{"id":52633,"date":"2025-10-02T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/?p=52633"},"modified":"2025-10-02T17:27:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T08:27:52","slug":"final-fantasy-7-remakes-progression-boosts-and-sped-up-cutscenes-can-reduce-playtime-to-under-10-hours-director-hamaguchi-tells-us-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/automaton-media.com\/en\/interviews\/final-fantasy-7-remakes-progression-boosts-and-sped-up-cutscenes-can-reduce-playtime-to-under-10-hours-director-hamaguchi-tells-us-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s progression boosts and sped-up cutscenes can reduce playtime to under 10 hours. Director Hamaguchi tells us why he personally pushed for them\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Final Fantasy VII Remake<\/strong>\u2019s upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X\u2758S launch will come with a new accessibility feature known as Streamlined Progression. Nicknamed \u201ccheat mode\u201d or \u201cGod mode\u201d by some, this system lets the player toggle various parameters like \u201cHP is always full,\u201d \u201cMP is always full\u201d or \u201cdamage dealt is always 9999.\u201d This essentially allows you to blast through battles and exploration and focus only on the story, if that\u2019s your cup of tea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talking to AUTOMATON Japan, FFVII Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi says he knew the feature would raise some eyebrows among players and even his own team, but that he personally pushed for it to be added. \u201cThe biggest reason was that we were finally able to announce the FFVII Remake trilogy\u2019s multiplatform expansion. That timing was what really led to the decision to include Streamlined Progression.\u201d As the series makes its way to new platforms and awaits its final entry, Hamaguchi wanted to make sure new players don\u2019t get overwhelmed trying to tackle it from start to finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The idea also came from the director\u2019s personal experience trying to stay on top of new game releases amidst his busy schedule. \u201cPersonally, I like to try many different games just to keep myself up to date, but I don\u2019t really have the time, so I only get so far. Sometimes it makes me wish I had access to debug functions so I could cover more.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the other hand, Hamaguchi notes that adding features like Streamlined Progression to a game as soon as it\u2019s released can be a mistake. \u201cIf we were to add it to the third installment at launch, it would probably spark controversy. We\u2019d risk disrupting the experience for fans who have been waiting the longest and deserve to enjoy it the most (through spoilers coming out early and similar).\u201d In this context, adding the boost functions to the first installment, which has been out since 2020, has fewer downsides. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Interestingly, Hamaguchi says that by using Streamlined Progression and speeding through cutscenes, you could potentially clear FFVII Remake \u201cIn under 10 hours, maybe around 7 to 8 hours if you\u2019re quick,\u201d which is incredibly short compared to the regular 40 to 50-hour clear time. Although he\u2019d be happiest if people played the game fully, without boosts, Hamaguchi stands by his choice to offer players a choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c<\/strong>Naturally,<\/strong> when we announce features like these, we get responses like \u2018This is sacrilegious!\u2019 Even within the dev team, there are people who feel that way. But unless someone takes the initiative, it doesn\u2019t happen. I personally believe that, with digital entertainment today, the player should have the choice in how they interact with content. That\u2019s why I pushed for it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is available for PC (Steam) and PS5. The Switch 2 and Xbox Series X\u2758S editions launch on January 22, 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Final Fantasy VII Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi on why he pushed for Streamlined Progression despite inevitable mixed reactions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":52635,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[64,10],"tags":[17],"class_list":["post-52633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-game-development","category-interviews","tag-japan-related-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\nFinal Fantasy 7 Remake's progression boosts and sped-up cutscenes can reduce playtime to under 10 hours. 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