Is FF VII Remake innovation done right ?

[Shiken]

Yes and no...

I feel like it perfectly combined turn based and action based combat in a way few games could.  They did an excellent job in reimaginings Midgar and most of the plot as well.

However visuals were inconsistent with certain things outside of cutscenes like doors or flowers looking multiple generations behind and the side quests are about a generic as they come. Honestly I do not see anything really innovative about most of the game, though I did love every second of it.

In terms of being an actual "remake", I have to throw that into question as well. Without going into spoilers about subtle hints and the plot twist at the end of the game, it feels more like a spin off or even potential sequel to the original that takes place within the FFVII canon. It is not retelling the original story nor just expanding on it, but going the way of being its own mainline title. The term "remake" feels more like a subtite than a statement that the game itself is a remake. Anyone who has beaten the game should know what I mean by this. If this is the case, part 2 should go in a wildly different direction at some point as we delve deeper into this rabbit hole, but only time will tell.

So in terms of being innovative as an actual remake, I would say REmake 2 and 3 did it better...or even Trials of Mana as they were direct retellings of the same plot. FFVIIR however, seems to have its own plot goals in mind...and retelling or even just expanding on the original is not what they are.

So while I give the game and 8.5/10 and love it, I really wouldn't call it very innovative outside of how well they adapted the battle system from the original game into a more fast pace sequence.