As a big Final Fantasy VII fan, I’m not afraid to admit one thing: I didn’t play Crisis Core until Reunion came out in 2022. It’s not because I didn’t own a PSP; in fact, I still have some infamous Universal Media Discs (UMDs) lying around my room. I cannot even begin to explain the revelation that was being able to watch Spider-Man 2 on the go in such quality. But I digress.
The reason I didn’t play it back then was simply that I didn’t make time for it. The idea of a prequel spin-off wasn't all that exciting to me, especially after projects like Dirge of Cerberus or Advent Children turned out to be rather lukewarm.
Curiosity, naturally, got the best of me, and I eventually watched a compilation of cutscenes, familiarizing myself with the best part of Crisis Core: its heartfelt story and the lovable exploration of Zack Fair’s character, which retroactively made the original FFVII that much better.
When Reunion came out, fans speculated that Square Enix wanted those unfamiliar with Zack to prepare for things to come in Rebirth and the upcoming third part, now known as FFVII Revelation. Regardless of what you think of the remake project, Crisis Core Reunion is a very special game—one that feels right at home on the Nintendo Switch 2.
Let’s get some housekeeping out of the way: this edition of Crisis Core Reunion is an absolutely gorgeous update compared to the original Switch version. It targets a crisp 1440p resolution and hits a rock-solid 60 FPS even in handheld mode. There’s also a Graphics mode if you want to boost the visuals a tad more at the cost of the game dropping to 30 FPS.
However, there is a big caveat here—and sadly, it's becoming a frustrating trend with Square Enix re-releases: there’s no upgrade path. Even if you already own the Nintendo Switch version of the game, you’ll have to buy a separate Switch 2 copy, with zero chance of carrying your progress over to the newer, shinier edition. It sucks, it’s an anti-consumer practice that needs to end, and it instantly makes me hesitant to recommend a double-dip unless you’re a die-hard Crisis Core fanatic or playing the game for the very first time.
With that out of the way... what is there left to say about a game that’s been around for nearly two decades, with a remaster that's also been out in the wild for close to half a decade? Simply put: it’s great.
I always find it extremely difficult to discuss older games getting ported to new systems, as the discourse is already so saturated that adding my own voice to the choir can feel rather futile.
Still, if you’ve somehow managed to stay completely blind and are curious about what Crisis Core Reunion offers ahead of Revelation, it remains a uniquely vital piece of the Final Fantasy VII compilation.
You play as Zack Fair, an upbeat SOLDIER operative who finds himself immersed in a convoluted plot that sees you face off against the infamous Genesis Rhapsodos and his former mentor Angeal (the original owner of the iconic Buster Sword), while teaming up with a much more amicable Sephiroth.
The story delves deep into Shinra’s dark corporate secrets, making Crisis Core Reunion an incredible companion piece that adds heavy contextual weight to the events of the original game, adding stronger emotional gravitas to already memorable moments. It’s genuinely one of the few FFVII compilation projects that actually enhances the overarching narrative.
That’s just scratching the surface of the plot, but I won’t spoil things if you’re coming in completely clean. Yes, I know it’s an old game and Zack’s fate is well-documented history at this point, but plenty of people are still experiencing the Remake trilogy spoiler-free. The game features pivotal revelations for characters like Cloud and Sephiroth, providing essential context to the mysteries driving the original story forward. You’ll also cross paths with other fan-favorite faces, alongside a few lighter cameos that lean more toward classic fan service.
Beyond the improved visuals, the biggest and most important changes in Reunion are mechanical. Combat is much snappier and more responsive, taking heavy cues from the Remake series. Using materia is smoother, moving around during combat feels fluid, and later on, Zack even gets his own version of Cloud’s Punisher mode, named Battle Stance.
By far the most notable overhaul was made to the Digital Mind Wave (DMW). The DMW acts as Zack's version of a Limit Break, except you as the player don't have direct control over it; it operates like a constant slot machine in the background, granting random buffs depending on your RNG during an encounter.
Narratively, it’s a bizarre way of representing Zack’s internal state and emotional bonds, meaning meeting or deepening relationships with specific characters directly alters the type of buffs the DMW dishes out. In Reunion, the entire system is smoothed out so it never awkwardly interrupts the action, reserving those flashy cutscene triggers strictly for major story beats.
As I said, Crisis Core Reunion on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a fantastic release of a solid game. It’s one of those rare instances where it easily becomes the definitive way to play a classic—especially since tracking down a working PSP in this economy is getting harder by the day.
The only glaring downside is, once again, Square Enix's refusal to offer an upgrade path for fans who bought the inferior original Switch version. It’s an anti-consumer hurdle they really need to address.
Code provided by Square Enix for the review.
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