Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director promises “nearly 100 hours of adventure” for the JRPG

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was arguably the biggest game of tonight’s PlayStation State of Play showcase, with a jam-packed trailer delivering the long-awaited release date. One of the JRPG’s most tantalizing reveals was reserved a post-show statement from director Naoki Hamaguchi, who says Rebirth delivers “nearly 100 hours of adventure.”

“While the main storyline is bigger and more ambitious than the previous game’s narrative, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth also embraces the concept of ‘free exploration,’ with compelling stories, fun mini-games, powerful monsters, and so much more to find throughout the world map,” begins the director’s comment, sandwiched between posts from producer Yoshinori Kitase and creative director Tetsuya Nomura.

“We hope you will explore this world in great detail, as nearly 100 hours of adventure awaits,” Hamaguchi adds. I don’t remember exactly how much time I put into Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but I know it was well below 100 hours, and I cleared a pretty good chunk of extra content. Even as a ballpark figure, Hamaguchi’s estimate certainly makes Rebirth sound like a considerably bigger, denser game. 

Kitase touched on the scope of the game as well, promising “greatly enhanced features such as the vast world map to explore and synergy abilities with party members” as well as a story that “will unfold more dramatically than ever before.” 

“Whether you have experienced the original title or will embark on this adventure with fresh eyes, we hope you will face the ending of this work on your own terms,” says Nomura, in perhaps the most ominous teaser of the day. 

The State of Play gave us our first look at the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Collector’s Edition, which gets you 19 inches of Sephiroth for just $350. The game’s PlayStation exclusivity was also addressed: it won’t come to other platforms until “at least” May 29, 2024. 

Fan-favorite Final Fantasy 7 character Vincent is back, and might have stolen the show.