Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Defends Its So-Called Empty Content
While Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was praised for its magnificent world and extensive content, some players criticized it for being “unnecessarily long.” The game’s director, Naoki Hamaguchi, responded to comments, stating that the story structure and mission lengths in Rebirth were a deliberate choice. According to Hamaguchi, modern gamers tend to “rush through” games because they have so many options to choose from.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Rejects Criticism
Naoki Hamaguchi rejected criticism that some sections in Rebirth were unnecessarily long. The director stated, “The sections in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth aren’t longer than necessary. Players have access to so much content these days, which makes them feel like everything needs to be over quickly.” According to Hamaguchi, Rebirth’s pacing is deliberately slow to enhance the story’s emotional impact.
Much of the criticism centers on the game’s repetitive quests, overly long final chapter, and the forced feel of side activities. Many players, in particular, have labeled the scenes where Cait Sith carries the box and the Chocobo missions as “unnecessary padding.” Despite this, Hamaguchi maintains that these sections are important for character development and world-building.
The director also stated that they wanted to offer a more balanced pace in the third and final installment of the series: “In the final trilogy, we are planning the storyline and chapter distribution more tightly. We want to offer a more concise narrative while maintaining both the emotional intensity and playability of the game.”
Final Fantasy 7 Remake, released in 2020, expanded the original game’s first eight hours to 30 hours, a decision that was generally well-received. However, Rebirth’s 50-plus-hour runtime proved a test of patience among players. Despite this, the game continues to have a large fan base thanks to its deepening character relationships and visual quality.
Hamaguchi’s comments are being interpreted as a hopeful message for the series’ final installment. While the balance of the final installment remains to be seen, Square Enix is apparently taking Rebirth’s criticisms to heart and preparing to deliver a more “concise yet impactful” experience in the trilogy’s final installment.
Read More: New Dragon Ball Project to be Announced Very Soon
