Final Fantasy VII Revelation Hard Mode removes artificial difficulty restrictions

Square-Enix is changing the difficulty paradigm in Final Fantasy VII Revelation in a way that folks used to the traditional challenge modes will have to adjust to. It was revealed that there is a Hard Mode that can be set up as soon as the initial playthrough, but they're shaking up the artificial limitations that past entries in the Remake trilogy focused on. This is a significant change as it impacts the way we experience the game in terms of the overall loop for veterans to this series looking for specific mechanical limitations to see how well we're mastering the system. We're seeing this transition into a balance-in-the-game design for the challenge elements as opposed to just features out.

Square Enix director explains how the new high-difficulty mode differs from previous entries

It was revealed by Director Naoki Hamaguchi that they've thought about the way we experience the high difficulty level content and how it will be reframed around the new game design philosophy. It was officially stated that Hard Mode will not involve turning off game mechanics in order to artificially make the difficulty artificially harder, as we've seen in past entries with the Remake trilogy. This is a cool way to keep everything at hand and just require the player to do better. This is a big shift in things and away from the strict difficulty hand-holding as we saw in Remake and Rebirth.

They still have a Dynamic Mode available for folks that want a kind of Hard Mode equivalent to what we've experienced in Remake/Rebirth. Hamaguchi mentioned that it's possible to have very strategic fights with the enemy as well as your character at full level ups. They made sure to mention that they do not ban the use of items in Dynamic Mode and that this is an acknowledgment of all the new things players can do between co-op abilities and FITS. So they're keeping that available to those that want to experience a particular challenge mode ala past trilogy.

It was also made official that you'll be able to access end-game content, such as the fights with the Weapons, on your initial playthrough. So that means there's no need to manage multiple saves to get the top-tier fights/challenges content. We touched on a few of the same balance and stability topics in the last Final Fantasy VII Revelation update, too. It's just a matter of the game design they're opting to go with to make sure it's a one-playthrough experience and ramps up intensity without requiring you to be some kind of completionist.