Easy modes in games have been a controversial topic for ages, but an upcoming update for Final Fantasy 7 Remake – launching with the Switch 2 and Xbox ports in January, but also coming to PS5 and PC – will let you cheat your way to the end of the game without restriction. The new Streamlined Progression feature is controversial even within Square Enix, but co-director Naoki Hamaguchi thinks the choice to use it should be in players' hands.
You can turn on Streamlined Progression in the settings menu, allowing you to enable options like "constant max HP" or "constant max damage," or even boost your EXP gain rate. In effect, it's a sort of god mode, and Hamaguchi tells Automaton that he personally pushed for its inclusion.
"Naturally, when we announce features like these, we get responses like 'This is sacrilegious!'" Hamaguchi says. "Even within the dev team, there are people who feel that way. But unless someone takes the initiative, it doesn't happen. I personally believe that, with digital entertainment today, the player should have the choice in how they interact with content. That's why I pushed for it."
If you use Streamlined Progression and skip all the cutscenes, Hamaguchi reckons you could beat the game "in under 10 hours, maybe around 7 to 8 hours if you’re quick," though he'd still prefer if players experienced the game fully. But he cites one very practical reason as helping justify use of the mode.
"Personally, I like to try many different games just to keep myself up to date, but I don't really have the time, so I only get so far," Hamaguchi says. "Sometimes it makes me wish I had access to debug functions so I could cover more." With the October release calendar looking the way it does, I can certainly relate.
Maybe this kind of thing would actually help us all keep up on the new games of 2025.
