i feel thats the usual rpg thing tho, grind till you overpower everything unless there is an achievement for doing it with as few as possible exp

Depends on the direction of part 2 really.

I was more thinking on the false advertisement, they were very clear (and they delivered) that the game would be multiple parts (we know it for like 3 years already) and that they would make changes to fit the choice to do it (some additional content and more detailed stories).

About the quality of the whole product yes I do agree we need to wait for the other parts. I had no issue with the ending of the first part though.

POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR FFVIIR, TRYING TO DANCE AROUND IT BUT BE CAREFUL

I feel like we are talking about two different things, because I am very much on the same page.  They were very clear about the episodes, but I think it has become more than that.  The way the game ended makes it seem like an entirely new mainline entry to the franchise, that takes place in the same universe as the original FFVII.  This makes the tag "remake" seem to reference the plot twist itself, rather than saying the game is a remake (which is what I was talking about).  So the next game just feels more like a sequel to the game we just got, rather than a second episode of a remake.

It will depend on just how they go about it really.  If, for example, there are some Chrono Trigger/Cross shanagins going on (which very well may be the case)...this is more like a follow up to the original rather than a remake of a game.  I am mainly talking about plot, while trying to dance around spoilers as best I can.

As for the quality, I am not calling that into question.  I feel they will all be quality games, despite my nitpicks about inconsistent visuals and generic side content.

Understood your point. For me usually when something diverges to much from the original I consider it a "what if" scenario from the original and kinda ignore the "remake" or anything similar. Not sure how much it will diverge on the next entry but could very well be something like it.

Only one of these games has Cloud in a dress...

Well, the Mana Series simply never had anything close to the clout or impact on the gaming scene that FF has had. And this is coming from a huge Secret of Mana fan - while the remake is solid on most fronts, it also felt a bit lukewarm and standard to me. I'll certainly be playing more of it but it's also not exactly knocking my socks off.

Correction in bold

The simple answer is Final Fantasy VII is still the best selling RPG of all time, and it's remake had been teased on and off for several years. I don't think the entire Mana series sales can account for 7's sales alone. Even at it's peak, it wasn't a million seller. Fans have been asking for Seiken Densetsu 3/Trials of Mana for a long time, but after a decade or so it seemed impossible. Now all of a sudden they're making a marketing push, and most fans have moved on or played a translated rom. Yes they've been remaking the games, but Adventure of Mana was a Vita system exclusive, the Secret of Mana remake was met with mixed reaction, and Trials of Mana had no chance... And a Nintendo Direct trailer aimed at Switch owners can only do so much 25 years after the series was most relevant. Nobody even knew what Panzer Dragoon or Contra was, which is sad, but it's the publisher's fault. I wonder if Switch's Dragon Quest 11 did well as they thought?

If DQXI sold well on PS4 and DQ is a lot more japanese centered market than FF and Switch is a lot stronger on Japan than PS4 so DQXI on Switch probably done quite well.