In a new interview with IGN, Final Fantasy 8 director Yoshinori Kitase explained some key changes they would like to see in a potential remake.
During the interview, Kitase says that he would “really rework the battle system”. They elaborated that “I think it was a very difficult system for some people to get into”.
Players needed to use a Junction system, customizing throughout the game in order to adapt to scaling enemies.
However, some RPG fans do appreciate that level of depth, as well as the challenge itself. Given the widespread success of games like Baldur’s Gate 3, newcomers might be more open to more complex systems.
There are currently no reports that Square Enix is actually planning on a Final Fantasy 8 remake.
Kitase himself states that it would be “a massive investment of time and effort”. So, it seems like a Final Fantasy 8 remake is either far off, or unlikely to happen.
There has been a lot of hype around Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. It got its own dedicated State of Play showcase, as well as a brand-new demo that released this week.
If it is successful enough, there might still be hope for a Final Fantasy 8 remake. The original still has very high Metacritic ratings. Fans often praise the ambitious scope of content and compelling narrative.
Square Enix announced just yesterday that the company plans to overhaul its development process. So, fans might prepare for some big changes ahead.
However, the Final Fantasy franchise continues to grow. Square Enix recently announced an Xbox open beta for Final Fantasy XIV. New players can try it out for free later this month on February 21st.
For more of the latest gaming news, you can read about Nintendo announcing new event dates for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Splatoon 3 World Championships.
