Ben Veress is a Contributing Features Writer at DualShockers based in Melbourne, Australia. He has been covering games professionally since 2021, with experience writing features, lists, reviews, and news across gaming, tech, culture, and entertainment.
Before joining DualShockers, Ben wrote for Kotaku AU, Gizmodo AU, Vice AU, Pedestrian.TV, Quest Daily, Blunt Magazine, Impulse Gamer, and Inkl. At Pedestrian.TV, he served as the publication’s sole tech and gaming writer, leading coverage of major gaming releases and events for one of Australia’s major youth publications. He holds a Bachelor of Communications in Media from RMIT University and was nominated for Best Branded Content Journalist at the Australian Samsung IT Awards in 2025.
Creating a combat system to have its own fresh and unique identity is tough work for any game designer. Making sure that same identity can be stretched across three games, while introducing new features to keep the experience fresh, is also a bold risk; one that the Final Fantasy 7 Revelation team is all too familiar with.
With the third game's release set for April 8, 2027, Square Enix have taken Final Fantasy 7 Revelation on the road, showcasing various demos at events so press and the general public can try out the game for themselves. With the release of Revelation, players will be able to play as Vincent and Cid, who both come with a unique playstyle. The game is also introducing the Function-Integrated Tactical Suitware (FITS) system, giving the characters new outfits to wear, alongside a new play style.
Speaking to director Naoki Hamaguchi via translator at Tokyo Game Show this week, Dualshockers had the opportunity to chat with Hamaguchi about the changes to combat coming to the game, and some of the design challenges along the way.
Cid and Vincent are naturally the focus for people coming into this game, which is understandable as they're fan favorites from the original title. Given that they themselves have unique playstyles, it was only fair for series fans to be especially curious as to how the team have translated their specific niche into Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. Cid is Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's take on the Dragoon, a fan favorite class in the franchise, and one focused on aerial combat. Vincent is closer to a Beastmaster, transforming into different monsters during combat while shooting at enemies with his pistol.
With new characters being added to the roster, there's always that risk of older characters being outshined. Or alternatively, players potentially having such an ingrained playstyle, they might not experiment with the new characters. It's for that reason Hamaguchi and battle designer Teruki Endo worked hard at the start to ensure all characters were viable. That way, players could comfortably experiment without feeling like they were being penalized while adjusting to that character's skill floor.
Cid is Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's take on the Dragoon, a fan favorite class in the franchise, and one focused on aerial combat. Vincent is closer to a Beastmaster, transforming into different monsters during combat while shooting at enemies with his pistol.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://www.dualshockers.com/final-fantasy-7-revelation-director-cloud/
