Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Review: My Honor, My Dreams…

The price of freedom is indeed steep when it comes to retelling the story of Zack Fair on more platforms than one. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was released only on the PlayStation Portable back in 2007, limiting many players from experiencing a title fans hold so dearly in their hearts. After 15 long years, Square Enix and Tose have created the modern remaster of this long-forgotten relic. In many ways, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is more than just a simple remaster of the original game, but it is also not enough to call it a full-on remake either. To remember the weirdly cased UMD disc that the PSP used for my copy of Crisis Core and now see Reunion running flawlessly on the PlayStation 5 is simply a fever dream.

What is Crisis Core?

For those unfamiliar, Crisis Core is a prequel spinoff story set seven years prior to the mainline Final Fantasy VII game that follows Shinra operative Zack Fair on his journey to make Soldier First Class. Though the story of Zack is pretty self-contained, it’s still better to play Final Fantasy VII first, as many of the characters in Crisis Core are referenced and alluded to in memories or dialogue. Zack is undoubtedly a prominent and important character in the Final Fantasy VII universe, even though he lacks a physical presence in the main game. His influence and legacy ultimately set the course and backstory of our beloved edgy protagonist, Cloud, from Final Fantasy VII. The overall narrative that embodies his dreams and honor forms a powerful yet poignant chapter of a much bigger story.

Crisis Core is mission-structured and chapter-based, so don’t expect an open-world Midgard or anything. There are a ton of optional side missions to embark on, though many of them have you treading the same areas again. Aside from key story moments and cutscenes, most of your time is spent in combat on the field. The game comes with a Normal and Hard mode and even offers retries and the option to change your loadout should you fall in battle. It’s nice to see that the real-time action combat system the game utilizes is now more fluid and smooth, as Reunion tweaked and refined a lot of the timing and animations. Pesky enemy super attacks can now be interrupted with a new Ability Gauge that appears on screen. You have your basic attacks, a dodge, a block, and the ability to cast magical spells and physical abilities. Familiar spells such as Firaga, Thundaga, and Curaga, of course, make a reappearance that expend MP, whereas special physical moves expend AP. It wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy VII title if there weren’t any Materia! You can equip, level up, and fuse Materia to create fancier and more powerful spells. It’s loud and clear that Reunion’s combat system takes influence from Final Fantasy VII Remake yet remains faithful to its roots.

The Controversial Slot Machine

The main subject of controversy with this game was Crisis Core’s introduction of the Digital Mind Wave (or DMW for short), which looks like a slot machine at a high level. Three reels at the top left corner of the screen spin constantly during combat, then get triggered to stop whenever you execute a spell or ability. A wide array of perks are activated depending on what numbers are landed on in each slot, such as free mana usage or complete invulnerability. The DMW also facilitates your summons and limit breaks, a term most fans of the series are familiar with, which are essentially an ultimate ability. This unique system caused some backlash as your entire arsenal of special moves are left to a game of chance. Reunion stays very faithful to this mechanic, but with some quality of life improvements. Limit breaks can now be stored to be used at a later time, and annoying animations can now be skipped so as to not break pacing. Summon animations have also been reworked and play out more similarly to those of Final Fantasy VII Remake: flashy, dramatic, and badass! I think the coolest aspect of the DMW is that it’s actually a representation of Zack’s thoughts, and each reel represents a person that has made an impact on his journey.

A Melancholic Score

I’m a huge fan of Nobuo Uematsu and just an overall sucker for video game soundtracks in general. It’s nice to hear new and familiar music from both Uematsu and Takeharu Ishimoto, the creator of the original Crisis Core soundtrack. Those who have played the initial version of the game should get ready to get in their feels again when The Price of Freedom and Why start to play. These composers never fail to produce emotive music that speaks to not just the mind and soul, but the heart as well. A brilliant score of rock ballads and interludes allows you to connect with the characters and narrative on a deeper level. On the other side of the audio department, Reunion is now a fully voiced game, whereas Crisis Core only had voice acting in important cutscenes. Caleb Pierce does a competent job of voicing Zack, but I do miss the original Rick Gomez, who embodied the essence of this distinguished character in the Final Fantasy VII universe.

Flawless Performance & Redefining Visuals

It’s safe to say that Reunion has seen a complete modernization in the visual department compared to the 2007 version. The blocky and chunky pixels seen back on the PlayStation Portable are now fully realized, detailed, and overall dramatically improved. To say that Reunion is simply a visual remaster is a complete understatement! That being said, the graphics, unfortunately, don’t look as crisp and succinct as Final Fantasy VII Remake, as some in-game animations continue to look stiff. Some slack can be cut here, considering this is a cross-generation title, but the general graphical overhaul does blur the line between remaster and remake. Nonetheless, the game renders at a clear 4K resolution and runs at a buttery smooth 60 fps on PlayStation 5, which is a huge step up from the 30 fps on PSP. If you played Final Fantasy VII Remake, then you’ll feel right at home navigating the menus and UI of Crisis Core Reunion as it reuses the same blue-tinted style. Controls can be remapped seamlessly on PlayStation 5, and a shortcut menu is available for you to consume potions and elixirs.

Conclusion

Square Enix and Tose have done a phenomenal job bringing Zack’s origin story to life again after being buried away for so long. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is everything fans want and expect it to be, with rehauled graphics, improved gameplay mechanics, a new arranged soundtrack, and fully voiced dialogue. If you somehow missed your chance to play this back on the PlayStation Portable back in 2007, then this is the definitive way to experience one of the best prequel stories. It feels like a nostalgic dream to be able to step into the shoes of Zack Fair once again, and I can’t wait to see what’s in store in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Final Verdict: 4.5/5

Available on: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, PS4, PS5 (Reviewed); Publisher: Square Enix; Developer: Square Enix; Players: 1; Released: Dec 13, 2022; ESRB: T; MSRP: $49.99 USD

Full disclosure: This review is based on a copy of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion provided by the publisher.