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For 10 years now, Square Enix has had the privilege of being the creators of what many consider to be the greatest RPG of all time in Final Fantasy VII. Since then, this once stand alone title has been fleshed out into an entire new series with feature movies and spin-off games. While these additions to the story have been met with mixed reviews, Crisis Core is next in line to milk the lifestream for all its worth.

Crisis Core serves as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, taking place seven years prior to the main story. Instead players take control of Cloud’s former mentor Zack Fair and his rise through the ranks of SOLDIER and uncovering the truths about the ShinRa Corporation. Unlike past protagonists in the Final Fantasy VII universe, players will immediately begin to like Zack and his carefree hero attitude. There is also a heavy amount of fan service, with many cameo appearances from other well established Midgar alumni like Cloud, Aerith and Sephiroth. Players who are uneducated in the series history will miss out on in-game references to upcoming events but will still find a decent story with some touching moments.

Gameplay is less like the original Final Fantasy VII and is more in line with the Kingdom Hearts games. And like Kingdom Hearts, combat is heavily reliant on mashing the X button to win battles. Where the game differs from Square Enix’s Disney themed series is in the Digital Mind Wave or DMW for short. During combat a slot reel constantly spins and will faces/numbers match up granting Zack stat boosts, summons and even level up’s.

While the DMW allows for some interesting battles, it is also the cause for the games fluctuating difficulty curve. At times battles can seem impossible when the DMW fails to unleash any special attacks and you will be forced to try again. On the other side of the coin, combat can also become incredibly easy and finish with Zack overflowing with bonus hit points and magic. Materia makes its return in Crisis Core and allows for some variety in battles with magic and special abilities, but outside of boss battles they aren’t needed to survive.

When not hammering on the X button and playing games of chance in combat, Zack can undertake missions to gain new items and material. Missions are unlocked by talking to NPCs in the game or progressing through the main story. While it can be hard to put down the game during the main story, these missions allow for quick bursts of playtime perfect for on the go gaming. Actually sitting down and playing through these missions is not recommended unless bland repeating arena level layouts are your thing.

Square Enix have really pushed the PSP with Crisis Core. Looking past some weak level designs, Crisis Core is a visually stunning game. Impressive character models are brought to life with brilliant animations and a very impressive English voice work. Special mentions are to be made for George Newbern (reprising his role as Sephiroth) and Oliver Quinn (as newcomer Genesis) for their performances. Not everything is perfect, with the occasionally awkward line or delivery time, yet the pros still outweigh the cons in the voice tracks.

Crisis Core comes in at a solid 10-12 hours for just the main quest alone. Players should be ready to dedicate a solid 30-40 hours plus in order to complete all the missions and see everything the game has to offer. For those who are after more of a challenge, Square Enix also included an optional hard mode to truly test player’s skills. For a PSP game Crisis Core offers more than enough to please its audience, and leaves them wanting more once all is said and done.

After Crisis Core, there isn’t much left for Square Enix to do with the Final Fantasy VII universe other than remake the original RPG classic. Until they realize the potential gold mine they have been sitting on, gamers should be pleased with what they find in Crisis Core. Its blend of action and role playing should please fans of one of the most revered games in history, as well as people who have never had the chance to step into the world of Midgar.

Platform reviewed: Playstation Portable

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