Quote Originally Posted by Future Esthar
They look too different because of the Lunar Cry who drastically changes the topography of the planet from time to time.Also people forget memory due to various experiments.
If that many lunar crys were to occur, each one drastically changing the topography of the planet, then all life on that planet would be destroyed. And 4000 years is NOT enough time for all life (including humans) to come back, and flourish in those numbers. Consecutive lunar cries that can alter the topagraphy of a planet would literally destroy the planet. Earth (or Gaia, or whatever its called) would probably be something like Mars.

Therefore, worlds of FFVII and FFVIII are completely different.