Ok let's break it down.
Subways will probably be important:
If this were an actual Hollywood movie, the guy behind the glass here on the left is the one to watch:
Daytime Midgar is splendid and busy and beeeeautiful:
Note street sign: Center Gate 6 | Kalm 51 | Junon 133
You can see those mileages again here, along with a big ad for Valentina (maybe a nod to Valentine?):
Note the same old-timey cars from the original
Here's a playground in a polluted Midgar hell:
Again note the subway/train.
Here are kids playing swords and look at that! Buster Swords must be a common design.
Raining in Midgar slums:
Here's clearly CLEARLY the biggest design change so far -- (I'm assuming Shinra soldiers):
A dumb thing to note, but beards were way out of style back in 1997.
Maaaaaan, I've watched this a dozen times and can't decide if that's a reflection of a statue or of Aeris standing there:
It's probably a statue. But those are definitely her flowers.
This is the Midgar reactor making the rounds today in those comparison shots:
but here's a big version if you want a new wallpaper. sorry about the crops.
Square has always (always) understood the way to establish scale with beauty is with birds.
This very quick pan downward reminded me so much of the Secret of Mana cover art.
Here's our first shot of Barrett's arm cannon, notably slimmer than the old version:
And finally, our hero:
And look, the bolts on the shoulder are back.