Final Fantasy 7 Remake Sequels Will "Differ Significantly From The Original"

Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama says he is sure parts of future installments of the remake will "differ significantly from the original," and hopes the game's Honeybee Inn scene serves as a good example on how to update and change parts of the original game for modern audiences going forward.

The news comes from a new interview posted on the official Square Enix site diving into the behind-the-scenes creation of the Honeybee Inn portion of the game, which sees Cloud crossdressing and performing on stage via a rhythm game.

Toriyama says the original game's crossdressing scene is an iconic part of the original Final Fantasy VII, so including it in the remake was a must.

"Given how famous the crossdressing was in the original Final Fantasy VII, we were aware that people would have high expectations for the remake," Toriyama says. "We knew we had to do it in a way that both lived up to those expectations, but took modern sensibilities into consideration."

Rather than having a simple crossdressing scene, Toriyama had the idea to turn the entire scenario into one big celebration that included an empowering message of support during Cloud's on-stage performance, an idea inspired by burlesque-style shows and traditional Persian cabaret. The decision to introduce a rhythm game came from the genre being a popular way to depict a dance-off, and seemed like a natural fit.

But as over-the-top as Final Fantasy VII Remake's Honeybee Inn scene is, there were still ideas left on the cutting room floor. The team hired a group of professional dancers to come up with choreography for the performance, which at one point included an elaborate pole-dancing scene. That didn't make its way into the final game out of concern for the game's content rating.

Overall, Toriyama says he was surprised by the enthusiastic reception to the Honeybee Inn, initially worrying that fans of the original game wouldn't like it due to all the changes made.

"This scene is a key example of something that was changed dramatically from the original Final Fantasy VII," Toriyama says. "I was a bit worried about what fans of the original game would think, but the whole scene got a much more enthusiastic reception than I could ever have hoped for, so I was quite relieved."

Final Fantasy VII Remake recently arrived on PlayStation 5 in a new version titled Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade. The PS5 version supports improved visuals, a photo mode, a 60fps performance mode, and the option to purchase a Yuffie-centric DLC episode titled INTERmission, which upon completion also adds an additional boss battle to the main game.