Review: Crisis Averted: Final Fantasy Shines on the PSP!
Prequels can be hit or miss affairs. At their worst, they ruin all the good faith generated by the property they are following up; on the other hand, if done correctly, a good prequel can breathe new life into an existing franchise.
Something Old, Something New
Crisis Core takes place seven years prior to the events of VII and follows Zack Fair, a member of SOLDIER. Don't remember him? He had a cameo in VII where he fought Sepiroth with Cloud and Tifa in Nibelheim's Mako reactor before getting imprisoned, experimented on, and then shot by Shinra. In Crisis Core, you'll control Zack as he fights alongside Genesis and Sepiroth while working for the evil power company. I'll admit that it initially felt wrong to work alongside Sepiroth, but after a while I started to see the bigger picture of how everything fits together in the world of VII; getting that other perspective really helped flesh out the world and the characters that were involved.
The battle mechanics of the game are also different but they still maintain the feel of an RPG. It felt similar to XII's Active Battle System, but without Gambits or party members to follow them. There is a delay between when a command is issued and when it is executed, allowing for a chain of orders to be input. It works well but I really missed having party members for support, especially as I got further into the game and met some familiar faces.
One Armed Bandit
Another new feature in Crisis Core is the Digital Mind Wave system, a reel based system that introduces an element of luck to battles. As you engage your enemies, a reel begins spinning. Depending on which pictures and numbers match up, pre-set conditions take effect, such as MP costs being reduced to zero. This is also how Limit Breaks, Summons, and Leveling occur. While it's nice to see a departure from Experience Points, not being able to directly control my Summons became a little frustrating. Luckily, the DMW is based on emotions, so in frantic battles the reels spin faster and more limit breaks occur, giving the system a sense of balance.
Though there is a deep engaging story and an addictive battle system, there is no sprawling world to explore. You're mostly confined to the halls of Shinra and the streets of Midgar. These areas are interconnected, but there's little reason to do things outside of your primary missions. While you'll visit the slums and a handful of other familiar areas, getting from point A to point B just happens. The game is definitely about the story, which isn't such a bad thing but there is no sense that you are part of a larger world.
Far From Final
Thankfully, the game retains an epic feel thanks to some of the most breath cinemas I've ever seen. If you own a PSP Slim then you really owe it to yourself to get the A/V cables and play this one on the big screen. Not only are the cut-scenes brilliant, but the Summons and Limit Breaks are some of the best in the series. Even outside of the cinemas the game looks better than any PSP title around. The audio is less successful but the controls are smooth and responsive, which is saying something considering the track record of the PSP.
It's hard not to like Crisis Core because it does so many things right. From the over-the-top graphics to the addictive battling system, this is a solid entry in the series. Crisis Core does a fine job of incorporating the world of VII while giving hardcore vets a sense that they're doing something new. Aside from the main storyline, there are over 300 side missions to complete and a new difficulty mode exclusive to the US release means there's plenty of content to keep players busy until the next major Final Fantasy game is released.
Cons: Controlling only one character is disappointing. Music can get repetitive.
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