Final Fantasy 7 used an Active Time Battle (ATB) system that allowed enemies to attack whenever their action bar was full, a spin on the usual turn-based modes of the era. However, the remake — which launched 23 years later — completely reinvigorated combat with real-time action, allowing you to switch between party members on the fly to utilise their abilities in the heat of the moment rather than queuing attacks in a menu.
The new system was designed by Capcom legend Teruki Endo, who revealed in an interview with Inverse that he was inspired by his work on Monster Hunter when it came to reimagining the classic Final Fantasy 7 combat.
I didn't really look at different Final Fantasy titles, as I felt like if I leaned too much on them, it would prevent me from pushing the envelope.
He was hired early in the game's development, but by that point, Square Enix had already decided that the remake wouldn't be turn-based. However, there was no concrete idea as to what the combat would look like, which is where Endo came in. He had just worked as the lead game designer on Monster Hunter: World (and previously a planner...
