With Final Fantasy VII Remake bringing a new generation of fans, it wasn’t surprising to learn that Square Enix was working on a remake of what is one of the best products to come as part of the controversial Compilation of Final Fantasy VII project, which aimed to expand the world of the seventh main entry in the series with prequels and sequels. Thanks to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion, newcomers will finally be able to understand why Zack Fair is one of the most loved characters of the Final Fantasy VII universe, while long-time fans will be able to experience the hunt for Genesis like they never did before.
Release Date, Platforms, Editions
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion has been announced in June 2022 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch during the 25th Anniversary Celebrations for the seventh main entry in the series with a generic Winter 2022 release window. The game’s final worldwide release date, December 13th, was announced during the September 2022 Nintendo Direct when a brand new trailer provided another look at the updated visuals and gameplay.
The Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion regular edition, which will be available for $49.99 in the United States and €59.99 in Europe, is accompanied by a Digital Deluxe Edition, which will be available for $69.99 in the US and €79.99 in Europe, that will include a copy of the game, original mini soundtrack, and original art book. Pre-ordering either edition will also grant access to the SOLDIER Materia set that includes the Dark Fire, Dark Thunder, and Dark Blizzard materia that can inflict Poison and Silence status ailments alongside the respective elemental damage.
Two more Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion editions will also release on December 13th, but only in Japan. The Hero Edition, which has now been sold out, includes a copy of the game, The Art of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII art book, a script book, a mini soundtrack CD, a special cosmetic box with a Shin-Ra-inspired design, a Zack Fair’s figure and Aerith’s Letter, a mysterious letter that will give a glimpse into some of her memories with Zack.
The Collector’s Edition will include the same goodies as the Hero’s Edition, except for Zack’s figure. The Collector’s Edition can be pre-ordered from the Square Enix Japanese store for 14,000 yen, around $96.
Genre, Setting, Mechanics
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion will be a faithful retelling of the original game’s story. Set seven before the events of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core follows SOLDIER 2nd Class operative Zack Fair as he is sent together with 1st Class operative Angeal Hewley and the legendary Sephiroth to investigate the mysterious disappearance of another SOLDIER 1st Class member, Genesis. During the course of the adventure, Zack will get to meet many familiar faces like Cloud Strife and Aerith Gainsborough and eventually learn more about the dark side of the Shinra Corporation and how steep is the price of freedom in an intense and emotional ending. While the story will be the same as that of the original, there will be times when Final Fantasy VII Remake players will feel that something is off, according to Yoshinori Kitase.
Gameplay in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion will also be almost identical to that of the original. Controlling Zack, players can explore different areas with a third-person perspective, interact with NPCs, collect items and fight all sorts of enemies in the game’s real-time combat system that combines action and command-based elements. The new version of the game features plenty of combat improvements, such as an increased number of shortcuts that will give players quick access to the combat options unlocked by equipping Materia, such as magic, skills, and more. The Digital Mind Wave system, which grants special bonuses in combat depending on the aligned numbers, will also make a return but will be slightly less intrusive than in the original, giving players the choice of storing a special attack and unleashing it at any point during battle.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion will also feature plenty of other improvements outside of the gameplay ones. Visuals have been remastered with higher resolution and new character models, the UI has been redesigned to feel similar to that of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the music has been rearranged. All these improvements are set to make Zack’s story even more epic.
If you’re looking for some hands-on impressions, check out Kai Powell’s New York Comic-Con preview.
Trailers
The first Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion trailer was shared during the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary celebration live stream, which provided the first look at the updated visuals and gameplay.
The announcement trailer has been followed by a second Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion trailer in September 2022, which confirmed the December 13th release date.
PC System Requirements
Being a step above a regular remaster but not exactly a full-blown remake, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII – Reunion will not be a particularly demanding game on PC.
MINIMUM:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 64-bit
Processor: AMD A8-7600 / Intel Core i3-3210
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 460 / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 30 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Additional Notes: 30 FPS @ 1280×720
RECOMMENDED:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 / Windows 11 64-bit
Processor: AMD Ryzen 3 1200 / Intel Core i5-6500
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT / NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 (VRAM 3GB)
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 30 GB available space
Sound Card: DirectX Compatible Sound Card
Additional Notes: 60 FPS @ 1920×1080
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