Episode 2 is already in development.

Nomura just did another blog post along with the Remake staff that has confirmed that they are already working on Episode 2 as we speak. The interview had some interesting tidbits as well.

For those who don't want to read:

• Nomura actually started the planning stage for the remake all the way back during the Compilation. It was meant to be the grand finale to it.
• It never saw the light of day due to Nomura working on it by himself as a pet project while doing all the other projects on his docket.
• He says he's looking forward to the remake as much as the fans because he has spent years developing it.
• He tell people not to worry about how long the game is. He says Midgar is pretty huge and has in fact had to tell staff to pull back on making it bigger and longer than necessary.
• While past interviews said there weren't going to be any new characters, that is not correct anymore. Though the game is not introducing any significant story characters, there are new minor characters being introduced to expand and flesh out the world. The new SOLDIER character from one of the recent trailers is an example.
• M.O.T.O.R. may no longer be the final boss of the Midgar arc. While the interview doesn't say it has been removed, Nomura mentions there are several new bosses not in the original story sequence.

In another interview, it's been confirmed that Motomu Toriyama is also on the project working as a co-director and scenario designer.

• Toriyama talks about how he got his start in FF on VII, working on the Midgar and Wall Market scenarios in the original.
• He mostly discusses how the new technology they have at their disposal for the remake will allow them to add better cinematography and emotional experiences from the original.
• This technology has been used to make characters like Cloud and Tifa feel more realistic and closer to real life.
• This tech has also been extended to smaller side characters, confirming that Johnny and the Shinra Middle Manager are still in the game.
• The Honey Bee Inn has been expanded into a bigger entertainment center and features some elements they wanted to put in back during the original.

We also got two new concept CGI pics recreating two of the character artwork.

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See, the Wall Market, FFX-2 and Bahamut Lagoon make me think that Toriyama is a very bearable Director/writer... but only as long as he sticks to the lighthearted stuff. I nearly got a heart attack when I heard he’s also working on this though

I'm just continuing to be pleased and impressed by the latest news about the remake and its future installments.

My main hope for later episodes is balance. I'm all in favour of bigger episodes that expand on the world and story, but at the same time I want the remake to be finite and to have an end-point in sight. Yet I'm also hoping this can all be achieved without curtailing content, so that each installment is smaller or more hurried than the last.

It's a bit of a tense time for this veteran fan, but I'm thoroughly excited all the same.

It would be a pleasure to watch what Toriyama has in stock to match the dynamics of the production.

Looking forward for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part Two.

I can't. I can't get excited for Part 2 when we haven't even played Part 1 but I'm intrigued to see how they'll handle the open world aspect of the game - that's if it's open world at all. If it's open world then it's going to need to more connected than in the original game. I'm thinking roads and train lines like in FFVIII and FFXV, because in the original FFVII there's grass, a beach or two, some mountains, a stream and then Kalm. Maybe they gave up on Tarmac with all the wild killer motorbikes tearing trout up all day.