Zack Fair’s Journey Before the Epic Begins

After playing Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII for a third time in its newly refreshed and revitalized form, Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, one thing became clear – this is a true remaster. It’s more than just a simple upscale or a cosmetic update; it’s a carefully reconstructed and retooled version that modernizes a 14-year-old handheld game while preserving the essence of the original. In short, it’s both the best way to experience Crisis Core and a strong new release on its own merits. For those who buy cheap PS4 games, it’s a chance to enjoy this definitive version without paying full price.

For those who haven’t played Crisis Core before: this prequel, set seven years prior to the original Final Fantasy VII, puts players in the role of Zack Fair, a Shinra SOLDIER operative caught in the fallout after his mentor, Angeal, and another SOLDIER 1st Class named Genesis seemingly turn against Shinra for reasons revealed later. Set against the backdrop of the war with Wutai and Shinra’s rapid expansion and exploitation of the planet’s resources, the narrative ultimately provides a deeper look into the origins of Final Fantasy VII’s main characters, including Cloud, Sephiroth, Tifa, Aerith, Yuffie, and more.

Spanning 18–30 hours, Crisis Core was occasionally messy but ultimately a clever prequel that became a standout entry in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII media of the 2000s, which also included the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Originally a PlayStation Portable exclusive, it impressed players with production values beyond what was expected on a handheld, along with a compelling gameplay loop that featured a unique real-time combat system.

Crisis Core Reimagined: Combat and Camera in the Modern Era

Fast forward to today, and Final Fantasy VII is experiencing a renaissance thanks to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, which launched a trilogy reimagining the original story and setting. While that game offered a completely new take on the early portion of the main Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core Reunion is more of a true “remaster” of the PSP prequel, updating its presentation and key gameplay elements while keeping the core game largely intact. It makes sense—where the PS1 original’s old-school JRPG style needed a modern refresh, Crisis Core’s action-focused gameplay and brisk pacing still hold up well. For anyone who buy cheap Xbox Series X games, it’s a chance to experience this fast-paced adventure without paying full price.

The most noticeable changes in Crisis Core’s move to modern platforms come from the huge difference between the PSP’s limited button layout and the controllers available on home consoles and PC. Adding camera control via the right stick transforms both the presentation and how Zack moves in combat. Square Enix has handled this transition admirably, giving players more to see outside the original perspective and reworking much of the combat system to suit the new format.

As I noted in my earlier preview impressions, the key change is that combat in Reunion feels far more fast-paced and responsive than in the PSP version. The clunky scrolling menu that handled all actions, from basic attacks to magic, is gone, replaced by a mapping across the many face and shoulder buttons. With full, immediate control of Zack and a freely adjustable camera, battles now feel closer to experiences like Final Fantasy VII Remake or even Kingdom Hearts.

Missions Galore: Bite-Sized Challenges in Crisis Core

All the clever mechanics and ideas that made Crisis Core’s combat unique and engaging are still present, such as the unpredictable DMW system, the way Materia integrates into the flow of battle, and the strategic need to carefully manage your equipment against tougher enemies. Everything just feels more manageable in the moment. Some new adjustments take advantage of Zack’s enhanced playability, like the ability to interrupt powerful enemies’ ultimate attacks by striking them with strong abilities. In this updated form, I’d almost go so far as to call it one of my favorite interpretations of real-time combat that the Final Fantasy series has explored so far, even if the challenge is somewhat lacking, even on Hard.

Outside of combat, the gameplay and structure remain much closer to the handheld original, though the addition of full camera control gives everything a slightly different feel. At times, this is more noticeable—some late-game set pieces and minigames appear to have been adjusted to accommodate it—but for the most part, it’s the same game. That means you’re in for a mostly linear journey across 10 chapters, moving through key locations while occasionally having the chance to explore parts of Midgar and other areas to collect side content. Interestingly, anyone coming from Final Fantasy VII Remake will feel right at home with the layout, though on a much smaller scale here.

One quirk of Crisis Core that might bother new players is its heavy reliance on bite-sized, self-contained “Missions” to pad out gameplay. There are 300 of these missions, which made perfect sense on the PSP as short bursts of play for a commute or quick break, but feel somewhat out of place here. Each mission lasts only a few minutes, dropping you into a small selection of environments to explore, collect treasures, face combat encounters, and defeat a set foe.

The missions are fun, largely thanks to Reunion’s overhauled combat, but they can become repetitive quickly. Unfortunately, they’re essential for obtaining the game’s most useful items and abilities, as well as keeping Zack leveled up to handle the main content. Returning fans are likely already accustomed to this structure, but new players may start questioning the grind by the 150th mission.

Elsewhere, several quality-of-life improvements help reduce frustration from the original design. Fights can now be instantly restarted after death, giving players a chance to tweak their build before trying again. Auto-saves, more frequent checkpoints in multi-stage encounters, and a greatly improved UI—resembling Final Fantasy VII Remake’s menus—show how Square Enix has smoothed out the rough edges while keeping the core experience intact.

Another major highlight of Crisis Core Reunion is the massive upgrade in visuals and audio. Rebuilt from the ground up in Unreal Engine 4, it looks dramatically better than the PSP version, with models, textures, and effects on par with Final Fantasy VII Remake. Some aspects reveal its origins: environments are more detailed but retain their compact, basic layouts, and while character models are beautifully rendered with sharper textures and updated geometry, they still animate on the original rigs, which can feel slightly dated at times. For those who buy cheap PS5 games, it’s a way to enjoy the updated visuals and classic gameplay without paying full price.

Crisis Core Reimagined: Visuals, CG, and Modern Polish

It’s still an enormous upgrade overall. All of the new assets and effects, combined with the crisp resolutions and smooth performance provided by modern platforms, make it feel like a truly fresh iteration that exceeds what you’d normally expect from a remaster. The improvements don’t stop at in-game visuals; Square Enix also uses a mix of AI-upscaled and edited original CG animations alongside entirely new content—gorgeous new summon sequences being a prime example—to tie everything together.

Additionally, the game’s voice work has been completely redone, with the cast updated to align more closely with the Remake and all previously text-only dialogue now fully voiced. This is a major upgrade and highlights the depth of effort put into modernizing Crisis Core beyond just surface-level enhancements. The new cast delivers strong performances, particularly for characters who had no voiced lines originally. On top of that, original composer Takeharu Ishimoto returns with fresh arrangements, making Reunion an updated aural experience as much as a visual and gameplay one.

Evaluating this remaster as a whole is tricky, as enjoyment largely depends on what Crisis Core means to each player. Longtime fans who experienced it on PSP will see an old favorite in a completely new light, thanks to thoughtful updates aimed at delighting returning players. Meanwhile, newcomers or those coming straight from Final Fantasy VII Remake might find the transition jarring. Still, judging purely on the enhancements made to the base game, it’s a stellar effort and a commendable dedication to honoring Final Fantasy VII fans’ love for this world and its characters.

Reunion Elevates a Classic Prequel Beyond Expectations

Not exactly a full remake, but far surpassing the expectations of a typical remaster, Crisis Core Reunion is the kind of thoughtful, respectful re-release that longtime fans of the original truly deserve. Not every element from the 2008 version holds up perfectly, but there are enough updates to make that largely irrelevant. Whether you played it on the PSP back in the day or are experiencing it for the first time, this is unquestionably the definitive way to enjoy the outstanding prequel to Final Fantasy VII.