With the first part of Final Fantasy VII Remake in the hands of eager gamers everywhere, it's common knowledge that the game ends as the heroes depart the dystopian city of Midgar for the first time. It begs the question of just how many how many parts are likely to come from the new game. It seems safe to assume one of the oldest and most successful narrative tools will be applied: A three-act structure.
Final Fantasy VII Remake's first act takes place entirely in Midgar and this section was expanded immensely from the original game. This makes sense when one considers how important and formative the first act is, as it's responsible for bringing main characters together and allowing players to form emotional bonds with them. Midgar is central to the themes that run throughout the entire game, such as the exploitation of the planet, so it's reasonable players spend so much time getting to know the city, its people and its problems.
One of the biggest reasons Final Fantasy VII Remake is likely to be three parts is because the elements presented so far seem tailored to a first act. In addition to introducing and bringing together the core cast, it also provides the initial conflicts that set the story in motion -- like the looming threat of Shinra -- and hints at Sephiroth as the central antagonist much earlier.
Remake isn't exactly a remake. About 90 percent of the run-time is a faithful recreation of the 1997 classic, but in the last couple hours, everything changes. The identity of the "arbiters of fate" (as Red XIII calls them) is revealed and they've been meddling with players all game. The purpose of these entities seems to be to fix any deviations from the original game's plot. This could be a coincidence, but the way the whisperers ensure Wedge is under the plate when it falls and the way they openly resurrect Barret (from a death he never received in the original) point to an agenda of keeping things in line with how they went in 1997.
At the climax of Remake, the whisperers battle the heroes. There's a brief flash-forward of events that happened in the original game such as the forgotten city, the final duel with Sephiroth and the after credits scene of an elderly Red XIII. Red XIII goes on to tell players this is what will happen if they fail today and from that moment on, the heroes try to avoid that fate. This means players are in uncharted territory going into act two.
Remake II will open with the heroes' journey to the village of Kalm, providing an expanded world map to explore. This chapter in the original provided players with an expanded backstory for Cloud, Tifa and Sephiroth that hook them into the hunt for the man in black. This plot is compelling enough that Square Enix would be remiss if they didn't go back to it and Sephiroth's increased presence in act one suggests it will happen. Act two is a buildup phase where a lot of major story shaping elements occur, so expect all the cast missing from Remake to make their appearance in Remake II.
There may be small breaks in the action, but the second act really pushes the story forward, with the midway portion classically entailing a twist of some kind ("No, I am your father"). Remake II will give players an entire second game with which to learn about and bond with all the characters, but especially Aerith. Although there may now be doubt as to whether or not the developers will pursue all plot threads from the original game, the perfect emotional climax for act two must be Cloud setting Aerith's body into the lake. The heroes depart the city of the ancients with heavy hearts and players get an Avengers: Endgame-style ending, which sets the stage for act three. Contrarily, with the way act one ends, the twist in act two might actually end up being that Aerith survives.
The third and final act is the grand finale. At this point in the story, it could open with the battle against JENOVA LIFE and keep the action going from there, culminating with the heroes' reunion scene beneath the wings of the Highwind. If Remake III is still keeping with the plot of the original, the hook for act three will be the avenging of Aerith's death and discovering the truth behind Cloud and Sephiroth's origins. Action is constant throughout and all minor conflicts should somehow propel the story towards the final resolution: The final battle in Northern Cave. That may or may not include the destiny where Red XIII and his kittens run amok in the ruins of Midgar.
This is all a lot of conjecture and given the implications of Remake's ending, players could be in store for almost anything. The heroes may have changed fate and the next chapters may take place in an alternative timeline. The ending title card, "The unknown journey will continue," seems very pointed indeed.