Recently, Teruki Endo, Battle Director for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, stated that the remake trilogy has been continuously adjusting the ratio between real-time action and turn-based commands, and that he still hasn't found a definitive answer. Discussing the battle design for the new title, he emphasized that the FITS system is designed to allow players to further refine their Materia configurations.
In an interview with Edge magazine issue 429, Endo discussed the challenges of developing the sequel: overly complex systems can cause issues, while a lack of new elements or only minor tweaks to existing systems may fail to meet players' expectations for freshness. Therefore, he reevaluates the purpose and function of each element before constructing the battle system for the new title.
Endo also drew inspiration from the lively atmosphere he experienced when first playing the original, aiming to incorporate bolder and more entertaining content. The FITS system allows players to modify party members' abilities and combat styles. He noted that Materia has always been central to the series' customization systems; FITS was designed to let players make more prominent and detailed adjustments to their Materia setups while preserving freedom in character development.
Regarding the balance between real-time action and turn-based commands, Endo stated that the trilogy has constantly been experimenting and adjusting. This ongoing exploration is one of the reasons he has remained engaged with the series after many years of involvement. The classic mode in the first two titles allowed party members to fight automatically, enabling players to focus more on selecting commands.