The co-director of Final Fantasy 7 Remake is aware of how the new Streamlined Progression feature is seen as controversial, and has talked about why it will be added to the game. The co-director also offered some thoughts about the inclusion of Streamlined Progression with other entries in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, which may reassure players.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake originally released back in 2020, with the FF7 Intergrade expanded release following in 2021, and will launch on Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 in January 2026. With this launch, Final Fantasy 7 Remake will get the new Streamlined Progression function, which essentially allows players to use simple cheats to get through the game’s combat effortlessly. Five features have been revealed, with always-full HP, MP, Limit Gauge, and ATB gauge cheats, as well as dealing 9999 damage with every hit. Each ability can be toggled on or off individually, giving players complete control, but not everyone has been thrilled about this new feature.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Co-Director Talks Streamlined Progression
In a chat with Automaton, FF7 Remake co-director Naoki Hamaguchi said that he was aware that the inclusion of Streamlined Progression wouldn’t go over well with everyone, but he pushed for it anyway. He said that he wanted the feature to be included due to Final Fantasy 7 Remake arriving on new platforms, in an effort to prevent newcomers from becoming overwhelmed trying to get through the game. He also noted that with so many impressive games regularly coming out, he personally struggles to keep up with them all, and sometimes wishes he had access to debug functions in other games to “cover more.” The notion of Streamlined Progression came from that idea.
The inclusion of Streamlined Progression hasn’t been done without consideration towards existing players’ feelings. Hamaguchi acknowledges that including this feature right off the bat with a major game release wouldn’t be received well, and might lead to problems like spoilers flooding the internet. Since Final Fantasy 7 Remake originally launched in 2020, however, the team felt it was acceptable to include it in this particular game. Given that logic, players can likely expect that the final entry in the trilogy won’t receive Streamlined Progression at launch, and even Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth may be too recent for such a feature right now.
The flexibility of Streamlined Progression means players who are revisiting the game and don’t want to go through the same grind or Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s highest difficulty boss battles unaided can turn options on and off at will, too. While some fans may still be frustrated by Streamlined Progression being included, the plus is that players don’t have to use it.
- Released
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June 10, 2021
- ESRB
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Teen / Violence, Blood, Suggestive Themes, Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
Source: Automaton
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