Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Gets a Release Date Plus New Gameplay Footage in Launch Trailer
Sep. 16, 2022Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Gets a Release Date Plus New Gameplay Footage in Launch Trailer
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion finally has a release date. This was announced on September 13 along with a new trailer.
Announced back in June of this year wasCrisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. This was a reimagining of the original Crisis Core which came out in 2008 on the PlayStation Portable. Coming in December is the Reunion edition, which is a complete remaster of the game. Similar to how Final Fantasy VII Remake did it, Crisis Core Reunion will have updated graphics, gameplay, and tweaks to the beloved entry.
This should be a perfect opportunity for Final Fantasy fans who weren’t lucky enough to own a PSP back then.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion’s story hasn’t changed much, if at all. It will still follow Zack Fair, Sephiroth, Shinra, and Cloud. Early footage also gives us a look at an extremely young Yuffie as well as Aerith. It will still start 7 years prior to the original FFVII’s story.
One of the biggest standouts in this remaster is definitely the visuals. Everything looks quite high-def now, as characters and environments are vibrantly brought to new life. Characters in particular have had their 3D models completely redone, bringing them even more visual clarity than ever before.
Many backgrounds, environments, and cutscenes also look on par with some of the visuals that FFVII Remake brought to the table. To help with the emotion of the game is the full voice acting which is new to the game. Dialogue has been confirmed to be available in both English and Japanese. The game’s original composer Takeharu Ishimoto has also returned to create a remastered soundtrack
Aside from the visuals, combat will be getting major overhauls to bring it more in line with modern games. The gameplay will still feel familiar, yet refreshing with the changes Square Enix will introduce to Crisis Core Reunion.
For starters, combat will still be in full real-time. There will be no breaks in the action like in Final Fantasy VII Remake, where players had to dive through menus to perform special attacks. Crisis Core Reunion’s abilities can be performed by pressing different button combinations, just like the original.
This time around, the camera will follow Zack as it does inFFVII Remake. It will no longer be angled in odd ways, giving players a hard time scoping out the entire battlefield. Perhaps this change alone would be the biggest, as it will give players an entirely new look at the game as well.
According to game producer Mariko Sato, the game will also target60 FPS on the Xbox and PlayStation consoles. It will run at a maximum of 120 FPS on the PC. No targets have been announced for the Nintendo Switch, however. This is extremely good news in making combat feel more modern, as the original’s framerate was not too impressive at the time.
Next up is confirmation that the Digital Mind Wave is back. And it is back with a vengeance from the original Final Fantasy: Crisis Core. The Digital Mind Wave mechanic acts as the game’s limit break, though contains some random elements. This actually portrays Zack’s mind, though not directly mentioned. Similar to a slot machine, the DMV has three constantly rolling portraits and an associated number.
Depending on the portrait or number the DMW lands on, different effects can happen. For example, there are instances where certain combinations let you cast magic for free. The DMW can even determine what special attacks you can do, or even when you can level up.
Lastly, the DMW is a unique system that will encourage players to fully use Zack’s repertoire. Because of the randomness, bonuses you gain can differ wildly, enabling the use of entirely different playstyles.
One new feature of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is that certain boss attacks can be interrupted. The strongest boss abilities are cast and this is represented by the presence of an Ability Gauge.
Dealing damage to the boss will decrease the Ability Gauge, which directly decreases the effectiveness of the attack. If Zack can fully deplete the gauge, then the attack is canceled altogether. It is then useful to save up your hardest-hitting abilities for these rare windows of opportunity.
Outside of this, combat is mostly about dealing as much damage as possible while also dodging and blocking enemy hits. And just like the original PSP Classic, you also only control Zack, and not an entire party of 3 or 4 like in most Final Fantasy games.
To be clear, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a remaster, not a complete remake of the PSP original. As such, not every aspect seems to have been touched. The game still contains some of the animations of the original, for better or for worse.
Fans can preorder the game already digitally for $49.99 and receive the SOLDIER Materia Set. This will let players access Dark Fire, Dark Thunder, and Dark Blizzard Materia earlier than usual. These Materia will deal elemental damage as well as the Poison and Silence status effects. Handy.
Otherwise, the Digital Deluxe edition retails at $69.99. For the price, players will also receive a Mini Soundtrack and Art Book that depicts the many heroes of the Final Fantasy VII mythos.
For more news, check outMonster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Free Title Update 2 Releases September 29th, andStar Ocean: The Divine Force Gets Demo September 20th.
Auberon
Writer at Fextralife. I really like vanilla ice cream.
