In a surprising move, Square Enix announced Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, a remastered port with significant updates.
Crisis Core is a prequel to the original Final Fantasy 7, first released in 2008 on the PSP. Focusing on SOLDIER member Zack Fair, we are initially assigned to investigate the disappearance of Genesis Rhapsodos, befriending Cloud Strife and Aerith along the way. More importantly, Crisis Core gave us a direct look at the events that eventually shaped Final Fantasy 7, in which Zack plays a pivotal role.
Coming to Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC, Square Enix is going the extra mile for this re-release. It is revealed that Reunion will include new 3D models for sharper visuals, full voice acting for all dialogue, and a newly arranged soundtrack. Launching this winter, we don’t have an exact release date yet, but you can watch the full trailer below:
Reunion was announced via the Final Fantasy 7 25th Anniversary broadcast, which brought some additional surprises. After six months of exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade has arrived on Steam with Steam Deck compatibility, and we find that Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is getting an open beta later this year. Most notably though, we got our first look at Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, which is now subtitled Rebirth.
Crisis Core is a key component of Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was undeniably the star of last night’s showcase, and it also confirmed why a Crisis Core remaster makes perfect sense now.
Spoilers ahead in these next two paragraphs who haven’t played Crisis Core or Remake. If you didn’t know, Remake surprised many fans in 2020 by diverging from the established timeline. While the Remake acknowledges the plot of the original PS1 game, the game sees our group actively altering the course of fate, meaning long-established events are no longer set.
Crucially, this includes Zack’s fate. Despite making an incredible effort, Crisis Core ends with him being fatally wounded by an army of Shinra forces, an event that left no room for ambiguity. However, in a move that surprised many, Remake blatantly changed the outcome of the fight. In a flashback during the end of the Remake, we see him emerge victorious, later heading to Midgar with Cloud.
By venturing off the beaten path, Rebirth is entering uncharted territory for Final Fantasy 7 fans, but it still looks to the past. It’s clear that Zack has a crucial role going forward, we just don’t know how it will play out. All things considered, there has never been a better time to revisit your main adventure.