CRISIS CORE REUNION
Makes an old story feel brand-new.
$74.95 | PC | bit.ly/3v6we1o
In lesser hands the nostalgia unleashed by Crisis Core would be nothing more than another case of Remembering Things: The Game. But Crisis Core doesn’t wallow in the past. The story of Zack Fair and Crisis Core’s many other new characters bring with them fresh perspectives, sometimes clarifying old and muddily written plot threads, sometimes adding further intrigue to events that seemed clear-cut and fully explained the first time around.
Crisis Core’s origins as a PSP game bring with them an unexpected benefit – brevity. The original didn’t have the disc space or battery power to waste time doing anything other than get straight to the point, and thanks to this the main story in Reunion keeps moving forwards at a brisk pace with plenty of save points along the way, and a good chunk of the optional content is contained within its own easily accessed menu.
The 3D landscapes cover steampunk slums filled with detailed junk and verdant villages, but only the look and layouts are from the original. Everything else is either brand new or pilfered, perhaps with some minor alterations, from the existing models found within Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Crisis Core’s old combat system has been almost entirely rebuilt, and definitely for the better. Revamped core commands and an intelligent lock-on system give Zack the fluidity of an action hero, while a range of subtle details add layers of strategic nuance. Many RPG battle systems rely entirely on the power of maths to determine whether an attack hits or misses its target, whereas Crisis Core focuses on positioning in the moment instead: blows only causing damage when sword arm or spell meets creepy Shinra-funded abomination.
Crisis Core Reunion is a concise and engrossing action RPG with no patience for filler. Zack’s positivity in a world designed to crush him still managed to tug at my heartstrings, even though I knew exactly how his story was going to play out before I’d even installed the game.
"Crisis Core’s old combat system has been almost entirely rebuilt, and definitely for the better."
An excellent remake, prequel, and game in its own right – Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has it all.
Kerry Brunskill
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★★★★☆