Combat is very much the meat and drink here, with character interaction and other diversions limited to only a handful of missions. On the downside, the decision to focus on one character and make Crisis Core an action RPG has made this a simpler game than some FF veterans will like. Along the way, it ties up a few loose ends and rounds out a few characters while dishing out the mix of melodrama, sci-fi and sword and sorcery that has been the hallmark of the series between FFVII and FFXII. Around this slightly obscure figure, Crisis Core weaves a narrative that functions as a back story for FFVII as seen from a position inside Shinra, covering the events that will lead towards Sephiroth’s ‘death’ at Nibelheim and Cloud’s inheritance of the legendary Buster sword. Fans may remember him as Cloud Strife’s once best friend (and role model) and Aerith’s first love. This isn’t a traditional, party and turn-based combat RPG, but a more straightforward action RPG centring on a side character of FFVII – Zack. Why not 100 per cent? Well, it’s a case of adjusting your expectations first. Crisis Core won’t be 100 per cent what you’re looking for, but neither will it disappoint. If, however, the chance to visit Midgar and Nibelheim and hang out with Cloud, Aerith, Sephiroth and the Turks is enough to justify the purchase then rest easy. Taken without the nostalgia factor, it’s a decent action-RPG for the PSP with some high production values and some interesting game mechanics, but not an essential purchase by any means. In fact, it’s fair to say that, for some RPG fans of my acquaintance, nothing else has ever quite measured up.Īnd it’s to this group that Square-Enix has addressed Crisis Core. Even now, over ten years after FFVII was first released, many of us still remember the game – its iconic moments and characters – more clearly than we can remember some games we played last month. FFVII changed this overnight, with an incredible combination of gorgeous 3D visuals, cinematic presentation and the deepest, richest story console gamers had ever seen. While the likes of Final Fantasy IV (or Final Fantasy II as it was known over here) and Secret of Mana had achieved cult classic status in the UK and US, the RPG landscape was still dominated by the likes of Ultima, Wizardry, The Elder Scrolls and Lands of Lore at the time Square’s masterpiece arrived. Lest we forget, this is being sold as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VII was the real breakthrough for Japanese RPGs in the West. Nostalgia is a powerful force, and be in no doubt that Crisis Core has been designed from the ground up to harness it.
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January 2023
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