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We all know that Final Fantasy VII has been one of (if not only) the best RPGs ever released in our time, making a name for itself that has never died until today. Now, Square Enix celebrates its greatest achievement’s tenth year with us through the project, Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, wherein different stories related to FFVII are being scattered through different platforms.

One of these games include FFVII: Crisis Core for the PlayStation Portable (PSP), which follows the story of Zack Fair who takes us to a past that links together pieces from the original game. Previously in FFVII, as well as the CGI movie, FFVII: Advent Children, and the OVA, FFVII: Last Order, Zack’s role was only to remain as a memory. In this game however, we see Zack play an impact in the lives of the original characters, particularly Cloud’s and Aerith’s.

The game starts out in an oh-so-familiar train scene wherein you get to have a go at the controls, much like in the original game. The game play utilizes real time battle sequences, allowing you to dodge and guard, as well as choose options such as attack and magic with the use of the shoulder buttons on the PSP. Later on in the game, you learn a new system that Square Enix added along with the battle which would basically determine whther you get to level up, do a limit break, or have a temporary special ability: the Digital Mind Wave (DMW). Instead of a limit gauge, there’s a reel at the corner of your screen containing 6 slots with three pictures and three numbers. Once that there are two pictures matching, it would let you enter into another screen, occasionally showing screenshots and flashbacks while the reel comes to a complete stop and decide if you get a level up or a limit break. It also gives Zack the opportunity to summon a creture (and yes, it’s still randomized and sometimes you won’t be able to summon anything out at all. When you do get lucky, enjoy the short CGI while blasting away your enemies). There are times wherein Zack may not be able to level up at all for a long time, sometimes he can level up in a short amount of time. This may be confusing at start, letting a program decide whether you level up or not, but then you realize that its not the program; its how the condition of Zack and the way he fights that makes the reel go round. Eventually, this new system would grown on you, despite its long wait for the spin to finish.

Since Zack is a SOLDIER, you do have missions to complete, which is why there’s a missions section in the menu whenever you go to a save point. Its a great way to not only get free items at the end of each mission, but also to level up since Zack’s emotions are usually heightened during a mission.

The graphics, as well as the music, are both marvelous to watch and hear. The details of the CGI movies are haunting and beautiful to stare at. If you’re a fan of FFVII, this would defintely take your breath away, making you glimpse back at familiar places that are still there. Even the characters are also unique on their own, from their design down to even the voices wherein it matches perfectly with the characters’ personalities. The monsters are also detailed which can be seen best from the bosses and the robots. The music is both old and new, incorperating both orchestral and rocking sounds that play on each corresponding scene.

Familiar characters from the original FFVII will usually show up often, like Sephiroth when he was still in SOLDIER or Cloud during his humble beginnings as a hero, which reviews new players on who these people are while it brings old players back to memory lane. There are also new characters introduced in the game that would explain the happenings of FFVII.

THE VERDICT

All-in-all, the characters are all endearing and tears may be shed during the duration of the game. There may be things that the fans might get disappointed about, expecting it to be a copy of the original, but FFVII: Crisis Core that would be loved the same way by fans and new gamers alike, setting the stage to make itself into the best portable game ever made yet.