Square Enix has started on some solid footing with the first part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, bringing the 27 year old game into a new HD experience to a whole new console generation. However, aFinal Fantasy 7 Remake's stellar reception may have baked in a severe critique that could hold the next part back when the story continues moving through the original plotlines.
In the event that the next part of Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn't release as DLC or extended episodes added onto the initial release, it's likely that Part 2 will release as its own installment. That does unfortunately leave the game in a situation where the next release will have to both continue the gameplay loop, but it will also need to change enough so that it doesn't feel like more of the same if it wants to stand out as a standalone release.
Room to Improve
While the game did manage to release with a number of 5/5 or 10/10 scores, this doesn't mean that there isn't room to improve on the formula that's been laid out so far. For the sake of story alone, things like access to summons in Final Fantasy 7 Part 2 will likely need to change, especially as new characters become inaccessible or possibly change over the course of the plot. However, Square Enix isn't necessarily unfamiliar with improving on existing combat systems and world progression between the limited selection of sequels within the Final Fantasy franchise.
One specific example of this is Final Fantasy 13 where the large party was streamlined by only including two main characters, but still giving the options for customization by including monster companions and reworking the paradigm system. In the case of Final Fantasy 7, the opposite might be necessary, giving players the ability to freely switch between different party members. This will become increasingly important as more characters like Yuffie and Cait Sith are potentially added to the party, depending on how far part 2 intends to take the original story.
Avoiding more of the Same
One unfortunate consequence of the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake may be that Square Enix could be afraid to stray too far from what made the game stand out in the first place. Comparisons have already been made between this latest title and Final Fantasy 15, especially with the similar ways each game looks and some similarities in the more action based approach to combat each game shares. While this has been working so far, if Square Enix wants to justify the episodic release of these games, avoiding having the games feel like they're the exact same experience may be necessary.
This stands especially true for each new part beyond Part 2 as well, with the thrill of the gameplay likely wearing off by the time the story finally reaches the final battle against Sephiroth. Looking at how Square Enix has been expanding on combat in Final Fantasy 16, there could be room for crossover between new releases and the continued Final Fantasy 7 Remake series. It may be a risk to make too many changes all at once, but it may be necessary for smaller changes to be implemented with each new release in order to slowly come to the realization that the final part is unrecognizable from the initial one.
Evolution of the Characters
Something that few games get the chance to do over the course of a single release is tweak the characters as they go through story arcs and become stronger throughout a game. Character models may change, like Final Fantasy 15's characters aging up ten years towards the end of the story, but even then it's a single, radical change that happens all at once. However, the prospect of creating character models that slightly change over time to show the slow progression from start to finish isn't the kind of thing that developers outside of Naughty Dog are too willing to swallow the expense on.
Beyond being able to show subtle changes from game to game, as scars and wear might appear on everyone throughout the two week journey, there is also a chance to explain the growth of the characters' combat abilities. While it is hopeful that save data may be transferred from part to part, allowing the player to evolve the characters the way they see fit, there is an opportunity for the players to start much stronger in Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. This could completely change the pace of the next episode, allowing for it to stand out against the initial release, even if it does maintain the same linear world that players have seen so far.
Open up the World
One of the major critiques people have for Final Fantasy 7 Remake comes more from the comparison between how Square Enix approached Midgar against Final Fantasy 15's Eos. The incredibly linear style of the remake, sometimes feeling like the player is on rails, is almost an unfair comparison, especially when considering that the original really doesn't open up for exploration until very late in the game. However, considering that there is no established structure for the areas between places like Kalm and the Chocobo Farm, there is a new opportunity to add a level of openness to Final Fantasy 7.
This likely won't take the same style as titles like Breath of the Wild, where open exploration is completely available and encouraged from the very beginning, but should instead lean more towards a God of War approach. Giving the player some agency in how they interact with the world of Gaia is a major tweak Final Fantasy 7 Remake needs. Even a more subtle change like this could have a massive impact on separating parts 1 and 2 of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and avoid the feeling that both releases feel so similar that it becomes hard to justify separating the multiple sections into multiple release.
Naturally, one way to address this entire issue of being too similar could be to simply release the next part as DLC or an expansion, which could make players much more forgiving for more subtle innovations that don't completely reinvent the title over time.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake is available now for PS4.