Final Fantasy 7 Remake's "Dramatic Changes" to Combat Discussed

The upcoming remake of Final Fantasy VII will feature "dramatic changes" to the game's combat, although it won't be altered so much that it becomes unrecognizable, according to director Tetsuya Nomura.

He indicated this in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine (via GamesRadar), though he also offered some reassurance for fans hoping the project resembles the classic it's based upon.

"And of course, that being said, we want to clarify: We're not going to be changing it into a shooter or something like that," Nomura said. "We are going to be bringing dramatic changes, but we want to make sure it's still recognizable."

Previously, Square Enix had been coy about any changes it might make. Nomura said in June that the company doesn't "want to interfere with what makes the original title so iconic." However, it also wants to give it a "fresh feel," with the goal being to not have the remake "become a one-to-one remake, or just the original Final Fantasy VII with better graphics."

Unfortunately, we still don't have any specifics on how combat or anything else will change, though you can expect major plot beats and other areas to remain the same. "There are certain plot points we don't want to interfere with or disturb, nor will we want to change elements that fans have very big attachments to," he said last month.

In the new OPM interview, Nomura also suggested that Advent Children, the critically panned Final Fantasy VII movie he directed in 2005, will offer some inspiration. Specifically, it'll be used for visual reference, though its 3D models won't be pulled directly for the remake, both because of the differences in technology and the fact that the movie is now a decade old.

The Final Fantasy VII remake was officially announced at E3 in June. It's slated to come to PlayStation 4, but does not yet have a release date.