Nintendo Life (Ollie Reynolds) – How has development gone for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth on Switch 2? Were you working on this alongside Remake?

Naoki Hamaguchi: Truthfully, from the moment we launched the Switch 2 version of Remake, the only thing I was thinking about was how to turn these other launches into a reality. This is because it wouldn’t be fair to the players if the platforms were split partway through, given how this project was designed to be a trilogy. So, rather than saying we developed Rebirth in parallel, it’s more accurate to say that we were operating with the assumption that we’ll continue this path forward from the moment Remake proved to be viable on the Switch 2.

Of course, this doesn’t mean we were developing two entire titles simultaneously. However, the optimisation insights we gained from Remake and our growing understanding of the Switch 2 hardware were fed back into Rebirth from a fairly early stage. As a result, Remake and Rebirth ended up releasing on the Switch 2 within a relatively short time span. This wasn’t because we prioritised speed, but rather, it was a decision driven by our top priority of avoiding a fragmented experience.

How did you find the transition from the more linear gameplay in Remake to the more open-ended structure in Rebirth?

The transition from Remake to Rebirth was essentially the accumulation of adjustments focused on answering one question: “How can we make this work?” Because Rebirth features large-scale fields with heavy processing loads on rendering and streaming, it couldn’t be ported to the Switch 2 as is. That led us to take a step back and reassess things, from our approach to rendering techniques, to lighting, and background streaming.

We were especially keen on ensuring that switching between handheld and docked modes never made players feel like they were playing a different game.

We were especially keen on ensuring that switching between handheld and docked modes never made players feel like they were playing a different game. We prioritised stability and consistency of experience, exploring sensible solutions while keeping how games were played on the Switch 2 in mind. Through that process, we gained a very clear sense that an open-world experience of this scale can truly work across different environments. That realisation isn’t limited to Rebirth; it serves as a major source of validation for us as we take this series to its finish line as a trilogy.

With Remake, you’ve mentioned that lighting was crucial to ensuring the game looks so good on Switch 2. Was this the same for Rebirth, or did the open-world structure require a different approach?

Lighting is an important element in Rebirth, as it was in Remake. However, because Rebirth adopts an open-world structure with a much larger field scale, it’s a title where the amount of information being rendered at any given moment is higher. As a result, rather than making significant changes to lighting in isolation, our approach focused more on how to balance the overall rendering load.

The use of DLSS was indispensable in that regard and was readopted in Rebirth as it was in Remake. Neither of their modes relies on fixed resolutions and is instead designed based on dynamic resolution. In handheld mode, the internal resolution ranges between a maximum of 1344×756 and a minimum of 672×380. In docked mode, it ranges between a maximum of 1920×1080 and a minimum of 960×540, the same as Remake.

As for the compatibility between DLSS and hair rendering—which was a topic of discussion with Remake — for Rebirth, we took a slightly different approach. We didn’t fundamentally change the rendering technique itself, and applied subtle blur adjustments based on hair direction and density, aiming for the most natural balance possible under restricted conditions. While it’s not identical to the technique used in the PS5 version, we believe you’ll be able to feel the difference within the context of the Switch 2 environment.

Speaking of open-world, did the larger scale of Rebirth cause any development headaches on Switch 2? What would you say was the biggest challenge?

The shift to an open world means the scale of the world in Rebirth is significantly different. This difference became the greatest challenge for the Switch 2’s port.

For Remake, we were able to maintain 30fps through adjustments to post-effects and fog, but because Rebirth dramatically increases the number of rendered meshes, we couldn’t implement the same thinking. For this reason, the background models themselves were optimised specifically for the Switch 2 in the port. We didn’t simply reduce the polygon counts; we made adjustments to the overall game structure by redesigning from the LOD (level of detail) stage, and reevaluating materials with heavy rendering loads from the ground up, etc.

We also adjusted the scale at which background LODs switch for the overall scene, ensuring the processing load wouldn’t spike suddenly even as draw distances increased. On top of that, we addressed these issues by identifying the conditions where processing loads tended to concentrate, determining cutoff points for minimising rendering of non-visible areas and reorganising the rendering order for the overall environment, etc.

By defining what absolutely needed to be preserved, then conducting tests based on real gameplay scenarios to identify and reproduce conditions where processing loads concentrated, we were able to address those issues one by one. It was through this cumulative process that we were able to achieve this stable frame rate.

Without going into spoilers, do you have a favourite scene or gameplay segment from Rebirth that you’d like to highlight for players?

I think the minigames pair exceptionally well with the Switch 2. Because they can be played in short sessions, they give rise to experiences that draw players in before they even realise it.

Take Queen’s Blood, for example. What starts as “just one match” flows into another. You think you’ll make a quick tweak to your deck, but you end up continuing to play. Picking up the game in handheld mode starts an organic chain of play sessions.

How do you find the balance between extending the story of FFVII into three games whilst staying faithful to the original vision?

The greatest challenge was thoughtfully evaluating, title by title, how far to push “nostalgia” and “innovation” respectively, so they could work in balance.

For players familiar with the original game, I think what matters goes beyond the story arc itself—it’s the relationships between the characters, and the emotions they felt upon discovering this world. Those are elements we can’t afford to treat lightly. At the same time, for players discovering FFVII today, we needed to update the presentation and design to align with modern sensibilities; otherwise, the experience itself simply wouldn’t resonate. For this reason, we adopted modern approaches to visual expression while preserving the emotional core and character relationships that were beloved by many in the original game.

We want to capitalise on this cadence and moment to tie the experiences together without any gaps, from Remake to Rebirth to finally the third installment that lies beyond them.

Rather than framing this as a simple binary of whether to “preserve or change” something, we’ve continuously reevaluated how to interpret these notions of “nostalgia” and “innovation,” and how to express them. As we’ve expanded the story as a trilogy, that thinking has remained consistent. That’s our approach to making the Final Fantasy VII Remake series as a whole.

Rebirth is launching on Switch 2 just five months after Remake. What was the approach behind this, and does it feel like the right move?

The short span between releases was a deliberate choice. We view Remake and Rebirth not as completely separate titles, but as an experience unfolding within a single journey that follows one another. From the earliest stages of the remake project, each instalment was designed not to repeat the same experience, but to progressively expand the scale of gameplay. Remake focused on an experience that engages deeply with story and characters, while Rebirth continued that path and leaned even further into the sensation of journeying through the world.

With large-scale titles like this one, it’s common for a long gap to exist between the first and second instalments. However, because they were ports, we decided we could deliver them without leaving much of a gap. We want to capitalise on this cadence and moment to tie the experiences together without any gaps, from Remake to Rebirth to finally the third instalment that lies beyond them.

When we spoke in 2025, you mentioned that development on the third game was progressing well – you had finalised the story and begun working on the core gameplay. Without going into too much detail, can you provide an update on the game’s progress?

We’re very excited about how the game is currently progressing. I have already completed over 40 full playthroughs! I can’t wait for as many people as possible to experience the game for themselves, and myself and the team are working hard to ensure we can create an unforgettable gameplay experience.

You must be so busy overseeing such an ambitious project. What do you do to relax during your downtime?

To be honest, it’s rare for me to make downtime with the intentional goal of “relaxing.” I play games and watch films, but sometimes I’m not even sure whether I’m purely enjoying them or engaging with them as part of my own creative process.

As a way of clearing my head, I’ve made it a habit to get off the train a few stops early and walk for about 30 minutes on the way home. While walking, my thoughts tend to connect in unexpected ways, and I’m able to make sense of things as a result. It’s also good for my physical health.

Are there any Switch 2 games you’ve been playing recently, or perhaps any that you’re looking forward to playing in the future?

Truthfully, the refinement work for the third instalment has been ramping up, and I haven’t been able to spend time with the Switch 2 after Donkey Kong Bananza. That said, there are a few titles that have piqued my interest that I’ve kept myself in the loop for.

For me, Final Fantasy VII is a truly special title that I’ve deeply admired, even as a creator. Because of that, I’ve always carried the belief that this remake series must live up to the expectations of fans who have continued to show their love for FFVII

Among them, Splatoon Raiders has particularly caught my attention. I’m interested in how it leverages an existing IP while expanding the game design itself, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it’ll balance its action gameplay and field design from the perspective of a game designer.

As you look ahead to the conclusion of the Remake Trilogy, how does it feel to bring such a significant chapter of your life to a close?

When I look back, the finish line of this project felt unimaginably far away when it first began. But now it feels like time has flown by surprisingly quickly, partly because our days in development were so packed and eventful.

For me, Final Fantasy VII is a truly special title that I’ve deeply admired, even as a creator. Because of that, I’ve always carried the belief that this remake series must live up to the expectations of fans who have continued to show their love for FFVII, and honour the efforts of my fellow creators who have run alongside me up until this point.

I, myself, have been involved with this project for over ten years, but with this final instalment, I feel a deep certainty that we’ll be able to deliver an experience that’ll make people think, “I’m glad I stayed with the series until the end.” That’s something I feel in my heart. For the many fans who have supported us over this long journey, I sincerely hope that the time you’ve spent following this story to its conclusion will stay with you, as something to cherish. My wish, from the bottom of my heart, is that we deliver a finale that’s worthy of that.