By Sagar V. Mankar Square Enix has been riding high on the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, leaving fans of other Final Fantasy titles wondering if their favorite game will get the remake treatment next.
Specifically, calls for a Final Fantasy 8 remake have grown louder in recent years.
However, based on recent comments from key developers, a Final Fantasy 8 remake seems unlikely anytime soon.
Why are Fans Calling for a Final Fantasy 8 Remake?
Final Fantasy 8 was originally released in 1999 for PS1 and remastered in 2019 for all consoles got a mixed critical reception.
While some appreciated innovations like the Junction system, others found the game confusing and overly complex.
Over the years, a vocal contingent of fans has emerged calling for Square Enix to give FF8 the remake treatment to facilitate intricate systems.
The recent remake of FF7 was both a critical and commercial smash hit.
So, fans wonder if their favorite game might be next on the pipeline.
What Did the Developers Say About an FF8 Remake?
In a recent interview with IGN, Final Fantasy 7 Remake director Naoki Hamaguchi flatly rejected the possibility of an FF8 remake happening if he were put in charge.
Hamaguchi explained the enormous effort required for these big-budget remakes, saying he’d turn down the director role if asked due to sheer scale.
Yoshinori Kitase, producer of FF7 Remake and the original FF8 director, clarified potential interest but cited challenges getting remake projects approved at Square Enix after the long dev cycle for FF7 Remake.
Why Little Interest in Remaking FF8?
While Final Fantasy 7 was remade over 20 years after its original release, FF8 hasn’t garnered the same level of interest for a modern reboot.
As Kitase explained, FF8’s Junction system and Draw mechanics created friction that turned some fans away from the game.
Streamlining or removing these features would make an FF8 remake more appealing to new players, but Kitase said taking on a remake of that scale requires massive investments of time and money.
After the development of Final Fantasy 7 Remake took nearly a full decade, it’s no surprise that Square Enix is hesitant to commit to remaking another enormous PS1-era RPG title.
Hamaguchi semi-jokingly said he would flat-out refuse to work on an FF8 remake after finishing the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, though his comment likely reflects a real hesitance after such an intensive, prolonged project.
What About a Smaller-Scale FF 8 Remake?
While a full-fledged overhaul of Final Fantasy 8 may not happen anytime soon, Kitase and Hamaguchi did not rule out the possibility of a smaller-scale FF8 remake.
Kitase explained his interest in remaking a smaller-scale game like the beloved Final Fantasy 9.
Cloud versions of games may also enable remakes using streaming technology.
But for now, Final Fantasy fans eager to revisit classic PS1-era titles will still have to turn to remasters and re-releases – an FF8 remake lives only in theory.
Square Enix is first focused on completing the Final Fantasy 7 remake project before allocating resources to resuscitating any other classic franchise entries.
What classic Final Fantasy games would you love to see remade? Share your thoughts below!