The sequel toFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill be eschewing some of its predecessor’s difficulty, and that’s a very good thing to hear. Learning from the past has been a core tenet of theFF7 Remaketrilogy from the start, both in how its story builds on that of the original PlayStation game and how the gameplay of each installment evolves from the one before it.FF7 Rebirthalready marked a considerable shift fromFF7 Remakewith its larger scope and new features, and that trend of evolution seems set to continue with the upcomingFF7 Remake Part 3.
WhileFF7 Remake Part 3has yet to be formally announced or given an official title, it’s no secret that the game is coming in the near future, and some promising details have already begun to emerge. That’s in large part thanks to Naoki Hamaguchi, the director ofFF7 Rebirth, who has been willing to share some of his personal insights on the trilogy’s development and what to expect from the upcoming entry. Specifically, he’s explained how he feels thatone aspect ofRebirthin particular was too hard and how this difficulty needs to be addressed inPart 3.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Is Dialing Back The Platinum Difficulty
The Director Of FF7 Rebirth Has Promised A Change
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwas lauded by criticsat launch and has been heralded as one of thebest games of 2024. Despite picking up numerous awards and nominations, including a Game of the Yearnomination at The Game Awards 2024,FF7 Rebirthisn’t a perfect experience, and even its own director agrees that there are a couple of dark spots on the otherwise impeccable remake. Speaking toDaily Star, Hamaguchi discussed some of the things that he hopes to do differently forFF7 Remake Part 3in response toRebirth’s reception:
I think there is one other thing actually, which I can say was a mistake on my part, something that I’ve already apologized for - and I definitely will not do again, which is how difficult I made it to get the Platinum Trophy. So rest assured I have learned from that and in future I will not be making Platinum Trophies that difficult.
While an actual apology for something like this may seem superfluous, it’s one made with very good reason in this case. A Platinum Trophy, the award given to those who have collected all the other Trophies in a PlayStation game, marks the ultimate achievement for any player seeking to prove their dedication.FF7 Rebirth’s Platinum Trophy has become widely derided as one of the most aggravating in recent gaming historydue to the unreasonably high degree of difficulty in attaining it.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Needs To Fix Rebirth’s Biggest Pacing Problem
Square Enix will have to curtail its tendencies of excess if Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s concluding story is going to stick the landing.
Hamaguchi’s statement here is a pretty clear indication that the developers have their ears to the ground as they proceed full speed ahead intodevelopment onFF7 Remake Part 3, and it promises that changes are coming. It paints a promising picture ofPart 3as a game that can follow inRebirth’s footsteps while learning from its mistakes. For completionist players, the thought of an easier Platinum inFF7 Remake Part 3will elicit a deep sigh of relief, especially from those who have attempted the feat already inFF7 Rebirth.
FF7 Rebirth’s Platinum Doesn’t Respect The Player’s Time
Tedious Grinds And Unfair Challenges Don’t Make For Engaging Gameplay
The biggest knock againstFF7 Rebirth’s Platinum is the merciless demand it places upon the player’s time. While a normal playthrough ofFF7 Rebirthtypically clocks in at around forty to fifty hours, attempting to earn all the game’s Trophies can take upwards of two hundred hours or more. That’s a hefty commitment for any game, but the time investment might not seem so bad if it was at least fun; unfortunately,earningFF7 Rebirth’s Platinum Trophy isn’t very fun.
In contrast withFF7 Remake’s linear world,Rebirthoffers more of an open-world experience with more opportunities for exploration, side quests, and minigames. Many of the game’s Trophies are tied to these optional challenges, and the glut of content means that earning the Platinum Trophy quickly turns from a test of the player’s skills to a test of how much time they’re willing to spend grinding through everything. Exploring an open world should feel like going on a grand adventure, butearning all ofRebirth’s Trophies feels more like doing chores.
FF7 Remake Part 3 Needs To Learn From FF7 Rebirth’s Worst Location
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth nails a lot of elements, but one of its weakest segments highlights one of the worst tendencies that needs to be corrected.
In addition to requiring hours of grinding, the tasks required forFF7 Rebirth’s Trophies are also maddeningly difficult. The endgame VR combat missions are a brutal meatgrinder without checkpoints that can quickly eat through hours of playtime without any meaningful progress being made. Even seeing everything thatRebirthhas to offer isn’t enough, as the Platinum Trophy requires players to beat the game on Hard Mode, which is only unlocked after completing it on a lower difficulty first.The whole experience is an unreasonable time commitmentthat asks far too much while offering far too little in return.
FF7 Remake Part 3’s Platinum Trophy Should Still Be Challenging
Achieving The Ultimate Prize Can Be Both Tough And Rewarding
Just becauseFF7 Remake Part 3’s Platinum will be easier thanRebirth’s doesn’t mean it should be a walk in the park. The main thrust ofPart 3’s Platinum should be on challenging content that remains a consistent and interesting part of the overall experience, not something that feels segregated into its own little corner. That might mean a lessened focus onRebirth’s plethora of minigames, a point that Hamaguchi also touched on in his interview, but doing so would pave the way for a tighter, more focused experience overall.
FF7 Rebirth Created A Huge Combat Problem For FF7 Remake Part 3
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth evolves the combat of Remake in some interesting ways, but doing that again is going to come with a major set of challenges.
FF7 Remake Part 3has already been set up to have everything it needs to be a great game: beloved characters, finely-tuned mechanics, and an unforgettable story, and those are the things its Trophies should focus on. There can be true challenges found in the course of exploring a well-crafted world and overcoming the enemies found along the way.FF7 Remake Part 3’s Trophy list doesn’t need to be bloated with repetitive challengesthat only serve to artificially lengthen an already satisfying experience, and the endless gauntlets of brutal enemy fights should remain a thing of the past.
Earning a Platinum Trophy represents a game’s highest honor, and it should be a moment filled with triumph rather than just a sense of relief that it’s finally over. It’s an accomplishment that puts players in an elite club of those who have conquered every challenge the game has to offer, but that club might be a ghost town if the challenges in question were to remain as unreasonable as whatFF7 Rebirthdemanded. Hopefully,Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3’s Platinum Trophy will still be a difficult, yet rewarding process without becoming an unfair one.
Source:Daily Star
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is the sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake and will see Cloud and his friends set off beyond the walls of Midgar to explore the world, stop Sephiroth’s machinations, and see the world outside their slum prison. Now that the whispers of fate no longer guide the characters along the pre-destined path set in the original PlayStation classic Final Fantasy 7, the heroes (and villains) will shape the future. The game will still visit prominent locales and revisit crucial story points, but it will be a more significant departure from the first game from the source material.
