Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide is 10 Hours Long, PC Version Could Include DLC

In an interview with a Japanese educational television program and originally reported in English by Japanese creator Genki , Naoki Yoshida explained that he believes cloud gaming could end “console wars” and make games accessible to all players. He hopes that players don’t need to worry about having specific pieces of gaming hardware like consoles in order to play what they’d like. 

For the Square Enix developers behind Final Fantasy 7 Remake and its sequel Rebirth, moving the series to a more action-oriented take with its combat was a key focus, but still retaining the franchise's tactical decision-making was especially vital. They succeeded in that careful balancing act with Remake, but with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, that core concept expands even further. In an interview published in Game Informer magazine, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth creative director Tetsuya Nomura and battle director Teruki Endo spoke about the unique balance they have to strike when developing the combat engine and how the strategy element is a core part of the franchise's history. "I do have this idea of how Final Fantasy battles should be and should feel," said the game director in the Game Informer interview.

Square Enix has proudly proclaimed how big Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is, offering a main story that’s 40 hours long and 100 hours of gameplay for completionists. However, the development team has also emphasized the side content, which makes up about 80 percent of the exploration-based gameplay.

Of the various mini-games in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, some of the most interesting are Queen’s Blood, a collectible card game, and piano playing. While Square Enix offered new details on the latter, including a free play mode, it hasn’t discussed how the CCG works.

If Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth featuring vast amounts of side content and new cities not in the original game isn’t enough, there are also several mini-games to engage in. These include a new collectible card game, Queen’s Blood, and piano playing. Speaking to Game Informer, director Naoki Hamaguchi offered some new details on the two.

The scale of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is pretty absurd, with creative director Tetsuya Nomura promising 100 hours of gameplay. The amount of side content being double that of the main quest is also nuts, as is the 150 GB installation space required for the game. How long does it take to finish the story, though?

While Tekken 8 and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth launch next month, all eyes are arguably on February 2024 when Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth drops. Director Naoki Hamaguchi has revealed a lot about the world, from how it’s a seamless map with the freedom to go anywhere to the sheer amount of side content. In a new preview with Game Informer, he confirmed there would also be new cities to explore that weren’t in the original game.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is the 12-page cover story of Game Informer Issue 362, the publication announced.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth features new combat mechanics like Synergy Abilities and over-the-top classic elements like Summons, with director Naoki Hamaguchi promising new and returning Summons. After they were revealed at The Game Awards 2023, Titan, Phoenix and Bahamut Arisen have received new details and images.

It’s been a good few months since Final Fantasy 16 was properly confirmed as coming to PC. While we’re yet to get a release date, development of FF16 on PC clearly continues apace, as the game’s producer has teased a few more details - including the fact you’ll need an SSD to play.

Final Fantasy fans got a closer look at Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind in a new trailer released for Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth at The Game Awards 2023. The trailer also served as the debut of FF7: Rebirth’s main theme ‘No Promises to Keep’ composed by famed Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu.

PC players planning to play Final Fantasy 16 should consider an SSD «a must».