Angsty Gaijin's Import Report 2: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII

The year: 1997.

In a move that will probably forever be known as "the coup which singlehandedly assured the success of Sony in video gaming", Japanese RPG developer Square cut all ties to Nintendo and released the latest title in the long running Final Fantasy exclusive to Sony's PlayStation, citing the space limitations of the cartridge format used by the Nintendo 64.

That game was Final Fantasy VII, and was many a mainstream gamer's first taste of the JRPG genre. The emotional-yet-complex story, the cinematic presentation, the familiar-but-evolved gameplay. Everything was epic, brand new in every way, and yet unusually familiar. Billed too complex for some, too confusing for others, this was definitely a game unlike anything that came before it. One thing almost everyone familiar with Square can agree on, however, is that Final Fantasy VII is a game that changed the face of the JRPG genre forever...taking it into a brand new - and decidedly more cinematic - direction. The game left a significant impact on a generation of gamers, and its storyline and characters continue to be celebrated and remembered 11 years later.

It came as no surprise, then, that throughout the lifecycle of the PlayStation, and most of the PlayStation2, fans have clamored for more FFVII. Hearing the money train rolling into the station, Square (now Square Enix) obliged with not one, but THREE games and a movie set in Gaia, the world of Final Fantasy VII.

Advent Children was developed as the movie sequel to VII, and while far superior to its distant cousin (Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within), it was still exceptionally lacking in many areas. The movie forced all the characters to shed any form of character development, instead relying on constant fight scenes and a deus-ex-machina plotline that ends up being little more than fan service. For what it was (a 90-minute cutscene in the Final Fantasy VII world), it was moderately enjoyable, but as a stand-alone movie or successful attempt at pulling us back into the FFVII world, it failed miserably.

Most of the games didn't fare much better. Before Crisis was a cellphone game starring the Turks, set before the events of Final Fantasy VII. The game scored lousy reviews in Japan, and hasn't even made its way over to the US yet (mostly due to our technologically-inferior cellphones) [Ed. NO, THE iPHONE CANNOT RUN IT. SRY. KTHXBYE]. The PS2 project, Dirge of Cerberus, is an action game starring Vincent Valentine (another character from VII) that takes place after Advent Children ends. Unfortunately...Square Enix's specialty isn't action games, and it shows. The engine was sloppily put together and the game was decidedly tedious to play, but the graphics were good. Unfortunately, the game tanked both in sales and in reviews, and for the most part deserved to tank. It was a game completely unworthy of the Final Fantasy VII name, and like Before Crisis, faded into obscurity very quickly...

That leaves the last game. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Does it suck as much as the other Compilation projects? Is there any particular reason why Square Enix took two extra years to develop this game? Should I even care anymore?

The answers to those questions are NO, YES, and YES. Crisis Core is far from a failure and leaps and bounds much more complete and polished than any other project in the Compilation. That doesn't mean that it's flawless, but it's a step in the right direction and an exciting addition to the FFVII universe. In fact, this is probably the only product the compilation has produced even remotely worthy of the FFVII name.

Before you get TOO excited, however, there are a few things that have to be made abundantly clear. First of all, this is not a traditional RPG. It is a single player action game much more in the vein of Kingdom Hearts. As such, its battle system is completely real-time, though most enemies do not appear on the field until initiating a 'random battle'. It's fairly similar to the way KH and KHII handle enemy encounters, and therefore most Squeenix nerds will feel right at home. Materia stones return in force, with several types available ranging from stat boosts to spells and special attacks, and these can be mixed and matched for optimal results just like in FFVII. The biggest problem with the battle system is the D.M.W. (Digital Mind Wave). This system continually matches symbols automatically in the upper left hand corner of the screen in the style of a slot machine, and matching specific patterns will trigger everything from summons to limit breaks to LEVEL UPs. Yes, that's right. Level ups on your character and your materia, as well as the triggering of summons and limit breaks are all completely RANDOM, decided by the slots. Though triggering attacks and level-ups tends to occur more often when you're taking massive damage, this is inexcusable. There was no reason for Square to randomize what used to be in the player's control. The graphics and sound, like with most Square games, are top-notch and the visuals it manages to crank out of the PSP can compete favorably with just about anything on the PS2, with the possible exception of FFXII.

Aside from following the storyline, there are additional bite-sized 'missions' that can be accessed from any save point. Completing these tasks will award you with additional items and battle experience. The mission structure works well for a portable game, since often there can be times when a player may want to make progress in the game for a little while without advancing the story.

I'm not going to get into any storyline details here for fear of OMGSPOILARZ except to say that it takes place immediately before Final Fantasy VII, and the main character is SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair. The story appears to be a little unusual at first, as does Zack's over-the-top personality as compared to the angsty, brooding, apathetic Cloud. So much so that I sometimes wonder what Square Enix is going to do with certain scenes that really wouldn't mesh well with the American audience and how they would most likely be viewing Zack as a character.

Importability? Well, that depends. The game is very playable, and there are several walkthroughs online to tell you what to do and where to go. You will, however, be missing out on the complicated story and be scratching your head more than a few times at characters' behaviors. Even those with a little Japanese experience may want to consult a story guide as they're going through, to make sure they don't miss anything. The ability to read katakana goes a long way in navigating the menus and equipping materia. Without the ability to understand what you're equipping, customizing your character can quickly become a chore. I would have become frustrated very quickly if I didn't have knowledge of Japanese.

Those who can wait only have a couple more months. The fully localized US version touches down on 3/28. Thank you Square Enix for finally releasing a game that lives up to the FFVII history.