Much like protagonist Zack Fair himself, the story of the self-proclaimed country-boy-turned-SOLDIER-First-Class isn’t one shrouded in thriller. If you have engaged with Final Fantasy VII or any of its varied spin-offs, prequels, remakes, or animated films, chances are high you perceive the load of his legacy–which is, coincidentally, solely rivaled by the load of his sword. However, in the event you’re in search of the definitive option to expertise it, look no additional than Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.A remake of the 2007 PSP unique Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core Reunion is a trustworthy retelling of Zack Fair’s story with dramatic visible upgrades, full voice appearing, and a number of other quality-of-life modifications. Considering the sport was already heralded as a implausible prequel and top-of-the-line titles on PSP, it comes as little shock that this model is triumphant in making Crisis Core right into a modern-day must-play for Final Fantasy VII followers. Not solely does Crisis Core Reunion port the as soon as pretty difficult-to-find recreation to a number of new consoles, permitting for a larger viewers to expertise the title, it transforms the sport from feeling like a smaller, handheld expertise into one thing that may proudly stand beside Final Fantasy VII Remake as a worthy companion.
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Now Playing: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Video Review
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion follows Zack Fair, a talented younger man who rapidly strikes up the rank of soldier–Shinra’s elite combating force–to stand beside different legendary heroes like Genesis, Angeal, and the later-notorious Sephiroth. However, as soon as info concerning the varied experiments Shinra carried out on these elite warriors begins to floor, the 4 colleagues rapidly discover themselves at odds with one another. Inevitably, these tensions set into movement the occasions of Final Fantasy VII, together with Sephiroth’s flip towards insanity, the burning of Nibelheim, and Cloud’s involvement in the entire ordeal. However, Crisis Core does not solely exist as a precursor to one thing greater, because it succeeds in weaving a fascinating, intimate, and emotionally impactful narrative of its personal.Loads of that is because of the recreation’s protagonist. Whereas Final Fantasy VII’s main man, Cloud Strife, tends to be soft-spoken and a bit moody, Zack is exuberant and terribly likeable. Throughout the sport, Zack’s mentor, Angeal, likens the fighter to a pet and affectionately teases him for his hyperactivity and eagerness. However, when in comparison with the opposite SOLDIER members–like the stoic Angeal, darkish and poetic Genesis, and no-nonsense Sephiroth–Zack is a breath of contemporary air who’s extensively idolized throughout the SOLDIER program (significantly by Cloud) for his proficiency, zeal, and inspiring nature. Outside of Shinra, these qualities additionally endear him to our favourite flower woman, Aerith, who shares a short however highly effective love story with Zack, full with long-distance telephone calls and tender letters.In Crisis Core Reunion, the emotional affect of all these occasions is amplified due to the complete recreation now having full voice appearing. While some voices would possibly take getting used to, as they differ from the unique Crisis Core’s performances, the brand new voice actors do a implausible job in making the story extra partaking than ever earlier than. This voice appearing additionally profoundly impacts how we view Sephiroth because the story progresses–Tyler Hoechlin’s efficiency makes him much more sympathetic as the reality about his delivery is slowly delivered to gentle and his downward spiral turns into extra heartbreaking. On that be aware, I used to be delighted to listen to a number of of the collection’ new voice actors lend their skills to the characters who seem in Crisis Core Reunion, together with Tifa, Aerith, Tseng, Reno, Rude, and a number of other others. This is all part of Square Enix’s push to make Crisis Core extra cohesive with Final Fantasy VII Remake, which it finally does with gusto.This feat can also be completed by how a lot care the group put into visually upgrading Crisis Core. Every location is lush, intricate, and has been adjusted to extra intently resemble the world we see in Final Fantasy VII Remake, which makes the sport’s journeys to Junon, Costa Del Sol, Nibelheim, Shinra Manor, and Gongaga–areas that we’re but to enterprise to within the remakes, however will see within the future–a bit surreal. In Crisis Core Reunion, we’re presumably getting our first have a look at simply what lies forward for us in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which, in the event you’re a die-hard fan, makes the sport well-worth enjoying in itself. As somebody who has spent the previous few years craving to see what wandering all through Shinra Manor will really feel like, or how grand the streets of Junon would possibly really feel as Cloud is tasked with parading down them, it was an emotional expertise to see even a much less graphically intensive glimpse at what’s on the horizon.Crisis Core’s gameplay programs stay intact, albeit streamlined and remapped in implausible methods. Those not conversant in the gameplay will discover it to be uncommon however thrilling. Rather than Final Fantasy VII’s turn-based system, Crisis Core Reunion options fast-paced action-style fight. While the sport’s simplistic hacking, slashing, and blocking is a enjoyable time by itself, with difficult enemies requiring quick reflexes and fast planning, Zack may equip as much as six items of materia, which grant him spells and skills he can use in battle. In the unique Crisis Core, biking by means of all these fight choices may very well be daunting, as you had been compelled to make use of R1 and L1 to scroll by means of all of them, then hit X on which one you needed to make use of. In Crisis Core Reunion, this has been fully overhauled, as you now can maintain R1 and assign all these talents to varied buttons to make fight much less irritating and extra environment friendly.Crisis Core Reunion additionally improves one of many unique recreation’s most notable options: the Digital Mind Wave. Also known as the DMW, it is a consistently spinning, slot machine-style fight enhancer that lurks within the higher left nook of your display screen throughout fight. The icons featured on the slots are characters and summons you meet all through the sport, with characters offering you with restrict breaks primarily based on Zack’s relationship to them, and summons granting you the power to, properly, summon them. As your relationships with sure characters are altered, you turn out to be roughly prone to see them make an look within the DMW. In concept, it is an extremely unusual function, as this slot machine is answerable for permitting you to dish out your hardest-hitting strikes in addition to stage up. In execution, nonetheless, the DMW is extraordinarily enjoyable and satisfying, usually figuring out pretty properly for gamers whereas additionally introducing a component of randomness to battles that maintain them contemporary.In the unique Crisis Core, this function did earn some criticism for its “modulating phase,” which might grind battles to a halt because the slots took up the complete display screen. These phases now not exist, although Crisis Core Reunion will nonetheless interrupt battles to indicate temporary cutscenes when the slots land on sure characters. Considering the time we get with Zack is so temporary, I discovered these cutscenes not solely fascinating to look at, however wanted. As an extroverted one that is supremely dedicated to the individuals round him (simply check out what number of textual content messages the man will get), having this mechanic the place Zack’s relationships play a task on his psychological state–and subsequently the way in which he battles–is a superb alternative that tells us quite a bit about him with out including hours onto Crisis Core’s story. All these distinctive qualities create a tangible distinction in Final Fantasy VII and Crisis Core’s gameplay, which drives simply how completely different Zack and Cloud actually are.Crisis Core additionally options materia fusion, which lets you take leveled up materia and mix it with different varieties to create new and extra highly effective spells and skills. While grinding materia out in Final Fantasy VII was arguably already enjoyable, the implementation of this fusion system makes it much more satisfying. Rather than merely elevating how highly effective your Fira turns into, materia fusion means that you can create totally new spells all collectively, reminiscent of combining stated Fira with Assault Twister to create Fira Blade, a capability that inflicts magic injury whereas not utilizing MP. Additionally, you possibly can add gadgets throughout fusion that, when outfitted on Zack, alter his stats. I spent plenty of time managing and fusing my materia whereas enjoying Crisis Core Reunion, and regardless of being somebody who does not essentially love crafting, I loved each minute of it.However, not all of Crisis Core Reunion’s grinds have aged fairly as properly. For starters, the sport has far too many random battles. At occasions, I discovered myself sprinting with Zack pressed up in opposition to the sport’s partitions to keep away from being within the centralized areas that set off them. Additionally, Crisis Core Reunion has plenty of aspect missions. Considering the sport was initially created to exist on a handheld console, it’s comprehensible: Each of those missions final for a couple of minutes and can be best to play by means of if in case you have just a few spare minutes whereas out and about. Removed from that context when performed on a console, these missions aren’t as satisfying. And, contemplating how comparable they’re even when the background tales are barely completely different, they rapidly develop repetitive.That being stated, Crisis Core Reunion is marketed as a direct remake, so it is sensible it is all there and I am unable to fault the studio for carrying over pre-existing content material an excessive amount of. Even so, the sport would have enormously benefited from discovering methods to make this content material extra worthwhile and fewer outdated in really feel. Really the one function I’d argue was woefully uncared for by the studio is the sport’s dialogue, which might come throughout as awkward and really “early 2000s JRPG” in really feel. This is exacerbated by simply how unimaginable the dialogue modifications and additions had been in Final Fantasy VII Remake, which enhanced already-fantastic characters in addition to made the general story deeper and extra understandable. While Crisis Core Reunion didn’t got down to increase or reimagine the identical means Remake did, just a few alterations–and much less awkward pauses from Aerith–would have gone a great distance.Ultimately, in the event you go into Crisis Core Reunion anticipating a one-for-one remake of Crisis Core, quirks and all, you’ll not be the slightest bit disillusioned. It is a enormously improved model of an ideal recreation, one that every one Final Fantasy VII followers anticipating extra story would profit from enjoying. While you should not count on any new content material or story revisions (honest apologies to all of you who had been hoping, I’ll admit I used to be too), you possibly can count on a strong ode to the kindest man you may ever meet and the legacy he handed on.