This is where it's down to interpretation. A change in visuals, even visual design changes (like fat official) is still a remaster for me personally.
Others view it as more than that.
If they had kept the same assets but just made it 60fps what would people be calling it then? They'd probably be criticising it lol
Please don't take this the wrong way because I am not trying to be mean here. But what you are saying here is just not correct. It is not open to interpretation. You can either be right or you can be wrong. What you are saying is wrong.
You do not have to think it's an ambitious remake. You can think the remake does not do enough to set itself apart from the original work. You can think the work done on the remake is not enough to justify its price tag. But it is, factually and unambiguously, a remake by design and definition. To argue otherwise is to be incorrect.
Consider if I argued that a grapefruit was an orange because, to me, it was ambiguous. I argued it was open to interpretation that the grapefruit could be considered an orange. I said you could continue calling it a grapefruit, but to me it would be an orange and I would continue calling it an orange because this is what I think it should be.
I don't think this is what you are meaning to do, but this is effectively what you are doing. You are claiming something is another, despite it factually being a specific thing, because that's what you think it should be called. You base this just on what you've decided instead of what factually is.
People can have different feelings about how big of an issue this is. Maybe it's not an issue at all. But in a topic specifically about understanding the difference between the two terms, I think it's important to point out that these aren't words gamers made up to define something that didn't have a name. The concept or remastering or remaking media is not new or in contention anywhere else but gaming.
This kind of confusion creates an inability to discuss content for what it really is and I think this is really detrimental to consumers making decisions on whether to purchase $70 products.
I mean no disrespect or hostility towards you here and I hope I do not come across to you this way.
Edit: After this I believe I've said everything I can in this thread so will bow out rather than try to browbeat anyone on their terminology. Folks will do as they please and I don't want to stoke bad vibes.