issued fantasy In 2021, on Apple Arcade, there could have been an end to Hironobu Sakaguchi's illustrious career - but it seems he can't stay away.

fantasy Going back to the roots of Sako Gucci, this is a product from The Creator final fantasy series, adding some innovative gameplay ideas and an incredibly enchanting world made of handmade dioramas. In December, his Mist-Walker Studio released a new version called new dimensionwhich brings the game to more platforms and adds new features like voice acting. it even consists of final fantasy Company Square Enix. Sakukuchi said he "intends to fantasy To be my last project before I retire. Final Fantasy VI. "sixth final fantasy The game is particularly noteworthy for being the last to feature pixel art before the series moved to 3D.

after publishing new dimensionI had the opportunity to ask Sako Gucci a few questions about the production fantasythe enduring popularity of turn-based RPGs, and what comes next.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Obviously there are a lot of comparisons final fantasyand you were inspired in part by FFVI. Does comparison bother you? Have you ever worried about what others missed? fantasy Unique?

Not really, because the way I created it fantasy Different from my previous works. For this project, my intention was to use my inner creativity and make an RPG seriously again, so comparisons with existing games are meaningless to me. I plan to fantasy Becoming my last project before I retire, so this is my farewell.

With production and release A new dimension of fantasy - Definitive Director's Cut - I believe the game is complete. In the distant future, or after I've left this world, I imagine this game will find its meaning if someone chooses to research myself or my own legacy final fantasy.

How does it feel to work with Square Enix again? It felt like a fun full-circle moment.

This is where I started my career, so the game that I envisioned being my final work was definitely a fascinating experience. Sometimes in life we ​​have serendipitous full-circle moments or experience deja vu, but this particular instance felt so important and comforting.

The biggest change to the game is the addition of voice acting. Do you think this adds to the experience, and how do you find castings that fit these existing characters? Do you already have an idea of ​​what they sound like?

Since I'm not much of a fan of the voice acting in games, I trust Square Enix's expertise and Nakamura's artistic vision in directing. As a result, the voice actors - some of whom are in the Japanese version, given their connections Final Fantasy XIV - They're all great. Determining how the characters sounded involved extensive collaboration and trial and error with the voice actors, which I think is a testament to the many ideas and inspirations contributed by everyone involved in the voice recording process.

Both new dimension and this Dragon Quest 3 remake There was a very positive reception around the same time. What do you think about this RPG style that makes them still relevant today?

Games that use cutting-edge technology are very engaging. Improved graphics are provided, but I anticipate that future games may also incorporate AI in innovative ways, and I'm personally very interested in those games. But beyond these advancements, I also think there's an inherent desire associated with gaming experiences to immerse yourself in a virtual world.

Games with a similar style A new dimension of fantasyplayers can explore virtual worlds and gain a sense of satisfaction that they are in control of everything that happens within them. I think another factor is how these games allow developers to harness the energy created by this extraordinary technology to come up with unique mechanics that fully immerse players in the virtual world. Needless to say, realizing that both are possible, I do think this will represent the best of the game.

when I'm talking to you before Apple Arcade launchesyou said you only want to work on games that bring you "genuine joy." now you are over fantasywhat will that joy look like for you moving forward? Do you think you'd like to stick to familiar styles and genres like this or explore something new?

I'm thinking of making A new dimension of fantasy My last job, but the wonderful team that assembled the project was so enjoyable that I found it hard to part with it. Humans are greedy creatures, aren't they? So I'm currently working on a new project with the same team A new dimension of fantasy. It will generally follow a similar style to my previous work and this will be a possible successor Final Fantasy VI In a good way - the goal was to create something old but also something new at the same time. This will be the second part of my farewell note.