Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi worries that streamers are causing a "crisis" for the RPG genre, as those watching the game might not feel inclined to play it themselves.

Ever since Final Fantasy 7 Revelation closed out last week's big Summer Game Fest showcase, we've learned a lot about the third and final part of the remake trilogy. From the promised inclusion of Scarlet and Tifa's slap fight that's getting the "care that it deserves" to the possibility of a Dirge of Cerberus DLC, director Naoki Hamaguchi has given us a ton to look forward to.

One of the most interesting details to come out about Revelation is that it's going to have a lot more player choice than both Remake and Rebirth, both when it comes to select story moments and how players approach things like minigames and content. This degree of player agency is something that Hamaguchi believes is necessary due to the rise of streamers causing a "crisis" for RPGs.

FF7 Remake Director Thinks Livestreams Are A Problem For Role-Playing Games

That's Why Revelation Is Pushing Player Choice

As pointed out by Automaton, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi recently spoke to 4Gamer about the remake trilogy's final chapter, where he highlighted the renewed focus on player choice. While this is partly due to fan feedback and making the story more personal, Hamaguchi reveals that the rise of gameplay streams played a role in the matter, too.

Hamaguchi notes that player choice is something that's needed for games in this era, as RPGs like Final Fantasy need to be "careful" that players aren't just satisfied by watching streamers play the game. The director calls it a "crisis for the work" and something that creators can't "wholeheartedly rejoice".

While Hamaguchi doesn't think that all gameplay streams are bad, he does think that player choice can make those watching streamers consider how they would have played the game and encourage them to give it a go. On the flip side, just focusing on the story could cause those watching livestreams to feel like they don't need the full experience.

"I'm not saying that all gameplay videos are bad, but if watching them makes people think, 'What would I want to do?' or 'How could I try to figure it out?' then they'll be more inclined to try it themselves". - Naoki Hamaguchi

This isn't an issue that's exclusive to RPGs, as pretty much every game that releases instantly gets livestreamed and clipped to hundreds and thousands of viewers, but it is especially dangerous for story-focused games like Final Fantasy. If you feel like watching a cutscene compilation on YouTube is equal to actually playing a game, Hamaguchi and every other developer are begging you to reconsider.

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Final Fantasy VII Revelation

RPG Action Adventure Systems Released 2027 Developer(s) Square Enix Publisher(s) Square Enix Prequel(s) Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Franchise Final Fantasy Number of Players Single-player Genre(s) RPG, Action, Adventure Powered by Expand Collapse Next

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