All vikisFinal Fantasy VII Revelation Length and Difficulty
Director Naoki Hamaguchi puts Final Fantasy VII Revelation's main story at about 35 hours or more and a completionist run at 100 hours or more. Hard Mode can be chosen from the start, Classic Mode returns, minigames get difficulty settings and a skip, cutscenes can play at double speed, and an optional prompt raises your party to the story's recommended level.
Final Fantasy VII Revelation takes about 35 hours if you follow only the main story and well over 100 if you do everything, by its director's estimates: Naoki Hamaguchi told Game Informer that the golden path takes "about 35 hours", stretching to "100 or more for completionists", and told GameSpot on Oct 5, 2026 that checking every object and element in one run "would easily take over 100 hours". On difficulty, it offers more choice at both ends than Remake or Rebirth did at launch: Hard Mode is selectable from the very start, and story-focused players can raise their level automatically. Measured play times will exist only after launch on Apr 8, 2027.
Quick facts
| Main story | About 35 hours or more (Hamaguchi to Game Informer and Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026) |
| Everything | 100 hours or more (Hamaguchi to Game Informer and GameSpot) |
| Chapter count | Not announced; Remake had 18, Rebirth 14 (IGN) |
| Hard Mode | Selectable from the start (Hardcore Gamer interview, Oct 2026) |
| Classic Mode | Returns: automatic movement and attacks, you choose commands as ATB fills |
| Auto level | An optional prompt raises the party to the recommended level |
| Minigames | Difficulty settings and a skip |
| Cutscenes | Can play at double speed |
| Hamaguchi's playthroughs | 46, as of the GameSpot interview |
How long is Final Fantasy VII Revelation?
About 35 hours for the story, by Hamaguchi's count. He told Inven Global that players can expect "over 35 hours of gameplay if they focus solely on the main story", similar to Rebirth, and Game Informer that the full game stretches to 100 hours or more for completionists.
The director has played it more than anyone. In the same GameSpot interview, combat director Teruki Endo says his own runs take much longer because he cannot skip optional fights, and that Hamaguchi "has already completed the game 46 times". GamingBolt reports that he had passed 40 playthroughs before the reveal; Hamaguchi says he skips fights on some runs to check the story, and plays on business trips when he can.
A hint of the scale came from the Gamescom demo: a Square Enix representative told CGMagazine that Chapter 4 alone normally holds 15 to 20 hours of content.
How many chapters does Revelation have?
Not announced. IGN's second preview notes that Chapter 4, where the Gamescom demo began, is still relatively early, since Rebirth had 14 chapters and Remake 18. The Tokyo Game Show demo was a special chapter, "The Party Assembles", and Game Informer calls the Whirlwind Maze section Chapter 1.
IGN's best description is structural rather than a number: Revelation "plays like the third act of a JRPG", the stretch where an RPG traditionally hands you the whole world map.
Revelation, Rebirth and Remake compared
| Main story | Everything | Chapters | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remake (2020) | Not stated in hours by its makers | Not stated | 18 | Push Square, Jun 2019: as much content as a mainline Final Fantasy game; chapters: IGN |
| Rebirth (2024) | 40 to 50 hours | Over 100 hours | 14 | Hamaguchi to the BBC, via PSU, Oct 4, 2023; chapters: IGN |
| Revelation (2027) | About 35 hours or more | 100 hours or more | Not announced | Game Informer, Inven Global, GameSpot (2026) |
The table is ours. Each figure is a developer's estimate made before release, not a measured time. Hamaguchi gave Rebirth a range of 40 to 50 hours in 2023 and Revelation "over 35" in 2026, so the two are close; we think Revelation's story will measure longer than 35 hours for most players at launch, because Hamaguchi says it was expanded rather than condensed and Zack's playable sections grew.
Hamaguchi explains why the range is so wide. He tells GameSpot that The Witcher 3 and Horizon showed his team how to let some players follow only the main story while others experience everything, and that Revelation is built to serve both.
What difficulty modes does Revelation have?
Hard Mode from the start. In an interview with Hardcore Gamer reported by PSU on Oct 20, 2026, Hamaguchi said Hard Mode "won't function in the exact same way" as before, that the team "reimagined the high-difficulty experience", and that "Hard Mode is selectable from the very start of this game", so players can take it on from their first playthrough. In Remake and Rebirth it unlocked only after finishing the game. He added that Revelation "offers a wide variety of end-game content even after you've beaten the game". Insider Gaming's report of the same interview also mentions a "Dynamic Mode" and says the earlier games' no-items rule is not kept in Hard Mode; we could not confirm those details in Square Enix's own words.
Classic Mode returns, RPGFan confirmed at Tokyo Game Show: standard attacks and movement are automated, and you act only when the ATB bars fill.
Auto level. Kotaku reported on Sep 21, 2026, from Hamaguchi's interview with IGN Japan, that at points in the story the game asks whether you want to raise your party to the recommended level for that area, added because story-focused Rebirth players felt punished for being underleveled. Kotaku's writer inferred that the very easy modes added to the earlier games' later ports (Streamlined Progression, which the Sep 3, 2026 press release lists for Remake Intergrade and Rebirth) may not be in Revelation at launch; Square Enix has not said.
Minigames get difficulty settings and a skip (Inven Global); see Final Fantasy VII Revelation Minigames.
Cutscenes have a fast-forward option, which the Deep Dive demonstrates at double speed, "allowing you to progress through the game at a pace that suits your playstyle".
How hard is the combat?
Familiar, with more options. Endo told IGN the team felt it had perfected the combat in Rebirth, so Revelation was "all about polish and increasing player freedom", mostly through the FITS system. Combat in full is on Final Fantasy VII Revelation Combat and FITS on Final Fantasy VII Revelation FITS System.
The party is wide from early on. IGN's Michael Higham started the Gamescom demo in Chapter 4 with Cloud and Tifa absent, and IGN's second preview counted six playable characters at that point, each with their own style.
The hardest fights are being tuned up, not down. Curious Corduroy relays from the MinnMax interview that Endo was unhappy with the first version of the Knights of the Round fight, had it rebuilt, and wants it to be a difficult superboss. Square Enix also says some Weapons are "ultra-challenging endgame battles". Both are on Final Fantasy VII Revelation Enemies and Bosses and Final Fantasy VII Revelation Weapons.
We think Revelation is set up to be the easiest of the three to finish and the hardest to complete: the auto-level prompt, minigame skips and double-speed scenes lower the floor, while Hard Mode from the start, superboss Weapons and a rebuilt Knights of the Round raise the ceiling.
Frequently asked questions
How long is Final Fantasy VII Revelation?
About 35 hours or more for the main story and 100 hours or more for everything, according to director Naoki Hamaguchi. Measured times will follow the Apr 8, 2027 launch.
Is Revelation longer than Rebirth?
By the developers' estimates, about the same: Hamaguchi compared Revelation's main story to Rebirth's, and both reach 100 hours or more with side content.
Is there an easy mode?
Classic Mode returns, and an optional auto-level prompt lifts your party to the recommended level. An easy setting has not been named as of Nov 7, 2026.
Is Hard Mode available from the start?
Yes. Hamaguchi said Hard Mode is selectable from the very start, unlike in Remake and Rebirth.
Can I skip minigames and cutscenes?
Minigames can be skipped, and cutscenes can be fast-forwarded at double speed.
Sources
- Push Square, Jun 2019: Final Fantasy VII Remake's first game will have as much content as any mainline Final Fantasy title
- PlayStation Universe, Michael Harradence, Oct 4, 2023: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's main quest will take around 40-50 hours
- Square Enix North America, Sep 3, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation releases April 8, 2027
- Game Informer, Wesley LeBlanc, Sep 10, 2026: Excitement for the finale despite a mediocre demo
- Inven Global, Hongman Yoon, Sep 10, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation includes everything we wanted to tell
- CGMagazine, Sep 2026: Gamescom 2026 Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on preview
- RPGFan, Mike Salbato, Aug 25, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation Weapons trailer
- Kotaku, Ethan Gach, Sep 21, 2026: Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will have free level boosts
- GamingBolt, Ravi Sinha, Sep 21, 2026: Final Fantasy 7 Revelation can easily take 100+ hours to complete
- RPGFan, Matt Wardell, Sep 21, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation hands-on
- PlayStation Universe, Michael Harradence, Oct 20, 2026: Hard Mode will be unlocked from the start
- Insider Gaming, Oct 19, 2026: Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is changing how Hard Mode works
- FINAL FANTASY, Sep 3, 2026: Combat and Exploration Deep Dive Trailer
- IGN, Michael Higham, Sep 10, 2026: Incredible combat, but it needs to stay focused
- IGN, Sep 18, 2026: Second-Take Preview
- GameSpot, Oct 5, 2026: Naoki Hamaguchi has played through Final Fantasy Revelation 46 times
- Curious Corduroy, Sep 11, 2026: Hamaguchi and Endo on KOTR quest structure, no underwater exploration, world map HUD
Moments
Naoki Hamaguchi has Played Through Final Fantasy Revelation 46 Times?!
GameSpot
- Final Fantasy VII Revelation takes about 35 hours if you follow only the main story and well over 100 if you do…
- The director has played it more than anyone. In the same GameSpot interview, combat director Teruki Endo says his own…
- Hamaguchi explains why the range is so wide. He tells GameSpot that The Witcher 3 and Horizon showed his team how to…
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation: Second-Take Preview
IGN
- Not announced. IGN's second preview notes that Chapter 4, where the Gamescom demo began, is still relatively early…
- IGN's best description is structural rather than a number: Revelation "plays like the third act of a JRPG", the…
- Familiar, with more options. Endo told IGN the team felt it had perfected the combat in Rebirth, so Revelation was…
FANTASY VII REVELATION | Combat and Exploration Deep Dive Trailer
FINAL FANTASY
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Has Incredible Combat, But It Needs to Stay Focused
IGN
Hamaguchi & Endo on KOTR Quest Structure, No Underwater Exploration, World Map HUD Changes & More
Curious Corduroy
Related
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Side QuestsFinal Fantasy VII Revelation's side quests are odd jobs taken from people around the world, all new even in returning regions, and the party member you send changes how a quest's story and gameplay unfold. MAI, Chadley's assistant, announces the world's activities; previews found her notifications intrusive.
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Piko the ChocoboPiko is the party's chocobo in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, a mount that levels up with you, gains new abilities including high flight and an aerial dash, and fights at your side; you can attack from his back and dismount at any time. He lives aboard the Highwind with the chocobo farmer Billy.
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Queen's Blood in Final Fantasy VII RevelationQueen's Blood, Rebirth's card game, returns in Final Fantasy VII Revelation with a new story saga led by Red XIII (Nanaki) instead of Cloud, opponents whose abilities change the rules mid-match, and a new trump card mechanic. Wize runs it from the Highwind, where you edit your deck.
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Cid Highwind in Final Fantasy VII RevelationCid Highwind, the pilot of the airship Highwind, is playable for the first time in the remake series in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, as a lance-wielding dragoon and the party's aerial specialist: timed combos into Dragon Spin, Hyper Dive and Ground Pound, and a Target Spear (IGN calls it Mark Lance) that pins up to five spears to power his jumps. Hamaguchi says his final Limit Break ties into the Weapon battles and the Highwind.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation CharactersFinal Fantasy VII Revelation has a party of eight playable characters, with Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind playable for the first time in the remake series, alongside Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Red XIII, Yuffie and Cait Sith; Zack gets more playable segments, and Aerith's role is not announced. Godo, Glenn Lodbrok, Cissnei, Chadley and his assistant MAI lead the supporting cast.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation Voice CastFinal Fantasy VII Revelation's English cast is led by Cody Christian (Cloud), Britt Baron (Tifa), John Eric Bentley (Barret) and Briana White (Aerith), with Matt Mercer as Vincent, J. Michael Tatum as Cid and Caleb Pierce as Zack; the one change is Sephiroth, now voiced by Travis Willingham in place of Tyler Hoechlin. The cast said goodbye at a New York Comic Con panel on Oct 8, 2026.
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Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII RevelationSephiroth is Final Fantasy VII Revelation's antagonist, "nearing godhood" after Rebirth and waiting for Cloud in the Whirlwind Maze at the start of the game; Travis Willingham voices him in English, replacing Tyler Hoechlin, whom director Naoki Hamaguchi said had scheduling conflicts. Story DLC 1 of the Story Expansion Pass is named "Sephiroth".
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Vincent Valentine in Final Fantasy VII RevelationVincent Valentine, a former Turk changed by Shinra's experiments, is playable for the first time in the remake series in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, fighting with pistols whose abilities grow with every hit and turning into the Galian Beast at will, at the cost of a Chaos meter that lowers his maximum HP. Square Enix promises new reveals about his past, and Story DLC 2 is "Vincent & the Turks".
See also
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation MinigamesFinal Fantasy VII Revelation brings back the Gold Saucer with snowboarding and chocobo racing, turns the Tifa and Scarlet slap fight into a minigame, adds a timed grapple race in Wutai and cat photography, and gives minigames difficulty settings and a skip. Queen's Blood returns too, on its own page.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation CombatFinal Fantasy VII Revelation keeps the hybrid battle system of Remake and Rebirth, real-time action plus a Tactical Mode that pauses to spend ATB on spells, abilities and items, and adds two new fighters (Cid and Vincent), expanded synergies, the FITS outfits, and fighting from chocobo-back. Combat director Teruki Endo calls this entry "all about polish and increasing player freedom."
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation FITS SystemFITS (Function-Integrated Tactical Suitwear) is Final Fantasy VII Revelation's job system: four outfits per character, Warrior, Knight, Black Mage and Summoner, each giving a new moveset and role, chosen on the Highwind. A character without one is a Freelancer, and the outfits change how a character fights, not, by early accounts, their stats.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation WeaponsThe Weapons are colossal guardians the planet awakens against Meteor, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation makes them its signature fights. Square Enix has named Ruby, Emerald and Ultima Weapon, the reveal trailer gives Sapphire Weapon long screen time, and a brand-new Weapon appears whose name has not been revealed. Some are optional endgame battles.
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Final Fantasy VII Revelation HighwindIn Final Fantasy VII Revelation you fly Cid's airship, the Highwind, in real time over the whole planet from early in the game and parachute from its deck to land almost anywhere, with no loading. The ship is also the party's base, where you change FITS and meet Wize, Billy, Piko and Chadley.