Final Fantasy 7 remake will be bigger than the original, made in Unreal Engine 4

Square Enix will split Final Fantasy 7 Remake into several installments because the game is too large for a single volume, Famitsu reports.

The publication spoke with series producer Yoshinori Kitase and director Tetsuya Nomura in an interview featured in its latest issue, in which the pair discussed the choice to release the game in multiple parts. Square Enix first revealed the news in a press release yesterday.

"It's going to be multi-part because when we considered fully remaking Final Fantasy 7 in PS4 quality, and as we look over much of it, we estimated the volume to be beyond what could be fit in one entry," Nomura explained.

Cutting up the game into installments means the team won't have to sacrifice as much content as would be necessary with just one game. While some elements will be lost, the team will compensate by allowing greater exploration of certain areas, like the sprawling city of Midgar.

Just how the installments will be released remains to be seen

A representative for Square Enix later confirmed to Polygon that "each entry will have its own unique story. As a gaming experience, each entry will have the colume of content equal to a full-sized game."

Neither the manner of release nor the pricing have been announced, but Nomura and Kitase did share several other new pieces of information about the game. Square Enix has received assistance on the development from CyberConnect2, the studio behind spin-off games like Final Fantasy 7 G-Bike.

Additionally, as glimpsed in the latest teaser, the gameplay has been revamped from the original PlayStation version. The game takes a page from Nomura's Kingdom Hearts series, as well as the Dissidia Final Fantasy fighting game franchise, to crafting a more action-oriented battle system than before. Players will also be able to directly control members of the party beyond just Cloud.

Outside of the Famitsu exclusive, Kitase has announced another big piece of news: Final Fantasy 7 Remake is being developed in Unreal Engine 4. Epic Games confirmed the collaboration with Square Enix in a press release today.

As the long-awaited remake comes closer to becoming a reality, one major piece of information remains a mystery: a release date. Watch the game's newest trailer, which debuted at this weekend's PlayStation Experience, below to help ease the wait, however long it will be.