plot points, and they have also portrayed the originalFinal Fantasy 7’s charactersand their relationships with one another in a different life, resulting in some heated debates among fans of the franchise.
If Square Enix were to depart from theFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeformat, it might make it easier for remakes to remain more faithful to their classic counterparts. Of course, manyFinal Fantasy 7newcomershave likely not had much to hold against the remakes due to their lack of a history with the original game, which is something Square Enix has certainly had to consider when developing theFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketrilogy. Nevertheless, there is more than enough reason for the nextFinal Fantasyremake (assuming there will be one) to approach its development in a way that produces a better representation of the original experience it intends to overhaul.
