If that one quote was the only line on the subject, I could agree to that point. But look at the entire Famitsu interview along with everything else they've said for two years. There's no ambiguity here.
Here's a fun one from 4gamer
"FF7 Remake had the same crux as the original, yet felt like a different game", to which Nomura artfully dodges the question by addressing that it is not a completely faithful retelling and will have new surprises for returning fans and new fans alike. You've also got to examine language here; they keep using these same words across multiple interviews, "crux" and "Abridged Version (and avoiding coming off as one)". These are rehearsed statements, meant to placate fans without giving up the goat. But I want that goat. I've had my fill of herring, red or otherwise.
The ambiguity comes from the selective language choices. They're saying the crux will be the same.
Crux
/krəks,kro͝oks/
noun
the decisive or most important point at issue.
And from one of the interviews, we have Nomura define what that is in the original game: "The Mystery of Nibelhiem", or, in other words, Cloud's false identity. That idea will still be the crux of the remake, and they've already done a ton to play with it in ways the original never did and set up even more ways to spin it later (hello Zack). They've also said many classic scenes people want will be there, and all locations from the original will be included. Basically, it will be very recognizable as FF7. I think that's the fear they're trying to assuage here.
What they've never claimed is that FF7 Remake will fill the role of the original game, they've said quite the opposite in fact. And that's where the goat is. Eating grass. And we're gonna get that dang goat. Gonna get him.
The chapter 18 framing is very focused on that premise. However, we're analyzing the Remake critically and in-depth. One can just let the story lead us where it wants to go in creating this unknown mystery of the future. And for those who've let that happen, awesome. They'll get an enjoyable experience and dramatic tension not fully cognizant of what to expect. But we're already parsing their commentary and looking in-depth at the lore implications revealed beyond the surface of the story.
I feel like I'm not out of line in saying the plot of FF7 Remake is about the forces of the Planet's will keeping the characters on a preset course which they eventually manage to break away from. That permeates all 18 chapters, even if the characters themselves don't really understand what is happening until chapter 17. That is the plot, removed from the pre-existing story lifted from the original. Even the title is a tease at this, what other super secret meaning could "Remake" have?
That does not preclude or contradict the existence of multiple Sephiroths. That just states they share a mind, which makes sense because they both would be progeny of Jenova. Literally nothing there states there isn't a present and future incarnation of the same being.
What it does say is that there being a future and past version is irrelevant. There's one mind, one will. You're acting like there's a past Sephiroth who is the same as the OG one, and a future Sephiroth who is leaving the rest up to him after creating some possibility space for him to succeed. That's not the case. They're functionally one and the same, and whatever future-roth has in mind is what past-roth has in mind.
I think the benefit of knowing the OG and Compilation is that it would make one appreciate the story of the remake even more but I think everything we’ll need to know for the remake project will be presented in the remake itself
Agreed mostly
I mean, if they're saying they aren't tackling remaking/remastering DC or whatever because it'd "spoil" what they're doing now, how else can you take that sentiment?
Can anyone provide evidence for this claim? I only remember Nomura saying there were no plans currently, not that it was because of spoilers. They ARE remaking Dirge in Ever Crisis, so...
