Of course, there are also optimization concerns. The team at Square Enix optimized Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth quite well for the platform, but this is a whole different beast. Interestingly, Hamaguchi doesn’t just want to meet the standards set by Part 2 but go even further beyond.

“If we were trying to do that without the experience we had doing Revelation – a completely fresh team coming in where we’ve got to develop for Switch 2 at the same time as the other platforms – I don’t think we’d do very well,” he told Nintendo Everything.

“That would be a very big challenge. I’m not sure we could achieve it if we were doing it from scratch. I think the really big thing that helped us achieve that was the experience we got from working on Rebirth, importing that to other platforms. That knowledge was key to getting it right.

“Obviously, we were very happy, very satisfied with the level of quality we managed to get on the Switch 2 version of Rebirth. For Revelation, we understand we’re doing Switch 2 and all of the platforms at the same time. We didn’t want to limit ourselves based on that.

“The idea is to take the graphics quality and the presentation even higher than it was on Rebirth to the top level it can be. We’re confident that with the experience we got from working on the Switch 2 port of Rebirth, we’ll be able to bridge that gap and take that extra level on the comparatively lower-spec platforms as well. So we really didn’t want to let the fact we’re doing it multiplatform limit the game’s quality.”

While Hamaguchi didn’t share any technical details, like the frame rate or resolution, he said it’s a “very nuanced discussion that, like everything, is now super powered up over what it was on the previous one. To explain a bit more, what we managed to do on Rebirth and then the differences in the game, Rebirth and Revelation, we’re going to take the optimization for that based on what we did for Rebirth, and that will all be done to probably a higher level of optimization because of the knowledge we have.

“It’s not that everything is much higher on Switch 2, just because we pushed it that far. But with optimization, it should all come out as a really good result in the end.”

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is out April 8th, 2027, on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC, so there’s still time to optimize and further polish, even with three other platforms to consider. For more details on the finale going multi-platform at launch, head here.

You can also read Hamaguchi’s thoughts on mini-games. Their abundance in Rebirth has garnered mixed reactions from fans over the years. However, he believes that it’s more about making them enjoyable and less of an obligation for players.

“I often see debates about whether it’s better to have more minigames or fewer. However, I don’t think that discussion really gets to the heart of the matter. What I consider first is what kind of gaming experience is best suited to a particular title. In that sense, the overarching policy that ‘the FF7 remakes would offer a gaming experience as rich in minigames as the original’ was my decision as director, and I believe that responsibility is mine to bear.”

On the subject of where player feedback is important for the team, Hamaguchi pointed to aspects like the difficulty of the various minigames, as well as whether they are engaging or not. Generally speaking, he wants players to engage with the minigames because they find them enjoyable, rather than feeling any obligation to engage with them due to necessity.

“I believe we should continuously improve aspects such as whether the game is easy to engage with and whether players can enjoy it without unnecessary stress. We prioritised ensuring that players engage with the minigames because they want to, rather than feeling like they’re being made to play them. I believe that how we can deliver that gaming experience is more important than whether to increase or reduce the number of minigames.”

Back in July, Hamaguchi had spoken about the team having made adjustments to the quality of minigames after the feedback the team got following the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. While he noted at the time that there would be “a lot of minigames and a lot of side content” in Revelation, he went on to say that the upcoming title will have smoother interactions with this side content.

“We’re very mindful of the feedback we received for FF7 Rebirth, so we did make a lot of adjustments so that fans can play the minigames and side content sections a lot more smoothly. There will be difficulty settings implemented into the minigames now, and if players feel that it’s not their cup of tea, they have the option to just skip the minigame section, too. And also, most of the rewards are not going to be tied to combat items, either, to give them a feeling of ease.”

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and is slated for release on April 8th, 2027. Speaking about the multiplatform release in sharp contrast to the PlayStation-exclusive launches of Remake and Rebirth, Hamaguchi said that it was “an inevitable outcome”.

But, a question looms: who is this collection for? Newcomers and Nintendo Switch players aside, the collection arguably doesn’t bring anything new. It’s a convenient way to experience the series, and as formative as Kingdom Hearts games are, if you’ve already spent countless hours travelling between Disneyfied worlds with Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy, simple convenience might not be enough to sway you.

"But, a question looms: who is this collection for?"

And, after a week spent navigating the enormous retrospective, I thought of another problem. See, observing from a newcomer’s perspective, Collection [I-III] doesn’t explain which entries are essential, which are optional, and which are represented as movies. It expects you to know already. And, with a series-spanning story as famously convoluted as Kingdom Hearts, a clearer idea of which route to take would be appreciated.

Still, if you’ve never played a Kingdom Hearts game before – or, indeed if you fancy experiencing the saga again – you’re gonna start at the first game; where the magic begins. And, first thing to note with Kingdom Hearts I – or, Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, to take the named version included in the collection – is this is very much a relic of its time. Awkward camera transitions, enemy lock-on problems, clunky movement, poor signposting.

The list of age-related roughness goes on, but even twenty-four years after its release this imperfection is counteracted by the game’s undeniable charm. It feels like a Disney game discovering it can be an RPG, rather than an RPG decorated with Disney characters, that’s quite an endearing thing.

If you were raised by 90s Disney movies and Final Fantasy, the nostalgia alone will draw you in. Traverse Town, one of the game’s earliest locations, mirrors Disneyland itself, where strolling by quaint shops, a hotel, and a bell tower feels like the Magic Kingdom. Yoko Shimomura’s accompanying score is whimsical, memorable, and uplifting too, and it’s totally appropriate for the setting. Music, in fact, is consistently excellent throughout the series, showcasing a timelessness befitting the game’s themes if not its mechanics.

Kingdom Hearts Final Mix introduces you to the series’ combat, slowly evolving its foundation across the game’s many hours. To start, bashing the bottom face button executes combos, while earned abilities unlock dodge rolls, mid-air recoveries, and more. Then, magic abilities arrive alongside summons, Keyblade upgrades, and resources for party development.

"Moving onto Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and those rough edges immediately feel better. "

Taking stock of the combat’s low skill floor at this stage is important as, if nothing else, playing through the entire retrospective illustrates how complex and kaleidoscopic the series’ fighting becomes, with a high ceiling to master. Still, the foundation remains the same. The brilliance of this basic combat is that it’s always accessible, with later entries showcasing considerably more depth.

Moving onto Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix and those rough edges immediately feel better. Controls are more responsive, animations are snappier, and the camera is mostly fixed (aided by wider combat arenas). Meanwhile, numerous quality-of-life additions like objective tracking, auto-refillable items, and a mini-map further smoothen the first game’s friction. Deeper combat action arrives too, with more commands, more abilities, and a nifty reversal trick adding a sense of style and expression to the many bouts your party gets involved in.

The biggest problem is pacing. Those combat extras take too long to arrive, with magic power in particular coming surprisingly late. Long cutscenes drag the opening hours, with a story setup that feels deliberately disorientating. But, importantly, the narrative starts working after the prologue, and there’s a confidence here that wasn’t present earlier. The worlds you visit – Mulan’s Land of Dragons or the Beast’s castle – become self-contained Disney stories.

Jumping straight to KH2 means missing some of the supposedly essential connective tissue, but its evidence of good narrative design that the early disorientation never feels overwhelming. Visually, too, the game’s HD treatment makes the PS2-era graphics look bright, clean, and vibrant, with Mulan’s mix of green and terracotta giving the landscape a storybook quality, fitting Disney without looking like a film recreation.

Kingdom Hearts II, to me, is where the series felt less like an experiment, and more when the execution started matching its ambition.

"However, some of the Disney charm is lost, which is a feeling I experienced in Dream Drop Distance HD and the conceptually dense χ Back Cover movie."

Between I and II is deckbuilding curio Re:Chain of Memories and contextually relevant 358/2 Days, the latter presented here in cinematics only. Neither are perfect, with occasional stuttering and texture issues illustrating 358/2 Days’ DS heritage, while Re:Chain of Memories’ interesting ideas never coalesce into intuitive gameplay. Following II is Re:coded, another cutscene compilation, and Birth By Sleep Final Mix which introduces Ventus, Terra, and Aqua, characters who grow in significance toward the saga’s tail-end.

Bridging into Kingdom Hearts III is 0.2 Birth by Sleep – A fragmentary passage – where the most expansive moveset yet for the series sees you double-jumping, aerial dashing, and generally defying gravity across noticeably more vertical world design pocketed with airborne enemies.

Rather than drip-feeding abilities, combat is immediately expressive, with blocks, combos, and magic present from the get-go. However, some of the Disney charm is lost, which is a feeling I experienced in Dream Drop Distance HD and the conceptually dense χ Back Cover movie. Kingdom Hearts III, though, is where the series’ characterful colour returns, and boy does everything explode.

KH3, and its Re Mind DLC, is the series’ transformation into cinematic blockbuster, with Pixar-like presentation, huge setpieces, and excellent character models making this the most spectacular entry yet. Combat is still the same foundation, but joining air mobility, magic, and auto combos are – deep breath – multi-target attacks, wall-running, links (like summons, only crazier), multiple extravagant Keyblade forms, fairground rides, and more.

In short: fighting becomes pure chaos. The series goes from Sora whacking a Heartless with a key, to a mushroom cloud of colour, sound, and movement. Yet, the underlying interaction remains approachable, which is testament to the original’s combat design devised all those years ago.

Pacing throughout is much improved too, with brisk dialogue and cutscenes understanding that momentum must be maintained away from gameplay. Initially, too, the complex lore doesn’t seem to matter. This begins as another compendium of Disney movie experiences, but narrative simplicity does give way to the series’ loftier concepts. While some might find the complexity off-putting, I still never found it to be too distracting.

"Pacing throughout is much improved too, with brisk dialogue and cutscenes understanding that momentum must be maintained away from gameplay."

Whether you’re a newcomer or not, assessing Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] as a mostly complete anthology, a bigger question emerges: do its themes still matter? See, back in the noughties, its themes of friendship, identity, and memory were ideals wrapped around Disney characters and RPG conventions, with the unyielding desire to help people driven by relentless optimism. Now, in 2026, in a world becoming increasingly disconnected, these themes arguably feel more relevant.

Through certain character arcs, Kingdom Hearts argues that identity isn’t fixed, and that people aren’t defined permanently either through their mistakes or otherwise. With technology continuing to increase the distance between physical interaction in the real-world, Kingdom Hearts shows us that friendship has universally enduring appeal.

So, yes, while Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] doesn’t bring anything new to the table, this remains a series rooted by a strong emotional core. And that’s why, despite the convoluted mythology, the dated mechanics of its early titles, the strange side stories, and occasionally absurd narrative directions, a remarkably sincere belief consistently shines. People matter, and you don’t need to know every piece of Kingdom Hearts lore to understand that.

This game was reviewed on PlayStation 5.

And as much as it seemed like a result of business circumstances, director Naoki Hamaguchi told EDGE magazine for issue 429 (via GamesRadar) that it was “an inevitable outcome of the changing environment surrounding today’s players.” He noted how players enjoy games on all kinds of platforms and are “no longer tied to a single piece of hardware.”

“I believe that what will be important in future triple-A game development is not how high-performance an environment we can use, but rather how widely we can deliver the core of the same experience across different environments.”

So instead of pushing a game to its absolute limit on one platform, Square Enix is looking at how to scale it without watering down the overall vision. We can already see that with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, which is shipping on a Game-Key Card for Switch 2 and a single Blu-ray disc for Xbox Series X/S and PS5 to ensure no compromises to the experience.

It’s also a fairly sizable experience at around 200 GB which can easily take more than 100 hours to complete. And due to the way it’s set up, like having different characters taking the lead on side quests, you can see new things on different playthroughs.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches on April 8th, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2. Head here for more details on the physical release and how Hamaguchi tried his best to make it happen, even as the world trends more towards digital sales.

“Personally, obviously, I bought lots of physical editions of games as a child. Sometimes I buy digital editions of games, but if I’m particularly attached to a title, I want to get the physical version. And you know, being in the industry, sometimes I want to get my friends or acquaintances who’ve worked on something to sign a copy of their own game.”

Hamaguchi went on to address gamers who have been taking to social media to demand games getting disc releases, and acknowledged that while he is a fan of physical media, there are limits to his authority when it comes to how the game he is directing is published.

“I do really like and appreciate physical media,” he said. “I see a lot of people on social media saying, ‘No disc, no purchase,’ and I understand where they’re coming from.”

“First of all, I’ve got people saying to me on social media, ‘Give us a full disc version!’ And so, from an overall perspective, let me first say that as the director, it’s my responsibility to look after the content of the game to make sure it’s fun, really exciting. The product line-up, the SKUs (stock keeping units), how it’s going on sale; that is the responsibility of the publishing team. So, my authority there is somewhat limited.”

Ultimately, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being released on a single disc that will feature the opening sections of the game. However, players will still need to download the rest of the game’s files before being able to explore the world at its fullest. Hamaguchi noted that he “used my position to put forth an argument for the physical version as much as possible,” which resulted in negotiations happening “both internally and with first party”. This eventually led to the one-disc release of the upcoming title.

“I completely understand there are those out there who may not really agree with that direction or approve of that direction. But I would just say that I hope you understand that I completely see where you’re coming from, and that I did my best. It is a very tricky subject.”

Back in July, Hamaguchi had spoken about the potential physical release, and mentioned internal discussions about “the exact SKU product lineup” for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. At the time, he also spoke about how the act of collecting physical copies of games is “a wonderful culture, and it would be a shame to lose that. I want that to remain.”

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and is slated for release on April 8th.

“Even as a multi-part series, providing a complete experience in each individual game was a non-negotiable premise from the very beginning. The biggest thing to avoid in a multi-part series is having the creators think ‘there’s more to come, so it’s fine to stop here for now’,” he told EDGE magazine (transcription via GamesRadar) for its latest issue.

Of course, the second part, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, famously omitted several iconic locations like Wutai and Rocket Town (which are confirmed for Revelation). Despite Hamaguchi’s insistence on a “complete experience,” there’s actually a more technical reason: The game just became too big.

“When we looked at the overall plot and gameplay experience of Rebirth, we determined that depicting those elements at the same time would have made the game too dense with information, disrupting the story’s pacing and the focus of the second game.” Whether that will happen with Revelation remains to be seen, but given it’s the finale, Hamaguchi and his team probably don’t have any other choice at this point. Which would explain why he said it can “easily” take over 100 hours to complete.

Then again, it takes a very different approach with side content. The whole world is open to explore from the start, as players control the Highwind and can go almost anywhere. However, those who want to focus on the story can do so with a new automatic leveling function. It ensures you’re always at the required level while engaging with minimal (or really, any) side content.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches on April 8th, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

“We haven’t altered the core of the story based on reactions at any given time. It feels as though we’ve built up each title one by one without wavering from the central theme we established at the very start of the Remake series. It wasn’t easy. I felt it was absolutely essential to avoid turning a masterpiece like FF7 into something that felt like my own personal fan project.”

That’s not to say that the Remake trilogy is a 1-to-1 remake of the original; Hamaguchi spoke about wanting to incorporate a new meta-story to Final Fantasy 7 without altering the core vision of what a remake of the 1997 RPG should be.

“The real challenge wasn’t simply incorporating elements that differed from the original or introducing new interpretations. It was constantly asking ourselves whether what we were creating could truly be called FF7R.”

Interestingly, just last week, Hamaguchi pointed out how turning a remake of Final Fantasy 7 into a trilogy was such a risky business decision. He noted that there was a chance that the first entry in the trilogy was received quite poorly, throwing the rest of the trilogy’s future into question.

“For example, if the first title had sold really poorly and been poorly reviewed, I mean, what do you do with the rest of the titles? There’s also this need to keep the team as similar as possible across all of the titles, and that’s another huge headache, especially for people who control the strings. Those are big risks that you have to take, and I don’t think many will.”

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is coming to PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2 on April 8th, and is going to wrap up the story that was started with 2020’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The plot will pick up right where Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth left off, and one of the many new features in the upcoming title is the ability to fly just about anywhere in the world.

Hamaguchi confirmed that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will let players “explore the entire planet” last month, and spoke about how the team worked hard to incorporate regions from Remake and Rebirth into a larger world while still introducing changes in these regions to show the passage of time.

“So, from Remake to Rebirth and from Rebirth to Revelation, we wanted to take a step above. So, from the evolution from going from Rebirth and then heading into Revelation was that, again, ‘How can we expand the open world?’ And the way we achieved that is to achieve this planetary exploration, the open-world map scale where players can just really just explore the entire planet using the Highwind. So, taking on that challenge was one of the rather difficult parts of the development, for sure.”

GamesRadar posed this question to game director Naoki Hamaguchi and, long story short, it’s complicated. He notes (via interpreter) that existing fans “aren’t mistaken at all” for recommending the classic since “the storyline of the original Final Fantasy 7 is very much enshrined within the story [and] the narrative of the Remake series as a thing in the world.”

Of course, the trilogy is also notable for subverting expectations and changing certain plot points – something that will hit those who played the original hardest. “If you know what that original storyline is and you can pick up on what’s changing or looking like it’s going to change, you’re going to have more fun. And you’re going to get more out of it.”

That said, it’s also “designed very much so that even someone who’s not played the original can jump in on any of them [and] still have a really great experience.” He even believes that you could “actually look at it the other way around, too, and maybe say that it’s better to start with the Remake series for a different reason.” That being the “graphical splendor” which may make it “easier to have that emotional impact maybe than the original did.”

“So, in that sense, you could argue coming into Final Fantasy 7 without any prior knowledge [is better]. You’re experiencing it for the first time in this modern graphical splendor. That might also be a better way of doing it. So I guess really it’s down to people’s preferences. It’s not as clear-cut as one way or the other.” Again, complicated.

Regardless, Hamaguchi isn’t wrong, and whether you’re approaching the story as an homage to the original presented in a brand-new way, or find the gameplay more involving, the Remake trilogy has something for everyone. That’s especially so with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.

While the combat hasn’t changed too much, the addition of FITS lends an old-school Final Fantasy feel to battles since it functions as a Job system of sorts. Vincent and Cid bring compelling new playstyles to the forefront, and you can either focus on the story, automatically leveling up along the way, or explore the entire world and take on every side activity.

Of course, the real question is whether the ending will live up to everyone’s expectations. We’ll find out when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches on April 8th, 2027, for Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

A new Vision has arrived, joining a slew of recent ones that have put us on the path to meeting some interesting folks. The latest one to join that lot is Cecil Harvey from Final Fantasy 4, a noble captain who didn’t let his orders get in the way of his conscience. Of course, that meant questioning a king who expected obedience, which means he might be open to a new role that better suits his disposition and strong moral compass. The whole episode has probably left him feeling a little jaded, and probably more than a little bitter at being sidelined for doing the right thing.

That might be tricky in the wake of the disappointment he must be feeling, his light and dark sides manifesting themselves in ways that can make him quite a challenging opponent to face on the battlefield. He seems quite in control of his best and worst impulses, though, and is sure to be a worthy addition alongside the likes of Terra, Squall, and Zidane. You can see him in action for yourself below ahead of the game’s launch on October 22nd.

“For Rebirth‘s platinum trophy—well, for Rebirth in general—there’s so much to do. There’s so much content. We wanted to make people go through all this content and perfect it. It’s kind of by design that that would make it difficult.

“So, I don’t want to call it a mistake in judgment or anything, but we also didn’t expect so many people to want the platinum trophy. I think that was what we underestimated here. Battle director Teruki Endo also saw [the fan reaction] and was like, ‘Oh, no! I feel bad—I have regrets.’”

As for how much easier it would be to get the platinum trophy in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, Hamaguchi said that he expects around 20 percent “or more” of the player base to get it. This was achieved by the development team focusing on making the completionist-oriented side content more engaging rather than simply lowering difficulty. Using VR Combat Simulator battles as an example, Hamaguchi has said that the team learned a lot about encounter design during its time working on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

“In comparison, for Revelation, the platinum trophy will be easier to get. In terms of how difficult it will be, we’re expecting twenty percent of players or maybe even more than that to be able to obtain it.

“We have a lot of interesting stuff for [the brutal and legendary VR Combat Simulator] battles as well. For example, obviously there are three person battles, but in each set of fights you’ll only be able to use each character once—so it’ll be interesting to see how people go about that. It’s not just about the amount of battles that there are, but the battles themselves that are going to be enjoyable. I think that’s one thing that we’ve learned from Rebirth: to make the battles themselves enjoyable rather than just challenging.”

In another recent interview, Hamaguchi also revealed that multiple playthroughs of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will be required if players want to experience all of the content in the game. Aside from a plethora of side content, the title’s quests will also seemingly feature unique dialogue depending on when you decide to accept it, and which character is involved in the decision. The director said that “we have prepared many cases where it changes not just whose perspective the quest is told from, but the story experience, the gameplay experience, and even the conclusion.”

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is being developed for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch 2, and is slated for release on April 8th, 2027. For more details, check out what Hamaguchi has said about the risky move to split the remakes of the 1997 RPG into a trilogy.