With the release of Trials of Mana and Final Fantasy VII: Remake we got a really interesting look at two highly divergent philosophies on updating a new game to the modern era. While one of these was obviously much higher budget in presentation, I think there's a clear dichotomy of philosophy that transcends which of the two Square Enix felt would be the proper cash-cow.

For Trials of Mana, we received a fairly faithful one-for-one recreation, just with some extra bonus content and an updated combat system. The plot generally remains the same, with characterization and dialogue more or less the same as the original. The new combat system is modernized, but still very much builds on the bones of the old system, expanding on that base for a more satisfying experieince.

With FFVIIR, we see a full re-imaging not only in terms of combat which is entirely revamped and wildly different from the original, but also a completely fresh take on the story with a clear divergence that will likely become more pronounced as it continues.

These are two very different approaches to updating an existing game and story to a modern age, and both I feel are valid. The big question is - which do you prefer?

For me, I much prefer FFVIIR's approach. A new take doesn't invalidate the old game at all, and if I've already played the game, for me an updated version can be engaging, but isn't going to really take priority with me, at least in terms of what I'm going to advance to the top of my queue for either purchasing or playing. A new vision of something I enjoyed in the past, however, is more exciting for me - I'm interested to see what people are going to do with it and where the designers are going to take it.

What do you prefer? Why do you prefer it that way?