Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake’s third and closing entry continues to be years away, however Sq. Enix is actively growing no matter comes after 2024’s Rebirth. The sequel was notoriously minigame heavy, and whereas the Remake trilogy already felt prefer it was straining to make three games out of one, Rebirth’s reliance on minigames to pad the size actually pushed issues previous the restrict. Aside from its divisive ending, it’s in all probability essentially the most broadly derided a part of the sport, however it doesn’t sound like this criticism has deterred Sq. from this method.
In an interview with GamerBraves, Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi was requested about Rebirth’s inclusion of heaps of minigames, with interviewer Sean Lim noting that some gamers felt the onslaught interrupted the sport’s pacing. Hamaguchi mentioned that the staff’s intention was to not solely shake up what the participant was doing all through Rebirth’s prolonged runtime, but in addition pay homage to the unique Ultimate Fantasy VII, which had its justifiable share of minigames as nicely.
So, that’s not a singular drawback for Ultimate Fantasy VII Rebirth solely. Lots of video games, except for the principle theme and fundamental story development, even have the aspect video games and the minigames constructed into them. So, we don’t suppose we’re distinctive in that side. So while you’re enjoying the sport and also you’re going via the principle story development, in addition to the meant recreation design, you are likely to fall into this entice of getting the identical tempo. So, you are likely to get bored enjoying it. To type of fight this and preserve that contemporary feeling of going via the sport, that’s why we launched these minigames, to type of add a variety of expertise as you’re enjoying the sport, to maintain up the great rhythm, so to say. So we perceive while you introduce these completely different aspects, some individuals would play it and actually take pleasure in it, however some individuals would quite simply get on with the principle story. So it’s type of a calculated transfer on our half to incorporate all these completely different aspects of the sport. Whether or not it’s the quantity of minigames or the pacing [with which] we introduce them, so on the creator aspect, it’s type of one thing we’ve got taken into consideration after we do the sport design.
So the unique Ultimate Fantasy VII additionally had a lot of minigames, and it was very well-known for that. So, when [we] had been entrusted with doing the remake, [we] type of needed to maintain that spirit of the variety of play throughout the title, so that individuals can have a lot of completely different experiences the identical means they did with Ultimate Fantasy VII.
I can admire desirous to be true to the unique RPG’s minigames, however Rebirth’s apparent use of it as filler goes far past reimagining. It might be useful if every diversion was good, however they various from the great as hell Queen’s Blood card game to the notorious Cait Sith box throwing segment. Strolling via Rebirth’s open world was like making an attempt to cross a minefield the place essentially the most obnoxious, unskippable landmines had been ready for you should you stepped within the incorrect route.
Hamaguchi doesn’t say if this may persist into the subsequent Ultimate Fantasy VII Remake recreation, however he has mentioned elsewhere that the third recreation will be more concise, so hopefully meaning the minigames get dialed down a bit within the closing chapter. Or let Sephiroth strike me down.
