The first two Final Fantasy VII remake games made Hard Mode a bonus reward you could only unlock by first beating the game. Final Fantasy VII Revelation dispenses with that approach and will make it an option from the start of the game. Thank the Ancients!
“Hard Mode does indeed exist in Revelation, however, it won’t function in the exact same way as it did in Remake and Rebirth,” Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed to Hardcore Gamer at TGS 2026. “In Revelation, we’ve reimagined the high-difficulty experience to align with the new game design.”
He continued:
Hard Mode is selectable from the very start of this game. Therefore, players who want to tackle challenging battles and high-difficulty gameplay right from the beginning can enjoy that experience from their very first playthrough. This is because, unlike Remake and Rebirth, Revelation offers a wide variety of end-game content even after you’ve beaten the game. Rather than relying solely on the traditional flow of challenging Hard Mode after beating the game, we aimed to create a game where players can enjoy various new content and challenges even after completing the main story.
In FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, we’ve also included Dynamic Mode, just as in FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, allowing players to enjoy consistently challenging battles throughout the game.
–
『FFVII REVELATION』では、『FFVII… https://t.co/hAc0ZHNz4E pic.twitter.com/bGEoLSnNV9— 浜口直樹 /FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, April 8 2027 (@nhamaguc) October 19, 2026
One of the main things Hard Mode did to make the game harder in Remake and Rebirth was disable all item usage. Hamaguchi said that won’t be the case in Revelation due to more complex and strategic interactions with the combat and FITS job system. Square Enix has also kept Dynamic Mode from Rebirth, which keeps upping the challenge of enemies as players progress in the story no matter how powerful they get.
Revelation‘s developers had previously said that the final game in the trilogy would have a much easier Platinum Trophy to get on PlayStation 5, and allowing Hard Mode from the start answers my other biggest frustration with Final Fantasy VII Remake‘s 100 percent completion achievements, namely that they required beating the game twice.
I’ll be curious to see what kind of new bonus content Hamaguchi and the team has in mind to extend Revelation’s end game without forcing that second play through. Square Enix has also already promised story DLC for the game in the year after it launches.