With Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Square Enix is closing out a remake project that stretches back more than a decade. The original 1997 game was a breakthrough for Japanese RPGs in the West, and this third installment expands its story across a multi-layered narrative that director Naoki Hamaguchi describes as a "reunion" of timelines rather than a multiverse. In an interview with WIRED, Hamaguchi said the project's ambition weighed on him, but he remained focused as release approached.
For a business audience, the notable signal is how Square Enix is handling the economics of nostalgia. The remake trilogy has turned a single game into three full-priced, 100-hour-plus releasesches, and Revelation adds locations and mechanics that go far beyond the original. Wutai, once a minor optional stop, is now a thriving city at war with Midgar. Hamaguchi insists the fear was fitting everything in, not stretching content: "I'm looking at everything we've still got to put in, and how are we going to get it in there?"
The expansion is a deliberate bet that players will pay for depth, not just familiar story beats. Revelation also brings in the last two playable characters, adds new super-bosses, and offers an open world on a planetary scale. Hamaguchi acknowledges the game may take multiple playthroughs to see everything, and he has no reservations about that, even as some players balk at the time commitment. The source article does not cover sales figures or budget, but the game's sheer scope illustrates Square Enix's strategy of maximizing a beloved property's commercial lifespan.