As much as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has garnered acclaim from fans and critics, so too has it spurred criticism of the Final Fantasy franchise, which many consider to have strayed from its roots. While Final Fantasy 7 Remake Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi is a big fan and would like to make something on a similar scale, he’s not quite in a position to do so.
Regarding game production and whether titles like Clair Obscur had an impact, Hamaguchi told GamesRadar via translator, “The cost involved in creating AAA games really has risen so much,” but that also influences “how complete and multi-faceted [the games] can be.”
For a triple-A title, he says, “Whatever direction you look at it, whatever element you take, it’s at a very high quality,” no doubt referencing Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and its sheer swathe of content. Comparatively, double-A games would “pick one aspect of one element and really push that and… take that to a high level.” It’s necessary, given their lower budget.
And while Hamaguchi “would love to try and make a game like that [AA], which is really focused on one area, pushing the boat out, and making that one aspect as fun as possible,” that would only happen if he “completely ignored the reality of it – the position I have in the company, what they want me to make, the requirements of my position and that kind of thing.”
Of course, he’s open to working with such developers in the future. “If I’ve got a chance to work together with some of the people who make these kinds of games, I think that’d be really great as well. So from an industry, I think it’s really healthy, and I like seeing those AAs coming.”
For the time being, he’s focused on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, which launches at an unknown date for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2 (and could receive DLC if the opportunity arises). Hamaguchi is also busy with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade for Xbox and Switch 2, out this January, followed by Rebirth. The latter lacks a release date, but at least he’s confident that Switch 2 players won’t face performance issues.
