Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a dramatic reinterpretation of the original JRPG. The more that Square Enix shows of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, the clearer it is that it will be quite the departure. Combat is just one example, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake opting for action combat system more in line with Final Fantasy 13 and 15 than Final Fantasy 7. It's different enough that Square Enix is apparently going to add a new, alternative combat mode to try and bring combat more in line with what classic Final Fantasy 7 fans might expect.
Square Enix hosted a stage show for Final Fantasy 7 Remake at the Tokyo Game Show 2019 convention. During the show, producer Yoshinori Kitase spoke at length about Final Fantasy 7 Remake's combat. Part of what he showed is what Square Enix calls "Classic Mode" combat. The combat in Final Fantasy 7 Remake includes an Active Time Battle Gauge, just like the original game. Sort of.
Classic Mode adjusts the combat system to be more like the original Final Fantasy 7, but only somewhat. Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Classic Mode doesn't recreate the original game's ATB Gauges. Instead, it automates the new game's base action combat system. The ATB Gauge will fill through this automated combat, like it would if the player was attacking manually. In other words, the characters will still be doing damage to enemies without player input. And there's a possibility that it'll be much lower damage compared to manual input.
Moving past the ATB Gauge itself, there's a bigger question about Classic Mode's authenticity left unanswered. The original Final Fantasy 7's combat also had different ATB Gauge settings: Active, Recommended, and Wait. These controlled how time progressed in combat. Active had time moving forward even while spell animations were carried out. While Wait topped the flow of time whenever an ATB Gauge filled. It wasn't pure turn-based combat, but it was close.
Both fans and Square Enix are faced with the question: how authentic should Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Classic Mode be? Even with Final Fantasy 7 Remake's more action-oriented combat, it should be easy enough to add a Wait mode on top of Classic Mode. It'd still be significantly different than a turn-based experience, since characters in Final Fantasy 7 Remake move within a 3D space. But it would certainly be the closest option to recreating the original game's combat options.
The more that Square Enix offers options to make Final Fantasy 7 Remake more like the original game, the more it has to ask itself whether it should. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is a unique experience based on the classic. And as such, it has to prove itself on its own. Modes that recreate combat from the original game are likely to create a focus on the two's differences. They'll serve as a reminder of what a drastic departure the remake is. And that isn't a healthy-sounding situation.
Therein lies the contrary nature of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It's both a love letter to the original game and, very clearly, a completely modernized new Square Enix RPG. The studio that made the original Final Fantasy 7 doesn't really exist anymore. It's grown and changed and Final Fantasy 7 Remake will show just how much.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake releases March 3, 2020 on PS4.