Final Fantasy 7 remake being made with Unreal Engine 4

Another piece of interesting news surrounding Final Fantasy VII Remake has surfaced. It was confirmed earlier today that the game is being built using not Square Enix’s own gaming engine, but the famous Unreal Engine 4.

“We realize how special Final Fantasy VII is to fans, and we place our trust in Unreal Engine 4 technology and tools to help deliver this long-awaited remake, crafted for modern platforms. Working with the team at Epic and having their support throughout this process was invaluable and we’re excited to bring the product of that collaboration to long-time fans and newcomers to the series.”

– Square Enix producer, Yoshinori Kitase.

The news came to light in a press release from Epic and followed the news of the remake being a multi-part series. It was also revealed earlier that CyberConnect2, studio known for Naruto fighting games, is helping the development of the remake. 

“We’re humbled that Square Enix has chosen Unreal Engine 4 to recreate one of the world’s most beloved video games of all time…. It is a joy to work with the talented developers behind the franchise, and this marks an unforgettable moment in Unreal Engine history.”

– Taka Kawasaki of Epic Games Japan.

This, however, is not the only game by Square Enix working with Unreal Engine 4. Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue and Kingdom Hearts III will also use Unreal Engine. Final Fantasy XV, however, will use Square Enix’s own Luminous Studio engine.

It has also been revealed that Final Fantasy VII Remake will use  Geomerics’ illumination technology, Enlighten. “The Geomerics team will continue to work closely with Square Enix throughout development to ensure the final lighting quality exceeds expectations for this highly anticipated title.”, reads the company’s announcement.

A gameplay trailer of the game was also released past weekend during PlayStation Experience. The video can be found here.

A release date for the first installment of the game has not yet been unveiled. Also, it is unclear whether it will be released for Xbox One and PC. Adding to the suspense, the above trailer adds the text- ‘Play it first on PlayStation 4’, which might mean that it is releasing across other platforms also, though a bit late.