Naoki Hamaguchi Explains Why Final Fantasy VII: Revelation Stays on UE4

With Final Fantasy VII: Revelation set to conclude the highly anticipated remake trilogy next year, director Naoki Hamaguchi has shed light on a pivotal technical decision: the team is sticking with Unreal Engine 4.

While newer titles across the industry have begun transitioning to the more powerful Unreal Engine 5, Hamaguchi explained in a recent interview with 4Gamer that the choice to remain on the older engine was driven by a commitment to efficiency and a desire to get the game into players' hands without unnecessary delays.

Prioritizing Efficiency Over New Tech

Addressing the common perception that newer engine versions are inherently superior, Hamaguchi noted that for the business and the players, speed remains the priority. The development team had already spent significant time customizing Unreal Engine 4 throughout the production of the previous remake entries. Switching to Unreal Engine 5 would have required a total reset of their workflows and a significant increase in development time.

"We had already worked with and customized UE4 for the remake series, so we decided delivering the game quickly to players with a workflow that we were used to was best, rather than resetting everything to restart with UE5, build everything again and extend the development time," Hamaguchi said.

Hamaguchi was firm in his decision, telling his team early on that the project would stay the course with Unreal Engine 4 to prevent any confusion or scope creep during production. He noted that the team’s deep familiarity with the engine allowed them to build their own extensions, meaning that if they encountered technical hurdles, they were fully equipped to address them internally.

A Consistent Vision

When asked if there was internal pushback from creators eager to experiment with the latest technology, Hamaguchi admitted he anticipated questions regarding new features. However, he believes the decision has been vindicated by the progress of the project, which is currently targeting a multi-platform release including PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch.

By avoiding the learning curve associated with a new engine, the team has been able to keep development moving smoothly for this final chapter. This continuity in production is aimed at ensuring that the conclusion to the Final Fantasy VII saga arrives as scheduled, maintaining the technical consistency established in the earlier parts of the trilogy.