Zack attack

It is wild that 25 years later we are still discussing and seeing new releases around Final Fantasy VII. How a sequel in a series that has since dropped almost ten other numbered sequels is still seeing “new” releases. That speaks to how impactful this particular entry in the franchise truly was. The latest is Crisis Core Reunion, which was originally put out on Sony’s debut handheld the PSP. This entry was meant as a side story to flesh out the adventures of Zack Fair and was just one of many spin-offs of this monster release. 25 years later we get an update bringing the game to pretty much every current console available and the results are interesting.

Let’s discuss the elephant in the room right upfront. It is weird to see this game on Xbox and Switch. Considering its inspiration remake is nowhere to be found outside of PlayStation and PC. So basically if you want the entire story that has to be experienced on another console. Square-Enix has a weird track record for putting games on various consoles without consistency. Example in point: Octopath Traveller is on Switch and Xbox, while the sequel is coming to Switch and PlayStation. Make it make sense please.

MSRP: $49.99
Platforms: Xbox (reviewed), PlayStation, Switch, PC
Price I’d Pay: $39.99

Crisis Core is the story of Zack Fair and his journey through the SOLDIER program. The game takes place roughly seven years before the events of Final Fantasy VII and chronicles Zack’s strive to become SOLDIER 1st Class alongside the greats like Sephiroth. This game serves as a nice backdrop to Cloud and Sephiroth’s story in FF7.

The biggest change to Crisis Core Reunion are the rebuilt visuals. This game straddles the line more than any in recent memory between remake and remaster. The core game is basically the same skeleton, but the visuals are completely overhauled using Unreal Engine 4. The game looks much better than the original, but not quite on-par with FF7 Remake. The cut scenes are also untouched and instead upscaled from the original PSP CGI. They still look amazing, but not quite as sharp as the core game. The boss battles and summons really benefit from the new visuals though and the game looks fantastic, even on Switch.

While the visuals are the easiest thing to see, the best upgrade comes in the form of the game play. Crisis Core is still an action RPG, but the PSP original suffered due to the hardware it was on. The lack of a second analog stick meant it felt stiff due to having to limit the combat playing field. The original game had players cycling through Zack’s main attacks using the bumper button, with the remake they are now all mapped to the face buttons making it feel more like a modern game. It makes all battles feel much more streamlined. The game also allows players to map everything to the pause system, similar to the ideas from FF7 Remake.

The Digital Mind Wave also returns. For those unfamiliar this is the slot machine mechanic that runs during all battles. Think of it as a sort of constant mini-game that adds buffs to the combat. This slot machine constantly runs at the top of the screen and once it lines up will give Zack benefits such as infinite MP or a boost to attack damage. It is entirely random which means I never knew what was coming. It can be a nice buff during some battles, while other times it feels nonexistent. I think this idea is neat, but could have been expanded upon with items and such to make it feel more in the player’s control. Still it remains mostly unchanged from the original.

All these changes make the combat feel a lot faster and more enjoyable. The original game felt stiff more often than not, but now it feels more like a modern action RPG. Square could have easily just ported the game so this is a nice upgrade. Sadly the structure continues to be an issue. Those hoping for the game to expand and feel more like FF7 Remake are in for a rude awakening.

The game still retains its PSP mission structure. There are story beats and open areas Zack can explore, but the bulk of the game is housed in its missions. These bite-sized activities usually consist of heading to a tiny area and opening a chest or killing a couple enemies, rinse and repeat. It grows stale quickly. The story parts are well done, but the game is padded out with these missions that feel monotonous at best. I get it, this was a portable game, but being a big release now it really shows the cracks in these ideas.

Crisis Core Reunion is a wonderful upgrade to the original game that makes it better in some areas while showcasing some of its shortcomings at the same time. It is also weird to release a piece of this series on consoles that cannot continue the narrative unless they swap to another console. Final Fantasy VII is a classic for a reason and I did love a lot of the games that spawned from it. The story is fantastic and it is nice to see the series return to Xbox and Switch.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.