Core-ker (Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP))

Member Name: tom1clare

Product:	Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core (PSP)
Date:	09/10/09 (42 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Looks incredible, good storyline, intelligent combat and mission setup

Disadvantages: Not overly long, it's nowhere near the game FFVII was/is

Square-Enix have spent the best part of the last decade gallantly ignoring cries for a remake of Final Fantasy VII, by busying themselves in virtually everything but. Recent years have seen a number of titles expanding the classic RPG's canon, including the poorly-received PS2 spin-off Dirge Of Cerberus; the instantly-forgotten mobile phone venture Before Crisis and the spectacular-looking though lightweight CGI film Advent Children.

Thus when the latest addition to the FFVII universe was announced, a prequel this time for the PSP, fans must have feared an impending déjà vu. And yet in many respects, Crisis Core turns out to be an ideal tribute to the role-playing colossus; playing to the strengths of the handheld format whilst simultaneously recognising and neatly working around its shortcomings.

The storyline is particularly well-handled, as there was every possibility of it seeming overblown or, given that you play as a soldier working within a relatively linear mission structure, feeling somewhat irrelevant in the scheme of things. You assume the role of Zack Fair; a would-be hero working his way up the ranks of SOLDIER, a special-forces group within the troubled ShinRa Corporation. Fans may remember him being mentioned in FFVII, as Cloud has troubled flashbacks as to some of their encounters and friendship, which are explained more fully here. Zack works under the supervision of SOLDIER legends Angeal and Sephiroth, and the journey begins in earnest when their partner Genesis goes AWOL, with rumours of him assembling an army of clone monsters.

Despite acting as a direct precursor to the events seen in Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core doesn't trample what has gone before, or feel like it's jumping through hoops to maintain continuity. Indeed, barring a scene when Zack encounters Aeris in a church, running oddly parallel to her meeting with Cloud in FFVII, it all fits really well. It expands a small section of the back-story with real aplomb, lending genuine depth to some previously fringe figures. Previous fans will of course get the most out of the story, which reintroduces the likes of Tseng (of the Turks); Cloud and most prominently Sephiroth, back into the fold. With the exception of Tifa who is largely wasted, nearly all of these personas have been positively expanded, appearing more complex and impressively human, with the boundary between heroes and villains often proving difficult to gauge. Given the bleak fate that awaits much of the cast in FFVII, Crisis Core's narrative can be poignant and at times, really quite sad.

Anyone expecting an RPG as involving, immersive and downright enormous as Final Fantasy VII are likely to be disappointed. There are few villages to explore in the traditional sense, many elements of the gameplay have been simplified and all told the adventure will last you a rather lean thirty hours, and it's a breeze to finish. That said, there's lots to recommend it by - aside from the story, the music and presentation are suitably spectacular and there's a host of nice touches that make it feel at home on a handheld format.

The combat system makes for the most visible change. Battles remain random in their occurrence, though this time around fighting is done in real-time, and you play only as Zack with no assistance from additional party members. The beloved Materia makes a triumphant return and as before there's all manner of attacking spells, curative magics, stat boosters and additional abilities to play around with. Using the shoulder buttons, you can quickly shift between up to half a dozen allotted Materia, and as the enemies' strengths and weaknesses vary quite a bit, it pays to have several options available. Things are lent a little more spice by Zack's block and dodge abilities, the latter in particular proving useful in allowing him to evade both physical attacks and certain spells. Thus the collective sum of these nice, simplistic touches makes for a good, and refreshingly different, fighting experience.

There are a couple of other noteworthy features - firstly, the Materia Fusion, which allows the combining of two Materia to form a new and potentially unique one, which can be further enhanced with items that bolster various attributes. Secondly, the experience system is unusual, not least as Level-ups occurs mid-battle. A three-row reel continually rotates in the top corner of the screen - when three 7's line-up, Zack increases a level; if three images of the same character match, you'll get a specific Limit Break move (a special attack or healing), whilst other matching numbers will enhance Zack's Materia depending on its allocation within your inventory.

Probably Crisis Core's single best feature is one that you may be inclined to dismiss at first glance. There are around 300 mini-missions to tackle, each ideally suited to the portable environment as they generally last between two and five minutes each, and are accessible from any save point. The structure never really deviates from the 'fighting your way to a boss' mentality and the small number of caves, fields and military-base landscapes get recycled to a near-merciless degree, but the missions serve an excellent purpose. Whether you play them to rescue Zack's holiday plans at the Costa Del Sol; find out what master-thief Yuffie is up to; fight genetically enhanced monsters for mad scientist Hojo; or simply to gather new items and equipment, the most important thing the missions achieve is that they largely remove any conscious level-grinding element from the main game. You can move forward with the story, busy yourself with a few missions every now and then to become stronger, and continue the process - you'll never have to stop or backtrack for hours of monster bashing here.

Crisis Core is blessed with some of the most outstanding presentation ever to grace the PSP. The opening FMV that sees Zack racing across a train top sets the tone for what is a visually dynamic adventure with near-blockbuster production values. The superb video sequences are remarkably stylish and plentiful as well, culminating in a finale so powerful it's breathtaking, one of finest sequences in the series distinguished history. The whole package looks tremendous, from the bright and slick menus to the battle animations, environments, and pretty much everything in-between.

Some of FFVII's classic anthems have inevitably been dusted off and jazzed up (mostly to good effect), but there's also a clutch of new songs that fit the bill, adding gravitas and atmosphere to many of the settings. With the exception of the overly-rocky battle theme, it's pretty much top-marks all-round for the musical score. That was perhaps something of a given, though the voice-acting isn't half bad either - translations from Japanese scripts are never perfect, but Zack and co produce what is easily the best dubbing in a Final Fantasy so far.

It isn't the longs of games, and though there's all of those Missions to wade through and the prospect of a 'Hard' setting for the more committed of fans, many may be concerned that it feels distinctly pint-sized next to a lot of other RPG's. Don't be put off though - Crisis Core brings a lot more to the table than your average role-player, and given the lack of such games on the PSP format, it may prove just the ticket for those craving a good yarn.

Summary: An RPG prequel that actually works!