Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Encyclopedia
is an action role-playing game
(action RPG) developed by Square Enix
for the PlayStation Portable
. First released in 2007, the game is a prequel to the video game Final Fantasy VII
and is also the sixth installment in metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
which includes products related to the game. The game mainly focuses around Zack Fair
, a young member from the paramilitary
organization SOLDIER developed by the megacorporation Shinra Electric Power Company, who is assigned to look for the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos. As he continues his mission, he learns of Genesis' origin, Project G, and how it is related with two other fellow SOLDIER comrades. The game's storyline takes the player from the war with the Wutai to the events at Nibelheim, and right up to the time just before the Final Fantasy VII beginning.
Hajime Tabata was the game's director and Tetsuya Nomura
the game's character designer. Before starting development, the Square Enix staff thought they should make a PlayStation Portable port of the mobile phone game Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
, but after a discussion it was decided to make a different game. The plot is based on a scenario Kazushige Nojima
had in mind when working for Final Fantasy VII, while the gameplay was decided to be action RPG due to the fact only one character could be controlled. Ever since its release, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has enjoyed good sales, selling over two million units worldwide. Critical reception to the game has also been positive, with reviewers praising some of its aspects.
in which the player controls the main character Zack through the game's storyline. During the main story of the game, the player moves Zack through and between open areas, allowing him to talk with non-playable characters, interact with the environment, or encounter monsters in battle. At any save point in these areas, the player may opt to take one of many side missions that are available; if selected, Zack is moved to a special area to complete the mission, usually to defeat one or more monsters. If the mission is successfully completed, the player is rewarded with one or more items, and often one or more new missions become available. Whether the mission is completed successfully or if Zack falls in battle, Zack is returned to the save point at the end. If Zack should fall in battle during the main story combat, the player will be forced to restart from their last saved game.
Crisis Core uses a real-time combat system in which the player can move Zack around, initiate attacks, special abilities, spells, or item use, and have Zack block or dodge an attack. Zack's abilities in battle are set by what materia he is equipped with. Up to six materia can be equipped, and can impart special attacks, magic spells, or passive bonuses such as bonuses to Zack's health meter or the ability to display the statistics of the current foe in combat. Materia are gained throughout the game through exploration, rewards from side missions or spoils of war, or from shops. Materia can be fused together to make more powerful versions with improved bonuses; for example, fusing an attack skill materia with an elemental magic materia can create a new attack skill materia that inflicts elemental magic damage in addition to physical damage. Special items collected in the game can also be used in materia fusion to further increase the materia's power.
Crisis Core uses a slot machine
-like mechanic to affect the combat system. The "Digital Mind Wave" (DMW) features two sets of three spinning wheels; one set with numbers one through seven, and another with pictures of characters that Zack befriends during the game. The DMW automatically spins as long as Zack has at least 10 Soldier Points; Soldier Points are awarded to the player by defeating foes. If the DMW stops with the same three pictures lined up, Zack will then perform an appropriate Limit Break attack or ability that can greatly harm an enemy or significantly heal Zack. Additionally, in this case, if the number slots give two or more of the same number, the materia in that slot will power up. Should the numbers line up as "777", Zack will gain an experience level, increasing his health, soldier points, and ability points in combat. Otherwise, if there is no match on the pictures, matching numbers on the slots will still grant temporary bonuses in battle such as limited invincibility or zero-cost use of skills and abilities. The chance of matching pictures is tied to the current Limit level, which is raised by taking damage in battle and reduced upon successful matches, and after certain storyline events, through heightened emotions towards a specific character. After collecting certain items in the game, the pictures on the DMW may also randomly change to summonable creatures, which have more destructive and beneficial Limit Breaks should the pictures match up.
Following the completion of the game, the player will obtain a New Game Plus
option. The North American and European releases of Crisis Core have an added difficulty mode to the game which increases the power and health of the enemies in the game.
The main protagonist and playable character of Crisis Core is Zack Fair
, a young and friendly SOLDIER. Zack's mentor and friend is Angeal Hewley, a 1st class SOLDIER. Angeal is friends with fellow SOLDIER members Sephiroth and Genesis, the latter serving as the game's primary antagonist. The SOLDIER operatives work under Director Lazard, the illegitimate son of President Shinra. Zack is also friends with the Turks, particularly their leader Tseng and one of their female operatives Cissnei. During the course of the game, Zack encounters and befriends Aerith
, a young woman tending flowers from a ruined church in the Midgar slums, and also Cloud
, a Shinra infantryman. Zack also encounters Dr. Hollander, a former Shinra scientist that is performing unethical experiments in secret.
Taking a few years before Final Fantasy VII, director Hajime Tabata explained he and the staff were aware of not altering the "fans' perception of Final Fantasy VII's iconic characters." However, they operated on the concept of "younger days," so that new elements could be added without changing the characters. Kitase was pleased with Sephiroth's role as he has a "much more human side". Takahiro Sakurai
, Cloud's Japanese voice actor, found his character to be more expressive and ordinary. The addition of Genesis was discussed between producer Hideki Imaizumi and the character's Japanese voice actor, Gackt
, as the former liked his inclusion in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
and he wanted to expand him more.
Zack recovers to find Aerith tending over him. After both spend some time together, Zack returns to SOLDIER headquarters which is being attacked by Genesis. On his way, Zack allies with Angeal who has hesitations about his actions. As Angeal, Zack and Sephiroth protect the headquarters, Angeal confronts Genesis, but both go missing once again. Zack is then ordered to investigate Modeoheim where Genesis has been spotted; en route, Zack meets Shinra infantry soldier Cloud, quickly becomes friends with him. Near Modeoheim, Zack encounters and defeats Genesis who then appears to commit suicide by throwing himself into the depths of a facility. Zack travels to Modeoheim and finds both Angeal and Hollander. Angeal mutates when attacked by copies of himself, and Zack is forced to kill him. Before he dies, Angeal gives Zack his Buster Sword, telling him to protect his honor. Zack, distraught over the death of his mentor, goes back to the Sector 5 church, where he is comforted by Aerith.
Sometime later, Shinra continues chasing Hollander who is protected by new Genesis' copies as the original is still alive. Zack returns to Midgar to protect Aerith after learning they also appeared there, and leaves her with an Angeal copy that seems to be protecting her. Zack travels with Sephiroth and Cloud to investigate a mako reactor near Nibelheim. While checking the reactor Sephiroth discovers from Genesis that he was an experiment, implanted with cells of the extraterrestrial Jenova. Genesis explains his body is degrading and needs Sephiroth's cells which avoid his body to degrade, but he refuses. A week later, Sephiroth sets Nibelheim's town ablaze and goes to the Mako reactor to take Jenova's body. While Zack fails to stop Sephiroth, Cloud throws Sephiroth into Mako, causing his body to disappear. Zack awakes to find that he and Cloud have become part of Dr. Hojo's experiments on Jenova cells and Mako exposure; while Zack is unaffected by the Jenova cells, Cloud is unable to move on his own. Zack helps Cloud to escape and they quickly become high priority targets for the Shinra forces. While fleeing, Zack learns that Genesis and Hollander, the latter has become a Genesis copy, are still trying to stabilize his mutation. As Cloud is the only one carrying Sephiroth's pure cells due to the experiments, they plan to use him.
Hollander tries to reach Cloud, but is killed by Zack. Zack then finds Director Lazard who, now inflicted as an Angeal clone, tried to ally with Hollander to exact his revenge on Shinra. Lazard directs Zack to the remains of Banora to find Genesis, while Zack leaves Cloud with him. Zack enters into a cavern exposed to the Lifestream where he encounters Genesis who heals his body absorbing it and tries to kill Zack. Zack manages to defeat Genesis and returns to the surface with him. There, Zack finds that Shinra attacked Lazard and Cloud but the former was able to hold them back at the cost of his life. The Angeal copy that guarded Aerith had come to fight for Zack and was killed. Zack discovers a note he had carried from Aerith, and learns he had been used as an experiment for more than four years. Zack takes Cloud to Midgar before Genesis is collected by two soldiers.
Shinra discovers Zack and Cloud on the barren terrain outside Midgar. Leaving Cloud hidden away, Zack fights off against an enormous number of Shinra troops, and is ultimately fatally wounded. Cloud manages to crawl to Zack's body after Shinra has left, and Zack, in his dying breath, bequeaths the Buster Sword to Cloud as Angeal had done to him. Cloud begins to walk back to Midgar, while Zack's body is taken to the Lifestream by Angeal. The epilogue recreates the opening scenes of Final Fantasy VII.
and Yoshinori Kitase
, Tabata decided it would be a game from Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, feeling that the pressure of producing a game from a popular series would motivate the staff and him. The original idea was to make PlayStation Portable port of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
as it was released for mobile-phones and the staff wanted to expand its gamers. However, after deciding Zack was going to be the protagonist, the idea of a Before Crisis port was cancelled. The original idea of naming it "Before Crisis Core" was changed to "Crisis Core" without realizing it matched with the titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series (Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII was "BC", Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
was "AC", Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
was "DC", and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was "CC"). Kitase jokingly stated that the discussion to start Crisis Core took only two days. Regarding the pressure of developing a Final Fantasy VII prequel, Kitase wanted it to exceed the fans' expectations so he made sure that rather than making it as a "tribute" to Final Fantasy VII, it shared links with the other titles from Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. After Crisis Cores release, Kitase was surprised by the quality of its cut-scenes to the point it could be released for the PlayStation 2
. He also enjoyed the game's ending, surprised by how Zack's story was like. The game's logo represents various of the main characters; The blue sky symbolizes Zack; The white feather is a symbol of Angeal; and the water represents Aerith.
One of the primary reasons Zack was chosen as its protagonist was that his fate was predetermined. Kitase stated that Zack's story had "been cooking for 10 years" as, despite being a minor character in Final Fantasy VII, Nomura and Kazushige Nojima
had already developed a conceptual artwork and a story, respectively, for him. One of the main background events from Final Fantasy VII, Nibelheim's destruction, was revised for the original video animation
(OVA) Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
. Due to negative response by fans, the staff decided not to make the decisions they did in the OVA as the same event is despicted in Crisis Core. The game was meant to have more scenes about Zack and Cloud fleeing to Midgar to expand their connection, but it was removed due to UMD limitations, and the staff focused in Zack's work as a warrior.
Once it was decided Zack would be the protagonist, the story's nature avoided the staff to use a party of playable characters and instead use only Zack. Crisis Core was first envisioned as an action game, but due to the staff was more experienced in RPGs, they decided to modify it, making battles similar to the ones from RPGs. In order to make the gameplay entertaining with only one character, Final Fantasy VIIs battle system was added with action elements, resulting in the fact the game became an action RPG. The Materia system was designed so that players could choose between "RPG-oriented enhancements" and "action-oriented enhancements," as well as to expand the game's balance. Additionally, the Digital Mind Wave system (DMW) was added to give the gameplay an element of luck as well as to avoid the combats feel repetitive. Nomura and Kitase were mainly inspired by the pachinko
in making it and although some fans complained about it, the element of luck was intentional in order to lead to different results in a battle. The staff initially found the gameplay to be hard to make due to its departure from traditional Final Fantasy style of multiple characters and fact it could not be "a pure action game." However, after receiving positive response by Japanese gamers, the staff thought they were doing a good work. By the time the game ended development, the staff realized they omitted the option of skipping cutscenes which they regretted.
The game was announced at E3 2004 before the release of the PlayStation Portable. Its first trailer consisted of clips from Last Order. In an interview for Famitsu
, Nomura had stated that a playable demo of the game would be ready by the end of 2006. However, there was no mention of whether the demo would be openly available to PSP owners. By May 2005, Nomura announced that he already made the concept art of the game, while the gameplay was planned to be "interesting" and "previously unseen", expecting that its genre may not be an action RPG as first announced. In May 2007, both Nomura and Tabata revealed that the game was 90% complete, and that completing its story mode and all side quests would take about 100 hours to gamers. A playable demo was available at Jump Festa '06
.
with Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary insignia on the back, on one side, designed by Nomura. As with many limited edition Final Fantasy VII-related releases by Square Enix, the bundle was limited to 77,777 units.
On December 17, 2007 it was announced that Crisis Core would be coming to the United States on March 25, 2008. If pre-ordered from certain retailers such as Gamestop, the buyer may receive a Shinra UMD case, depending on how long supplies last at each retailer and if pre-ordered from Best Buy, the buyer may receive Crisis Core with a metallic foil cover. Two versions of the game were released in Europe: a limited edition version only available online, and then only when pre-ordered. This limited edition version includes special slipcase packaging and a book of promotional CG artwork entitled The Art of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. In Australia and Europe, a bundle with the game and limited edition Crisis Core engraved silver PlayStation Portable was released on June 20. As with several games from the company, Square released on October 18, 2007, an Ultimania
guidebook of the title in Japan.
, with a few tracks orchestrated by Kazuhiko Toyama
. The soundtrack also includes remixes of various music from Final Fantasy VII composed by Nobuo Uematsu
and Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
, which was also composed by Ishimoto. The game's ending theme, "Why
", is performed by Ayaka
. The addition of "Why" was revealed by Square Enix in May 2007 while Ayaka stated she was fascinated by Crisis Cores story and she felt she "would like to deliver "Why" alongside Zack's fate to the hearts of many people." The single "Why" was released in Japan on September 5, 2007.
, which sold 340,500 copies, making Crisis Core the second best-selling game for the PSP during the month of March and the sixth best-selling game overall. As of March 31, 2009, Square Enix announced that Crisis Core had sold 2.1 million units worldwide, with 830,000 of those sales coming from Japan. About 840,000 units of the game, including 550,000 in Europe, were sold during Square Enix's 2009 fiscal year. In response to the game's sales, Square Enix called Crisis Core their best PSP game from the year, calling it "an incredible success" with Doug Bone, Square Enix's UK sales director, labelling it as "the must-have PSP game of 2008."
Crisis Core has received generally positive reviews. At Game Rankings
, the combined reviews for the game are currently 82%, while the score in Metacritic
is of 83 out of 100. With individual scores of 9/9/8/9, the game received an overall rating of 35/40 points from Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu
. GameSpot
credited it as an "Editor's Choice", praising its storyline, the combat system and its presentation, also stating that "Crisis Core is an exciting and poignant journey that every fan of role-playing games should take." IGN
's Ryan Clements praised its differences with other RPGs due to its focus on Zack's growth and his relationship with the SOLDIERs. He stated "Crisis Core is a great game and, barring a few minor issues here and there, will not disappoint." It also received a place amongst the "Editor's Choice" gallery of recommended games for the PSP platform. Despite being labelled as a "handy tool" by PALGN
, the DMW system was also called the game's weakest point by due to the fact players cannot choose when to execute the Limit Breaks, increasing the game's difficulty in battles. On the other hand, GamesRadar
's AJ Glasser stated that with the DMW system, the gameplay could be easy causing the "rare gamer" to try to play it in the Hard Mode. Glasser also found the game likeable enough so that gamers who dislike the Final Fantasy VII series would try to play it. It also received good response by GameSpy
who stated it "is equal parts tribute and original, marrying classic design choices with refreshingly new techniques, harmoniously bringing together something old with something new." The reviewer also commented on Zack's character that although some players may dislike him, "you'll have to be pretty jaded for the character not to grow on you as you progress through the adventure." An overall score of 9 was given Videogamer.com who found its fighting system "addictive" and considered its CGI scenes to have a similar quality to the ones from the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Similarly, GamePro
gave it a positive review, calling it the "Best looking PSP title" and with praise on how it incorporates elements from the series and at the same time giving new aspects.
Notes have also been made on the game's relation with Final Fantasy VII, with 1UP.com
calling it one of best prequels and mentioning it "does a better job of putting players in FFVII's world than even the original game did." While Game Trailers stated that Crisis Core "doesn’t take the easy way out and photocopy the source", they found it, unlike Dirge of Cerberus, appealing. Computer and Video Games
mentioned that despite the game's main story can be seen in 12 hours, the side-quests make help to expand the time playing it. They further praised the battle system as "[it] never becomes tiresome" and the fact some of the weak points from Final Fantasy VII, labelled as "lengthy wandering, and an overlong centre", were not added to the game. Despite calling it the best Final Fantasy VII spin-off, Eurogamer
criticized that "for the twenty-six, twenty-eight, thirty-year-olds who it's aimed at, the game has little to offer beyond polished sentimentality." On the other hand, X-Play
gave it a 2/5 with complaints about the unskippable cutscenes, dialogue, gameplay, and plot. On April Fools' Day
, in response to criticism over their original review, they "decided to give the game a second look and give it a re-review, this time with a clear unbiased perspective", sarcastically dubbing over the original and giving it an impossibly high 6/5.
Crisis Core has also received awards by different publications. It was nominated by GameSpot for the "Best of 2008" awards, in "Best Story", "Best RPG Game" and "Best PSP Game" categories; it won "Best PSP Game of 2008". Crisis Core was also listed as the tenth best PSP game of all the time by IGN. Four IGN articles of the game were in "The Top 10 PSP Stories of 2008", with the review article being first. In IGN's Best of 2008, Crisis Core won in the categories Best RPG and Best Story for the PSP. Videogamer.com placed it fifteenth and fourth in their articles "Best Games of 2008" and "Top 10 PlayStation exclusives of 2008", respectively. GamePro featured it as one of the five games PSP gamers should play, one of the 31 best PSP titles in 2009, and as the seventh best video game prequel. Plays Samuel Roberts came to dub Crisis Core the best game of 2008.
Action role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
(action RPG) developed by Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
. First released in 2007, the game is a prequel to the video game Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
and is also the sixth installment in metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII is a series of games and animated features developed by Square Enix based in the world and continuity of Final Fantasy VII...
which includes products related to the game. The game mainly focuses around Zack Fair
Zack Fair
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He first appeared as a non-player character in the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. In the story, Zack is a late member from the paramilitary organization SOLDIER developed by the megacorporation Shinra Electric Power Company...
, a young member from the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
organization SOLDIER developed by the megacorporation Shinra Electric Power Company, who is assigned to look for the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos. As he continues his mission, he learns of Genesis' origin, Project G, and how it is related with two other fellow SOLDIER comrades. The game's storyline takes the player from the war with the Wutai to the events at Nibelheim, and right up to the time just before the Final Fantasy VII beginning.
Hajime Tabata was the game's director and Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
the game's character designer. Before starting development, the Square Enix staff thought they should make a PlayStation Portable port of the mobile phone game Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
is a Japanese action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original game to be produced by Square Enix exclusively for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA iMode line of phones on a monthly subscription basis...
, but after a discussion it was decided to make a different game. The plot is based on a scenario Kazushige Nojima
Kazushige Nojima
is a Japanese game scenario writer and is the founder of Stellavista Ltd.. He is best known for writing parts of Square Enix's Final Fantasy video game series—namely Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2—and the Kingdom Hearts series...
had in mind when working for Final Fantasy VII, while the gameplay was decided to be action RPG due to the fact only one character could be controlled. Ever since its release, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII has enjoyed good sales, selling over two million units worldwide. Critical reception to the game has also been positive, with reviewers praising some of its aspects.
Gameplay
Crisis Core is an action role-playing gameAction role-playing game
Action role-playing games form a loosely defined sub-genre of role-playing video games that incorporate elements of action or action-adventure games, emphasizing real-time action where the player has direct control over characters, instead of turn-based or menu-based combat...
in which the player controls the main character Zack through the game's storyline. During the main story of the game, the player moves Zack through and between open areas, allowing him to talk with non-playable characters, interact with the environment, or encounter monsters in battle. At any save point in these areas, the player may opt to take one of many side missions that are available; if selected, Zack is moved to a special area to complete the mission, usually to defeat one or more monsters. If the mission is successfully completed, the player is rewarded with one or more items, and often one or more new missions become available. Whether the mission is completed successfully or if Zack falls in battle, Zack is returned to the save point at the end. If Zack should fall in battle during the main story combat, the player will be forced to restart from their last saved game.
Crisis Core uses a slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
-like mechanic to affect the combat system. The "Digital Mind Wave" (DMW) features two sets of three spinning wheels; one set with numbers one through seven, and another with pictures of characters that Zack befriends during the game. The DMW automatically spins as long as Zack has at least 10 Soldier Points; Soldier Points are awarded to the player by defeating foes. If the DMW stops with the same three pictures lined up, Zack will then perform an appropriate Limit Break attack or ability that can greatly harm an enemy or significantly heal Zack. Additionally, in this case, if the number slots give two or more of the same number, the materia in that slot will power up. Should the numbers line up as "777", Zack will gain an experience level, increasing his health, soldier points, and ability points in combat. Otherwise, if there is no match on the pictures, matching numbers on the slots will still grant temporary bonuses in battle such as limited invincibility or zero-cost use of skills and abilities. The chance of matching pictures is tied to the current Limit level, which is raised by taking damage in battle and reduced upon successful matches, and after certain storyline events, through heightened emotions towards a specific character. After collecting certain items in the game, the pictures on the DMW may also randomly change to summonable creatures, which have more destructive and beneficial Limit Breaks should the pictures match up.
Following the completion of the game, the player will obtain a New Game Plus
New Game Plus
A New Game Plus is an unlockable video game mode that allows the player to start a new game after they finish the game at least once, where certain aspects of the finished game, such as experience or items, affect the newly started game...
option. The North American and European releases of Crisis Core have an added difficulty mode to the game which increases the power and health of the enemies in the game.
Characters
Crisis Core takes place 7 years before the events of Final Fantasy VII, and as such, many characters from the game and other related works appear in Crisis Core. However, the primary characters in the game are from either Shinra Electric Power Company's private armed forces dubbed SOLDIER, or from their covert branch of operatives called the Turks.The main protagonist and playable character of Crisis Core is Zack Fair
Zack Fair
is a fictional character from the Final Fantasy series by Square Enix. He first appeared as a non-player character in the role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. In the story, Zack is a late member from the paramilitary organization SOLDIER developed by the megacorporation Shinra Electric Power Company...
, a young and friendly SOLDIER. Zack's mentor and friend is Angeal Hewley, a 1st class SOLDIER. Angeal is friends with fellow SOLDIER members Sephiroth and Genesis, the latter serving as the game's primary antagonist. The SOLDIER operatives work under Director Lazard, the illegitimate son of President Shinra. Zack is also friends with the Turks, particularly their leader Tseng and one of their female operatives Cissnei. During the course of the game, Zack encounters and befriends Aerith
Aerith Gainsborough
— spelled Aeris Gainsborough in the English releases of Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy Tactics — is a player character in Square's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII...
, a young woman tending flowers from a ruined church in the Midgar slums, and also Cloud
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...
, a Shinra infantryman. Zack also encounters Dr. Hollander, a former Shinra scientist that is performing unethical experiments in secret.
Taking a few years before Final Fantasy VII, director Hajime Tabata explained he and the staff were aware of not altering the "fans' perception of Final Fantasy VII's iconic characters." However, they operated on the concept of "younger days," so that new elements could be added without changing the characters. Kitase was pleased with Sephiroth's role as he has a "much more human side". Takahiro Sakurai
Takahiro Sakurai
is a voice actor who was born in Aichi. He is a member of 81 Produce; his height is .Many of his roles are handsome men. However, he has also voiced reluctant heroes as well as the occasional villain...
, Cloud's Japanese voice actor, found his character to be more expressive and ordinary. The addition of Genesis was discussed between producer Hideki Imaizumi and the character's Japanese voice actor, Gackt
Gackt
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, actor, voice actor and author. Usually referred to by his mononymous stage name, he is known for his career as a solo artist and as the former vocalist for the defunct visual kei rock band Malice Mizer....
, as the former liked his inclusion in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
and he wanted to expand him more.
Story
The game starts off with SOLDIER 2nd Class Zack Fair on an airborne vehicle with order given from Angeal to take down all the Wutai soldiers that are disguising themselves in Shinra troops uniforms. SOLDIERs Zack Fair and Angeal are dispatched to Wutai to support Shinra in their war. In the outcome, Angeal disappears, and Zack is appointed to find the other missing SOLDIER, Genesis, in the town of Banora. Zack and Tseng find that Genesis and Angeal have betrayed Shinra, but are forced to retreat as the village is destroyed by Shinra. Upon Wutai's war ending, Shinra's armies, with Zack and Sephiroth are assigned to kill Genesis and Angeal. Genesis creates an army of copies of himself to attack Shinra headquarters with help from Dr. Hollander who has sworn revenge against Shinra. After the forces are defeated, Zack and Sephiroth track down Hollander's secret laboratory in a Midgar mako reactor, and learn that Hollander, had used both Genesis and Angeal as part of Project G, an early attempt to create soldiers infused with Jenova Cells. They are found by Genesis and Hollander, with the former facing Sephiroth and the latter escaping as Zack chases him. Zack is stopped by Angeal intent on keeping Hollander alive as he wants to find a way to return to be normal, and knocks him into the slums of Midgar.Zack recovers to find Aerith tending over him. After both spend some time together, Zack returns to SOLDIER headquarters which is being attacked by Genesis. On his way, Zack allies with Angeal who has hesitations about his actions. As Angeal, Zack and Sephiroth protect the headquarters, Angeal confronts Genesis, but both go missing once again. Zack is then ordered to investigate Modeoheim where Genesis has been spotted; en route, Zack meets Shinra infantry soldier Cloud, quickly becomes friends with him. Near Modeoheim, Zack encounters and defeats Genesis who then appears to commit suicide by throwing himself into the depths of a facility. Zack travels to Modeoheim and finds both Angeal and Hollander. Angeal mutates when attacked by copies of himself, and Zack is forced to kill him. Before he dies, Angeal gives Zack his Buster Sword, telling him to protect his honor. Zack, distraught over the death of his mentor, goes back to the Sector 5 church, where he is comforted by Aerith.
Sometime later, Shinra continues chasing Hollander who is protected by new Genesis' copies as the original is still alive. Zack returns to Midgar to protect Aerith after learning they also appeared there, and leaves her with an Angeal copy that seems to be protecting her. Zack travels with Sephiroth and Cloud to investigate a mako reactor near Nibelheim. While checking the reactor Sephiroth discovers from Genesis that he was an experiment, implanted with cells of the extraterrestrial Jenova. Genesis explains his body is degrading and needs Sephiroth's cells which avoid his body to degrade, but he refuses. A week later, Sephiroth sets Nibelheim's town ablaze and goes to the Mako reactor to take Jenova's body. While Zack fails to stop Sephiroth, Cloud throws Sephiroth into Mako, causing his body to disappear. Zack awakes to find that he and Cloud have become part of Dr. Hojo's experiments on Jenova cells and Mako exposure; while Zack is unaffected by the Jenova cells, Cloud is unable to move on his own. Zack helps Cloud to escape and they quickly become high priority targets for the Shinra forces. While fleeing, Zack learns that Genesis and Hollander, the latter has become a Genesis copy, are still trying to stabilize his mutation. As Cloud is the only one carrying Sephiroth's pure cells due to the experiments, they plan to use him.
Hollander tries to reach Cloud, but is killed by Zack. Zack then finds Director Lazard who, now inflicted as an Angeal clone, tried to ally with Hollander to exact his revenge on Shinra. Lazard directs Zack to the remains of Banora to find Genesis, while Zack leaves Cloud with him. Zack enters into a cavern exposed to the Lifestream where he encounters Genesis who heals his body absorbing it and tries to kill Zack. Zack manages to defeat Genesis and returns to the surface with him. There, Zack finds that Shinra attacked Lazard and Cloud but the former was able to hold them back at the cost of his life. The Angeal copy that guarded Aerith had come to fight for Zack and was killed. Zack discovers a note he had carried from Aerith, and learns he had been used as an experiment for more than four years. Zack takes Cloud to Midgar before Genesis is collected by two soldiers.
Shinra discovers Zack and Cloud on the barren terrain outside Midgar. Leaving Cloud hidden away, Zack fights off against an enormous number of Shinra troops, and is ultimately fatally wounded. Cloud manages to crawl to Zack's body after Shinra has left, and Zack, in his dying breath, bequeaths the Buster Sword to Cloud as Angeal had done to him. Cloud begins to walk back to Midgar, while Zack's body is taken to the Lifestream by Angeal. The epilogue recreates the opening scenes of Final Fantasy VII.
Development
The idea of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was conceived when Hajime Tabata was chosen as a director for an upcoming Final Fantasy title for the PlayStation Portable. After a discussion with Tetsuya NomuraTetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
and Yoshinori Kitase
Yoshinori Kitase
is a Japanese game producer and former game director that has been working for Square Enix since April 1, 1990. He is mostly known for his work on the role-playing video game series Final Fantasy and is currently the manager of 1st Production Department....
, Tabata decided it would be a game from Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, feeling that the pressure of producing a game from a popular series would motivate the staff and him. The original idea was to make PlayStation Portable port of Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
is a Japanese action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original game to be produced by Square Enix exclusively for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA iMode line of phones on a monthly subscription basis...
as it was released for mobile-phones and the staff wanted to expand its gamers. However, after deciding Zack was going to be the protagonist, the idea of a Before Crisis port was cancelled. The original idea of naming it "Before Crisis Core" was changed to "Crisis Core" without realizing it matched with the titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series (Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII was "BC", Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
is a 2005 Japanese computer-animated science fiction film directed by Tetsuya Nomura, co-directed by Takeshi Nozue, and produced by Yoshinori Kitase and Shinji Hashimoto. It was written by Kazushige Nojima and the music was composed by Nobuo Uematsu...
was "AC", Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
was "DC", and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII was "CC"). Kitase jokingly stated that the discussion to start Crisis Core took only two days. Regarding the pressure of developing a Final Fantasy VII prequel, Kitase wanted it to exceed the fans' expectations so he made sure that rather than making it as a "tribute" to Final Fantasy VII, it shared links with the other titles from Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. After Crisis Cores release, Kitase was surprised by the quality of its cut-scenes to the point it could be released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. He also enjoyed the game's ending, surprised by how Zack's story was like. The game's logo represents various of the main characters; The blue sky symbolizes Zack; The white feather is a symbol of Angeal; and the water represents Aerith.
One of the primary reasons Zack was chosen as its protagonist was that his fate was predetermined. Kitase stated that Zack's story had "been cooking for 10 years" as, despite being a minor character in Final Fantasy VII, Nomura and Kazushige Nojima
Kazushige Nojima
is a Japanese game scenario writer and is the founder of Stellavista Ltd.. He is best known for writing parts of Square Enix's Final Fantasy video game series—namely Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2—and the Kingdom Hearts series...
had already developed a conceptual artwork and a story, respectively, for him. One of the main background events from Final Fantasy VII, Nibelheim's destruction, was revised for the original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
(OVA) Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
, also abbreviated as Last Order or LO, is a 2005 Japanese anime original video animation produced by Madhouse and released by Square Enix. It was directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Masao Maruyama, Jungo Maruta, and Akio Ofuji. Tetsuya Nomura acted as the supervising director...
. Due to negative response by fans, the staff decided not to make the decisions they did in the OVA as the same event is despicted in Crisis Core. The game was meant to have more scenes about Zack and Cloud fleeing to Midgar to expand their connection, but it was removed due to UMD limitations, and the staff focused in Zack's work as a warrior.
Once it was decided Zack would be the protagonist, the story's nature avoided the staff to use a party of playable characters and instead use only Zack. Crisis Core was first envisioned as an action game, but due to the staff was more experienced in RPGs, they decided to modify it, making battles similar to the ones from RPGs. In order to make the gameplay entertaining with only one character, Final Fantasy VIIs battle system was added with action elements, resulting in the fact the game became an action RPG. The Materia system was designed so that players could choose between "RPG-oriented enhancements" and "action-oriented enhancements," as well as to expand the game's balance. Additionally, the Digital Mind Wave system (DMW) was added to give the gameplay an element of luck as well as to avoid the combats feel repetitive. Nomura and Kitase were mainly inspired by the pachinko
Pachinko
is a type of game originating in Japan, and used as both a form of recreational arcade game and much more frequently as a gambling device, filling a niche in gambling in Japan comparable to that of the slot machine in Western gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but...
in making it and although some fans complained about it, the element of luck was intentional in order to lead to different results in a battle. The staff initially found the gameplay to be hard to make due to its departure from traditional Final Fantasy style of multiple characters and fact it could not be "a pure action game." However, after receiving positive response by Japanese gamers, the staff thought they were doing a good work. By the time the game ended development, the staff realized they omitted the option of skipping cutscenes which they regretted.
The game was announced at E3 2004 before the release of the PlayStation Portable. Its first trailer consisted of clips from Last Order. In an interview for Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
, Nomura had stated that a playable demo of the game would be ready by the end of 2006. However, there was no mention of whether the demo would be openly available to PSP owners. By May 2005, Nomura announced that he already made the concept art of the game, while the gameplay was planned to be "interesting" and "previously unseen", expecting that its genre may not be an action RPG as first announced. In May 2007, both Nomura and Tabata revealed that the game was 90% complete, and that completing its story mode and all side quests would take about 100 hours to gamers. A playable demo was available at Jump Festa '06
Jump Festa
is an annual party or exposition in Japan, all about anime and manga, sponsored by Shueisha, creators of the various Jump anthologies. New movies, manga, games, and merchandise are introduced during this event...
.
Release
On September 13, 2007 Square Enix released a special edition bundle for Crisis Core. A special silver colored PlayStation Portable Slim and LitePlayStation Portable Slim and Lite
PSP Slim & Lite is a name used in the PAL territories to refer to the redesigns of the PlayStation Portable handheld game console released and manufactured by Sony Computer Entertainment. The same models were called simply PlayStation Portable in Japan and North America.At E3 2007, Sony released...
with Final Fantasy VII 10th Anniversary insignia on the back, on one side, designed by Nomura. As with many limited edition Final Fantasy VII-related releases by Square Enix, the bundle was limited to 77,777 units.
On December 17, 2007 it was announced that Crisis Core would be coming to the United States on March 25, 2008. If pre-ordered from certain retailers such as Gamestop, the buyer may receive a Shinra UMD case, depending on how long supplies last at each retailer and if pre-ordered from Best Buy, the buyer may receive Crisis Core with a metallic foil cover. Two versions of the game were released in Europe: a limited edition version only available online, and then only when pre-ordered. This limited edition version includes special slipcase packaging and a book of promotional CG artwork entitled The Art of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. In Australia and Europe, a bundle with the game and limited edition Crisis Core engraved silver PlayStation Portable was released on June 20. As with several games from the company, Square released on October 18, 2007, an Ultimania
Ultimania
This is a list of companion books relating to games developed and published by Square Enix. Starting with Final Fantasy III, Square began publishing guide books for its games which traditionally include additional content such as developer interviews and expanded plot and setting information...
guidebook of the title in Japan.
Audio
The game's soundtrack was released on October 10, 2007, covering fifty-five songs across two discs. The music was composed by Takeharu IshimotoTakeharu Ishimoto
is a Japanese video game composer, synthesizer programmer, and musician currently working at Square Enix. He joined Square Enix in 1999 as a synthesizer programmer on Legend of Mana, and worked for them on several games. In 2002 he moved to become a composer, beginning with World Fantastista...
, with a few tracks orchestrated by Kazuhiko Toyama
Kazuhiko Toyama
is a Japanese composer. Toyama is notable for creating music for Bikkuriman, Cyber City Oedo 808 and New Cutie Honey. He is sometimes credited as Kazz Toyama.-Music works:*Ai to ken Camelot: Mangaka Marina Time Slip*A Wind Named Amnesia...
. The soundtrack also includes remixes of various music from Final Fantasy VII composed by Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
and Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
Last Order: Final Fantasy VII
, also abbreviated as Last Order or LO, is a 2005 Japanese anime original video animation produced by Madhouse and released by Square Enix. It was directed by Morio Asaka and produced by Masao Maruyama, Jungo Maruta, and Akio Ofuji. Tetsuya Nomura acted as the supervising director...
, which was also composed by Ishimoto. The game's ending theme, "Why
Clap & Love/Why
"Clap & Love / Why" is the 6th single from Ayaka, it is her first double A-side single.-Overview:The single was released in three pressings, the first included a Final Fantasy Crisis Core sticker, the second came with a regular CD single and the third with a CD+DVD release renamed Why / Clap & Love...
", is performed by Ayaka
Ayaka
is a Japanese female singer formerly signed to Warner Music Japan. Born in Osaka, she moved to Tokyo to pursue a singing career. She married actor Hiro Mizushima on February 22, 2009.-2006:...
. The addition of "Why" was revealed by Square Enix in May 2007 while Ayaka stated she was fascinated by Crisis Cores story and she felt she "would like to deliver "Why" alongside Zack's fate to the hearts of many people." The single "Why" was released in Japan on September 5, 2007.
Reception
Crisis Core sold 350,000 copies in Japan on its release date, including the 77,777 Limited Edition PSP/Crisis Core bundles. Square Enix recently announced that Crisis Core was its best-selling game across all regions from April through September with 710,000 copies sold in Japan. Selling 790,705 units as of August 2008, it became the third best-selling game for the PSP in Japan. In March 2008, Crisis Core sold 301,600 copies upon its first month of release in the United States, behind the sales of God of War: Chains of OlympusGod of War: Chains of Olympus
God of War: Chains of Olympus is an action-adventure game developed by Ready at Dawn and released by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation Portable in March 2008....
, which sold 340,500 copies, making Crisis Core the second best-selling game for the PSP during the month of March and the sixth best-selling game overall. As of March 31, 2009, Square Enix announced that Crisis Core had sold 2.1 million units worldwide, with 830,000 of those sales coming from Japan. About 840,000 units of the game, including 550,000 in Europe, were sold during Square Enix's 2009 fiscal year. In response to the game's sales, Square Enix called Crisis Core their best PSP game from the year, calling it "an incredible success" with Doug Bone, Square Enix's UK sales director, labelling it as "the must-have PSP game of 2008."
Crisis Core has received generally positive reviews. At Game Rankings
Game Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
, the combined reviews for the game are currently 82%, while the score in Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
is of 83 out of 100. With individual scores of 9/9/8/9, the game received an overall rating of 35/40 points from Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
. GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
credited it as an "Editor's Choice", praising its storyline, the combat system and its presentation, also stating that "Crisis Core is an exciting and poignant journey that every fan of role-playing games should take." IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Ryan Clements praised its differences with other RPGs due to its focus on Zack's growth and his relationship with the SOLDIERs. He stated "Crisis Core is a great game and, barring a few minor issues here and there, will not disappoint." It also received a place amongst the "Editor's Choice" gallery of recommended games for the PSP platform. Despite being labelled as a "handy tool" by PALGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...
, the DMW system was also called the game's weakest point by due to the fact players cannot choose when to execute the Limit Breaks, increasing the game's difficulty in battles. On the other hand, GamesRadar
GamesRadar
GamesRadar is a multi-format video game website featuring regular news, previews, reviews, videos, and guides. It is owned and operated simultaneously in the UK and US by worldwide publisher Future Publishing...
's AJ Glasser stated that with the DMW system, the gameplay could be easy causing the "rare gamer" to try to play it in the Hard Mode. Glasser also found the game likeable enough so that gamers who dislike the Final Fantasy VII series would try to play it. It also received good response by GameSpy
GameSpy
GameSpy Industries, Inc., known simply as GameSpy, is a division of IGN Entertainment, which operates a network of game websites and provides online video game-related services and software. GameSpy dates back to the 1996 release of an internet Quake server search program named QSpy. The current...
who stated it "is equal parts tribute and original, marrying classic design choices with refreshingly new techniques, harmoniously bringing together something old with something new." The reviewer also commented on Zack's character that although some players may dislike him, "you'll have to be pretty jaded for the character not to grow on you as you progress through the adventure." An overall score of 9 was given Videogamer.com who found its fighting system "addictive" and considered its CGI scenes to have a similar quality to the ones from the film Final Fantasy VII Advent Children. Similarly, GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
gave it a positive review, calling it the "Best looking PSP title" and with praise on how it incorporates elements from the series and at the same time giving new aspects.
Notes have also been made on the game's relation with Final Fantasy VII, with 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
calling it one of best prequels and mentioning it "does a better job of putting players in FFVII's world than even the original game did." While Game Trailers stated that Crisis Core "doesn’t take the easy way out and photocopy the source", they found it, unlike Dirge of Cerberus, appealing. Computer and Video Games
Computer and video games
A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction with a user interface to generate visual feedback on a video device. The word video in video game traditionally referred to a raster display device, but following popularization of the term "video game", it now implies any type of...
mentioned that despite the game's main story can be seen in 12 hours, the side-quests make help to expand the time playing it. They further praised the battle system as "[it] never becomes tiresome" and the fact some of the weak points from Final Fantasy VII, labelled as "lengthy wandering, and an overlong centre", were not added to the game. Despite calling it the best Final Fantasy VII spin-off, Eurogamer
Eurogamer
Eurogamer is a Brighton-based website focused on video games news, reviews, previews and interviews. It is operated by Eurogamer Network Ltd., which was formed in 1999 by brothers Rupert and Nick Loman. Eurogamer has grown to become one of the most important European-based websites focused on...
criticized that "for the twenty-six, twenty-eight, thirty-year-olds who it's aimed at, the game has little to offer beyond polished sentimentality." On the other hand, X-Play
X-Play
X-Play is a TV program about video games, known for its reviews and comedy skits...
gave it a 2/5 with complaints about the unskippable cutscenes, dialogue, gameplay, and plot. On April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
, in response to criticism over their original review, they "decided to give the game a second look and give it a re-review, this time with a clear unbiased perspective", sarcastically dubbing over the original and giving it an impossibly high 6/5.
Crisis Core has also received awards by different publications. It was nominated by GameSpot for the "Best of 2008" awards, in "Best Story", "Best RPG Game" and "Best PSP Game" categories; it won "Best PSP Game of 2008". Crisis Core was also listed as the tenth best PSP game of all the time by IGN. Four IGN articles of the game were in "The Top 10 PSP Stories of 2008", with the review article being first. In IGN's Best of 2008, Crisis Core won in the categories Best RPG and Best Story for the PSP. Videogamer.com placed it fifteenth and fourth in their articles "Best Games of 2008" and "Top 10 PlayStation exclusives of 2008", respectively. GamePro featured it as one of the five games PSP gamers should play, one of the 31 best PSP titles in 2009, and as the seventh best video game prequel. Plays Samuel Roberts came to dub Crisis Core the best game of 2008.