The original Final Fantasy 7's Midgar arc ends only for another journey to be discovered. The game's Midgar segment is quite linear and only a small portion of what is a large and immersive game. Narrative-wise, the party's goal largely shifts from fighting off Shinra's oppression of the slums to following Sepirioth. This creates a clear divide in the two arcs of Final Fantasy 7's story, as the characters learn more about themselves and each other as their journey continues.
[WARNING: Spoilers for Final Fantasy 7 Remake AND Final Fantasy 7 below]
However, Final Fantasy 7 Remake doesn't opt for such simple closure. While the ending within itself is largely accurate to the source material, the implications for the future appear to be radically different. The Midgar section within FF7 Remake is significantly longer, with many additional story arcs, character moments, and themes taking center stage. While this isn't a bad thing, much of these narrative details added time onto this portion of the game. With FF7 Remake's first part clocking in at around 35 or so hours on an initial playthrough, it makes one wonder how long the next installment will be. Considering the limited amount of material that FF7 Remake covers, will FF7 Remake Part 2 choose to speed the story up?
While FF7 Remake's first part certainly takes a slower approach to the slums of Midgar, much of the new material added serves to flesh out the world in meaningful ways. Some examples of this are the entire second chapter of the game, showcasing the chaotic aftermath of the first reactor bombing, Chapter 4's look into Jessie's personal life, and everything about FF7 Remake's Wall Market chapter. While these events did add many hours onto the game's runtime, they do ultimately feel like they benefit Final Fantasy 7's world-building as a whole.
How Long Will FF7 Remake Part 2 Actually Be?
Due to how well this was pulled off within FF7 Remake Part 1, there is little doubt such story details will be added to Cloud's journey through Gaia. However, Midgar's stories benefit from being somewhat secluded from the larger world of Final Fantasy 7. Also, many of the arcs that take place in Midgar end when FF7 Remake's credits roll. The party's goal shifts them in an entirely new direction, and expanding upon a story arc that largely encapsulates the rest of the original Final Fantasy 7 may be difficult. While Midgar has a sense of community to build off of, FF7 Remake's source material becomes more character-focused once Avalanche leaves Midgar.
In response to this, the characters themselves will most likely have many more additional moments together, potentially even more than the first FF7 game. However, the moment-to-moment story will most likely be more akin to the speed of the original. It felt like Square Enix gave Midgar its own entire game in order to give Midgar a larger, more comprehensive arc. Due to this, it's reasonable to assume the story of Final Fantasy 7 Remake may go faster from this point on. Considering the original game's first disc ends directly after Aerith's death in the City of the Ancients, it makes sense to end the second part somewhere around that event too. This will leave new players on yet another cliffhanger (with this one being much more heartbreaking and tragic, if it does come to pass).
If Final Fantasy 7 Remake has 3 separate parts, the final game could easily wipe out the rest of the source material's story if the second part ends around the City of the Ancients. Overall, the length of the game will most likely be akin to FF7 Remake Part 1, but with more sidequests and open world elements to engage with. A solid 30 hours without side questing seems like a safe bet for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. However, with the potential changes that may take place within the games expanding narrative, fans will have to wait to find out for sure.