Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion: We tried it, here’s everything you need to know

of complex metaseries known as Compilation of Final Fantasy VIICrisis Core is the game that holds a special place in the hearts of fans, if only because it is definitely the best. And to say it shouldn’t even have been there: Director Hajime Tabata was tasked with converting the pre-Crisis mediocrity from mobile to PSP, but in the end it was decided to use every resource in developing a prequel focused on the backstory Kazushige Nojima and Tetsuya Nomura imagined, but they They didn’t fit into the complex narrative of Final Fantasy VII.

Now this Final Fantasy VII Remake is a reality, and that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is getting closer and closer, it was only a matter of time before Square Enix got back to work on Crisis Core, but Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion We’re Testing For a few days, it wasn’t a lazy remake, but it wasn’t even a real remake.

What does the new version have to do with it?

It’s a hard question to answer without expecting anything for those who’ve never played Final Fantasy VII, Remake, or Crisis Core itself, but we’ll try anyway, knowing that we haven’t completed this Reunion yet and we don’t know if we’ll do with some surprises after it’s over. Credits, but we can’t tell you the same thing anyway because Square Enix, rightly, wants the game to be a surprise also and above all for those who have only come close to Final Fantasy VII in recent years.

Laughs and jokes, Final Fantasy VII has just turned 25, and although it’s been revived time and time again, it’s made inroads in recent generations with its much-talked-about remake. Believe it or not, there are gamers who still don’t. I don’t know how the story is from 1997, and who may never know because the remake changed it, taking a path of its own that would continue into the next part of what is now a trilogy.

Crisis Core, however, is still the background to that story, a starting point that went when it was originally published to expand the world of Final Fantasy VII, but now could greatly influence the Remake Trilogy with characters and subplots it was until a few years ago. It seems that she is destined to remain confined to the assembly forever. This story, however, has not changed one iota. Just as Kitase promised in a recent interview, Square Enix hasn’t touched on the Crisis Core story, which plays out exactly as it originally did.

For us Italians, there is a bit of a difference, because Reunion employs a All new adaptationis assumed to be based on texts Japanese instead of English, which is often the case lately. It is noted that there are discrepancies between the spoken English translation and the Italian translation, which in any case seemed smoother and cleaner than the 2008 translation.

However, it is possible to set a file Japanese voice actingUnderstandably, Square Enix took the trouble of doubling down on the entire game, giving a new voice to the common NPCs we’ll meet and to those dialogues that aren’t recited in the PSP version. The Japanese developer was involved in everything new actors – Japanese and American – called it Final Fantasy VII Remake who we assume call it Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, just to maintain a sense of continuity within the project. After all, playing Crisis Core now, between Remake and Rebirth, Yoshinori Kitase said, will help fans old and new have a better understanding of some aspects of the unpublished story that will unfold in the second volume of the trilogy, though the prequel still entirely contains story. and playable by itself.

And this is always the case in continuity The graphics have also been revised, which we will return to in the review. We’ll tell you here that Square Enix artists have practically redesigned Crisis Core using Final Fantasy VII Remake assets, so that not only do characters appear more detailed, but they also look more realistic than they have in the past. Protagonist Zack Fair, for example, is now much closer to his CG counterpart who also appears briefly in the remake – or in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, if you prefer – whereas in the original PSP version, he had a more cartoonish appearance Much kingdom hearts style.

Like we said, Square Enix has done a complete makeover, in that sense, bringing back not only the most important supporting characters – including a certain teenage ninja from our acquaintance – but also characters that in the remake aren’t (yet?) additions, like Angeal Hewley and the infamous Genesis Rhapsodos, which seems more … jacketed than before, if possible. this is styling It affects the entire game for good or bad, from monsters to the most important weapons, like the Sword Potens detailing his Remake version, and goes through some summons, like the Ifrit, which now has the same admired aspect in Final Fantasy VII Remake.

In addition to the increased resolution, the sixty frame rate on PlayStation 5, regenerative effects, andInterface redesign from scratchIn short, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is also designed and above all to serve as a prequel to the trilogy that began with the Remake, and perhaps to introduce certain characters into the imagination of new fans who are increasingly sure we will meet again from Rebirth onwards.

What do you expect from this game

If you plunge into the world of Crisis Core with your eyes closed, not knowing how it works, then in the next few lines we will give you a crash course on the combat system. We’ll do ours in a few days, while we’re reviewing, but for now we can already tell you Square Enix has worked on the controls,user interface And the dynamics of the game to improve its negative aspects, and the result so far has completely convinced us.

No, this does not mean that the controversial is gone OMD system, which stands for Digital Mental Wave: a type of screen slot machine that selects a series of completely random features during combat. OMD’s picture and number combinations correspond to temporary bonuses and special abilities, calluntil the level up By Zack: For many players, this casual item – motivated by Kitase and Nomura’s passion for pachinko, mind you! – It wasn’t discontinued at the time of the PSP release and the Reunion version doesn’t seem to have touched it at all. Honestly, it didn’t bother us much, so our opinion on this matter remains fairly neutral.

However, the commands have been reworked to ensure full display control, which was already poor in the original PSP version, and to allow for a greater number of shortcuts to link issue Zack can equip it and with it can cast spells – consuming MP – or use special attacks, which consume AP.

Complete combat system a job: Enemies await Zack at predetermined points on the maps that he can explore and battles take place in the same scenario. Dodge or dodge In time with the proper somersault, it’s almost more important than the tinkling sword combos, because the enemies don’t joke around and Zack is cornered all the time. Square Enix has introduced a new dynamic in the form of an indicator that warns us when the enemy is preparing for a particularly dangerous attack: repeatedly hitting the target will reduce the indicator and, with it, the power of the attack, until it is done. Canceled by everyone if you use vulnerabilities in time.

In short, from a content standpoint, Crisis Core Reunion looks exactly like we remembered it. Full of adrenaline, fun, and full of secondary missions to complete, but along with the advantages of the PSP version, this new version also inherits its disadvantages, starting with Repetition From the gameplay — sometimes reminiscent of its limited mobile origins — to the transition to the short, quirky narrative, which relies more on a successful hero than on a believable plot. Arguably, Reunion isn’t a faithful porting, in short, and it might have been exactly what fans of the original Crisis Core needed. and all the others?

Those who have been waiting for the opportunity to play or reboot Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core for a long time, get ready to open your wallet, because it seems that Square Enix has done a really good job, intervening above all in the audiovisual sector to ensure the continuity of the ongoing remake. Zack’s adventure bears the limitations of the PSP’s assets on its shoulders, and in a few days we’ll tell you if the significant improvements made will be enough to bring it up to date.