I always felt that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion was one of the more underrated remakes to come out in recent years. The graphics are striking, its gameplay was updated enough to feel in line with Square Enix’s FF7 Remake trilogy, and I get to cry over Zack Fair all over again. What’s not to love?
Over time, a part of me somewhat understood why Reunion didn’t get more love. For all intents and purposes, this was a pretty straightforward remake of the PSP’s Crisis Core, complete with the original script, so it probably just felt like a nice update for hardcore fans. Anyone who has played Reunion also knows the game doesn’t add anything new to the FF7R mythos, which is either disappointing or a blessing, depending on whether you like those games.
So I tried playing the PSP version of Crisis Core again and…I couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, the game is more than playable on an emulator, and it still looks pretty striking for an older title. But Reunion was able to fix some of the original’s flaws and improve on it so much that I can’t go back to the older version.
Embrace Your Dreams
The moment I booted up Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion on my Switch, I knew it was going to be a good time. Seeing these crispy, clean visuals on Nintendo’s hybrid system was amazing, and it shocked me how no one was talking about it. Granted, people were playing the prettier version of this spinoff on PS5 or PC, but the Switch version was no slouch at all, with slick character models and detailed levels.
In hindsight, this was probably because it was a direct remake of the PSP original, so porting that over to Switch isn’t that complicated. Like the original game, this is still a linear experience with very short missions that are carried by a solid real-time combat system. That odd pachinko-like super move system is also there, where slots of characters Zack met throughout his adventure determine what move you can use, and no, it still doesn’t make much sense aside from that brilliant ending.
Luckily, that solid real-time combat system feels good in Reunion because they increased the speed tenfold. Zack feels more like Cloud in FF7 Remake, which is a good thing since that game’s combat was freaking sweet. Those faster sword swings just feel smooth, as does the dodging and button-mappings for Materia spells.
Even the aforementioned pachinko system has seen some improvements here. Now, when the slots land and Zack gets a super move, it gets stored, and the player can release it whenever they want. More impressively, when you do unleash the super move, you can skip the cutscene for quicker fights.
That change in battle pace and urgency makes Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion feel great. Sadly, it feels too good, as I now wish these QOL features were in the original game.
Protect Your Honor
Before I lose my credibility with Final Fantasy fans and talk about how I can’t go back to the PSP original, let’s talk about its strengths.
First of all, I still really like the art style for this game. It comes across as very anime-like and still looks good to this day. If Reunion could let us alter the visual style and keep that faster combat, it would have been an even better remake. Regardless, the PSP original still looks good, and if some players prefer its lack of realism over Reunion, I can’t blame them.
The PSP original also sounds pretty good, and I’d argue Zack’s older voice actor has a cooler voice. Nothing against the current Zack actor, Caleb Pierce, who reads his lines just fine, but the previous actor, Rick Gomez, sounds superior, at least to me. Gomez manages to nail Zack’s voice change when he’s a young rookie and an experienced soldier, while Pierce’s voice mostly sounds the same throughout.
Come and Get It!
Okay, that’s all the praise for the PSP original, because man, this game is SLOW.
Now that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has upped the speed for combat, it’s hard to go back to the slower PSP original. Zack’s sword swings feel too heavy and slow, which makes each hit feel like a drag. Those pachinko super move cutscenes are also unskippable, so I hope you enjoy seeing these moves over and over again.
It feels like this is me betraying the PSP original, because Reunion just makes Crisis Core feel more like Final Fantasy VII Remake. But as someone who really likes Remake, the faster pace of the combat just makes me want to stick with this version. Having the option to skip super move cutscenes is also a luxury I didn’t know I wanted until it was given to me.
Unfortunately, this really is a case where QOL features can overtake identity and soul. While I get why people would prefer how the original game feels, that faster combat feels more in line with the game’s portable nature. In fact, I would argue that the quick sword slashes and option to skip cutscenes strengthen the game’s portable identity and make it better than the PSP original.
Feel free to like both games and even prefer the slower PSP original. But if you’re asking me to replay Crisis Core, I am sticking with the Reunion remake.
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