Final Fantasy VII Revelation: too much content or a masterpiece?

Settling into the demo of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, one thing becomes immediately apparent: the sheer volume of content. The experience is peppered with tutorial pop-ups, menu screens, and commentary from characters like Chadley and the Monster Assessment Instrument (MAI). While this can feel intrusive during a short play session—where up to 10% of time might be spent dismissing notifications—it signals the game's deep commitment to its open-world ambitions. The developers are ensuring players understand the guide rails for navigating a world that includes everything from Rebirth, and then some.

This maximalist design philosophy stems directly from the development team at Square Enix Creative Studio One. Director Naoki Hamaguchi was already deep into Revelation while finalizing Rebirth, spending a full year ideating and iterating on the sequel. He has openly cited inspirations such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Sony's Horizon series, and Crimson Desert. The goal is to apply the classic Final Fantasy formula to modern open-world sensibilities, creating a truly massive experience.

The game launches on April 8th, 2027, across Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PC, and the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2. In terms of gameplay, Revelation aims to refine what was nearly perfected in Rebirth. Combat is described as bigger, better, and beefier, while traversal systems have evolved significantly from the glacial pace of the original Remake. Players can now glide from their airship to literally anywhere in the world, a feature that demonstrates the team's belief in a truly open vision. Chocobos remain fast and reliable, capable of engaging in combat to help thin out fodder enemies, making navigation much more fluid.

However, the biggest talking point—and potential point of contention—is the game's approach to player agency regarding content consumption. During a recent State of Play presentation, Square Enix highlighted a new feature allowing players to fast-forward through dialogue. This has sparked debate among fans: why sell a feature that lets you skip story elements? The answer lies in the philosophy of choice. As noted by the preview author, more options are better for consumers. If you want to engage with every side quest and piece of lore, you can do so. If you prefer to focus purely on mechanics or the main narrative path without the 'guff', you have the option to fast-forward. Ultimately, players are in charge of how they engage with the game.

Despite the initial friction caused by tutorial-heavy demos and the sheer scale of the open world, the core experience remains compelling. The story of Cloud is set to conclude with a bang, regardless of how much the 'bloat' of the environment might try to muffle it. For fans who grew up on classic RPGs and enjoy hunting superbosses or grinding teams, this extra content is catnip rather than a burden. While some bad-faith takes suggest the game is just padding out a fine story, the reality is that Revelation is an ambitious, complicated, and maximalist project that rewards those willing to dive into its depths.

In short, if you found Final Fantasy VII Rebirth overstuffed, Final Fantasy VII: Revelation will likely feel even more so. But as the preview suggests, having too much to do is preferable to having too little. The choice is yours: dive into every corner of this massive world or take the golden path and nothing else.