Cut Loose in Crisis Core Remaster – The Courier
“Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion” will be released on December 13 as a remaster of the classic PSP game.
Normally, a single shot would send most people screaming and running for their lives. Still, with bullets flying around him in every imaginable direction, a man with spiky black hair and an oversized sword strapped to his back decides to casually pick up his phone.
“I can cut loose, can’t I?” asks the character, Zack Fair, with a smile, his head slightly to one side.
“Within reason,” replies a gruff voice.
That’s when Fair proceeds to slice and dice a dozen gunmen into oblivion.
“Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion,” the remaster of the previous PSP exclusive, will be released on December 13 on PS5, PS4, XBox Series X and S, XBox One, PC on Steam and even Nintendo Switch. After the first game in the “Final Fantasy VII” remake saga was only released on PlayStation, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the remaster of the prequel, “Crisis Core Reunion”, would be released on XBox, and I’m ecstatic about that the game will be on my preferred system, the Switch. Having the ability to hack and slice my way through enemies whether I’m on the train to Chicago or sitting on the couch is quite appealing and stays true to the game’s PSP roots.
I’m a huge fan of “Final Fantasy”, although my introduction to the series was entirely by accident. When I was 10 years old, while reading “Guinness World Records 2011: Gamer’s Edition,” I turned the page to a list of the top 50 video game characters of all time. At #32, I stumbled upon Sephiroth, the main villain from “Final Fantasy VII”. Then No. 5 became Cloud Strife, the hero from the same game. I immediately called my cousin, who already knew the game, and we argued over which character was the most attractive – while I insisted that Sephiroth and she stick with Strife.
As a kid, since I didn’t have any systems I could play “Final Fantasy VII” on, I spent hours staying up at night reading plot summaries online so I could familiarize myself with the story and characters. I loved them almost as if they were my own.
As a role-playing game (RPG), “Final Fantasy VII” as an entry in the larger “Final Fantasy” series has quite a complex story, which becomes even more complicated when the “Remake” is considered. “Crisis Core” and “Crisis Core Reunion,” which take place about seven years before the events of “FFVII,” tell the story of Zack Fair, Strife’s mentor, who wants to rise through the ranks in Shinra’s elite army until he can be Sephiroth’s equal . While the prequel wasn’t initially necessary to understand the original “FFVII” story, the trajectory of the “Remake” makes it much more important to know Fair’s background.
Although I’ve never played the original “Crisis Core” or “Final Fantasy VII” all the way through, I know their stories and characters well enough to be more than excited to see “Crisis Core Reunion” on Switch. Not to spoil too much of the story, but the plot of “Crisis Core” really puts into perspective how Sephiroth wasn’t always the same evil as the main game made him out to be. I even sympathize with the villain of “Crisis Core” as well, who finds himself in a situation similar to Sephiroth’s. If you look hard enough, the game shows you morals, like how evil people aren’t born that way. If a game with that message isn’t a good game, I don’t know what is.
From what I can see supporter, I expect the graphics to be an improvement from the original game. However, the animations may still be a bit slow due to coming from the PSP. Combat should definitely be faster and easier with a wider variety of buttons to use.
If you want a game to play during the holidays with a satisfying story, well-developed characters, hidden lessons and many other games in the same story line to play afterwards, “Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion” is for you.
