Review: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII carved its name in the gaming world and with the anniversary of the original release of the game Square had prepared to release a series of sequels and add-ons to what they consider to be their biggest hit in the Final Fantasy series. As part of this compilation Crisis Core was released for the PSP handheld system. It was a prequal to the original Final Fantasy VII titles which finally gave all the details on the events leading up to the original title. I'm sure that you remember that a large majority of these events were reviled in the game however this time it takes a new point of view. This time around the story is through the eyes of a member of S.O.L.D.I.E.R named Zack Fair. The story actually starts quite a bit of time before the familiar Cloud even comes into the picture.

Many of the concepts from the previous Final Fantasy VII titles return with a bit more of a twist to them. Materia return as well with more or less the same use as the original game except for a few minor changes being the fact that you no longer attach them to your equipment however a set of ability slots are present. At first you start off with only three slots for equipping abilities however you will eventually rack up some additional slots. Equipment and accessories are added close to the same way and of course once again you start with a limited amount of slots but you will aquire more as you work your way through the game.

With the basic materia abilities like fire, blizzard, and thunder which should be familiar to all avid Final Fantasy players however there is also a method of combining materia to form stronger materia. You won't exactly start with this however as you move through the storyline you will eventually acquire it and you'll be sure to be making good use of it as the game gets increasingly more difficult.

Not only do many concepts from previous games return but characters as well. From main characters like Cloud, Tifa, and of course everyones favorite psychopath, Sephiroth who has yet to become the monster who will one day try to destroy the entire planet. One of the most epic scenes in the original Final Fantasy VII was of course the death of the character Aerith who died early on in the game leaving little known about her however she returns in Crisis Core giving a little more back story into the story of the character Aerith and her connection to the main character of Crisis Core, Zack.

The concepts and abilities in the game may be very similar to previous installments in the Final Fantasy series however the combat system is something completely knew to the series. If I had to describe it I would have to say it was more of a combination between the combat system of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy XII. Random battles while exploring an adventure field are still present however but they are much more smooth with no screen transition in between like in many Final Fantasy titles before. The main attack basis is controlled by a series of actions all controlled by the X button however you will be scrolling through the separate actions using the L and R shoulder buttons. The actions are made of the basic attack icon followed by all the materia abilities you may have attached at the time and then the item menu item. When you select an attack command it will automatically lock on to the nearest enemy in the direction you currently have Zack facing. For the basic attack action it will automatically move Zack in towards that opponent however that isn't the case for all materia abilities so you should try to be as close as possible when using them until you learn the appropriate distance you need to be. The defensive moves are handled by the square and triangle buttons. There are two defensive moves, your standard block as well as a dodge roll. Keep in mind however that you can't use these defensive moves endlessly as the AP bar slowly drops after each use.

The newest of the mechanics in Crisis Core is the limit system used in battle. Limits aren't exactly something new to the Final Fantasy franchise however this time they've given a whole new twist to it. Using what is called the DMW which is basically a slot machine like mechanic made up of a series of numbers as well as mugshots of characters who appear throughout the game. By matching up certain series of numbers will level up Zack as well as the materia attached to him. By matching up the mugshots will unleash a limit ability with some connection to that character. Until you meet that character there will be a darkened silhouette image which will have a basic limit ability attached until you actually meet up with that character during the storyline of the game. There are also summon characters who will appear on the DMW from time to time after you manage to unlock the summon. The DMW will be rolling through the entire battle and once two of the images are matched up it will activate and you'll have a chance of either leveling up, using a limit, or even nothing at all may happen. After certain conditions are met the chances of matching the images up will increase. Using the DMW will become critical in tough battles and tight situations.

The music of the game is very similar to previous Final Fantasy titles and even has a few returning songs giving the series a very similar feel to the rest of the series. The voice acting in the game is the same as in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus making it just as superb as before. The graphics are in fact some of the best on the PSP system possibly even the best that we've seen on the handheld Sony system thus far.

Overall as a prequel to what is considered to be on of the best Final Fantasy games Crisis Core gets the job done quite well. The familiar characters as well as familiar music gives the game a trust authentic Final Fantasy feel even if the combat system is completely new to the series. Crisis Core is a must for any Final Fantasy fans or for those wanting more Final Fantasy VII.