Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Worthy of the FFVII Name

[TYLERxDURDEN]

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Review
Worthy of the FFVII Name

Title: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Available Platforms: PSP
Genre: RPG
ESRB Rating: T for Teen
Release Date: March 25, 2008
Publisher/Developer: Square Enix

Quick Summary

Pros:

• Great Story that doesn’t disappoint
• Impressive graphics and cutscenes for the PSP
• Excellent Musical Score
• Plethora of side missions

Cons:

• Enemies with cheap instant kill
• Few camera issues

Story:
Rating:9/10

Crisis Core is the prequel to Final Fantasy VII (FFVII) for the PlayStation 1. It tells the story of Zack Fair, Soldier 2nd Class, and his training during the war with foreign nation, Wutai. The story explains the aspirations of Zack, alongside his mentor, Angeal, Soldier 1st Class. The two are sent on a mission to look into the disappearance of another 1st Class Soldier, who is also a good friend of Angeal named, Genesis.

As the story continues, the two begin to uncover many dark truths about Genesis, as well as the other members of Soldier. The storytelling is very well done and deeply connected with Final Fantasy VII. This story adds many details to the overall plot of Final Fantasy VII, doing so without complicating the events of its sequels or predecessors. One awesome addition to the story narrative is the conversations between Zack and other characters by the email option through the menu. This element allows the player to fill in the blanks of the story leading up to Final Fantasy VII. To avoid potential spoilers, I will leave the players (and readers) to discover the rest of the story on their own, though I'm certain that many who already played FFVII know most of the "big" events.

Gameplay:
Rating:8/10

The game is built upon a mission system in which the player can choose to either continue the main story or send Zack on side missions to acquire items, weapons, and materia. Yes, materia is back in Crisis Core (CC) and is implemented in a similar manner as in FFVII. The battle system in CC is unique, since you play as only one character, unlike other Final Fantasy games. Zack is the sole fighter in your party, but you will find that this works well and is very fitting to the game plot and experience.

The battle system introduces what is called the Digital Mind Wave (DMW) and this system, more or less, replaces the Limit Breaks from FFVII. It has 3 slots and spins constantly during battle. It influences your limit breaks, summon usage, and experience gained for Zack and materia. It can be confusing at first, but after about a dozen battles, you begin to understand how it works.

The camera presents one of two problems that I had with the gameplay. The camera tends to get stuck and makes exploring areas frustrating at times. It is, however, only a minor issue. Eventually, the player can work around it without even noticing the problem. The bigger issue I had in the game was during the more difficult side missions. I kept finding myself encountering numerous enemies with one hit kill ability. These battles led to very frustrating side missions and eventually prompt me to just beat the game without completing those side missions.

Graphics:
Rating:9/10

Graphically, Crisis Core pushes the PSP to its limits. The character models are very impressive, especially due to the large number of important characters that are present in the game. There are a large amount of locales from the FFVII universe you will visit and most are striking. The areas in the side missions, however, can get repetitive and bland.

One of the most absolutely breathtaking parts in the game is the CGI cutscenes. They are certainly up to par with Final Fantasy Advent Children and will blow you away. There are two cutscenes in particular that remind you why you love this story so much, as they provide for a moving experience to the emotionally invested gamer.

Sound:
Rating: 9/10

The music in Crisis Core is fantastic, although a large majority of it feels different than what FF fans are used to. This is because it is not composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who is responsible for most familiar FF music. Still, it is great to listen to and definitely gives Crisis Core some of its unique charm and originality.

The voice acting is also very impressive, making the characters very real in the story. Being able to hear all the emotion that had previously been typed into blue boxes (in FFVII) makes the emotional attachments from the player even stronger.

Challenge/Replay Value:
Rating:9/10

The main story for Crisis Core took me a little under forty hours. This pales in comparison to the amount of time that can be spent in completing side missions, acquiring new material and weapons, and leveling up your character and items. Crisis Core is a full package of about 80-100 hours, that I would say leaves the RPG-lovers very pleased. The depth of the game makes for a complete RPG experience.

This is a must-play for all fans of the original Final Fantasy VII. The ending scene is one of the most moving scenes I have watched in my time as a gamer. If you own a PSP and enjoy RPGs, I highly recommend you to get this game now!

Overall Score: 9/10

[barrel]

Great review! Crisis Core was definitely a good game, but I was probably one of the only people who found the story a little disappointing (maybe it's just 'cause of the Angeal/Genesis...-ness that got on my nerves)

Argh, I know that you mean about the annoying enemies with instant-kill (curse you hounds!), but thankfully they hardly appear in story-based missions.

[The Liztress]

This is a great review, TYLERxDURDEN. I have to say that I enjoy playing Crisis Core and it made me like Zack a little more than I do Cloud.

[skygear75]

One of the games on my playlist when I get a PSP . Reading this makes me want to play now.

[HaseoLover]

Originally Posted by skygear75

One of the games on my playlist when I get a PSP . Reading this makes me want to play now.

I completely agree. Even if it didn't get full ratings, you still did a great job in your review and now I'm dying to play it.