Diving back into Crisis Core after replaying Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth feels like a must. I don’t think Rebirth gives Zack enough screen time, and I get that it’s intentional, but he’s a great character who deserves more. As the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy heads to more consoles, Crisis Core feels as good as ever.
Not a full-on remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion isn’t a simple remaster either. Instead, the lost chapter falls somewhere right in the middle and rightfully so. Sure, the upgraded visuals, voice acting, and quality-of-life changes line up with Remake, but the script and story remain unchanged, making it a bigger-budget remaster.
Return To SOLDIER In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion
Crisis Core stars Zack Fair, a 2nd Class Soldier, new to the Shrina Electric Power Company’s elite fighting force. Zack is a lovable oaf and easily one of the best characters in the entire extended universe. He’s also a tragic character who leaves us far too soon, and losing him becomes far more real to those who experience the events leading up to Final Fantasy 7.
Many of the things we’re introduced to in Final Fantasy 7 are shown in more detail here, including Sephiroth’s heel turn, the razing of Nibelheim, what happened when Soldier came to Mount Nibel, and secrets the lab hid.
These plot threads hold up surprisingly well, and it makes sense Square Enix would want to include them in its current Remake project. Crisis Core is more than a retelling of events from years ago; it is a complete story filled with emotionally impactful performances from almost every character.
Dilly Dally Shilly Shally
Zack has a sword at his disposal, and pressing the attack button triggers a combo. Alongside his melee moves, he can equip various Materia, ranging from familiar magic like Fire and Cure to buffs for the protagonist, such as extra health or attack, to special moves that don’t consume MP but AP, like Assault Twister, which deals physical damage. The interesting part is seeing how you can combine all these skills. Because activating these powers is almost instantaneous, nothing limits you when fighting the enemies in front of you.
However, what really stands out in Crisis Core is the system known as Digital Mind Wave, or DMW. At all times, a pachinko machine with various numbers and images of the story’s important characters is active. During fights, different combinations appear on screen, granting a series of abilities and temporary upgrades.
This means Zack can unexpectedly become immune to damage for a short time or gain unlimited magic. The catch, and the reason many don’t like this concept, is that your level is also tied to luck. Enemies do not provide experience, and your attributes can only improve when the game says so.
The original Switch port was fine, but it offered only 30 frames, and much of the graphics were soft, so much of the experience didn’t feel nearly as sharp as it did on other platforms. It was okay and serviceable. Now, on the Switch 2, Square Enix has not only given us a solid and steady 60 frames, but the resolution is also as impressive as it was on consoles.
I’m all for more publishers adding native Switch 2 ports to their catalogue, but it always disappoints when you learn there isn’t an upgrade path. In the case of Crisis Core, you can’t save transfer or choose an upgrade path if you already own the game on Switch. And while it is playable on the device, it doesn’t achieve the same technical level as the native port. I’d really enjoy to understand why Square can’t figure out a way for existing owners to upgrade.
Verdict
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is like required reading (or in this case, playing) for anyone currently playing through the Remake trilogy. It offers great insight into characters crucial to the story who have impacted several main characters, and it adds a layer to the Final Fantasy 7 mythos that expands several threads.
[The publisher provided a copy of the game for review purposes.]
Reviewed on: Switch 2
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