An Unconventional Approach: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Director’s New Philosophy on Difficulty

In the often-heated world of gaming, few topics spark as much debate as difficulty. The discourse, fueled by challenging titles like Hollow Knight and Elden Ring, often divides players into two camps: those who advocate for a punishing, “git gud” philosophy and those who champion accessibility for all. Now, Naoki Hamaguchi, the co-director of the highly successful Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, has thrown his hat into the ring with a bold statement and a tangible new feature. In a move that “takes a hammer to difficulty discourse,” he has revealed a new “god mode” for the game while admitting he, a professional game developer, has given up on games due to excessive grinding and time-consuming progression.

“I Gave Up”: A Developer’s Candid Confession

Hamaguchi’s comments come at a time when Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is set to launch on new platforms, including the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S. This new version will include a “Streamlined Progression” setting, an ultimate god mode that makes the player invincible with unlimited HP and MP, and damage always set to a staggering 9999. It’s a feature that essentially allows players to bypass all combat and focus solely on the story.

In an interview, Hamaguchi explained the thinking behind this move, stating that he feels “the way people enjoy content has become more flexible these days” and that he has had “personal experiences where I wanted to play something with the limited time I have but gave up because of the time it takes to level up characters or traverse the game.”

This confession is a breath of fresh air. It’s rare to hear a director of a major JRPG admit that even they can find the genre’s traditional mechanics to be a deterrent. For decades, JRPGs have been synonymous with grinding—a repetitive, often tedious process of fighting low-level enemies to make characters strong enough for the next boss. Hamaguchi’s statement acknowledges a fundamental truth of modern life: not everyone has the dozens of hours required to engage in this kind of gameplay.

• The Time Constraint: In an age of streaming platforms and a vast library of games, many players, including developers themselves, don’t have the time to invest in lengthy and difficult progression systems.
• A Focus on Story: The “god mode” allows players to engage with the highly acclaimed narrative of Final Fantasy 7 Remake without the frustration of difficult combat encounters.
• Accessibility for All: The new feature is a powerful statement about accessibility, making the game approachable to players of all skill levels, from veterans to newcomers who may be daunted by the JRPG genre.

The Growing Divide: Story vs. Skill

Hamaguchi’s comments are not just about making a game easier; they are about recognizing a fundamental split in the gaming audience. Many players are in a game for its narrative, its characters, and its world. For them, a difficult boss fight or a long grinding session is not a challenge to be overcome but a frustrating obstacle that stands between them and the next story beat.

The “difficulty discourse,” as Hamaguchi calls it, often pits these two groups against each other. Proponents of challenge argue that it is the difficulty that makes the victory meaningful, while others argue that the story is the primary experience and that a player should not be locked out of it due to a lack of time or skill. By offering a “god mode,” Square Enix is providing a clear answer: both approaches are valid, and players should have the freedom to choose their own path.

A New Trend in Game Design

This move by Square Enix is part of a growing trend in the industry. As games become more cinematic and story-driven, many developers are offering accessibility options that allow players to tailor the experience to their needs. Titles like Horizon Forbidden West and Ghost of Tsushima have introduced customizable difficulty settings, but Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s “god mode” takes this a step further. It is a bold, almost radical, acknowledgment that the value of a game is not solely tied to its challenge. It is a powerful message that the most important thing is for the player to have a memorable and enjoyable experience, no matter how they achieve it. The high CPC keywords for these discussions, such as “Final Fantasy 7 Remake difficulty,” “JRPG grinding,” “video game accessibility,” and “best RPGs,” are a clear indication of the ongoing and important conversation about how games are designed and for whom.