Naoki Hamaguchi, the game director behind Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, revealed that he drew inspiration from a variety of titles during development — ranging from God of War to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
In an interview he explained that Remake was envisioned as a more linear, story-driven experience, so the team looked to PlayStation flagship narratives like The Last of Us and God of War. Hamaguchi said his goal was to craft a deeply emotional tale that immerses players in the story with the same intensity those Sony projects achieve.
For Final Fantasy VII Rebirth the director pursued a different approach. Because the action moves beyond Midgar and opens up into a vast world, he focused on open-structure games — chiefly The Witcher 3 and the Horizon series. According to him, those titles helped him learn how to fuse exploration, narrative, and poignant set pieces within a more open format.
Source: iXBT.games