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JWeinCom on 10 April 2020
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DonFerrari said:
JWeinCom said:

I don't think that I mentioned reboots or suggested we apply comic book standards to the gaming industry.  Plus I read Marvel which doesn't exactly do reboots.

If you want to use comic book terms however, this is most similar to a new imprint such as Marvel's ultimate line of comics which keeps the basics framework, but sets in a new continuity.  Just like that imprint things basically started off at the same point (spider bites boy, uncle ben dies, etc), but after establishing the basics, things spin off in new directions.  Although this also does share some elements with DC's line wide reboots such as Crisis on Infinite Earth where there is actually a conflict between multiple alternate timelines in the DCU.  

Again though, comics are such a different medium that it makes little sense to analogize them directly to video games.  To understand what remake should mean in this context, we should actually look at other games that are remakes.  And when compared to them, this is certainly a major outlier.  It's been asked several times, but nobody can provide an example of a remake that strays even nearly this far from the source material.  If you think of one let me know. 

So if you don't think FFVIIR is a reboot you are accepting it is a remake, because it also isn't a sequel, and it really isn't an imprint since it isn't just starting the same, but most of the story, perhaps 95% is the same. One or two points that people think was key or major being changed don't turn it into not a remake. Remaster is the term we use when most was kept intact but a paintjob and some gameplay touch up were given. At most this title is a little more changing than people are used for remakes, but still is one so claiming SE lied to customers is wrong. Even more when we have reviewers that releases before the game so people know what is in the game.

No, I'm not accepting that, because I didn't say it's not a reboot.

I can't say if it's a reboot or not, because we only have 20% or so of the story.  We don't even have 95% of the story.  This game in and of itself obviously can't be a remake because it's missing way more than half of the game's content.

The changes already disqualify the eventual completed package from being a remake.  One of the key elements of any story is the conflict, and the nature of the conflict in this game is completely different from in the original as shown by Cloud's interactions with Sephiroth.  Changing the conflict isn't changing the details of the story, it's changing the entire structure.

As for whether or not it's a reboot, it kind of feels like it, but we'll see based on the final product.  But, even if I don't think it is, that doesn't mean I think it's a remake.  Those categories are not mutually exclusive. 

And even if you think the word remake itself isn't misleading, refer to the quotes talking about how faithful the game will be.  Square absolutely misled people on this one.