Square Enix recently announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will be coming to Switch 2 and Xbox–and with it, new “streamlined progression features.” These are essentially cheats that let players skip the grind and finish the game much more quickly. The idea is to make the experience smoother and more accessible, especially for people playing it for the first time.
The decision to add these features came directly from game director Naoki Hamaguchi. In an interview with (and translated by) Automaton, he explained that he pushed hard for their inclusion. His reasoning? He believes players should have the freedom to enjoy games however they want, whether that’s taking their time or speeding through the story.
“Naturally, when we announce features like these, we get responses like, ‘This is sacrilegious!'” Hamaguchi said. “Even within the dev team, there are people who feel that way. But unless someone takes the initiative, it doesn’t happen.”
He went on to add that in today’s world of digital entertainment, giving players options is key. “I personally believe that, with digital entertainment today, the player should have the choice in how they interact with content. That’s why I pushed for it.”
Hamaguchi also pointed out that these features can significantly shorten playtime, condensing a 40-50 hour game down to under 10 hours. He said the timing made sense because Remake is already a few years old, and the goal is to help new players catch up before the final part of the trilogy arrives. “If we were to add [progression features] to the third installment at launch, it would probably spark controversy. We’d risk disrupting the experience for fans who have been waiting the longest and deserve to enjoy it the most.”
It should be noted that progression features are also coming to PS5 at some point. Square Enix has already confirmed that they’ll be implemented alongside with a future update.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is also currently in development, and despite Rebirth’s disappointing sales, Hamaguchi said the saga will conclude with a “proper, high-quality” finale. It hasn’t been formally revealed yet, but Final Fantasy producer Tetsuya Nomura recently said that Square Enix knows exactly when it will officially reveal the game.
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