Crisis Core –Final Fantasy 7– Reunion Review

ign.com:

Crisis Core –Final Fantasy 7– Reunion is a perfect example of how a game can blur the line between a remaster and a remake, using the skeleton of its already great 2007 PSP original while completely rebuilding the muscle around it. Every change brings it much closer to 2020’s excellent Final Fantasy 7 Remake, from its gorgeously updated graphics to its considerably faster combat. However, Crisis Core stops short of the total upheaval FF7R leaned into, and many design choices made with the original PSP game in mind prevent this remaster from being an entirely unblemished reunion.

Just as before, Crisis Core is an action-focused prequel that follows Zack Fair, a plucky and likable foil to his far more moody companion, the iconic Cloud Strife. Starting roughly seven years before the events of Final Fantasy 7, Zack hopes to climb the ranks of Shinra Electric Company’s SOLDIER program with dreams of becoming a Soldier 1st Class – the best of the best, just like Sephiroth. Even today it’s still a great story that neatly ties Zack, Cloud, and Sephiroth’s threads together, with real-time combat that melds some quirky systems in interesting ways – like the strange DMW (Digital Mind Wave) slot machine that brings a bit of the Gold Saucer to every fight.

"Issues aside, Crisis Core is a great PSP game -- no question. It honors Final Fantasy VII's legacy. Even the game's music, while not composed by Nobuo Uematsu, is charming and fits the overall style of the world (though some of Uematsu's pieces do make a return and to absolutely stunning effect). I was sincerely moved by certain portions of the title and I suspect many others will feel the same. I wouldn't dream of spoiling anything for eager players, but I will say that Crisis