FF7 Rebirth director cites Clair Obscur as example of player-driven design

Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, said in comments published May 13 that games such as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 show why RPG combat is moving toward a mix of turn-based structure and real-time input. GamingBolt, citing an interview with Game Informer, reported that Hamaguchi said younger players increasingly want immediate feedback from combat while turn-based systems still offer strategic depth. (gamingbolt.com) The remarks matter because Hamaguchi is one of the key creative figures behind Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, a series that has already tried to balance menu-driven command choices with real-time action. (gameinformer.com) In the same comments, he said the team worried that moving too far from the 1997 original could reduce the strategic tension that came from choosing commands under pressure. ### What exactly did Hamaguchi say about younger players and hybrid combat? GamingBolt quoted Hamaguchi as saying that younger players “increasingly favor more real-time experiences in games,” while also arguing that turn-based design remains valuable because it lets players assess situations and build decisions step by step. (gamingbolt.com) He said that context made it “inevitable” that turn-based games with action elements would gain prominence. Game Informer was the interview source referenced in the report. A separate Yahoo aggregation of the same interview excerpt carried the same core line about younger players preferring more real-time experiences, reinforcing that the remarks were tied to a broader discussion of how RPG systems are changing rather than a one-off comment about a single title. (gamingbolt.com) ### Why was Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 used as the example? GamingBolt said Hamaguchi pointed to recent games “like Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” as examples of titles that add real-time action elements despite being built around turn-based combat. That framing fits Clair Obscur’s combat setup, which has been widely described as turn-based but layered with timed inputs and reactive actions. (gamingbolt.com) Sandfall Interactive’s game also arrived with commercial momentum. Game Informer reported on April 28 that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 had shipped more than 1 million copies in three days after its April 24 launch, a figure the outlet said did not include Xbox Game Pass players. (yahoo.com) ### How does that connect to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth? Final Fantasy VII Rebirth already uses a hybrid structure. GamingBolt said Hamaguchi described how Square Enix tried to preserve elements of Final Fantasy VII’s Active Time Battle roots by tying stronger abilities to an ATB gauge filled through regular attacks. (gamingbolt.com) Naoki Hamaguchi’s role gives those comments added weight because he directed Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and has been publicly linked to the trilogy’s next installment in outside coverage. That does not amount to a confirmed design change for the next game, but it places his comments inside an ongoing debate over how much action and how much command-based strategy modern big-budget RPGs should use. (gameinformer.com) ### Does this mean long turn-based RPGs are disappearing? Player discussion around Clair Obscur suggests the audience Hamaguchi described is not limited to short or simplified games. (gamingbolt.com) In a Steam discussion thread posted May 13, one player said the game took about 50 hours to complete with optional bosses and dungeons, while others in the same thread put a main-story run closer to 30 to 35 hours. That does not establish an official completion length, but it does show that a game cited as a hybrid-combat example can still support the longer, systems-heavy play patterns associated with traditional RPGs. Separate guides from outlets including TheGamer and Dexerto have also placed a main-story run around the mid-20s to roughly 30 hours, with fuller runs taking longer. (gamingbolt.com) ### What comes next for this debate? Square Enix has not announced a final combat blueprint for the third Final Fantasy VII remake game in the material reviewed here. IGN previously reported that gameplay decisions for that project had not been predetermined, citing Hamaguchi. (steamcommunity.com) For now, the clearest next marker is whatever Square Enix says publicly about the trilogy’s final entry, while Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 remains in the market as a live example of the hybrid approach Hamaguchi discussed. (me.ign.com) (thegamer.com)