FF7 Remake Part 3 director Naoki Hamaguchi has already beaten the final game over 40 times

We're all desperately waiting for news of when Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 will launch, yet its director Naoki Hamaguchi has already beaten it - and not just once, but across a total of "over 40 full playthroughs." The final conclusion to the reimagined story is shaping up to offer a unique spin on one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time, and we're now eagerly awaiting word of an actual release date. There's still no promise of when we'll find out yet, but Hamaguchi's latest progress report certainly makes it sound like we're getting very near.

Speaking to Nintendo Life, Hamaguchi says the team is "very excited about how the game is progressing." He's obviously cautious about revealing too many specifics about the concluding act of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, but implies that it's getting pretty close. "I have already completed over 40 full playthroughs," he teases, "I can't wait for as many people as possible to experience the game for themselves, and myself and the team are working hard to ensure we can create an unforgettable gameplay experience."

If you're wondering how Hamaguchi could possibly have squeezed so many runs in already, given that he's already said it won't be cut down despite feedback about the size of Rebirth, he has a simple answer. "To be honest, it's rare for me to make downtime with the intentional goal of 'relaxing.' I play games and watch films, but sometimes I'm not even sure whether I'm purely enjoying them or engaging with them as part of my own creative process."

Hamaguchi does have one way to clear his head, however. "I've made it a habit to get off the train a few stops early and walk for about 30 minutes on the way home. While walking, my thoughts tend to connect in unexpected ways, and I'm able to make sense of things as a result. It's also good for my physical health." He notes that the finish line for the trilogy "felt unimaginably far away when it first began," but that, in the years since, "it feels like time has flown by surprisingly quickly, partly because our days in development were so packed and eventful."

Speaking to the challenge of extending the original FF7 into three games, he says the hardest part "was thoughtfully evaluating, title by title, how far to push 'nostalgia' and 'innovation' respectively, so they could work in balance." He explains that for existing fans, it's important to consider their relationships to the characters and the emotions they felt during their original adventures. "Those are elements we can't afford to treat lightly."

Hamaguchi was also eager to ensure the presentation and design aligned with "modern sensibilities" to help it resonate with newcomers. "Rather than framing this as a simple binary of whether to 'preserve or change' something, we've continuously reevaluated how to interpret these notions of 'nostalgia' and 'innovation,' and how to express them," he muses. "As we've expanded the story as a trilogy, that thinking has remained consistent."

With the ultimate act in sight, Hamaguchi looks back on more than ten years of involvement with the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. "With this final installment, I feel a deep certainty that we'll be able to deliver an experience that'll make people think, 'I'm glad I stayed with the series until the end.' That's something I feel in my heart.

"For the many fans who have supported us over this long journey, I sincerely hope that the time you've spent following this story to its conclusion will stay with you, as something to cherish," Hamaguchi remarks. "My wish, from the bottom of my heart, is that we deliver a finale that's worthy of that." He recently teased that we'll be waiting "just a little longer" for a more concrete announcement, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.