Shinra Archaeology
@shinraarchaeology.bsky.social
Bringing you the latest in FFVII news and trivia translated straight from Japanese sources.
Contact us at: ShinraArchaeologyDepartment@gmail.com
Website: shinraarchaeology.com
Contact us at: ShinraArchaeologyDepartment@gmail.com
Website: shinraarchaeology.com
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The time has come. Version 1.0 of FFVII: Shinra Archaeology Cut is now out! Experience FFVII like never before with a brand-new retranslation and (optionally) over an hour's worth of official cut content restored to the game. Play on Steam through the 7th Heaven launcher today!
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In today's Last Elixir video, we shine a spotlight on one of FFVII’s most memorable scenes. Enjoy a detailed breakdown of Dyne and Barret’s Corel Prison duel and a measured look at how it was reimagined for FFVII Rebirth.
youtu.be/cdYSAIbveN0?...
In today's Last Elixir video, we shine a spotlight on one of FFVII’s most memorable scenes. Enjoy a detailed breakdown of Dyne and Barret’s Corel Prison duel and a measured look at how it was reimagined for FFVII Rebirth.
youtu.be/cdYSAIbveN0?...
The Legacy of FFVII's Rawest Scene
YouTube video by Last Elixir Productions
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 12:13 PM
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In today's Last Elixir video, we shine a spotlight on one of FFVII’s most memorable scenes. Enjoy a detailed breakdown of Dyne and Barret’s Corel Prison duel and a measured look at how it was reimagined for FFVII Rebirth.
youtu.be/cdYSAIbveN0?...
In today's Last Elixir video, we shine a spotlight on one of FFVII’s most memorable scenes. Enjoy a detailed breakdown of Dyne and Barret’s Corel Prison duel and a measured look at how it was reimagined for FFVII Rebirth.
youtu.be/cdYSAIbveN0?...
FFVII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirms that the PlayStation version's trophies will be easier to obtain in Part 3. He admits that they were too difficult to achieve in Rebirth and so he’s eased the difficulty after fan feedback. (Forbes, 11/11)
November 12, 2025 at 3:43 PM
FFVII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirms that the PlayStation version's trophies will be easier to obtain in Part 3. He admits that they were too difficult to achieve in Rebirth and so he’s eased the difficulty after fan feedback. (Forbes, 11/11)
In the original FFVII, in what seems to be a gathering of bald men, a group has rented out the bar in the basement of the weapon shop to enjoy some drinks. Rude the Turk can be spotted among their ranks. It’s the group’s rule not to cover their heads. (UO, 2005) #FF7 #Rude #FFVII #Turks #Turk
November 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Nojima says that after FFVII came out he got sort of rattled by people writing stuff online like "Flashbacks are so hackneyed," so with VIII he hardly used any at all. But then maybe as a rebound, X ended up having tons of flashback scenes. (Famitsu, 2021)
November 8, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Nojima says that after FFVII came out he got sort of rattled by people writing stuff online like "Flashbacks are so hackneyed," so with VIII he hardly used any at all. But then maybe as a rebound, X ended up having tons of flashback scenes. (Famitsu, 2021)
In 2021, Nojima said with VII and VIII, the characters were vessels for reflecting the players' emotions in-game. With X, he aimed to make sure the characters could stand on their own even as players identified with them. That's a concern he's still dragging into FF7R. [1/3]
November 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
In 2021, Nojima said with VII and VIII, the characters were vessels for reflecting the players' emotions in-game. With X, he aimed to make sure the characters could stand on their own even as players identified with them. That's a concern he's still dragging into FF7R. [1/3]
Naoki Hamaguchi says he would love to make a AA game with a similar scope to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that's really focused on one area, but only if he completely ignored the reality of it - the position he has in the company and what they want him to make. (Gamesradar, 11/1)
November 2, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Naoki Hamaguchi says he would love to make a AA game with a similar scope to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 that's really focused on one area, but only if he completely ignored the reality of it - the position he has in the company and what they want him to make. (Gamesradar, 11/1)
Asked how he fell into the role of Sephiroth, VA Tyler Hoechlin says that kind of describes it. It was a random audition that came through which he went in for and did the voice for about 15 to 20 minutes. He then never heard anything for about a year. [1/3]
November 2, 2025 at 6:27 PM
Asked how he fell into the role of Sephiroth, VA Tyler Hoechlin says that kind of describes it. It was a random audition that came through which he went in for and did the voice for about 15 to 20 minutes. He then never heard anything for about a year. [1/3]
He thinks now that they've done Remake and Rebirth, it works in their favor since people now know they can expect new and exciting things from the third game. He thinks that was essential - that philosophy of not just planning it all out and making it the same all the way through. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 7:16 PM
He thinks now that they've done Remake and Rebirth, it works in their favor since people now know they can expect new and exciting things from the third game. He thinks that was essential - that philosophy of not just planning it all out and making it the same all the way through. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
He says if you look at this from the first game to the second in terms of the overall themes -the first one is obviously a story-driven experience. If the second one was the same, then as soon as people play it they would think the third one is going to be a story-driven as well. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 7:15 PM
He says if you look at this from the first game to the second in terms of the overall themes -the first one is obviously a story-driven experience. If the second one was the same, then as soon as people play it they would think the third one is going to be a story-driven as well. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Naoki Hamaguchi says if they just tried to make three of the same game with a continuing story… there'd be a lot more fans who would drop out and become bored with it if they didn't have that feeling that it's going to continue in a different direction. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Naoki Hamaguchi says if they just tried to make three of the same game with a continuing story… there'd be a lot more fans who would drop out and become bored with it if they didn't have that feeling that it's going to continue in a different direction. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Asked about people in the 90s theorizing about things reviving Aerith or the inaccessible cave, Hamaguchi says it reflects changing times. In some ways, we've kind of lost that aspect to entertainment. Unlike before, the internet now lets people instantly verify or debunk rumors. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 6:39 PM
Asked about people in the 90s theorizing about things reviving Aerith or the inaccessible cave, Hamaguchi says it reflects changing times. In some ways, we've kind of lost that aspect to entertainment. Unlike before, the internet now lets people instantly verify or debunk rumors. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Hamaguchi says Kitase, Nomura, Toriyama, and Nojima all still involved in the remake projects and they're available very easily so he can go and check things against them. Even if there's no documentation, they can kind of get it from the horse's mouth. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Hamaguchi says Kitase, Nomura, Toriyama, and Nojima all still involved in the remake projects and they're available very easily so he can go and check things against them. Even if there's no documentation, they can kind of get it from the horse's mouth. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Naoki Hamaguchi says he made a clear decision when he was given the role as director for the FFVII remake series. What he's not doing is trying to overwrite the OG with his own fan perspective of it and create a new version of the game which is essentially a fanfiction of it. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Naoki Hamaguchi says he made a clear decision when he was given the role as director for the FFVII remake series. What he's not doing is trying to overwrite the OG with his own fan perspective of it and create a new version of the game which is essentially a fanfiction of it. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Asked about referencing old planning documents and the like from back in the day, Naoki Hamaguchi says there's almost no documentation left over from that period at all, practically none. Game development back then was a lot more Wild West - a lot of material was just not kept. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Asked about referencing old planning documents and the like from back in the day, Naoki Hamaguchi says there's almost no documentation left over from that period at all, practically none. Game development back then was a lot more Wild West - a lot of material was just not kept. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Asked about scene iteration, Hamaguchi says that's there but when Scenario Writer Nojima wants to express something, they'll be saying 'yes, we have to show that'. They assess whether it conveys his intent, but they try to avoid iterating to preserve a single creative vision. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Asked about scene iteration, Hamaguchi says that's there but when Scenario Writer Nojima wants to express something, they'll be saying 'yes, we have to show that'. They assess whether it conveys his intent, but they try to avoid iterating to preserve a single creative vision. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Hamaguchi says one example of that is in Rebirth the scene where Aerith sings the theme song in the Gold Saucer wasn't in the original planning. Late in development, Kitase decided he wanted it in the game and they had to all rush to get it made very quickly. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Hamaguchi says one example of that is in Rebirth the scene where Aerith sings the theme song in the Gold Saucer wasn't in the original planning. Late in development, Kitase decided he wanted it in the game and they had to all rush to get it made very quickly. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Asked how much the narrative in the Remake trilogy is on a pre-set path. Naoki Hamaguchi says the overall direction was very much all down at the beginning. It was very much a rough outline, a basic plot summary. And they hadn't yet decided where they would cut the three parts. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Asked how much the narrative in the Remake trilogy is on a pre-set path. Naoki Hamaguchi says the overall direction was very much all down at the beginning. It was very much a rough outline, a basic plot summary. And they hadn't yet decided where they would cut the three parts. (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Asked about earlier versions of scenes found in the PC files, Naoki Hamaguchi says they did leave some of the older versions of the script in the game and it maybe led to some unnecessary speculation about what could have happened. He says "yeah, fair enough, you got us [laughs]" (Eurogamer, 10/30)
October 30, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Asked about earlier versions of scenes found in the PC files, Naoki Hamaguchi says they did leave some of the older versions of the script in the game and it maybe led to some unnecessary speculation about what could have happened. He says "yeah, fair enough, you got us [laughs]" (Eurogamer, 10/30)
Reposted by Shinra Archaeology
Here's a big old chat I had with Hamaguchi-san, which in many ways was a bit of a casual hangout before we did the MCM panel. We talk about all sorts - part 3, dataminers finding non-final versions of Rebirth's pivotal scenes, and how Square lost all of the design data for the original FF7.
The big Final Fantasy 7 interview: How the Remake Trilogy director plans to iterate ahead of Part Three, despite having "almost no documentation" from the original game to reference
www.eurogamer.net/the-big-fina...
www.eurogamer.net/the-big-fina...
October 30, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Here's a big old chat I had with Hamaguchi-san, which in many ways was a bit of a casual hangout before we did the MCM panel. We talk about all sorts - part 3, dataminers finding non-final versions of Rebirth's pivotal scenes, and how Square lost all of the design data for the original FF7.
Asked if he prefers the Tifa or Aerith ship with Cloud, Naoki Hamaguchi says that's one question he absolutely can't answer! What he can say is that he’s probably spent more time looking at the back of Cloud than anyone in his family—so he just wants whatever makes Cloud happy. (GamesRadar, 10/29)
October 29, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Asked if he prefers the Tifa or Aerith ship with Cloud, Naoki Hamaguchi says that's one question he absolutely can't answer! What he can say is that he’s probably spent more time looking at the back of Cloud than anyone in his family—so he just wants whatever makes Cloud happy. (GamesRadar, 10/29)
Asked about the yellow paint debate, FFVII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi thinks as a game, there is definitely a need for that kind of thing in a lot of ways. The need to guide players around from from a gameplay perspective and show them what can be done. (GamesRadar, 10/28)
October 29, 2025 at 3:15 AM
Asked about the yellow paint debate, FFVII Rebirth Director Naoki Hamaguchi thinks as a game, there is definitely a need for that kind of thing in a lot of ways. The need to guide players around from from a gameplay perspective and show them what can be done. (GamesRadar, 10/28)
Naoki Hamaguchi thinks that after releasing the third game in the series they'll definitely move on to something else. He can’t say yet whether it’ll be a new IP or something new within the Final Fantasy series, but he’s really looking forward to it. (GamesRadar, 10/27)
October 29, 2025 at 3:14 AM
Naoki Hamaguchi thinks that after releasing the third game in the series they'll definitely move on to something else. He can’t say yet whether it’ll be a new IP or something new within the Final Fantasy series, but he’s really looking forward to it. (GamesRadar, 10/27)
Naoki Hamaguchi says that the first game in the FF7R series, Final Fantasy VII Remake, was very story driven so he was inspired by other story driven games, such as God of War or The Last of Us. [1/2]
October 27, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Naoki Hamaguchi says that the first game in the FF7R series, Final Fantasy VII Remake, was very story driven so he was inspired by other story driven games, such as God of War or The Last of Us. [1/2]
Asked what advice he'd give to someone playing FF7R as their first Final Fantasy game, Naoki Hamaguchi says he's often told by gamers around the world that they'd really love it if they could forget the entire FF7 story and then just play the remakes from scratch with no foreknowledge [1/2]
October 27, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Asked what advice he'd give to someone playing FF7R as their first Final Fantasy game, Naoki Hamaguchi says he's often told by gamers around the world that they'd really love it if they could forget the entire FF7 story and then just play the remakes from scratch with no foreknowledge [1/2]
Hamaguchi mentioned that some of the Clair Obscur developers actually visited the Final Fantasy head office. He says you can see they've got a lot of respect as well. Not only have they made a great game, but they showed that respect to the traditional turn-based style of JRPGs. (GamesRadar, 10/26)
October 26, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Hamaguchi mentioned that some of the Clair Obscur developers actually visited the Final Fantasy head office. He says you can see they've got a lot of respect as well. Not only have they made a great game, but they showed that respect to the traditional turn-based style of JRPGs. (GamesRadar, 10/26)