When Final Fantasy VII Remake wrapped up, plenty of players were left asking how far Square Enix's new trilogy would stray from the story told in the original PS1 release. According to Kotaku, Rebirth went on to show how closely the developers were prepared to follow the source material, though it still slipped in a few surprises near its ending to keep fans guessing. With Final Fantasy VII Revelation set to close out the trilogy, the question of how much the remake will change a story fans have cherished for decades finally needs a real answer.

Director Naoki Hamaguchi addressed this in a recent interview with Edge magazine, as reported by GamesRadar. "We haven't altered the core of the story based on reactions at any given time," he said. "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."

Hamaguchi admitted that sticking to this approach came with its own difficulties. "It wasn't easy. I felt it was absolutely essential to avoid turning a masterpiece like FFVII into something that felt like my own personal fan project," he explained. He also described where the team's main struggle lay: "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 FFVIIR."

Kotaku notes that the trilogy has introduced a significant meta layer through the Whispers, ghostly figures that work to keep the timeline on its intended path, along with many expansions to the world building. Even so, the outlet points out that no major plot point has broken away from the original so far.

Kotaku also describes what a fan driven approach might look like: giving players a way to rescue every main character and reach a far happier conclusion than the bleak, unresolved ending of the PS1 original. Whether Hamaguchi and his team resist that pull will become clear when Revelation launches, which Kotaku reports is expected early next year.