Kitase Discusses Hypothetical Final Fantasy VII Remake

[Daystar Clarion]

...why is he talking about it with an Xbox magazine?

Because Final Fantasy is no longer an exclusive to Playstation series.

But the remakes are. The FFX remake proves that.

And if they were talking about FFX, that would make sense.

I believe that the FFX deal is that it is not a remake but a re-release in HD. However I could be wrong.

No, its a full-on remake.

No. It's a HD re-release.

I'd be very surprised if it was a complete remake and not just a resolution and texture overhaul.

http://3dg.me/games/final-fantasy-x-hd-is-remake-release-date-and-features-rumors

See, this is why you shouldn't talk about these things when you don't actually know anything about them.

Which part of that article was 100% fact and not just rumours and hearsay?

I'll concede when I see cold hold facts that it is indeed a proper remake, but until then...

Well, the only hearsay is you insisting that though Square Enix have said its a remake several hundred times, its only just an HD rerelease.

It's never usually refered to as an HD rerelease.

Rerelease carries with it negative connotations, while 'remake' suggests 'something different'.

If it's a full on overhauled remake then jolly good, but until I know that's what it is, I'll consider it another HD release of the same game.

It is never officially referred to as a remake if its only an HD Rerelease - that's false advertising. Go ahead, try to find an official announcement that refers to it as such.

Take your pick.

http://press2reset.com/2011/11/23/silent-hill-2-hd-remake-to-include-original-voicetrack/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/03/report-team-ico-hd-collection-due-september-22/
http://www.qj.net/xbox-360/games/dante-is-back-devil-may-cry-hd-remake-confirmed.html
http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/713750/devil-may-cry-hd-remake-on-the-way-capcom-not-ready-to-make-announcement-retailers-are/
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/konami-reveals-metal-gear-solid-zone-of-the-enders-silent-hill/

A quick google search pretty much proves that people refer to them as remakes and not rereleases.

Also, false advertising would not cover this area, as rerelease and remake are interchangeable in this context. One just sounds better than the other.

 

[weirdee]

Squeenix might as well remake a game we know is good.

It's not like they've made anything worth playing lately.

Course, later when it appears and it's internationally declared "too awful for humanity", we'll all blame you for this.

 

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Keep the fuck away from it Kitase. You've spent the last few years revealing you're a mediocre hack who erodes what he touches. The series is soulless, let it die.

 

[Trishbot]

I want to see the original, real, fun, cross-dressing Cloud again.

(Pictured: Cloud not having an emo moment)

Do I expect Kitase or Toriyama or whoever is in charge not to screw it up? Not a bit.

Yet I still want them to remake it, just to shut everyone up.

And I'd still probably buy it, complain bitterly, but I'd still buy it... so, you know, food for thought.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

...why is he talking about it with an Xbox magazine?

Because Final Fantasy is no longer an exclusive to Playstation series.

But the remakes are. The FFX remake proves that.

And if they were talking about FFX, that would make sense.

I believe that the FFX deal is that it is not a remake but a re-release in HD. However I could be wrong.

No, its a full-on remake.

No. It's a HD re-release.

I'd be very surprised if it was a complete remake and not just a resolution and texture overhaul.

http://3dg.me/games/final-fantasy-x-hd-is-remake-release-date-and-features-rumors

See, this is why you shouldn't talk about these things when you don't actually know anything about them.

Which part of that article was 100% fact and not just rumours and hearsay?

I'll concede when I see cold hold facts that it is indeed a proper remake, but until then...

Well, the only hearsay is you insisting that though Square Enix have said its a remake several hundred times, its only just an HD rerelease.

It's never usually refered to as an HD rerelease.

Rerelease carries with it negative connotations, while 'remake' suggests 'something different'.

If it's a full on overhauled remake then jolly good, but until I know that's what it is, I'll consider it another HD release of the same game.

It is never officially referred to as a remake if its only an HD Rerelease - that's false advertising. Go ahead, try to find an official announcement that refers to it as such.

Take your pick.

http://press2reset.com/2011/11/23/silent-hill-2-hd-remake-to-include-original-voicetrack/
http://www.vg247.com/2011/06/03/report-team-ico-hd-collection-due-september-22/
http://www.qj.net/xbox-360/games/dante-is-back-devil-may-cry-hd-remake-confirmed.html
http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/713750/devil-may-cry-hd-remake-on-the-way-capcom-not-ready-to-make-announcement-retailers-are/
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/konami-reveals-metal-gear-solid-zone-of-the-enders-silent-hill/

A quick google search pretty much proves that people refer to them as remakes and not rereleases.

Also, false advertising would not cover this area, as rerelease and remake are interchangeable in this context. One just sounds better than the other.

I said official. Not journalists who somehow think the terms are interchangable, I mean word from the companies themselves.

Well in that case, it's never usually refered to as a remake or rerelease, but an 'HD Collection', or '[enter game name here] HD'.

 

[SpaceMedarotterX]

I want to see the original, real, fun, cross-dressing Cloud again.

(Pictured: Cloud not having an emo moment)

Do I expect Kitase or Toriyama or whoever is in charge not to screw it up? Not a bit.

Yet I still want them to remake it, just to shut everyone up.

And I'd still probably buy it, complain bitterly, but I'd still buy it... so, you know, food for thought.

Kitase was the original director of the game, Nomura was the one who came up with the story for it. Nomura stated he doesn't actually want to DO Final Fantasy, and is pretty much only doing Versus XIII because the actual XIII held a design philosophy he didn't agree with. The mans own words are "Versus is what I think a JRPG should be in the new generation"

Kitase on the other hand, doesn't direct anymore, he simply produces, now what exactly a producer does when it comes to games, is often heavily debated. I've heard them called everything from "Glorified Messanger Boy" to an integral part of development and working with the director.

As for Toriyama, he seems to be Squares new 'Go to Guy' Even though he's a talentless hack, and I feel no need to follow up that statement with an 'IMO'

Then we have Hajime Tabata who's the Crisis Core/Type-0 guy, or one of the only two guys left in Square Enix that knows how to direct a fucking game, which really doesn't mean they haven't released good games, actually I think we've seen an upturn in quality since the XIII/XIV disaster, problem has it most of the games are spin offs, which really hurts the image.

Point is it all comes down to WHO directs, I wouldn't want Nomura on it because he didn't want to extend the story beyond the original game, turning it into a compilation just seemed like he tried to torpedo it best he could (man does not go half a decade going "Nope Nope Nope No Sequel" and then rescinding on it by choice)

Then again I don't need to see a FFVII remake yet, what I need to see is the next step.

What FFVII was, was more than a game if you'll excuse a tired cliche. For better or worse it codified a certain structure the series followed loosley. There were certain other codifiers like FF3 (the job system) and FF4 (the ATB system) Games would experiment and modify these set pieces but they largely adhered to them. For better or worse FFVII said you can have a certain amount of focus on the story and develop the plot and characters more. Now mind you we're looking solely at the internals of square here.

Thing is the new codifier hasn't come along, and some systems like ATB have worn out there stay. This is what the next system has to be, it has to be some mythical magical system that makes ATB obsolete and becomes enjoyable. and no it can't simply be different, otherwise people will just revert back to the tried and true. All the games since 10 have been experimenting on how to do it. XII is the closest we got, but it suffered from being too slow.

WOW was that a digression? sorry I like talking game design, always a fun topic to actually look at the details and not just slam your head on the surface like a monkey

 

[Catie Caraco]

I want me a genetically enhanced SUPER CLONE.

Wasn't that was caused all the problems in FF7 to begin with? Though, if we could take the insanity out of Sephy-boy, I'd want me some of that myself. He's just so pretty... *swoons*

 

[Catie Caraco]

Would I like to see the game with shinier graphics (that don't give me eyestrain), and hear it with prettier music and actual voices? Hell yes. But at the same time, I want it done /my/ way, which I'm sure is what most FF7 fans want. (I mean, they want it made in their image, not in my image, or anyone elses) I don't want that floaty voiced actress they had for Aeris (I played it in it's original American release. No TH here!) in the movie and in KH2, because that voice was good for a DEAD chick, and I certainly don't want Mandy-freaking-Moore. I also don't want any of the ambiguity about the Tifa/Cloud/Aeris love triangle removed, unless of course they come out on my side, which makes me a hypocrite.

There was a time when I desperately wanted this. It was in the early 2000s when Kingdom Hearts and FFX warred for time in my PS2. But I've grown and changed since. The damning faults of JRPGs aren't as forgivable as they once were, and Squeenix has long since lost my trust and loyalty. Now I'm a Bioware girl (but gently caress off, Dragon Age 2. You sucked so hard) and I play more Western RPGs. Hell, I even play shooters now. I'd be more afraid of what a FF7 remake might bring, and I sure as hell wouldn't preorder. If I want to walk down that nostalgia road I'll toss it into my system and replay, or (and exposing my true nerd weakness here) I'll role play it with like minded people.

 

[mikey7339]

C'mon man, either make an official announcement or stop teasing us. This is starting to get cruel.

And for the love of all things Holy, don't do anything other than update the graphics, sound/music and fix the miss-translations.

 

[ultimasupersaiyan]

Thing is we Final Fantasy VII fans don't want a remake so much as we want a Halo: Combat Evovled style reskin job on the game with the Advent children voice cast. People use the term "remake" because that's all they really knew but yeah, all we want it a prettier version of it. 14 months development time tops and it'll be a top seller.

 

[Atmos Duality]

*chuckles*
Well, at least they're sticking to the hypothetical this time, rather than dangling the carrot just to test the market response.

If we're talking about mechanics and plot, there are a few changes I would make if given the opportunity...

Spoiler: PLOT

-Ignore most of the Compendium
-Keep Zack. He was important before, and his character was one of the few that actually received some respect in the compendium, rather than the clown-shoes DBZ treatment.
-Delete Genesis, the events in Dirge of Cerberus. Advent Children can be ignored since there isn't any real foreshadowing retcons that changed the plot of the original (the trio of DBZ rejects Sephiroth clones just kind of popped into existence at the start of the movie).
Dirge of Cerberus, however, makes significant changes (DEEPGROUND, specifically. Which goes against Shinra's gradual loss of ethical/moral integrity as they've been buried beneath Midgar the whole fucking time). So does Genesis, who was, ultimately, a completely worthless character that served only two purposes:
1) To serve as another pretty boy backdrop next to Sephiroth. He isn't necessary for the SOLDIER revolt, as I've shown above. In other words: FAN-SERVICE. The worst of reasons for inclusion.
2) His sole appearance in Dirge of Cerberus was entirely just sequel-bait (for a game/movie that never happened)

-Keep the "mass SOLDIER desertion" from Crisis Core to show the cracks in Shinra's ethics and how it effects both the company and the direction it takes. This allows for stronger moral ambiguity for AVALANCHE's actions in the long run. Remember, Shinra was supposedly well-respected and trusted at one point. This strengthens several plot points and eliminates a lot of the feel of forced contrivance from Crisis Core's story.
Make the event attributable to internal affairs within the Science division. Have Angeal go missing/desert during this time to instill or reinforce Zack's morals and doubts about Shinra.

(say, a certain other important doctor spills the beans to the older soldiers in an attempt to elevate himself within the company. The older cadre of SOLDIER members learn exactly what is being done to them and desert the corps out of fear, anger or protest (which ALSO FORESHADOWS Sephiroth snapping). Being of military background, and sharing a common enemy, most will join Wutai in resisting Shinra. This also explains why Shinra had to send their very best in Sephiroth into what was otherwise a very one-sided affair of a World Superpower against a tiny country. Before, it made as much sense as sending a Navy Seal to assassinate a cripple in a public nursing home.)

Spoiler: GAMEPLAY-PLOT (shared space)

-Keep most of the plot of FF7 itself intact. Expand on innate character skills for both story and gameplay. Emphasize Cloud's split-personality over the "love triangle", but still keep the love triangle intact for when the pacing calls for levity. I cannot stress this enough: Character development occurs as a result of actions and believable relationships. Not just one or the other.

-Expand a bit on certain characters who were almost entirely superfluous to the original (Red XIII, Reeve, and perhaps Cid Highwind. With the expansion on the importance of the Wutai Conflict, Yuffie might be better worked into the story). It's still tricky business though.

-Delete all Dragonball Z-like superpowers and bring it somewhat back down to earth. Being able to super-jump 200 feet into the air during a cutscene, but being unable to navigate a four foot wall without taking the stairs or an elevator is a massive disconnect in logic, even for gameplay purposes. Today, people notice this shit IMMEDIATELY. We should at least try moving beyond that older stage in gaming where gameplay mechanics and plot are kept mostly separate.

Spoiler: GAMEPLAY

-Give each character a secondary skill or skillset, with statistical backing (Barret is tougher, Tifa is faster, Cloud is a strong all-rounder, etc). "Tabula Rosa" character mechanics are great for SINGLE CHARACTER SCENARIOS (maybe dual characters) but they are AWFUL when applied to the entire fucking cast because it makes everyone play exactly the same, regardless of background, specialties or mechanics.
Tifa is martial artist. This should be reflected in how she fights beyond her weapon selection and limit breaks. Cid is a lancer. Barret is a gunner who is missing an entire arm. Vincent is a sniper or effective assassin (he was a Turk once).

The only characters that exhibited any significant differences were Aeris Barret and Yuffie (Aeris was just awesome with Magic; noticeably more than everyone else).

-Keep Materia. This lets a character you've slacked off with potentially hold their own if the plot should demand it, but don't let Materia completely replace characters again.

-Turn-based or Real-Time?
Perhaps somewhere in the middle, like FF12. Despite all the flak I can throw at FF12, it did have a strong core combat system. I'm not opposed to Kingdom Hearts style either, though that requires a radically different approach for skills and abilities.