Final Fantasy 7's remake has released to an onslaught of critical acclaim. Following the tailcoats of the original, it is a game that has basically everyone's attention. Along with games that focus on remakes or remasters like Dragon Quest XI Definitive Edition S, Persona 5 Royal, Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition and Trial of Mana, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has seemingly won everyone over. This is thanks to the expansion of Midgar which is where the entire game takes place as the remake is gonna have a variety of sequels. However, not everything has been different.
With that being said, here are the five things about Midgar that has remained the same and five things that are completely different.
10 Difference: Much Bigger
Naturally, since the remake of Final Fantasy 7 exclusively takes place in Midgar, many things had to be changed. One of the major changes is just the sheer size of Midgar. It was already a big place to explore in the original, but it was only a location that lasted for a few hours.
But here in the remake, everything has essentially expanded upwards of 40+ hours. Everything about Midgar has become so much richer and one of the cooler aspects of the fictional city will get expanded later on the list. But nonetheless, the sheer size of Midgar easily dwarfs the original.
9 Same: Mako Reactors
The things that are essentially sucking up the planet's lifeforce, the mako reactors of both the original and the remake fundamentally share the same purpose. They are essentially the goal that Avalanche strives to destroy in order to save their world. Some things about the Mako reactors have obviously been added like new rooms and added sequences, but generally, for the most part, everything about the Mako reactors as well as its purpose remains the same.
8 Difference: Expansion On Shinra
Since the game is very focused on Midgar as its main setting, it means that Shinra has a much bigger influence on the overall plot. Although they still had a pivotal role throughout the events of Final Fantasy 7, their role in the story was not as important once Sephiroth was introduced. But in the remake, fans got to see just how much more influence they have in the story. Whether that is generally affecting the media, more story on the collapse of the plate or just having more personality to members of Shinra. This is especially true with the Museum of Shinra during the late game.
7 Same: Industrial Look
One of the things that make Final Fantasy 7 incredibly unique is the industrial design of Midgar. It isn't something sleek or anything like that, Midgar is full of pipework and grime. It would not be a place people would love to live in. Not only is everything fully realized, but it is also extra detailed with new details that are thrown here and there for lore purposes. A notable example is the fake sun lamps which add more into the bleak environments that Midgar provides.
6 Difference: Sector 7 Expansion
In the original Final Fantasy 7, Sector 7 was only shown for a brief period of time which doesn't really add too much to the overall narrative of the Shinra arc. But in the remake, this part of the game can take upwards to several hours. As players, by using Cloud, is able to go all over Sector 7 and learn everything they can about it. This includes new NPCs and little details that just add to the overall lore of Final Fantasy 7. This expansion is especially true to the Avalanche team who has a lot more depth than the original.
5 Same: Corporate Greed
It is no surprised that the whole concept of Midgar is within a corporate, capitalistic ideology. Since the city is run by a corporate entity, the majority of their beliefs are strictly to produce profits, as they could care less about life energy. What's more, Shinra's focus has always been primarily about the promised land and gaining further power. This gives them a lot of presence and raises the stakes a bit especially when gamers learn of what terrible things they have done.
4 Difference: Wall Market Is Huge
Wall Market in the original was already incredibly memorable thanks to the sheer ridiculousness that was there. However, in the remake, they have not only kept that going, but they expanded it to ludicrous levels. Taking aspects where fans could argue that it's very similar to the Yakuza games, hilarious moments such as the dress or the Don Corneo event becomes far more hilarious. What's more, the expanded and heart-pumping pull up minigame is something everyone has to try.
3 Same: Slums
Expanding a little further from the Sector 7 aspect, but they expanded on every single part of the slums. However, in this case, the focus will be how the remake carries the same spirit for the slums. Primarily their aesthetic. Every slum whether it is Sector 7 or Sector 5, all have this grimey and incredibly rustic look to them. Having the graphical fidelity that the remake absolutely brings to the table really does make the slums come to life.
2 Difference: There Is Actual Emotional Weight With The NPCs
As a benefit of having all of Midgar being expanded, the majority of NPCs get further work as a result. Even obtaining new ones that weren't originally in the PS1 version. This results in NPC's that are actually compelling to talk to.
What's more, Sector 7 gets a lot of focus during the plate drop. As players got to see characters that they had more of a bond with, deal with the aftermath of what happened. Especially if one has done the side missions prior to the event.
1 Same: Shinra Control
As mentioned before in one of the points, Shinra is a capitalistic entity and essentially runs the city of Midgar. Because of this, they have a lot of control of what they can do, to the point of almost being limitless on what they are truly capable of.
The remake makes this even more poignant as it really does show Avalanche as being a bunch of underdogs. This really does help the narrative as it makes the victory that the characters share at the end of the game all the more gratifying.