1UP: I know a lot of people who consider FFVI not only their favorite Final Fantasy, but their favorite game of all time. What do you think it is about the game that makes it so enduring and so beloved?
YK: There are two things I can think of that draws fans into FFVI. First of all, the main concept behind the game was that I wanted to create many characters that could all stand up to be main characters. We weren't creating one main character that the story would revolve around, but rather each and every character had something to show and bring to the table. I think that made it so that players could relate to at least one, maybe several characters within the game -- and they were very memorable characters as well.
Another thing is that in FFVI, there were a lot of dramatic scenes for the first time in a Final Fantasy, and a lot of players had a strong emotional reaction to them. The Opera House scene is one that I personally worked on the script and how the actions played out in the scene. That's something I think has stuck in players' minds. Also, the scene at Daryl's grave... these kinds of dramatic cutscenes really left an impression on players.
1UP: Personally speaking, which is your favorite character in FFVI?
YK: From a creator's standpoint, not as a player's standpoint, my favorite was Celes. When she was first created, Sakaguchi didn't intend for her to have many spots to shine within the game. But, because I liked the character so much, as we worked on the script, she had more and more parts that really stood out. One of these scenes was when the world comes to an end, and Celes is left on a deserted island. This scene didn't really exist in the original script, but since I wanted to showcase this character, there was more and more of a bigger role for her.
1UP: That is one of the most memorable scenes in the game... especially if you don't catch enough fish.
YK: (laughs) That scene originally wasn't there at all, but in creating this character I just got so excited and had so many ideas that I had to include it.
1UP: Then came Final Fantasy VII, which was really the first RPG that many Americans played. Why do you think the game was such a hit internationally?
YK: I think the impact of transitioning from the 2D sprite world to this realistic, 3D, CG world left a really big impression on a lot of players. This is something I had a really serious and lengthy discussion about, with Sakaguchi, in considering which direction to take this next Final Fantasy now that it was going to PlayStation. We did discuss taking the series into something that was still 2D but with more of a manga and anime-style graphics, since that's where a lot of RPGs were evolving to. It was a viable option. The other direction we were thinking was realistic 3D animation type of look. We'd still keep that distinct Japanese anime look to it, but visually it would have more impact.
When thinking about the global market, we felt that the major form of entertainment is Hollywood movies. In order to create a dramatic cast of realistic characters that people could really relate to, we felt that visually we had to take Final Fantasy a step further. That's where we went with FFVII, and it's a major factor in its success.
1UP: It was a very big game, with a lot of content, cutting-edge technology, great graphics, a complex story. What was the most challenging aspect of the game for you?
YK: The most challenging aspect of the game had to be putting together the visual style, just because all the way from FFI to FFVI we had this sort of format we were working with, and the visuals never really changed. There was a certain formula for what the world maps looked like, the towns, how the battles would look, the top-down view, and so forth. We had to rebuild everything from scratch and try to come up with how to show the game visually when we came upon this 3D CG technology. Trying to convey that accurately to the team, trying to create something we were comfortable with and satisfied with, was a big challenge.
One of the things I had really found awkward and really wanted to change in past Final Fantasies is that there were these different views depending on what kind of scene the character was in -- top-down for the world maps, a side-to-side perspective in battle. With FFVII, I really wanted to make the view consistent and give the players a sense that they were watching a movie so that there would be a very smooth flow and transition from different scenes in the game all the way into the battle system. That was difficult, but I'm happy that we were able to realize it.
1UP: Everyone always asks you when you're going remake FFVII....
YK: (laughs)
1UP: ...so I won't ask you that. Instead, I want to ask -- why do you think so many people want a FFVII remake?
YK: I think there's such a strong voice out there for the FFVII remake because with FFVII, when it first came out, the characters were really the core of the game. The CG 3D technology enabled us to create characters that seemed more relatable and more real in every way. They were more life-like than in any other FF title. But now, technology has evolved so far; in FFXIII, we're able to breathe more life into the characters. I think people really want to see the characters they love in a more realistic form. There were no voices back then, for instance. I think adding all these new layers to the characters is something fans really would like to see.
