‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ director Naoki Hamaguchi deliberately made the game’s ending controversial to boost anticipation for the third game in the series.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi deliberately made the game’s ending controversial to keep interest in the series high
The RPG - which was developed by Square Enix and is a reimagining of the studio’s 1997 title ‘Final Fantasy VII’ - is bookended by the gut-wrenching demise of Aerith, though ‘Rebirth’s head has now stressed he purposefully chose to include the bold ending as a way to ensure fans would continue debating how the trilogy would conclude with its upcoming sequel.
Speaking with Eurogamer, the director said: “There was a danger there, there was definitely a trap.
”With the original game, I was just a fan. I played the game when I was younger, and I've got my perspective on that scene as just a single fan.
“I felt if I made a decision - it has to go in this direction, we have to do it this way - that would very much make it a fan-driven thing.
“Maybe make it more like fan service. I kind of want to avoid doing that.”
While Hamaguchi admitted ‘Rebirth’s ending was controversial, the developer insisted the mixed reaction was “kind of the way we wanted it to go”.
He explained: “The important thing is that the player will wonder whether it's going to change or not.
“So if it was all exactly as it was in the original storyline, you'd know exactly what was coming: there'd be no anticipation, there'd be no excitement.
“For people who played the game, they'd know exactly what's coming next. It wouldn't really be a fun experience. It might be nostalgic, but it wouldn't be a fun experience.”