‘It should have already’ is a choice
The strategy that Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida has taken with Final Fantasy XVI has been refreshing, to say the least. “We’ll show you more when it’s ready to show” is a stark contrast to Nomura’s style, and frankly, Square Enix’s entire vibe in recent years. Showing us games 5-10 years before they launch is a staple, spawning numerous memes and pre-show jokes anytime the publisher is announcing anything on stream. Which leads me to my big question for you all this weekend: when do you want to see Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2?
A few folks in our numerous Part 2 news posts have cleverly noted that the bulk of development on the engine and framework is done, so the other parts should come out faster. That’s an admirable stance, but I don’t think anything is certain with Square Enix.
So the “first part” of the remake (which is still just referred to as Final Fantasy VII Remake without any indication that it’s not the full story) came out in mid-2020, and just recently, we got a short DLC episode with Yuffie to tide us over. If more of those are on the way, the wait will be a little more bearable.
I’ll admit: they already got me. Between how much I liked the first part and that ending of the Yuffie DLC showcasing more playful banter, I’m going to wait indefinitely to see this through. While the overarching mysterious storyline might not pan out like everything thinks it will, similar to the TV show Lost, it’s all about the journey and the characters for me.
But if Final Fantasy VII Remake is Lost, what future Final Fantasy will be more like The Leftovers? I guess we have a lifetime to find out, as Square Enix isn’t stopping this ghost gravy train anytime soon.