Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Review – Required Reading

Final Fantasy VII is going through a weird identity transition. While the remake continues to change the canon in big ways, spin-offs such as 2006 PlayStation 2 title Dirge of Cerberus will be given larger roles within the main story. And then there are new spin-offs, like First Soldier, the online mobile battle royale shutting down early next year, and also plans for another remake called Ever Crisis, a mobile game that will reexamine Final Fantasy VII’s timeline. With all that swirling around the Lifestream, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion emerges as a surprisingly faithful remake of the 2007 PSP game that smartly focuses its changes on gameplay while keeping the story intact – warts and all.

Crisis Core is set before Final Fantasy VII, and tells the story Zack Fair (1st Class Soldier). For those who entered Midgard for the first time with Final Fantasy VII Remake, Zack’s story is a crucial element of the Cloud and Sephiroth relationship, and playing Crisis Core both illuminates and shrouds Zack’s surprising cameo at the end of Remake. Zack was my main contact with Final Fantasy VII’s universe. I appreciate learning more about him and the whole story.

However, it can be difficult to learn the story. The ending of Crisis Core leads to Final Fantasy VII in an exciting way. However, the trip to reach that cutscene feels almost like playing a 2007 game. While the updated voice actors are excellent, the presentation is slow and stilted. As characters awkwardly switched between animations, I was wishing that I could see cutscenes at twice the speed. This is despite long dialogue pauses. Although it is difficult to follow conversations, the video’s visuals almost match Remake.

The difficulty cadence also extends to overall pace, as cutscenes can feel interupted by short combat scenarios or series of combat situations feel cut by a slow-as–molasses scene. Both lead into each other and give the entire game a feel of “start-and-stop”.

Reunion’s stars are those battle scenarios that get the most attention. Flashy and easy, Reunion is all about hitting monsters with the sword or using magic attacks to call in special capabilities. While it doesn’t have the same impressive variety and depth as Remake’s combat, you may assume that they look similar enough.

The Digital Mind Wave (DMW) is Crisis Core’s main distinguishing feature that randomly rewards you with powerful attacks or temporary upgrades based on a slot machine constantly running in the corner of the screen featuring characters you’ve met during the story. Sometimes you can access powerful attacks at the right time. However, it’s completely random and you can’t use it strategically. When I encountered a boss or powerful enemy I would replay the battle until I was randomly given the chance to summon the fire god Ifrit or another similar attack. This isn’t a great way to deal with an encounter.

Crisis Core, Square Enix’s ongoing Final Fantasy VII revision, feels like mandatory reading. Although its place is crucial and likely to grow in importance moving forward, it sometimes feels like an assignment. Reunion, a well-executed remake from the 2007 video game delivers entertaining combat and a story that is both interesting and important. Do your research before you embark on the Final Fantasy VII Remake adventure.