Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Reunion

An excellent master of a flawed old handheld game, with somewhat fewer warts.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion is an impressive remaster that makes the game far more fluid than the original but it is limited by its PSP origins.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion walks a tightrope between a remake and remaster. Most elements of the PSP version remain unchanged, including the story, DMV system and mission progression. The voice acting was done with a new cast, many visuals have been completely rebuilt and the combat mechanics have been redone where it plays like a modern action RPG, which may be the single biggest improvement over the PSP original. The story remains the same so Zack's tale is still the emotional gut punch it was fifteen years ago. This remaster improves on what needed to be updated such as graphics...

Yes, the mini-games are awful but they don't last very long, and yes, Genesis still sucks, but at least the rest of the cast manages to carry the game. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion isn't perfect, but it's got a lot of heart. And sometimes, that's enough.

As HD remasters go, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion goes above and beyond what’s expected in many regards. Its visuals have been lovingly brought up to date, and the combat has been tweaked to make it much more palatable to modern audiences. But some aspects of it, like its suffocating linearity, haven’t aged well at all. And then there’s Zack’s terrible voice acting. Still, if you’ve never played this chapter of the Final Fantasy VII story, or wish to re-live it, this is the best way to do so.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a PSP exclusive spinoff from 2007 that's often remembered fondly through the tinted goggles of nostalgia. In truth, the original Crisis Core was a messy game when it first released, and it's only gotten worse with age. Much like Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, the animated film that flanked it, Crisis Core was packed with cool ideas that appealed to fans of the original Final Fantasy VII — but its execution of these ideas was often misjudged.

Any fan who adores the FFVII universe will easily find themselves invested in Zack’s poetic yet gut-wrenching journey with Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a beautiful remake of a good-but-not-great game. Its structure is more well-suited for the platform it originated on, and several of the one-shot gameplay concepts it introduces don’t really land as well as they probably did in 2007. Still, it’s got charm, and I love the unpredictable nature of the DMW and how it impacts the solid combat mechanics. I don’t think Zack’s adventure will resonate with me for as long as Cloud’s did, but I am happy to have been given a chance to get to know him better before he pops up in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

“Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion looks like a modern game, but its aged PSP gameplay doesn't match the HD overhaul.”

A sensitive remaster of the PSP prequel that's recontextualised in the wake of Remake.

A straightforward remaster of the 2007 PSP original, Crisis Core is a perfectly fine action game that's received a handsome glow-up for 2022, but its story adds little to the wider FF7 plotline.

Ultimately, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion doesn’t do anything too crazy beyond massively upgrading the visuals and expanding the audio. And frankly, that’s good enough. The original PSP game was excellent with its strong central character and carefully crafted combat, and the addition of a right thumbstick on modern controllers to control the camera is a huge upgrade all by itself. By just taking this foundation and freshening up the graphics and sound, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is both one of the most successful video game prequels and one of the best action RPGs in gene...