Nobuo Uematsu Says Final Fantasy VII’s Music Was Made Less Prominent to Avoid Distracting from Gameplay

In the recently released biography Nobuo Uematsu: On The Record, written by James Mielke, Uematsu looks back at how the move to PlayStation and the more advanced visuals in Final Fantasy VII influenced his approach to the soundtrack.

"Apart from the fan favorites, like 'One-Winged Angel', most of Final Fantasy VII's songs are boring compared to the music in prior games. Because of the improvement in the visuals, the music distracts from the gameplay if the melody is too catchy. So I wrote music that doesn't impose on the focus for the story. For the Famicom and Super Famicom games, the music played a role in advancing the story, but by FFVII the visuals are convincing enough to tell the story, so it was better for the music to take a step back. I think the revelation that I'm adding music to enhance the visuals started in FFVII and carried on to Final Fantasy VIII."

For Uematsu, Final Fantasy VII was therefore a turning point in how he approached game music. Rather than having the soundtrack play as strong a role in the storytelling as it was in the earlier games, he saw it more as something that could work alongside and support the visuals, an approach he continued with Final Fantasy VIII.

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About FINAL FANTASY VII

First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII will celebrate its 30th anniversary in 2027. The game is universally regarded as a landmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 15.7 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.

Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Series, created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE, is available for PS4® consoles. The expanded edition, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE, and the second entry, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, are now available for Nintendo Switch 2, XBOX Series X|S, XBOX PC, PS5® consoles and PC. FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, the climactic conclusion of the series, will release for PS5 consoles, Nintendo Switch 2, XBOX Series X|S and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store and XBOX PC, in Spring 2027.