Square Enix released a documentary series chronicling the making of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The four-part documentary, Inside Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, is available now on YouTube.
The total documentary runs about an hour. Each of the four episodes focuses on a different aspect of AAA game development.
Episode 1, Shaping the World, covers the art, music and environment. Cutscenes and story development are explored in Episode 2, Friends of Fate. Episode 3 includes some of the most important aspects of an RPG, the Characters and Combat, in New Friends and Foes. The fourth and most popular episode is all about the English voice cast in Voicing Icons.
Across all four episodes, the documentary features interviews with dozens of developers and actors, including game director Naoki Hamaguchi, creative director Tetsua Nomura, and the English voice actors for over half a dozen characters.
Game development is often needlessly shrouded in mystery, especially big budget, AAA game development. This documentary is produced by the publisher, so don’t expect anything too messy or dramatic. But it’s always nice to get a peek behind the curtain.
Rebirth was in development for five years, and officially announced in 2022 as a sequel to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It’s the second of three planned remakes for classic 1997 RPG, Final Fantasy 7.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is available exclusively on PlayStation 5. It’s rated T for Teen. A free demo is available on the PlayStation store, and features a reward in the full game for players who complete the first part, Fall of a Hero in Nibelheim.
