This interview has been edited for clarity.
Navigating the space between nostalgia and innovation is tricky work, especially for a seminal work like Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII. Following its debut nearly three decades ago, the beloved role-playing game (RPG) has grown into one of the most respected gaming icons, with its charm persisting into the modern landscape.
Part of the longevity can be attributed to various interest renewal efforts over the years, from enhanced ports on different platforms to multimedia projects, but 2020’s high-definition remake arguably has the most bearing on its return to the spotlight. It’s not quite the same experience from memory – change is a constant, after all, and as the franchise continues to shift from traditional turn-based gameplay to real-time action, so did the original formula.
The team eventually settled on a mix of both elements for Final Fantasy VII Remake, which is getting another lease of life on the Nintendo Switch 2 next year. Instead of the base title, though, the port will be that of FFVII Remake Intergrade, an enhanced version for the PlayStation 5 released in 2021 that includes a bonus adventure starring Yuffie Kisaragi, and ships with new features like Streamlined Progression.
Building on director Naoki Hamaguchi’s explanation of integrating Streamlined Progression, as shared in a previous interview during this year’s Tokyo Game Show, battle director Teruki Endo highlights that it was designed to support different play styles, and still retain the battle excitement and “overall sense of action” even with the reduced technical depth.
“Offering players a choice in how they want to enjoy the elements – it’s not something that undermines the essence of the battle system,” he shares with select Southeast Asian media at gamescom asia X Thailand Game Show 2025. “Also, one of our key goals was to make the early part of the series earlier to get into, so that more players can enjoy all three titles.”
As of now, the last instalment of the planned trilogy has no release date or title, and like last year’s Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is expected to introduce original narrative content and new gameplay mechanics. It helps that the goal for the first title was centred around “establishing a solid foundation and an action system that could naturally incorporate strategy command elements,” eliminating the need to rethink or review the core system in the sequel – following some tweaks made along the way.
Citing the start of development on Yuffie’s outing, Episode Intermission, Endo looks back on how the ninja’s play style came about after experimenting with various approaches that involved shifting the focus on balancing action and command strategy to more of the latter, without changing the action-based system:
“According to the first experiment, Yuffie ended up being slightly stronger in performance as compared to the four main characters from Remake. But since we were already planning to bring the other characters up to match her in Rebirth, we didn’t worry about that and instead, focused on making Episode Intermission a fun experience.”
The result is a versatile fighter who can attack both in close-range and long-range, allowing her to easily switch between different damage-dealing roles at any given point during battles, with low durability being the trade-off. Yuffie’s tailor-made kit sets it apart from that of Cloud, Tifa, Barret, and Aerith, each with different strengths and roles to play in combat – the Buster Sword wielder, for instance, excels in dealing raw damage with wide area-of-effect and enemy counterattacks, while Tifa’s martial arts-focused fighting style uses punches and kicks. In contrast, the latter two work best at a range, armed with gatling gun attacks, plus magic and healing capabilities, respectively.
As the battle director puts it across, “Every character in the game has their personality and charm, and we’re sure that as you play, you’ll find someone who really resonates with you, a character you can truly care about and connect with. We’ve worked hard to make each of their individuality stand out, not just through the story, but also in the battles.”
The distinctive flair also extends to other characters in FFVII Remake Intergrade, such as Turk members Reno and Rude, whose abilities were on full display during a showdown against Cloud and friends in Chapter 12, which Endo regards as his favourite boss fight. Where the former is defined by evasive movements, the latter relies on guarding, and the title puts players through solo encounters with each of them first, before a combined fight against them simultaneously.
“They move a lot during the battle, so the way the fight unfolds changes dynamically, almost like an action sequence,” Endo explains, adding that he “really enjoyed the process of planning how to approach each shot and adapt on the fly”.
As for the not-so-major encounters, he gives a special shout-out to the Airbuster sequence, in which the party is split into one and two members, before the trio comes together in a slightly unconventional clash along a T-shaped corridor.
The action combat specialist shares, “In the final phase, the Airbuster takes flight, moving closer and farther away, which forces you to rethink your strategy on the spot. The dramatic shifts in the situation tied in well with the battle strategy, making it a really enjoyable encounter.”
With the trilogy coming to a close, anticipation and curiosity about the forthcoming threequel continue to be on the rise. While Endo is unable to share anything at this juncture, he offers his opinion on the future direction of combat in the RPG genre:
“Speaking for myself, I don’t really see games through the lens of turn-based or action-based. For me, when a new game comes out, the system is simply a result of pursuing what makes that particular project fun or challenging. I personally love both turn-based and action battles, and as a developer, I don’t feel tied down by the genre.”
It’s never too late to start on a new journey, and the FFVII Remake Intergrade port for the Nintendo Switch 2 looks to recreate a similar experience for on-the-go play. Just a word of friendly advice for first-timers – don’t go swinging into Don Corneo’s Colosseum without proper preparation.
“We got feedback that Hell House was extremely difficult,” he remarks sheepishly, referring to the infamous, multi-stage battle in Chapter 9. “Sorry, sorry. Maybe we did it too much!”
Cue roaring laughter from all in attendance.
FFVII Remake Intergrade comes to the Nintendo Switch and Xbox Series X|S on 22 January 2026.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
