Some interesting information for Final Fantasy VII Remake has been revealed; including the fact the next installment is already in development.

The news comes via a blog post on the official Square Enix website, with major staff discussing the remake. Tetsuya’s segment discussed how he sought to remake the game as early as the completion of Dirge of Cerberus- acting as the “fifth and final entry” in the “compilation.” This lasted a year before moving onto other projects, though he “never stopped thinking about VII.”

Tetsuya then discussed the current game itself, particularly the size of the game. This is due to not only because the game will be divided up into four parts, but the first part is set entirely in Midgar. “Opportunities for discussing our true intentions are few,” Tetsuya stated. “But with regard to the size of the game that many are asking about – there’s no reason at all to worry. Even in this Midgar portion alone, the density and volume are so great that I had to give directions to lighten them.”

This was partly elaborated upon when discussing new characters. While Tetsuya reiterated there would be no new main characters, additional NPCs “ended up growing considerably in the process of creating a rich depiction of Midgar.” 

Tetsuya also revealed there would be new bosses, as well as dismissing what some people may suspect would be the first part’s final boss. “When you think of Midgar’s final boss, you probably think of the M.O.T.O.R., but in this game new bosses will appear and add to the excitement of the story even more.”

Finally, Tetsuya revealed work had already begun on the game’s next installment, though progress on the current game was not revealed.

“We’ve already begun working on the next one as well, but I’m confident that playing through this title will expand your expectations just like the world that extends beyond Midgar.”

Also revealed for the Final Fantasy VII Remake is new co-director Naoki Hamaguchi, as well as a bevy of new details and screenshots for the Turks, Avalanche, Chocobo and Moogle summons, and more.

Other major staff also shared their thoughts. Story and scenario writer Kazushige Nojima (from Stellavista Ltd.) discussed how the remake allowed him to carefully consider what Cloud had been through up to that point, and how he “was a young man with fiery features, looking straight at me through the screen with aggression in his eyes.” This allowed him to craft new dialogue based on this.

Kazushige also expressed fears how with the game’s improved graphics, the team could now show moments players had to use their imagination for- something that each player could imagine differently.

“It was an exciting task to introduce a new current of wind to FINAL FANTASY VII, but at the same time, there was some fear. The original game used cartoon-like, stylised art, and the story was completed by players using their imagination to supplement portions that couldn’t be depicted as a result. Even if they were seeing the same scene, the information they took away from it and how they interpreted it differed depending on the viewer. Perhaps it’s what might be considered a narrative form of storytelling nowadays.

In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, there will be much less room for player imagination. This fact will probably change the feel of the story considerably. People who know the original might not know quite how to take it. Such is the fear that I have. But I also have conviction. It should be possible to feel a much deeper connection to Cloud as you join alongside him. It would be amazing if you could feel that fiery flame together with him.”

Motomu Toriyama (co-director of scenario design) discussed how he was a planner on the original game, and worked on the Sector 7 Slums and Wall Market- both places in Midgar (and therefore the first installment). While discussing the characters, Motomu also briefly discussed the changes coming to the Honey-Bee Inn, and the scene where Cloud attempts to cross-dress to infiltrate it.

“We took care to remake not only the main characters, but also characters like Johnny and the Shinra Middle Manager who I created back then. Please keep your eye out to see how they make their new appearances. Additionally, when remaking the Honey-Bee Inn at the Wall Market, we revived it is as a pantheon of entertainment, which couldn’t be realized back then. Here, the scene that many of you have been eager to see, where Cloud disguises himself. Please enjoy.”

For those unfamiliar, the original game depicted the Honey-Bee Inn as a thinly veiled brothel run by Don Corneo. Later, Cloud would attempt to infiltrate his mansion by disguising himself as a woman, so as to be selected as Corneo’s “bride” for the evening.

In an earlier interview with Famitsu, Nomura stated “The Honey Bee Inn cross-dressing event is still in the game. We’ve made it more modern. If we made the place like we did in the original game, the physical uneasiness would be overwhelming, so that was no good…” He also revealed that “The ethics department at Square Enix also said we had to tighten her chest so it doesn’t look unnatural during all the intense fighting.” This lead many to have concerns how certain scenes (be they sexual or violent) would be treated in the remake.

Looking at Motomu’s comment, the fact the Honey-Bee in is now “a pantheon of entertainment” opens up some possibilities. It may indicate the site now officially runs as something akin to a casino. It would not be out of place in a slum, act as an ideal way for Corneo to make money off the desperate and rich alike, and run far more illicit operations while the casino acts as a front. A casino would also allow for more minigames while the Golden Saucer is not accessible early in the first game. All of this is purely speculation on our part.

The TGS 2019 trailer also seems to show (at the 1 minute mark) Aerith approaching a building in glamorous clothes. This could be her approaching Corneo’s mansion, or the new Honey-Bee Inn. After, Aerith and Tifa seem to be teasing Cloud about something. This may indicate both help Cloud infiltrate the mansion, rather than just Aerith.

Final Fantasy VII Remake is launching for PlayStation 4 on March 3, 2020.