The Final Fantasy VII Remake series was conceived to prove that the venerable franchise could evolve beyond its traditional JRPG roots and compete on a global scale as an action RPG, according to director Naoki Hamaguchi. He stated that while the core appeal of JRPGs lies in their linear storytelling, characters, and turn-based combat, he wanted to showcase Final Fantasy's capacity for broader, more competitive experiences.

"What I really wanted to show the world with the Final Fantasy VII remake series was the potential of Final Fantasy—what it can be," Hamaguchi told Kotaku in an interview at Gamescom 2026. "I don’t see this as a negative at all, but it was being recognized as a JRPG, which is a very specific category. The fun and appeal of those games is in the linear storytelling, the characters, and the battle systems. Turn-based mechanics are heavily tied to that, and that’s great in its own right."

He elaborated that his ambition was to demonstrate that Final Fantasy could transition into a "global, competitive action RPG, open-world-style game." Hamaguchi believes that by evolving the gameplay and systems through the Remake, Rebirth, and future installments, the series can stand alongside other major global intellectual properties and even surpass them. "Evolving through Remake, Rebirth, and Revelation—involving the gameplay, the systems, and how we approach that style of game—is the flag I wanted to plant for the future," he said. "It can be broader, it can be bigger, and we can be that too. I’m satisfied we’ve reached the goal I wanted to achieve."

This direction contrasts with the more traditional turn-based combat that characterized early Final Fantasy titles. While Final Fantasy XVI adopted a real-time, arcade-like combat system, which Hamaguchi described as having shades of Devil May Cry, this departure from franchise norms was not universally welcomed by all fans. The recent success of games like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which features traditional turn-based combat with added action elements, has led some players to express a desire for Final Fantasy to return to its older gameplay styles.

However, Hamaguchi emphasized that his push to expand the franchise's gameplay expectations does not signify a rejection of traditional JRPGs. "I don’t want people to misunderstand me—I’m not criticizing JRPGs at all," he clarified. "They’re great…What I want to show is that Final Fantasy doesn’t have to be a traditional-style JRPG. We created the baseline showing we can have a different style of gameplay, but we know we can do the traditional stuff too. It’s up to each individual project to choose what’s best. Final Fantasy is not a JRPG because it can only be a JRPG; it’s because that’s the better choice for that game. That’s where I want to be."