Final Fantasy 7 Remake demo reveals clues about the game's length
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is poised to be much longer than the section from the original it's based on.
On the same day the Final Fantasy VII Remake demo was released, we finally have an inkling at just how long the full game will be once it releases in April, and it looks like just the first part may be one of the longest Final Fantasy games in recent memory despite the fact that it only recreates a small portion of the original.
We are just over a month away from FF7 Remake and Square Enix released a free demo for it on the PlayStation Store on Monday. The demo clocks in at just about an hour, covering the earliest sections of the game, so fans are starting to wonder how long the full adventure will be. Several outlets, including Inverse, recently got hands-on time with the game and are reporting back with alleged lengths and chapter counts.
Just how long will FF7 Remake last?
Game Revolution estimates based on hands-on experience with the game that it might be close to 50 or 60 hours. The site points out that it may be shorter for those rushing through the adventure to experience the story, but believe that it could take almost three days to complete for those scouring everything FF7 Remake will have to offer.
Director Yoshinori Kitase confirmed to Game Informer in June 2019 that the amount of content in the first part of FF7 Remake is comparable to a mainline Final Fantasy. That being said, this length may actually be a bit longer than your average Final Fantasy game. Final Fantasy XV, the last major new release for the Final Fantasy series, lasts anywhere from 28 hours for the main story to 93 hours for 100 percent completion according to howlongtobeat.com.
US Gamer is reporting that Red XII won't be playable in this lengthy remake.
FF7 Remake is poised to also have a large chapter count as well, which is how the game will be structured.
At a recent FF7 Remake event Inverse attended, we confirmed that the game will last at least 10 chapters, though Square Enix representatives wouldn't give a specific chapter count. The Aps/Abzu fight we saw in our demo was part of Chapter 10, and in the original game that's part of the Don Corneo section, leaving plenty more to do before players leave Midgar. Each chapter, then, probably last a few hours.
The large runtime and chapter count could also explain the remake's massive file size. FF7 Remake will take up over 100 GB on your PS4, rivaling the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Red Dead Redemption 2.
The Inverse Analysis
Even though I wouldn't be surprised if FF7 Remake does last 50 to 60 hours as the original lasted a similar amount of time according to howlongtobeat.com, this report should be taken with a grain of salt as Game Revolution doesn't specify where exactly they got this estimate from. Though, it'd still be a good guess as data shows that it is roughly around the average length for those thoroughly exploring Final Fantasy games.
Another reason not to fully trust the length estimate is that the full game is not in the public's hands yet. The developers have yet to confirm just how many chapters are in FF7 Remake. It certainly seems like it will be a beefy adventure that we won't truly know the scale of until the full release. Regardless, it's surprising that FF7 Remake will take this long when the portion of the original it's based on would last no longer than 10 hours for most players. Hopefully, FF7 Remake's follow-ups will be just as long.
Final Fantasy VII Remake will be released for PS4 on April 10, 2020.
