Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion review: a vital revival in the FF7 saga

One of the key components to the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy 7The saga is more complicated than it needs to be these last years. Playing the original was a difficult task until recently. Final Fantasy 7 Crisis CoreThe long-defunct PlayStation Portable was required to play the game, which first appeared 15 years ago. If you didn’t already have it, you’d likely have to pay around $250 to experience one game. It’s now available. Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, the definitive — and accessible — way of experiencing the prequel to one of the most revered games of all time, and its thrilling modern remake.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core isn’t a full remake — at least, not in the way 2020’s ambitiousFinal Fantasy 7 Remake was. It also isn’t a simple remaster. Instead, it’s somewhere in between — a charming reimagining that confidently portrays Crisis Corein modern terms. Does that ride measure up? Final Fantasy 7 RemakeOr the original Final Fantasy 7? Not at all. Does it make sense? Absolutely. This is especially true now as the characters move in exciting directions in the future Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

Story of Crisis Core follows not the iconic Cloud Strife but Zack Fair, an outgoing man who’s as capable of doling out a uniquely warmhearted kindness as he is of decimating whatever targets the corporation Shinra assigns to him. He rises to the top of SOLDIER’s paramilitary organisation, finds love and is able to shake off his pessimistic boss. In other words, he’s in his prime. It’s hard not to be immediately enamored by his boundless optimism and overeager nature. When Angeal suddenly vanishes, Zack finds himself in an intricate web of mystery as his mentor. Zack has to find him, Genesis (a SOLDIER first-class member, who is also a friend of Sephiroth, and has left the organisation).

Square Enix via Polygon

It’s a story with plenty of jargon, but it’s easy to follow, especially once you overlook some of the writing’s imperfections. Genesis is an irritating main antagonist who can’t stop quoting lines from a fictional play he’s obsessed with; some character motivations are flimsy; many quiet and emotional moments aren’t given enough room to breathe. Nonetheless, it’s a touching story about identity, the frayed bonds between friends as they irrevocably change, and the legacies we leave behind. The ending is memorable because it contains all the necessary emotional beats.

It is a visual sense. Final Fantasy 7: Crisis CoreIt is breathtaking. Sometimes, the visual changes are enough to make you forget you’re playing through 15-year-old content. The old visuals never captured how the sun’s rays kiss the leaves of a Banora White tree, for instance, or the lift of Aerith’s eyebrows conveying her uncertainty at a time when she was younger, more naive, and falling in love. Some scenes have been recut to the point that they are grainy. However, this overall increased level of detail makes them more believable. Crisis Core that’s altogether more expressive than the original.

The original Crisis Core is notable for its peculiar combat system, and it’s been refined to flow more smoothly in 2022. As was the case in the original, materia — the items that allow you to use magic and execute combat moves — are linked to certain spells and abilities, and allow you to play around with different builds. You can choose a build with low AP that only uses materia that has AP. (This makes the game more difficult, but it’s admittedly easy on Normal mode, and some players may want more of a challenge.) Or, you can go for a high-magic, high-MP build and cast spells to exploit enemy weaknesses to your heart’s content. You can play only one character but you have the ability to bend rules quite a bit.

Square Enix

The combat’s central mechanic, the Digital Mind Wave, weaves narrative and gameplay to provide snippets of characterization alongside limit breaks, status buffs, and even level increases for Zack or his materia. It’s a bit like the convoluted Final Fantasy 8 junction system in that it’s inelegant and more complicated than it should be, but refreshing in its unconventionality. Final Fantasy 7 Reunion also adds a new combo system, and a window of time when you can disrupt an enemy’s most powerful attack. Lastly, there’s a new shortcut menu for your materia. Although these changes sound small, they make a battle system that I used to be ambivalent about into a blast.

It’s vital that Crisis CoreThis game is actually quite fun because it involves a lot more fighting than normal. In addition, the intuitive enhancements allow for a much faster pace and fewer story beats. Side missions — which unlock new materia and equipment — play out exactly as they did in the original: You enter an isolated area, kill some monsters, and get your rewards. But thanks to the mechanical improvements, these detours aren’t endeavors you’ll dread; instead, you’ll likely find yourself doing just AnotherThen, you can return to the main story. When you do, you’ll be laden with rewards that can seem almost too good for the amount of work you put in.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis CoreThis is an easy and quick affair that takes around 12 hours. It is nevertheless essential to the Canon of Final Fantasy 7Particularly when it comes to the shocking end of Final Fantasy 7 Remake into account. It’s a worthwhile journey to take in 2022, even if just for Zack alone — as a modern opportunity to get to know the man who has deeply shaped Cloud, Aerith, and many of the saga’s iconic characters. Final Fantasy 7: Crisis CoreIt was not going to have the same impact as the amazing Final Fantasy 7 RemakeWe are getting closer, however. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, it’s well worth the foray — especially now that so many rough edges have been smoothed over.

Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core The game will release on December 13th on Nintendo Switch (PS4, PlayStation 5, Windows PC), Xbox One (Xbox One), and Xbox Series X. Square Enix provided a prerelease code for PC review. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. Although these partnerships do not impact editorial content, Vox Media could earn commissions on products sold via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.