‘Final Fantasy VII Remake’ director sets record straight on game’s progress

By Aaron Mamiit Published November 16, 2018

Details on the Final Fantasy VII Remake, particularly its release date, have been too few and far between for excited fans of the highly acclaimed RPG. It’s just about time for a few more tidbits about the project’s progress, and they come from none other than game director Tetsuya Nomura.

Nomura, in an interview with Famitsu at a recent Dissidia Final Fantasy event in Japan, talked about Square Enix and its projects. Most importantly for gamers looking forward to the Final Fantasy VII Remake, he clarified a misinterpretation regarding the project’s progress.

There were earlier reports that the Final Fantasy VII Remake was put on hold while Square Enix moved to prepare Kingdom Hearts III for its January 25, 2019 release date. This would have meant that the Final Fantasy VII Remake, already three years out from its E3 2015 announcement, will be further delayed.

Nomura, however, claimed that the anticipated delay was not official information. “As I said at E3, development is progressing favorably,” the game’s director said. He further clarified that it was Square Enix’s public relations team that was focused on Kingdom Hearts III, not the company’s developers, which makes sense as the launch of Kingdom Hearts III draws near.

Nomura added that the Square Enix PR department will then shift its focus to the Final Fantasy VII Remake, so there should be more information about the RPG coming by next year.

Final Fantasy VII Remake rumors claim that the game’s release date is sometime by 2020, but Square Enix has been very secretive about the project’s progress. The RPG was one of the biggest no-shows of E3 2018, fueling speculation that Square Enix may have announced the project too early at E3 2015. Final Fantasy VII fans are looking forward to more information about the remake next year at E3 2019, but with Sony deciding to skip the annual event, it will be up to Square Enix itself to whet the appetite of gamers.

Impatient fans of Final Fantasy VII may want to pick up the PlayStation Classic next month, as the $100 mini console will include the original version of the classic RPG alongside Grand Theft Auto, Metal Gear Solid, and Tekken 3, among its 20 pre-installed games.

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Like the best RPGs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets sidequests right

The mayor of Under Junon in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Among its many highlights, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes simple sidequests a lot more engaging than I had expected. Take an early-game sidequest called When Words Won’t Do. On a surface level, it’s a simple escort mission where players must get a dog from Under Junon to Crow’s Nest unscathed. I did not initially have high hopes for this sidequest due to the poor reputation of escort missions; thankfully, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth defied that fate. To make this optional content more worthwhile, Square Enix gave it a strong narrative backbone.

When Words Won’t Do is actually a story about parents struggling to let go of their kids. Under Junon’s mayor sends players on this quest to help her son and unborn grandchild, and Barrett wonders if he’ll ever be able to let Marlene go during the mission. That’s thematically fitting for an escort mission where you can’t keep something out of your sight.

Gaming

How long is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?

Cloud and his friends overlook a scenic field.

By expanding the Midgar section of Final Fantasy 7 into an entire game, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth finally takes us beyond the walls into the world beyond. This much larger swath of land to explore begs the question of just how big this game will be. Between all the open-world tasks, sidequests, and minigames awaiting in the Gold Saucer, could this game really be a 100-hour experience as was claimed? What if you just tried to focus on the main story to see what has or hasn't changed? We've played through the entirety of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth and can give you a good idea of just how long it will take you to reach this chapter's conclusion.

Note: We will not be spoiling any story details, but will list how many chapters there are.
How long is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth?

Gaming

The best ways to farm Gil in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Cait Sith dances in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Some say it's the Lifestream that makes the world go round in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, but we all know the real answer is Gil. Cloud may be on a quest to save the world from Sephiroth, but he's still a merc who wants to get paid for his efforts. Plus, there are a ton of expensive items to gather up on your journey, such as Materia, Accessories, Armor, and Queen's Blood cards. You'll need some very deep pockets if you want to buy everything that catches your eye, but Gil isn't the easiest thing to come by. We've done all the odd jobs and activities around Gaia to give you the best ways to grind for Gil in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.
Best ways to farm Gil
Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth introduces a ton of new activities, minigames, and quests that didn't exist in Remake. That means there are a lot more ways to earn Gil than ever before, but also a lot that are a waste of time compared to others.
Get your steps in

Even when you get yourself a Chocobo to ride around on, there's no getting around how much running you will be doing. Whether it's in one of the dungeons or towns where you can't take your mount, part of a quest that keeps you on foot, or if you just like exploring the old-fashioned way, Cloud will be getting more than his fair share of steps in. So why not get paid for your efforts? The Pedometer Pin is an accessory that automatically pays you 1 Gil for every 100 steps taken. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, but that number will build up fast when running around. Plus, it's free money you'd otherwise be leaving on the table. The best part is you don't need to sacrifice a valuable accessory slot on Cloud, or even anyone in your active party, to get the benefits. So long as the person who has it equipped is available to be in your party, not necessarily currently in it, you reap the rewards.
Sword for hire
Sidequests pay well in Rebirth for the most part. There aren't a ton of them compared to most open world games, so they all tend to be worth your while in one way or another. Visit every new town's notice board and snag all the requests whenever possible. You won't know exactly what reward you're going to get until it's said and done, but you should expect at least a couple thousand Gil for your efforts in most cases.
Get crafty