Naoki Hamaguchi stated that the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy has always progressed around the central themes established by the original work. The team did not change the core story due to external reactions at any stage; while reinterpreting the original, he also hoped that the three works would retain the spirit of Final Fantasy VII.
In an interview with Edge magazine issue 429, Hamaguchi admitted that it was not easy to remake a beloved work into three separate titles while preserving the spirit of the original. He was particularly concerned that the final product should not look like his own personal fan project.
The remake series did not simply copy the original. It introduced narrative devices such as "Whispers" to leave room for plot changes. Hamaguchi believes that the challenge lies not only in adding elements different from the original or offering new interpretations, but also in constantly confirming whether the work in progress can still be called the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.