In 2020, Final Fantasy 7 Remake was so well received that it attracted a new generation of players who had never experienced FF7 before. The level of interest and demand for Final Fantasy 7 is at an all-time high, and Square Enix is naturally capitalizing on that with more FF7 productions. The latest of these is Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, a current-gen remaster of the formerly PSP-exclusive prequel. Although Crisis Core has been given a complete visual overhaul and a number of quality-of-life improvements, it is largely the same game it was in 2008 - and its problems are all the more noticeable.

Taking place years before the beginning of Final Fantasy 7, Crisis Core introduces important FF7 characters who shape the events of the series. The player takes on the role of Zack Fair, a young and hopeful member of the SOLDIER corps within the Shinra Electric Power Company. Zack wants to become one of a select few SOLDIER 1st Class operatives, and believes that getting promoted will help him achieve his dream of becoming a hero. He idolizes his mentor and friend Angeal, as well as the other 1st Class members Sephiroth and Genesis. When Genesis suddenly deserts Shinra during a standard mission and takes a large part of SOLDIER's forces with him, Zack is deployed to finish the mission and find out why Genesis has defected. What he discovers on that mission will make him start to question his role as a SOLDIER operative, his loyalty to Shinra, and what it means to be a hero.

Related: Predicting The Next FF7 Remake Spinoff After Crisis Core Reunion

Considering that Crisis Core is directly related to FF7 Remake, Reunion provides significant context for the series in a much more accessible form. Even now, Crisis Core has the framework of a good story; the relationship dynamics are intriguing and the overall themes are still compelling. Broadly, the game ponders the difference between duty and servitude as well as the ways in which revenge and redemption can manifest themselves in its world. On the other hand, the stilted script is still the biggest problem with its storytelling, filled with plenty of cringe-worthy dialogue and increasingly confusing motives. This is especially noticeable when linked to the much better-written narrative of FF7 Remake.

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The divisive mechanics and systems of the original Crisis Core have received some helpful gameplay changes in Crisis Core Reunion, but most of the game's fundamental issues remain. The slow, inflexible combat of the original has thankfully been replaced with something more reminiscent of FF7 Remake. However, the underlying battle system is mostly the same, and it's just too simplistic for its own good. Zack still has a fairly limited moveset despite the range of different materia that can be equipped, and the AI is often passive and easily manipulated; even the major bosses are underwhelming. The Digital Mind Wave (DMW) system returns as well, and although it's now much less intrusive, it still relies almost entirely on random chance. Having significant gameplay elements like level-ups and Limit Breaks locked within a slot machine was one of the most criticized aspects of Crisis Core, and that hasn't changed in Reunion.

Unfortunately, the game's secondary content is not much different either. While Crisis Core Reunion has new dialogue and other minor additions, its sidequests are mostly disposable and irrelevant to the characters or plot. The game's environments have been given a clear graphical upgrade, but they're still confined, generic settings with hallway-like level design. The limited zones of Crisis Core are actually less impressive now than they were on the PSP's hardware at the time, and they don't do justice to the large and varied world of Final Fantasy 7.

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Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion still has its place in the hearts of many veterans of the series and Final Fantasy 7's world, and maintains its relevance to the FF7 Remake series. However, the original Crisis Core also received a lot of justified criticism, and Reunion doesn't do much to address those points. It's nice to have a prettier, more functional and more accessible version of this PSP prequel, but it's still hard to recommend it as a game. Fans who got into the series because of FF7 Remake are going to experience an obvious gap in quality and may be left wondering what all the excitement was about. Zack's tragic tale deserved a better retelling on modern hardware, and Crisis Core Reunion ultimately feels like a missed opportunity.

More: FF7 Rebirth Can Answer Crisis Core’s Biggest Mystery

Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is now available on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 code for the purposes of this review.