Hamaguchi addresses ‘open world fatigue’ as final fantasy vii revelation promises guidance
Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, isn’t shying away from the elephant in the room: the growing player fatigue surrounding sprawling open worlds. He acknowledges the industry-wide concern, but insists Square Enix is proactively designing a vastly different experience – one prioritizing player navigation, even as the scope expands dramatically.
A bow tied with precision
Speaking with Eurogamer, Hamaguchi detailed how the team is meticulously crafting Revelation, emphasizing a commitment to providing players with the tools they need to thrive in a world nearly twice the size of its predecessor. The goal? To avoid the pitfalls of feeling lost or overwhelmed, a sentiment he personally experienced during early open-world adventures.
“It depends on personal preference and different perceptions, but for me personally, I know I’ve had the experience where I’ve been thrown out into an open world game and not known where to go, not known where to begin, and not known what to do,” Hamaguchi stated. “But at the same time, the concept of being thrown into this wondrous world where anything goes is amazing.”
This isn’t simply about adding more content; it’s about a conscious design philosophy. Hamaguchi underscored the importance of ‘proper guidance,’ directly addressing the feedback received on Remake and Rebirth, where sprawling mini-game ecosystems sometimes left players adrift. “In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, we made sure to make it easy for the players to understand how much content there is, and how difficult that content is,” he explained. “That design philosophy is applied to Revelation: players have all the guidance that they need.”
One illustrative example highlighted during the interview involved utilizing the Highwind airship as a navigational anchor. Players will be encouraged to rely on memory, dropping from the airship and needing to recall their intended destination. “That’s another example of the guidance we’re giving players, without directing them too much,” Hamaguchi added. “The world is even bigger than it was in Rebirth, so it is more important than ever for us to ensure there’s enough guidance here, so people have no issues enjoying what this game has to offer.”
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is slated for a spring 2027 release across PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X | S. The scale of this final chapter, coupled with Hamaguchi’s commitment to player-centric design, suggests a drastically different approach to open-world storytelling – a deliberate attempt to redefine expectations within the series and beyond.