My review of Crisis Core

April 3, 2008, 9:21 PM

Crisis Core begins in the Training room with SOLDIER First Class Angeal and SOLDIER second class, Zack. Zack plays the main character of Crisis Core, and Crisis Core is the prequel to the 1997 hit, Final Fantasy VII. Though Zack's fate is predetermined, a few times when you think you've reached the end of the game, you may be surprised you've got a bit longer to play.

With the creation of Crisis Core and the development team deciding that only one character was going to be playable throughout the entire game, they came to the conclusion that it would be a good idea to break away from the Traditional ATB gauge Final Fantasy has been using for years.

The game features real time action combat, with a different battle system, and the addition of A new way to level up and execute limit breaks called the DMW. (Digital Mind Wave.) The DMW is not completely random, but can be nerve racking at times when you think you're going to have it match up just as you'd like it to.

The battle system is very similar to Square Enix's Kingdom Hearts series' battle system. The only minor differences are that commands are changed with L and R, and that you have three status bars, consisting of HP (Your life energy), MP (necessary for casting magic) and AP(this allows you to use command materia.), and the DMW.

While playing this game that just barely fits in the UMD's filesize by two bytes, you get to listen to quite a few songs, and view quite a few In-game Cinematic Sequnces. But just like most PSP games, the beginning is enjoyable, but the appeal drops somewhere in about the next few hours of gameplay. Though Crisis Core did have a small issue with this, the appeal to the game drops slowly.

Replay value is one of the things that ruins the appeal to the game. If you play the game on hard mode and beat it, that's really it. There's not much left to accomplish. The story is quite short, so it's disappointing that after you beat the game and have a game clear status, and restart the game, all your stats (HP, MP, AP, SP, ATK, VIT, SPR, MAG, Level, etc...) and materia are given back to you.

The soundtrack is mostly composed of Rock-ish genre. So if you loved Advent Children's rendition of One winged angel, your ears will probably orgasm while listening to Crisis Core's OST. While the soundtrack is mostly composed of Rock, there are a few Orchestral pieces, such as another One winged Angel rendition as well as a Rendition of the music that plays while bombing the mako reactor in the original Final Fantasy VII.

Since the story is so short, there are missions to engross the player. So if you're expecting a long story, you'll be disappointed, opposed to whereas if you're playing for the game itself, you'll be much more pleased. Completing missions are how you obtain rare items and get a lot of useful items. There IS the occasional rare item in area maps, but that's a very scarce occasion.

The equipment system consists of six materia slots and four equipment slots. In the beginning, you only have four materia slots and two equipment slots. To gain more slots, you must progress in the story and complete missions.

Crisis Core also introduces Matera Fusion. This feature lets you customize and create new materia, or combine materia with items to make it stronger. Fusion with items can only be completed once you've obtained the Item Fusion Tome, though.

It may seem as a bit of a laughing matter... but while playing the game, Zack recieves emails on his phone from friends.... and mysterious 'ninjas', if you catch my drift. Usually these emails are completely useless, but some of them trigger the activation of access to missions.

While this game has no Inn or area to sleep in which is somewhat disappointing, you will be able to buy items from wherever you are. All you have to do is access the menu, select 'shops' and away you go to burn your money on Potions, remedies, soma, ether, materia, ect... While completing missions, you may recieve address cards to shops as a reward, or find them in treasure chests.

Overall, Crisis Core is a great game for the PSP. Seeing Final Fantasy VII's landscape recreated is breathtaking, and absolutely beautiful. It's just really disappointing that you couldn't explore much more and visit locations from FFVII, as it would have definitely made it worth buying as a PSP game.

Feel free to point out anything I've missed/looks funky.

April 3, 2008, 9:27 PM

For the most part I actually do agree with you. For a PSP game, it's simply amazing. I was however, a bit disappointed when I saw the graphics were about the same between FFVII and C:C.

It did take me a bit to get used to the "360 fighting style" (like in FFXII) but it was easy to adapt to.

I would say the only thing that bothered me about this game was the DMW wheel. There is a wheel in the top left hand corner, like a slow machine, and whenever something matches up, it spins and depending on what you get, you can launch special moves, level, up, summon, ect...

April 5, 2008, 8:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by data

For the most part I actually do agree with you. For a PSP game, it's simply amazing. I was however, a bit disappointed when I saw the graphics were about the same between FFVII and C:C.

It did take me a bit to get used to the "360 fighting style" (like in FFXII) but it was easy to adapt to.

I would say the only thing that bothered me about this game was the DMW wheel. There is a wheel in the top left hand corner, like a slow machine, and whenever something matches up, it spins and depending on what you get, you can launch special moves, level, up, summon, ect...

But the emotional payoff that the DMW offers at the end of the game makes it more than worth it. That sequence was so emotionally staggering.

April 8, 2008, 5:05 PM

dude how do you figure that it had the same graphics as vii? and i say its way better than xii hands down, i love this game so far and i hope they can crank out more games like this

April 10, 2008, 2:34 AM

"While playing this game that just barely fits in the UMD's filesize by two bytes, you get to listen to quite a few songs, and view quite a few In-game Cinematic Sequnces."

And almost each byte is worth it, well, maybe only except parts of the summon sequences, XD...

Overall the game is interesting and long enough if you complete most/all missions, but then the story itself turns too easy, and gets boring, :S

April 17, 2008, 3:18 PM

I can agree with what has been said to a point. I felt CC was a great game with the storyline that I have been dying to see since I first heard of it in the making. My only drawbacks was the main story being short

, The complete RANDOMNESS of the DMW. Though sometimes its works in my favor I have crapped out at the wheel way too much.

In conclusion I hated the part when you had to drag Cloud around at the end. I just knew that "THE END WAS NEAR!!" and I was sad...

But all in all a great game that totally rocked my PSP!!

June 24, 2008, 9:24 AM

The biggest disappointment that I can lay at the game is that it is essentially one big teaser to a Final Fantasy VII remake. From glimpses of recreated locations from the original game (and a lot that you were restricted from), to character appearances, to a much decent materia system inclusion than DoC, to the excellent new character development for all parties involved ... just one big tease. The lack of movement and being able to go around the world hurt, as you wanted to see more, wanted that freedom. The battle system itself is engaging enough, however, they should have had Limit Breaks be personally activated. Further to this, the game should have been much much harder.

The story is excellent, and like I mentioned, the development of the characters (both new and old) was superb, shedding new light on various instances. The ending, and all it's lead up, was amazing to play.

So yeah, on the whole, a great game, but in the end, a finally decent reason for the Final Fantasy VII Compilation, and certainly doing it's job in leaving you wanting the full VII experience...