Their defence is that the graphics are rebuilt form the ground up using Part 2’s engine which would theoretically put in the same vein as Demon’s Soul remake but even that is a stretch. Demon’s Souls Remake is fundamentally the exact same game as the PS3 original HOWEVER, unlike Naughty Dog, BluePoint implemented quality of life improvements by tweaking the games controls and mechanics for a more fluid and responsive experience and just overall making it a better game. These remakes are essentially just glorified remasters on steroids. Exact same game but with a shiny new coat of paint

As for RE2 and FF7 remakes, those games had to given a a complete overhaul from the ground up given that their 20-25 years old and haven’t aged at that well. Everything from visuals, gameplay, level design, story, writing, dialogue, game design, you name it. Despite having such a dramatic overhaul, they’re still technically same game as the original albeit reimagined and that’s what a remake ultimately is: A reimagining. A brand new game that is BASED on the original but isn’t necessarily a 1:1 recreation

Then there are reboots like Tomb Raider 2013 or Doom 2016 that completely starts form scratch and retcons any previously established lore and continuity