But how can we truly judge it by comparison? Will FFVII-R episodes be ultra linear(as in hallway sim) with little spurts of open areas? I can see a similar style for Midgar(maybe the first episode will encompass Midgar in its entirety, including trips to sectors we didn't to explore in the original game), but after that, I can't imagine a world spanning quest handled like FFXIII.
Midgar will probably be a bit more linear (with some areas that offer some room for exploration & down-time, to avoid another FFXIII situation) and then they'll probably have a big open area right after Midgar that will be more like how FFXV is doing things. A vast area that you can explore freely but somewhat limited by the story (so you won't be able to go to Junon without first doing some other mandatory stuff). The area(s) outside Midgar will have some monsters to fight, smaller locales to find (hypothetically including the kinds of Chocobo Farm, Kalm, the swamp with the giant snake, maybe some forests etc.) and maybe some optional dungeon(s). Eventually you'll have to advance to the next story mandatory location (Kalm) before you can go to the Mythril Mines and advance to Junon.
Or something like that.
I just don't want any FFVIIR part to delay FFXVI, as I doubt they would release both in the same year :/ Let's say FFVIIR-1 is 2017 and FFVIIR-2 2019, that leaves FFXVI for 2018 only unless they want to release it 2020 and have another 4 years between two mainline FFs with FFXV this year (if you don't count FFVIIR).
I don't think they'll have too much trouble releasing two FFs within 6-12 months of each other if that's how it has to be. I mean, they released FFXIV ARR, LR & FFX | X-2 within, like, 4 months of each other (in Japan).
FFXVI is a completely separate project from FFVIIR and much like FFXV, FFVIIR's development has very little effect on either. Once FFXV is done, that should be when they'll start to shift to higher gears on FFXVI's development as the next major mainline FF and that will be done when it'll be done, regardless of what happens with FFVIIR.
Considering Nomura implied that adding new things to the remake, which implies new story portions, then a fully realized and expanded Midgar is a very real possibility considering the context of Nomura words for FFVII:R
Yeeeeeeah, I don't think that means quite as epic additions as you are expecting. Again, they'd essentially need to add another 20-30+ hours of story content if FFVIIR-1 was going to be all about Midgar. Nah, they'll add a cutscene here, another there (& cut some here & there as well) + structure the traversal through the world to be more seamless & expand some areas a bit, but I seriously doubt we'll be spending 50 hours in Midgar.
And while this game will make cuts & additions to the OG story, I don't think it'll make THAT huge additions. Do remember that FFVII past Midgar is still a HUUUUUUUUGE journey and if they want to ever actually see this remake project into completion, they can't just go on making such huge additions that part 1 is nothing but Midgar. It's just not plausible considering how much they still have to do AFTER Midgar to just spend 40 hours in Midgar.
EDIT: Sorry about the FFVIIR talk. :S
