Ever since seeing the intro to Final Fantasy VII remade in HD in that PS3 tech demo back in 2005, I've been silently, yet skeptically, hoping for an upgraded remake of the game. Well, it looks like the reality of such a remake may or may not hinge on Square Enix's upcoming mobile game.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike was announced at E3 this week as a smartphone game for iOS and Android platforms. The game is basically the biking minigame from the original Final Fantasy VII, but more in-depth. For development, Square Enix turned to developer Cyber Connect 2, apparently something that Tetsuya Nomura had long considered.
"Until now, whenever we talked with Nomura about a project that would require outsourcing, his first choice was always Cyber Connect 2" said Final Fantasy VII director, Yoshinori Kitase, in an interview with Weekly Famitsu. Kitase explained that while Square Enix generally focused on making RPGs, they were not as adept at making action games, whereas Cyber Connect 2 was quite seasoned in the making of action games as well as captivating production.
As can be gathered from the trailer, G-Bike will be a stand-alone adaptation of the biking minigame from Final Fantasy VII with added features like jumping, sliding, magic, limit breaks, and other Final Fantasy VII-esque elements. The game will be in a free-to-play format and will be the first of a series, with other games to follow.
Kitase will act as producer for G-Bike. Asked where the game stands Kitase stated, "Well, FFVII has many spin-off pieces and for the fans, its image has spread rather diversely, so I feel that G-Bike will set the standard of if we were to make new a VII related piece now. If more is to come, this is the starting point, so both myself and Nomura are closely observing its quality."
Asked a follow-up on the possibility of a modern remake of Final Fantasy VII, Kitase laughed, "Who knows? Mr. Matsuyama [of Cyber Connect 2] is making the foundation, and after the path has been paved, we might think about making it... At least that's what could happen. In terms of the quality level and consumer response, it may all depend on [G-Bike]. We're looking forward to the results."
It's hard to tell how serious he is, but if true, we could be one step closer to a Final Fantasy VII remake.
Final Fantasy VII G-Bike is scheduled for release on iOS and Android platforms this Fall.
【今週の週刊ファミ通】E3で発表の『Bloodborne（ブラッドボーン）』や『FFVII Gバイク』などのスクープ情報満載！ 『フリーダムウォーズ』の付録も！（2014年6月26日発売号） [ファミ通.com]
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