Customer Reviews

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII with Limited Edition UMD Case

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I was never too fond of RPG's when I was younger, no matter how much I loved video games. Final Fantasy VII changed that, along with how I looked at the genre, as I, like many others, became addicted to the game's emotional storyline and well-rounded characters. Since then, we have seen a number of tie-ins, spin-offs, and even feature films based on the Final Fantasy VII universe, and now, Crisis Core has finally arrived. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a prequel to the game, where you play as Cloud's old friend and partner Zack, and uncover secrets and revelations that are full of surprises, and lead up to the events of Final Fantasy VII. First off, the game is is simply gorgeous to look at. Not just the cut-scenes, which themselves are beautiful and stunning, but even the in-game graphics look great, making this undoubtedly the best looking RPG to hit the PSP, and the game's voice acting is even better. The game's combat system is also worth mentioning because it isn't quite turn based, and isn't quite real time. Instead, it is a fast moving system that is quite fun in itself, even if it may come off as a bit too easy for some. Leveling up and performing Limit Breaks is now determined by the slot machine-esque DMW system, which is a fun little twist as well. There are familiar characters abound as well: Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and of course, Sephiroth. The game's story wonderfully weaves into FFVII mythology, and offers some new perspectives on Zack and Sephiroth, and those respects alone, Crisis Core is worth picking up. All in all, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a stunning achievement that is an absolute essential addition to your PSP library, and needless to say, if you love everything Final Fantasy VII and you own a PSP, you have to pick up Crisis Core.

Disclaimer: If you aren't a fan of Final Fantasy VII, this game probably won't hold a lot of value to you. Sure it is fun but the story is a huge part of it and you'll simply lose something from it. If you haven't played Final Fantasy VII but would like to, I recommend playing the original first, as it will allow you to get the most out of this.

With that out of the way, this game is exceptional. You guide SOLDIER: 2nd Class Zack Fair through the trials of his aspirations to become a 1st Class. All the while learning the history of the Shinra Inc., how Sephiroth became the evil man he is today, and what set the now-legendary Cloud Strife on his fated path.
Gameplay: This is an action RPG in which you control Zack Fair for the entirety of the game. Using the L and R buttons, you switch between Attack and Item commands, as well as equipped materia. (Materia being the glass-like spheres from FF7 which allow you to cast magic.) The battles take place in real time. You are restricted to an 'arena' size, but the combat works a lot like Kingdom Hearts, complete with Block and Dodge Roll.
Of course the component that gets the most attention is the Digital Mind Wave (DMW) which is a slot-machine-like display in the upper right corner. It continually spins as you fight and the results give you stat bonuses. The pictures are comprised of people important to Zack and three of the same person will net you a Limit Break, usually relating to that character. There are also numbers. Three 7s will level Zack up, two of any number will level up the materia in the corresponding slot, and so on.
Sometimes it can get repetitive, but it can be pretty deep if you make it with accessories and fusing materia and the like. It is rewarding, all in all.

Graphics: Breathtaking. Throughout the entire game you will find yourself astounded that a handheld device could produce such graphics. In-game graphics are easily on par with early to mid-life PS2 games and Square's famous FMVs are nearly on par with Advent Children and those in Dirge of Cerberus.

Sounds: The effects are all satisfying. There is a great soundtrack, the original tracks are great. But the most dramatic are the nostalgic remixes of classic Final Fantasy VII tracks. Nibelheim's theme, the battle and boss themes, Aerith's theme, and the ubiquitous One-Winged Angel are all here in champion form. On the whole, the english voice actors do a fine job portraying the characters. Some lines are delivered awkwardly (particularly Angeal). But standouts such as Genesis, Sephiroth and Zack give outstanding performances. As do the rest of the Advent Children cast that reprise their roles.

Story: And this is what it's all about. The fact that the gameplay is fun is a mere bonus to this incredible story. Not only do you still care about the characters from FF7, but you come to know new ones. And, in the case of Sephiroth, get a glimpse at him back when he was a hero and not a villain. Anyone who played Final Fantasy VII knows how the game will end, and that sense of looming makes you wish for the game to wear on for the sole reason that you don't want to see Zack meet with his fate. I can count on one hand the video games that have brought me close to - or made me cry - and this one is definitely on the list. A beautifully bittersweet ending brings this game to a close that you will not soon forget.

What is there to say about Crisis Core:FF7? Well the major point is ANY, and I mean ANY fan of the original Square masterpiece NEEDS to buy this game. There now for the many other gamers

The story is fleshed out enough for any non player of FF7 will understand, the combat and magic system are easy to use and master. Some may call the combat too easy, but lets remember this is a game for a portable system. Who wants to play a couple of missions while waiting only to die multiple times.

The DMW is probably the most...well weird part of the game, it does not allow the player to control summons, limit breaks (the character super moves), or allow the player to level up. This may seem like a big minus but after about an hour of play it doesnt bother you anymore.

So to sum it up:

+
Great story with fun characters that FF7 players will love
Easy Combat System
Side Quests are perfect for players on the Go
Great Soundtrack (You will need headphones to completely enjoy this)
DMW after a couple of hours
MUST OWN FOR FF7 FANS!!

-
Loading times
Some voice acting is uninspired...im looking at you Genesis
Non FF7 players may not get the complete experience
Combat System may be too easy for hardcore RPG fans
DMW...for the first couple of hours

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a prequel to that 1997 PlayStation masterpiece. In it, the player controls Zack Fair, SOLDIER 2nd Class, as he tries to solve the mystery behind Project G.

Like most RPGs, the most important thing is the plot. It is interesting, then, that Crisis Core's story is at once both flawed, yet somehow satisfying.

The bulk of the plot has little to do with Final Fantasy VII. There are cameos (Yuffie makes an early appearance), and Zack does play a minor part in some events alluded to in the original game, but its strongest ties to Final Fantasy VII are shown in the late chapters during the infamous Nibelheim incident. The rest seems rather like an effort by the developers to delay getting to that pivotal point for as long as possible.

Thankfully, the story is saved by strong characterization and decent voice acting. Zack is a pretty likeable fellow, despite falling prey to some standard anime hero cliches. At the very least, he's a refreshing change of pace from the antiheros polluting the digital landscape today. Angeal and Genesis are two new characters. Unfortunately, both are a bit bland. Angeal is the stodgy, family-honor-above-all type, whereas Genesis is primarily a pretentious villain. All hype, but very little substance. Aerith is mostly like her Final Fantasy VII counterpart - kind, sweet, a bit ditzy. Sephiroth fills the brooding quota nicely, and actually has a much appreciated hint of dark humor.

The gameplay is most likely the attribute that will determine review scores. Materia makes a comeback, but opperates somewhat differently than it did in the original game. Materia are magic orbs that grant Zack both abilities (magical or otherwise) as well as stat boosts. He can equip six at a time. The most notable aspect of materia, however, is the ability to fuse two materia (and later, one item) into a new materia. This gives the player the ability to customize Zack's stats as well as grant him powerful new abilities. Zack can also equip up to four items which also impact his stats.

Combat is fun and simple, but has a twist. Everything is done in real time. You'll control Zack around the battlefield, automatically targetting the nearest target. The most notable feature of combat is the Digital Mind Wave, or DMW.

The DMW is a slot machine in the upper left of the screen that is always cycling through images and numbers. If two numbers are 7, you'll get a status boost for a short duration. If the first and last image are identical, combat will stop, and the slots will cover the entire screen. It is here where several things can happen: Zack's materia will gain a level, Zack himself will gain a level, or a limit break will be triggered, resulting in a special attack or summoned monster spell. The 'problem' with the DMW is that it's seemingly random (although one's EXP does seem to be counted in the background, so Zack will gain levels at a normal rate) and there's no way for the user to control the slots. There's a large amount of luck involved getting a useful limit break (or any limit break at all). I personally don't mind the DMW, but your mileage may vary.

Graphically, the game is a powerhouse. It looks very impressive, and makes the world of Final Fantasy VII seem very much alive. Action is fluid, and even the non-pre-rendered cutscenes are impressive. It's one of the best looking games of the year, regardless of platform.

Musically, Crisis Core is very strong. Between its original tracks and the reimagined originals, the game leaves little to be desired on that front. I actually got chills watching the title screen's movie, and much of that stems from the music. Simply great.

In closing, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is a great game. Square-Enix crammed a whole lot of game in a tiny package, but it doesn't suffer for it. Instead, it's one of the best experiences of the year, a must for Final Fantasy VII fans, and a worthy addition to any gamer's library.

i bought the game a few weeks after it came out i made my way through it as fast as i could and i have to say the first half of the game is rather interesting but after that the game goes through some high and low points of game play. With anything that was or is rpg based you tend to do ALOT of grinding in this game. I found myself doing missions with different titles but similar or duplicate experiences more than a couple of times. The visuals and cut scenes are the best part of the game and give you the feeling that your playing something that really wasn't meant for the limited hardware of the psp. Overall id say get it the classic version is 9.99 or less you won't be disappointed with this one at that price.

Overall, the game is a great addition to the Final Fantasy line. I've read a few reviews that criticize this as a very short game - about ten hours. This is only true if you don't do all of the Missions. There are 300 Missions, which are almost all optional. The Missions give experience and unique items that are not available elsewhere. I did all of the Missions as soon as they became available, and spent about 110 hours on this game before beating the final Boss.

My criticisms are few, but I feel they are significant. First, you really have no control over the Limit Breaks and their special Summons. Neither do you have much control over leveling up. Experience and the bizarre leveling up system are integral to Limit Breaks. Once I raised the character to the maximum level 99, I had fewer Limit Breaks, which made some of the side missions more difficult (such as obtaining the Genji Shield, which requires a Limit Break of a specific kind at a specific time). The system for initiating the Limit Breaks, a kind of automatic lottery called the DMW, is also not under your control. This DMW interfered more with my fights than anything else, and at times the interruption was beyond annoying.

There are many cut scenes, and you cannot skip them. At the end of the game, the cut scenes take forever before the credits roll, and the credits are also very long. Between watching the movie/cut scenes at the end of my first game and starting a new game, I wasted about 45 minutes. You must wait through these if you wish to start a "New Game +", with your character level and equipment preserved. The New Game+, however, is too easy, and you can't level up beyond the level 99, so there is little point in playing through a second time for someone like me (who got all of the rare items the first time I played).

If not for these flaws, I would have given this game 5 stars. The interface is simple, the game sufficiently complex, and the graphics are the best I've ever seen in a handheld gaming system. Of course, you can't actually "win" at the end of the game, as this game is a prequel to the Final Fantasy VII game for the Playstation. I hope they either reissue FF7 or remake it for the PSP. I never played FF7 when it was easily available, and this game makes me want to follow through with FF7.

Crisis Core is the most fun I've had with a game in years. Sure there are some flaws in the gameplay, but the story, characters, side quests (missions + materia fusing), and the music (my favorite OST in years!) absolutely rock me. The ending is just immensely well done and makes up for any gripes I had with the Digital Mind Wave (DMW). It's just such a beautifully tragic finale.

Unlike most PSP RPGs, this game can be played in quick bursts, making it ideal for a portable system. The game has a group of bonus missions that can be played any time you're at a save point. Most of them take five to ten minutes, with the later ones requiring more time. It actually takes more time to complete all the bonus missions than it does to beat the story mode. Of course the missions aren't as exquisite an experience as the story mode.

I guess that's what's so unique about the game -- it's an emotionally moving tragedy. From Zack to Genesis to Angeal to Sephiroth, things just end on such a sad note. It was nice seeing how awesome Sephiroth was before he lost it. It just makes his character in FFVII all the more pitiful. And poor Aerith...she just can't get more than two days of happiness at a time.

I've beaten the game twice -- once to experience the story and a second time to complete all the missions and bonus quests. I'm actually halfway through a third run since the game is fantastic for quick bursts of play. I don't see the game coming out of my PSP for a long, long time.

Story (8/10): Great story as it relates to Zack but contains gaps in the plot for the other characters, leaving the overall experience not quite connected.

Graphics (10/10): One of the best for the PSP.

Sound (10/10): Usually I zone out the sound on most games but not this one. Voice acting and music were great. Music contains hints of the original FFVII along with its own.

Control (4/10): Poor use of buttons. There is one attack, one dodge, and one block button. The block button is basically useless. I used it for 2 battles against Summons and that is it, I used the dodge for the remaining 98% of the game. Both Magic and physical attacks are mapped to the X button and you use the L&R shoulder buttons to switch through them which can be kind of a pain. With 4 buttons, they should have used one for dodge, 2 for attacks (think GOW's small and heavy attacks), and one for magic. The only positive is that the controls are responsive.

Gameplay (4/10): This is were the game really fails. Crisis Core is a low level Hack n' Slash game especially considering the one button attack command. All battles are basically the same no matter the monster and the "side quests" are dull and really don't give you anything of value.

Overall (7/10): While the production values are great, the gameplay is really lacking. The story will carry you though the game at most once. The only reason for replay would be to collect all the items.

if you are a fan of FFVII from Play Station - this game is great! it explains a lot of the story from ff7 and from the movie advent children. the game play is really fun and it is not too short which was a concern when i first got this game - plus the graphics for the PSP is awesome. looks as good as advent children. once again, great buy for ff7 lovers

This game was made for those who already know what Final Fantasy is all about. I would not suggest playing this game unless you've played any Final Fantasy game before or at least Kingdom Hearts. The gameplay is easy to learn and you can customize your character to fit the needs of battle. However this is a warning for those who like to choose hard mode to show off...this game's hard mode is no joke. If you HAVE to try hard mode don't save at least. Even if you don't choose hard mode, the extra missions are still just as hard. This game is great overall but the difficulty of some of the extra missions is over the top, which isn't always a good thing in my opinion.