Final Fantasy VII Revelation is still a few months away, but a prominent voice from the Final Fantasy universe is already teasing what’s next for publisher Square Enix after the game’s release next year.
I spoke exclusively with Yoshinori Kitase, who is producer of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, director of the original Final Fantasy VII (along with Final Fantasy VI, VIII,
We talked at length about Kitase’s decades-long involvement with the Final Fantasy franchise and why he’s ready to move on. During the conversation, Kitase shared his plans for the future of Square Enix, whether he’s still interested in film adaptations, and which Final Fantasy game fans inside and outside of the company want to remake next.
Square Enix will likely invest in new titles in the future
IGN: I of course want to talk about Final Fantasy, but also about Square Enix in general. Square Enix is very famous for both its new IPs and its remakes. How do you balance that as a business? Are they both equally important to the business now and in the future?
Yoshinori Kitase: I think we are mainly more likely to invest in new titles and new games, but at the same time, for example, this time with the remake of (Final Fantasy VII), there was me and other creators who worked on the original game, which we had very strong feelings for. And we really wanted to create something new related to the old game to let new users play and experience the appeal of this game as much as old users who play the old game. So there could be different cases like this where the company is willing to invest in revamping old projects and other types of games, as happened this time.
The One Quality That Makes Final Fantasy Special
IGN: Speaking of Final Fantasy, you’ve worked on many Final Fantasy games. Is there a quality that you think makes Final Fantasy special or popular?
Yoshinori Kitase: I think the main thing would be the characters that are part of the game and the way they are developed throughout the game. So if I have to take just one thing that makes the game special, I would say it is the characters in the game and the way they are developed.
Also, I think another thing would be the fact that originally the aesthetic of the game was really influenced by European culture. And then over time, the game took more and more things from Japanese culture, because the other creators working on the game and I grew up in Japan of course, so we were in contact with comics and anime and Japanese comics. And this began to play a major role in the development of the game.
So I think through the original influence of European culture and then the influences of Japanese culture, it helped create something unique. And I think that could be something that is really appreciated by fans around the world.
Square Enix wants to return to the world of cinema
IGN: Final Fantasy and other Square Enix titles have been adapted into different formats: films for example. Is this something that is still important to the company and is it something the company will look to do in the future?
Yoshinori Kitase: Given that we made this game, the Final Fantasy VII Remake, which explores the world of Final Fantasy VII much more than the original version, I think it would be great to have games or TV series inspired by the Final Fantasy story in the future. And I don’t see why that wouldn’t be a possibility in the future.
Kitase’s Reaction to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
IGN: Speaking of things inspired by Final Fantasy, a very popular recent game was Clair Obscure: Expedition 33. I’m wondering if you have any opinions on turn-based combat in RPGs. Has Square Enix thought about this? What is your opinion on big games like those inspired by your work?
Yoshinori Kitase: To be honest, I know the game. I spoke with the creators and I’m actually very happy with the fact that they took so much inspiration from Final Fantasy and made a new game based on that. And also, I was inspired by films and particularly Star Wars when I was young.
So I took inspiration from a lot of things that interested me when I was younger and used that inspiration to create my games. So I think it’s beautiful that there’s this kind of cycle where we inspire each other and take things from each other’s games. I think it’s something beautiful and it should be like that.
Confirmation of two Star Wars inspirations for Final Fantasy
IGN: Since you were a huge Star Wars fan, is there a particular scene, character, or theme from that universe that directly inspired something, either in Final Fantasy or any of your other works?
Yoshinori Kitase: I think I love Star Wars so much that I was afraid to use anything related to it because I was afraid it would become something exactly like Star Wars. So I don’t think there’s anything from the movie that I’ve used directly as inspiration for my games.
IGN: So it was more about being a fan in general and absorbing these stories?
Yoshinori Kitase: Actually, something I used as inspiration in the game was the name of a character from Final Fantasy VI. I wasn’t sure what name I was going to use for these characters. And I ended up using Star Wars character names (Biggs and Wedge).
I ended up using (these names) as an homage to Star Wars. Another one that came to mind is from Final Fantasy X, where I had to create (Blitzball) for the game in a fantasy setting. And I used an idea from Star Wars Episode 1 where there’s this race (pod) and using sports in a fantasy context, I took that idea directly from Star Wars.
Kitase’s Favorite Final Fantasy Game
IGN: Maybe that’s an impossible question. But out of all the Final Fantasy projects you’ve worked on, do you have one that’s your favorite? Do you have one that you remember and are most happy with?
Yoshinori Kitase: This is a very difficult question, but I actually think it could be Final Fantasy VII just because it’s the same thing: every episode changes every time. But in this case, I’ve been dealing with these games since the original came out in 1997. Until today, it’s been 30 years and I’ve been working on the same characters, on the same story. So I think that’s maybe the one I feel most attached to.
Does Kitase want to make another Final Fantasy game?
IGN: Obviously, the Final Fantasy VII Remake was a huge project spanning many, many years. If you had a blank check; If you had no challenges or restrictions in reinventing another classic Square Enix game like you did with Final Fantasy VII, do you have one in mind?
Yoshinori Kitase: It’s a very difficult question because if I say, “I’m going to remake this game, in five seconds the whole world will be waiting for the remake of this game.” So it’s very difficult.
I was very pleased by the development of the Final Fantasy VII remake. And at the moment, I’d like to make new games, but I haven’t had any particular feelings towards any remakes for a while. So I don’t think I’ll be working on another remake anytime soon. But within the company and among Final Fantasy fans, many people have been asking for a Final Fantasy VI remake, so who knows?
What type of game Kitase wants to make next
IGN: Are there any types of stories you haven’t worked on yet that you’d like to explore in your next chapter?
Yoshinori Kitase: New generations are very fond of fighting games, not focused on story, but on combat action. Maybe in the future I would like to try to explore this kind of game without losing the characteristics of a Final Fantasy story. Maybe try to create something more focused on that. This could be a new challenge since the new generation seems very interested in this type of game.
Michael is the Global Head of Partnerships at IGNE, where he leads all third-party partnerships across gaming and entertainment studios, including flagship events like IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom and IGN Fan Fest. He spent 20 years working in the gaming and entertainment industry, and his adventures took him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton
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