Next parts of the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE won't take as long to be developed

During a new interview with producer Yoshinori Kitase, posted on Square Enix's site, we learnt that the remake isn't a 1:1 copy of the original release, and each part of this project will be akin to a full FF game:

FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is a reimagining of the iconic original game that goes much deeper into the world and characters of FINAL FANTASY VII than ever before.

Our goal with this project is to rebuild FINAL FANTASY VII for a new era. We’re not making a straight 1:1 copy or a simple remaster of the original game.

It’s a huge volume of work and data to re-imagine this world. Each game in the project will have a volume of content comparable to a standalone FINAL FANTASY. The disc version of the first game is actually a 2 Blu-Ray Disc set. This approach allows us to remake the original without having to scale back on everything players loved."

What's more, the work for the second part is alreading in the planning phase. Kitase said the team wasn't happy with just remastering the game, that's why they decided to remake FF7 and add some new content too. Plus the second part shouldn't take as long as the first one to be developed:

“While the development team finish the first game in the project, we are continuing to plan and outline the overall volume of content for the second.

Due to the work already done on the first game we anticipate development of the second game to be more efficient. We have our own internal schedule and plan, but for now we’d like to focus our information on the first game in the project."

We already know that the first part will take place in the  city of Midgar and will also be voice acted:

“The first game in the project takes place in the eclectic city of Midgar, we chose to focus on Midgar as it best represents the world of VII as a location more than any other. Midgar is full of imagination with myriad influences and surprises around every corner.

While many people may think that Midgar is very dark at first glance, we have a design aesthetic where the city has strong elements of colour and variety. The lighting and colouring we are using throughout Midgar accentuate what is unique about FINAL FANTASY VII’s world. We decided not to use a photo-realistic approach with the design, but instead something more stylised, honouring the artistic designs and choices of the original. 

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In REMAKE we are giving voice to the original FINAL FANTASY VII for the first time. By bringing in a new generation of actors, we hope to provide the best experience for original fans and new players."

The producer also talked a bit about the new combat system:

"The system we’ve created retains the strategic decisions of controlling multiple party members, allowing you to select from a wide range of abilities and spells. You can control your favourite character while issuing orders to others, or leave them to AI. And choose when to switch to a different party member to make best use of their unique abilities in battle. This allows all players to choose and enjoy your favourite way of playing."