'I honestly wasn't sure that we could put it all together in time,' says Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Story-driven role-playing game (RPG) Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has been enjoying plenty of positive critical reception thanks to its impressive depth and scale. However, it looks like the development process behind the hit title was a particularly daunting process, at least according to a new interview with key developers.

Speaking on the Square Enix website, battle director Teruki Endo spoke candidly about the intimidating prospect of developing for Rebirth. "I honestly wasn't sure that we could put it all together in time," began Endo.

"From the huge amount of character abilities to the summons and the systems that allow you to fight alongside them, to the rich variety of enemy types that keep the game feeling fresh [...] to the boss battles that we crafted to have their own distinctive feel [...] each and every one of these elements [featured] its own rich variety of gameplay and visual elements."

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Echoing these sentiments, environment director Takako Miyake also weighed in. "The development of this title was really tough, but even during development, the staff were unanimous that the experience is worth the effort we put in."

Miyake continued: "We worked hard to make sure that every field environment would offer something fresh and surprising to both players of the original Final Fantasy 7 and [Final Fantasy 7] Remake and to new players alike, and that they would give players that same sense of adventure that the gameplay and character encounters do."

Animation director Yoshiyuki Soma was keen to stress the hard work that went into Rebirth, too. "Every member [of the team] has put their heart and soul into the animations so that the unique charms of each character are fully expressed."

However, like his colleagues, Soma also found the busy development process to be full of hard work and tribulation: "From the development side, time flew by so quickly that I barely have any memory outside of working on the game, especially for the year and a half during the second half of development."

In our review, we gave Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth four and a half stars, praising its slick combat and exceptional storytelling.

Looking for more titles like Rebirth? Check out our lists of the best RPGs and the best story games.

An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.

A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.