Square Enix has spilled the beans on why it’s splitting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth between two discs and how the whole process works.
The original Final Fantasy VII really opened up once Cloud and friends left Midgard, and to capture that expansive scale again on newer tech, Square made a decision for Rebirth that fans might have assumed was for nostalgia’s sake. However, according to game director Naoki Hamaguchi in an interview with Game Informer, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be “150GB, with 100 on one disc and 50 on the other.”
Players won’t be swapping the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth two discs the old-fashioned way, though. Instead, the PlayStation 5’s architecture will allow players to install the entire game by inserting both discs. Afterward, you can slot in one of the two discs to play the game from start to finish without any hassle.
Related: Square Enix Reveals How Much of Final Fantasy VII’s Story Rebirth Covers
Hamaguchi also clarified during the interview that Rebirth getting split had “less to do with rekindling nostalgia and more as a method to preserve the team’s lofty vision for it.” As expected, Square had envisioned Rebirth to be a massive task, one where they needed a highly detailed world way more impressive and immersive than Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Midgar.
With such a challenge in front of them, stuffing a game of this size onto one disc would have forced the developers to pull back the scope of Rebirth. Luckily, the team decided to figure out a two disc system.
Beyond Rebirth, Square’s new disc process is a rather crucial piece of technology if the team ever decided to reimagine other Final Fantasy titles. For some time, fans have waited to hear details on a rumored Final Fantasy IX remake, and despite there being no word, some are holding out for a Final Fantasy VIII reimagining, too. This new revamped saga for Final Fantasy VII could be the first of its kind and may pave the way for older properties deserving a revival.
