Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion: The combat system catapults me almost 15 years into the past

I remember that despite many good reviews, I didn’t see the reactions to Crisis Core as positively as I thought the game deserved. For me, the Final Fantasy VII spin-off is one of the best PSP adventures and one of the few games I still play when I pull out Sony’s first handheld.

Because on the one hand, Crisis Core tells the prehistory of the great role-playing game by creating a very emotional connection to Aerith and Cloud via Shinra SOLDIER Zack, and on the other hand I think the combat system is great. Back then, Square Enix successfully transferred the time-based round tactics of the main series to real-time. And both of these will soon be available in refreshed form on all current platforms? ‘Well, bring it on!’ I thought and sat down in front of a demo that Square Enix was presenting as part of an event parallel to the Tokyo Game Show.

Indeed, Crisis Core is a near-identical copy of the original – not in the form of an HD remaster, but as a largely remastered game with a combat system that carries the same values ​​but feels even more fast-paced than it did back then . On PSP, if you have to select the next action, i.e. casting spells and using inventory items as well as executing normal attacks, with the shoulder button before executing the choice made with the next button press, you now hit as normal with a square . The shoulder button calls up all active materia spells.

The fact that you can finally turn the camera freely is beneficial for the overview, whereby you can also fixate on opponents. After all, good tactical positioning, for example behind an opponent, and choosing the right elemental damage are still very important. What is new, however, is that you can stop particularly powerful attacks from bosses if you cause a lot of damage during the marked sweeping movement.

It all felt immediately familiar, but at the same time pleasantly modern, and at the latest when the well-known “Conflict Resolved” rang out at the end of the first fight, I was fully immersed again. I also immediately recognized the slot machine called DMW, which constantly throws (more or less) random bonuses, which include special attacks as well as boosters that allow Zack to use as much magic as he likes for a period of time. It is good for the flow of the game that the action is no longer interrupted when the bonuses are activated.

Now enemies that appear out of nowhere when exploring the very manageable environment are not the great strength of the game. I also think it’s a shame that Square Enix uses the same animations for all film scenes that were used to tell the story on PSP. That doesn’t always seem up-to-date, especially in a Final Fantasy adventure, especially since the technology doesn’t reach the level of the Final Fantasy VII remake.

But I’m all the more excited to see how Crisis Core will be integrated into its second and maybe third part. Because without reason, this “reunion” should hardly exist shortly before the release of the big sequel. But I already know for a fact that the new edition will be a wonderfully fast action role-playing game, just like the original, which, above all, will gain in terms of play thanks to the revision. In the end, I played the demo three times and am now all the more looking forward to walking through Midgard with Zack again.