I doubt many of you are interested in this one, but here goes:

Pros
+ Poignant story with ones of the most powerful endings in recent memory
+ The visuals push the PSP to the limit
+ Interesting approach to action RPG combat
+ Makes great use of the content of the original game and marries it with the new in a satisfactory manner

Cons
- The game is very easy
- Random encounters are out of control
- The camera has a knack for getting stuck on places

Final Fantasy VII is one of those games that have managed to stay in the hearts of millions players out there, long after its release. Capitalizing on how huge VII is, Square-Enix has created several spin-off’s (some good, some not) centered on the world and characters of its seminal RPG. However, none of the titles have managed to live up to its namesake as much as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, is a game that at its best, is as every bit as poignant and exciting as the original.

Seven years before Cloud Strife’s conflict in the original PlayStation game, Crisis Core tells the tale of Zack Fair, a young and energetic Second Class Member of SOLDIER, who dreams of becoming a hero. Under the watchful eye of his honorable and proud mentor Angeal Hewley, Zack trains hard, waiting for an opportunity to prove his worth. So is nothing short of ecstatic for Zack when he is charged with finding the whereabouts of Genesis Rhapsodos, a First Class SOLDIER who disappeared in the land of Wutai during an assignment, along with his entire battalion. The stakes become higher however, when Angeal also disappears and is up to Zack, along with the legendary SOLDIER hero Sephiroth to get to the bottom of what really is going on.

While only briefly seen in the original Final Fantasy VII, Zack’s impact on then main protagonist Cloud was undeniable. Crisis Core has managed to build an impressive back-story that leads to the tragic moments that shape who Cloud will become. These events also give an incredible amount of depth to Zack, whose only noticeable traits in the original game were his funny wit and self-less attitude. Rather than focusing on the main conflict, the game only follows Zack’s point of view on it. While at times it feels as if the conflict is only an excuse to see Zack grow, the story really never suffers from it, and the rest of the cast, old and new, are also equally explored. New comers Angeal and Genesis (whom was briefly introduced in a secret cinema of third person shooter Dirge of Cerberus) are worthy additions to the iconic cast, proving to be just as developed. Old friends also show traits never seen before. Sephiroth’s self-doubts, Aerith’s shyness, Cloud’s innocence and Tseng’s sympathy are traits that have only further deepened wonderful characters. Zack’s relationships with the cast, be it from his friendship with Cloud, to his innocent romance with Aerith, to his respect for Angeal and Sephiroth, are endearing and very personal. And Crisis Core doesn’t stop there. The game has managed to enrich the world of Final Fantasy VII in a way that hasn’t been accomplished by any other of the related titles. Be it the iconic Nibelheim tragedy from the original game, to the play Loveless, which was only briefly mentioned in the original, Crisis Core makes excellent use of the established material.

When it comes to gameplay, the developers have taken the same amount of care that they did with their story. Crisis Core is a fun game, but it has some noticeable flaws. You’ll have exclusive control of Zack from beginning to end and most of the game centers around getting from point A to point B, with battles being the main focus. This format is broken from time to time with the inclusion of different mini-games. Exploration is mostly linear, often having an obvious path for players to follow, with the occasional branching up for treasures and such. While you move, the shoulder buttons are used to rotate the camera around Zack. Camera controls in Crisis Core are functional at best. You can only look around Zack, not above or under and the camera has a knack for getting stuck on walls and obstacles, making for it difficult to sometimes spot treasure or just follow the path. However, the meat of the game lies within combat. Crisis Core’s battles are randomly generated, and once your enemies appear, you will have to face them till either you or them bite the dust or you run away like a little girl. While the combat is fun, the frequency of the random encounters will soon start to wear on players. It is so high, that at times you haven’t left the current battle screen, when another battle starts. It is here that Crisis’s Core lack of difficulty can be a blessing for most battles will not last long, but the lack of challenge is also a small disappointment, considering some of the monsters look incredibly tough, yet are pushover more often than not. As the game progresses, the difficulty ramps up a little, which is good, but the frequency of the encounters does not diminish.

Crisis Core’s battle system is a hybrid between real time and turn based combat. You have one button that serves as action button and using the PSP shoulder buttons, you can scroll through the different actions available to Zack. There is also a button for dodging and blocking. Zack’s main form of attack is his sword, which he can used to create combos. Zack’s other abilities come from equipping Materia, magical orbs that will allow Zack to use magic spells and powerful actions. The Materia system is simple, yet offers endless customization, for there are a good number of spells, actions and more. As the game progresses, Zack will gain access to Materia Fusion. By using this option, players can fuse any two Materia that they want in order to create a new one. While not necessary, players who get a hang for the Materia Fusion system will soon find themselves with powerful spells and skill not obtainable by other means. Along with Materia, players can also equip a number of accessories on Zack, which will customize his parameters.

The most important part of Crisis Core’s combat system is the Digital Mind Wave, or DMW for short. The DMW is a set of three spinning slots with the faces of different characters Zack meets and that have an impact on his life. Along with the portraits, the DMW also has three numbers next to each slot. When the proper combinations appear, it will allow Zack and his currently equipped Materia to level up, as well as giving some welcome bonuses during battle. When the same character lines up in all three slots, Zack will unleash a Limit Break, a special skill that is inspired by the character on the three slots. These skills can be both, offensive or supplemental, and at times they come accompanied by a memory that Zack may have of that particular character and that is not viewable within the main game. At points, the DMW will also summon different monsters to help Zack. The DMW will continue to spin as long as there is SP available, which is obtainable by defeating enemies or turning Materia into it. While a little hard to understand at first, the DMW offers an element of unpredictability to battles as well as further explaining Zack’s relationships with the characters on the DMW.


Aside from the main game, Crisis Core has a rather impressive number of side missions for players to tackle. You can access these missions from any save point and they last anywhere from five to ten minutes, which allows players who do not have the time and are on the go a way to get their Crisis Core fix. The missions are mostly about finding treasure or killing a particular target, but they can be quite addicting, as they often times feature a level of challenge not attainable playing the main game. Completing these missions also yield good treasure and powerful Materia, so players should not ignore these and merely see them as a diversion.

On the presentational side of things, Crisis Core excels. The graphics in the game really push the PSP to the limits. Characters are very detailed and they move very fluidly. The battles spells and animations are equally impressive. The summons take the cake however, featuring the best summon animations in any Final Fantasy. The backgrounds can be a little barren at times, but they are also nicely detailed and some are sure to bring nostalgia to players, for many places are taken from the original Final Fantasy VII and have been perfectly reconstructed with the newer technology. Square’s notorious FMV’s are also here and they have never looked this good. You will be hard-pressed to find any difference between Crisis Core’s FMV’s and the Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children movie. Sound wise, Crisis Core is also excellent. The soundtrack is very well composed, breathing new life into some of the classical pieces from the original as well as bringing several new ones. The voice acting in Crisis Core is also pretty good and the sounds in battle are equally well done.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a game that does justice to its original inspiration and manages to marry the old with the new with mostly successful results. Is not perfect, but even without the Final Fantasy VII title to support it, Crisis Core still makes an excellent RPG that fans of the genre will not want to miss.

Overall, I give the game a 9. It has its flaws, but the experience alone is worth it.