"What is wrong with all you people?... Why did any of you play this to begin with?"
"If you think an actual remake of FFVII is lame, what the hell were you even here for?"
I want to elaborate on my own viewpoint. Bear with me as I walk through a few examples. First and foremost, one of my favorite series: Evangelion.
Most people know by now that the Rebuild of Evangelion movies are "more than a remake" of the televised series. The story goes "off the rails", and many characters are given new endings. Personally, I find the third and forth movies to be some of the worst cinema I've ever had the misfortune of viewing. Upon hearing that, one might think "I bet you wish it stuck to the original plot!"
Nope. Despite being pure nonsense, the third and forth movies are at least more interesting than the first movie in the series, which follows the original series for about 99% of its runtime. It adds nothing to the greater conversation around Evangelion. It's boring.
I have another example. Word is getting out that Scott Pilgrim Takes Off is "more than a remake". Despite being a fan, I had no interest in watching the new series when it was first announced. But now that I know there's something new? My interest is piqued. I'm planning to sit down with Takes Off soon.
Lastly: Persona 3 Reload. I don't talk about it a lot here, but Persona 3 is my second favorite game of all time. Hugely formative. A real tastemaker. So one would reasonably assume that I'm hyped out of my mind for the upcoming remake...
Nah. I mean it looks good! I'm going to play it. But it doesn't excite me. For example, they've said in interviews that Strega, a group of secondary villains, will receive more screentime in Reload. Cool! But it's still going to be Persona 3 at the end of the day. I'm not dying to know about these new events.
Taken altogether, you should be able to guess where my mind is at regarding the Remake Project. Some folks want Rebirth to "go off the rails" so that Part 1's wild ending has payoff. I think that's totally valid, but that's not the only reason for me. I'm just not interested in retellings.
I invest in Final Fantasy VII for more than "the events". I invest in the series for its spirit. It's this intangible thing, but I know it when I feel it. "Ah, that's Final Fantasy VII". If I had to put it into words, I'd say "defiant" mixed with "anything goes". So for me, the events of the story could change dramatically and I'd still be invested. It would still be Final Fantasy VII.
Couple that with my indifference towards remakes, and yeah, it should be at least a little understandable why I personally, and perhaps others, was excited for the Remake Project to be "more than a remake".