Streamlined Progression Lets FFVII Remake Be Finished in Under 10 Hours
- ⚡Xe⚡
- Oct 7
- 3 min read
In an interview with AUTOMATON Japan, Naoki Hamaguchi discussed why the upcoming Switch 2 and Xbox Series versions of Final Fantasy VII Remake will introduce Streamlined Progression, a new feature allowing players to toggle boosts such as always-full HP and MP or fixed 9999 damage output.
“The biggest reason was that we were finally able to announce the FFVII Remake trilogy’s multiplatform expansion. That timing was what really led to the decision to include Streamlined Progression.”
He said the idea came from his own experience of wanting to play more games despite limited free time.
“Personally, I like to try many different games just to keep myself up to date, but I don’t really have the time, so I only get so far. Sometimes it makes me wish I had access to debug functions so I could cover more.”
With Streamlined Progression and faster cutscenes enabled, FFVII Remake can be cleared in under ten hours, compared with the usual forty to fifty. Hamaguchi noted that such a feature would not suit a brand-new release.
“If we were to add it to the third installment at launch, it would probably spark controversy. We’d risk disrupting the experience for fans who have been waiting the longest and deserve to enjoy it the most (through spoilers coming out early and similar).”
He acknowledged differing opinions within the team but said it was important to give players control over how they engage with the trilogy.
“Naturally, when we announce features like these, we get responses like ‘This is sacrilegious!’ Even within the dev team, there are people who feel that way. But unless someone takes the initiative, it doesn’t happen. I personally believe that, with digital entertainment today, the player should have the choice in how they interact with content. That’s why I pushed for it.”
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-⚡Xe⚡
About FINAL FANTASY VII
First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2022. The game is universally regarded as a hallmark 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 15.3 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has even expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.
Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII remake project created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct, and standalone games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is now available on the PC and the PS5® and PS4® consoles, will be available on Jan. 22, 2026 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, and Nintendo Switch™ 2 platforms. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the second game in the trilogy, has been praised by both players and critics across the globe, earning more than 125 perfect scores from media and 40 Game of the Year awards, and is available now for PC and the PS5® console.
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