Square Enix shared development progress of the Final Fantasy VII remake in a recent job posting, suggesting we might not see the remake any time soon. The posting, which appeared on the "Tenshoku" job board of the Mynavi corporation, requests for a level planner (Japanese studios use planner where Western studios use designer; in Japan, the term designer is only used for graphics). The position is listed as one for a contract employee, though it does not state how long the contract will be. The Level Planner's assigned duties are to establish a workflow for location creation, develop level designs for those locations, and implement those designs within Unreal Engine 4.
The more interesting part of the posting is a development progress, embedded in the job description. I have added an image that contains the information below, albeit in Japanese.
Essentially, while all the core systems are in place, Square Enix is looking for level designers, battle planners, engineers, and other core development staff for the project. While the team has updated Final Fantasy VII to a modern graphical standard, there are still more steps they could be taking, in order to meet fans' expectations. Anyone who applies and is awarded the job should expect to become a core team member. While this is nothing new, as we've yet to see any substantial gameplay footage, it's certainly disheartening to anyone looking forward to running through a modern Midgar anytime soon.
The job listing also welcomes those who aren't familiar with Final Fantasy VII to apply. As it's been nearly 20 years since FFVII's release, development staff have come and gone, and many game creators have come from a new generation, one that didn't necessarily play Final Fantasy VII. To a point, Square Enix is aware of the cultural impact that Cloud and Sephiroth have had on games and welcome people who know the characters, but not necessarily the story behind them. Regardless, Square Enix hopes that the new developers are interested in the project, nd that they will bring a number of new ideas to the table.
By confirming a long development cycle, this adds on to earlier reports of a change in Cloud's design for the Final Fantasy VII remake. Though we've still yet to see exactly how Cloud's look has changed, such modifications are not uncommon in early development cycles. We very well might see another appearance of the remake at E3 this year, as it's been three years since the original trailer debuted. In any case, we'll be waiting a while before the Final Fantasy VII remake appears in any substantial form.
