Story originally published on 28th April.

Update: added new translations regarding Final Fantasy VII Remake sequel’s state.

With Final Fantasy VII Remake being a critical darling everywhere, many of us are waiting on for the eventual sequel. Square Enix producer Yoshinori Kitase clarified that the sequel (or Remake Part 2) will continue as the original FFVII always have.

Here’s a quote from the Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania book (translated via Twitter):

“We’re not drastically changing the story and making it into something completely different than the original. Even though it’s a Remake, please assume the story of FF7 will continue as FF7 always has.”

In addition, director Tetsuya Nomura said that the company plans to launch future sections of Final Fantasy VII Remake in smaller and more detailed chunks in order to “speed up the development process”. Which means we may be exploring the town of Kalm, Nibelheim, and Gongaga soon enough. Or maybe fight the Midgar Zolom in an epic 3-part battle. This will depend “on how many parts the overall story will be.”

“If we divide the story into large parts, it’ll take longer to make. If we divide it into more detailed smaller sections, then developing it will be faster. I hope to release the next one as soon as possible.”

Co-director Motomu Toriyama, Naoki Hamaguchi, and battle director Teruki Endo added that they are in the current stages of planning the sequel, which means “nothing is solid yet”.

“The Remake’s first installment was centered in Midgar,” said Toriyama. “However, the next installments will take place in areas that to be honest I’ve forgotten about, so I’ll have to rewatch gameplay to revisit them. For example, after the characters leave Midgar, how exactly did they end up in Kalm again?”

Hamaguchi said that they will have to consider reimagining the world map from the original game.

“We would like to have the next game allow the player to experience the vast world of FFVII. However, if we are to create a large world, we have to consider how exactly we can do so while also telling a dramatic story.”

Endo said that he would like to be more involved in the game as a whole and contribute new game designs to the Final Fantasy series. “Within this story-driven gameplay, I would like to challenge myself into making better gameplay elements.”

In case you’re wondering what the fuss is about, check out our review of Final Fantasy VII Remake. I said in my glowing review that the game is a successful experiment that blends the old game’s narrative with new gameplay and battle mechanics fit for a 2020 game.