One of the most pressure-filled jobs is being able to direct a monumental game and still meet or exceed fan expectations. That's why Square Enix director for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7">Hajime Tabata took the time to talk about his experiences with Square Enix's Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 was Tabata's directorial debut, and it was also a source of pressure. For him, though, it was pressure in a good way, "a good kind of pressure that motivated us to do a good job."

This was particularly evident in the way Tabata and his team attempted to maintain a good balance in a game meant for one main protagonist. The Crisis Core director sought a happy medium between the traditional Final Fantasy battle system and pure action. Nevertheless, Tabata admitted that the results have been encouraging.

Tabata also commented on how some of Square Enix's classic characters seemed to act a bit out of character in the game. For example, we had a seemingly more naive Aerith, a more innocent Cloud and a smiling Sephiroth. The director noted this, stating that the team operated on the premise of the characters being in their "younger days." That way, Tabata and co. were able to maintain a degree of familiarity while adding new elements into the mix.

In closing, Tabata acknowledged that the job was a meaningful one. For him, the key was being able to turn Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 into a narrative masterpiece. As he put it: "The most rewarding thing for me was crafting the story of Zack's life into a tale of succession and legacy that, through the Buster Sword, provides a heraldic segue into Final Fantasy VII."