Love it or hate it, there's no denying that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is full of distractions. Minigames, side quests, typical open world-style busywork... there's a lot to chew on between main story sections.
But it sounds like the third game in Square Enix's Remake saga will dial things back a bit. In an interview with Screen Rant, director Naoki Hamaguchi strongly suggests that the in-development finale will be more focused.
"As we work on the conclusion to the trilogy, we are striking a balance on how story arcs are told and spread out so as to ensure that the game feels a bit more concise [than Rebirth]," he states.
Subscribe to Push Square on YouTube166k
The thing is, this third game has a lot of plot to get through. Rebirth was able to take plenty of liberties with its approach because the middle of Final Fantasy 7 has a bigger emphasis on exploration, as Cloud and the gang traverse the world outside of Midgar.
But again, not all players appreciated said approach. Many would argue that Rebirth suffers from pacing and padding issues, and they'll hope that the sequel doesn't get bogged down quite so often.
Hamaguchi doesn't necessarily agree with that sentiment, by the way. He says: "Regarding time management in certain sections, especially in Rebirth, I honestly don't believe that they were longer than necessary."
He continues: "I feel like nowadays, players just have too much to do and too much to play; so they often feel the urge that something has to be concluded quickly."
Still, it sounds like the development team has taken some feedback on board to help shape Part 3 (which doesn't have an official name yet).
What do you want from the next game? Do you think Rebirth has a problem with filler? Tell us of your hopes and dreams in the comments section below.