If there's one thing Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion has, it's the weird DMW slot machine battle system. But if there are two things it has, the other is memorable quotes. Now, whether they're good quotes is another matter. The game's script is cheesy to some, emotional to others, and cheesily emotional to the rest of us.
Here at TheGamer, we make lists like bakers bake bread. We're proud of it. But we're not going to make a list of the best DMW combinations. We could, but we won't. We will, however, publish this list of best quotes in Crisis Core: FF7, because quotes are eminently rankable. Enjoy!
7 "Yes, for real." -Sephiroth
One of Crisis Core's best tricks is its ability to show us more of the Sephiroth before his revelations in Nibelheim brought about the villain we know so well. The original Final Fantasy 7 gave us a brief look at this period of his life, but only in the day or so leading to his moral downfall.
This opportunity affords Sephiroth the chance to let loose a bit. He's still, at his core, recognizably the man he becomes. But when Zack says "For real?", hearing some true snark out of the guy who will one day summon an actual meteor to destroy the planet is just too good. "Yes, for real." It's like he's saying, "I can talk this way, too." Okay, boomer.
6 "When I was a kid, I always wanted to have wings. You know, like an angel." -Cissnei
Crisis Core loves its cheese, and there's nothing cheesier in its story than the profoundly unsubtle symbolism behind various characters sprouting wings. They've become monsters! It's horrible! But the feathers are like a bird's. Is becoming a monster, in truth, some form of freedom? What is freedom? The price is steep! (More on that later.)
There's sincerity in the way Cissnei delivers this line, though, and it's critical in how it affects Zack's own outlook on the issue. Cissnei just doesn't see things the way Angeal does at all. (By the way, Angeal. Like angel! Symbolism!) Her quote here could be construed as ignorant sweetness, but we see it more as someone finding the best in a situation that can easily be misconstrued as monstrous.
5 "Don't worry, we're paid much better than you are." -Tseng
Tseng is already a well-proven professional leader among well-proven professionals by the time we meet him in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, and he wears it on the sleeve of his perfectly-tailored business suit. His attitude toward Zack, 'the puppy' as he's known to be, is precious. Mild irritation mingles with amusement here. He knows how to get a rise out of Zack, and he wields it nearly as well as his gun.
When Zack asks if the Turks always have to deal with such fun fare as corpse cleanups and the like, Tseng doesn't refute it. They totally do. But the chance to gently mock the young SOLDIER operative is gloriously seized, leading to one of Zack's many 'wait, what?' scene-ending clinchers.
4 "You're a little more important than my sword... but just a little." -Angeal
We don't get to see much of Angeal's mentor side before his well-timed vanishing act at the end of Chapter One. But it's good that we saw it at all, and the writing manages to make the most of limited time to give Zack's idol several nifty scenes showcasing their chemistry.
Further into the story, we learn that Angeal's fabled Buster Sword is greatly important to him. Hence, this quote of his is sincerer than it appears. Yet, not unlike Tseng, Angeal can't help but crack puppy Zack's goofiness a bit on occasion. As far as Zack knows at this point, being 'a little more important' than the sword is surely in jest. It's just some sword... right?
3 "The sky is closer in the city above, right? Kinda scary, but the flowers might like it...maybe." -Aerith
This line, in and of itself, is fine. It flows together like any number of Aerith's other musings in Crisis Core, which is to say, again, just fine. The interesting angle is far more recent than the game itself. The very last line in Final Fantasy 7 Remake pertains to Aerith missing the 'steel sky'. It's like poetry. It rhymes.
But seriously, whether intentional or otherwise (and we're guessing it's the former), Aerith's fear of the world above the city being echoed this way is pretty spectacular. Diving into why she feels that way, especially in Remake, causes the whole thing to click. There's safety down there despite its obvious dangers. Beyond the slums, uncertainty awaits — blended fearfully with the distinct certainty that dark times are ahead.
2 "Even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return." -Genesis
Say what you will about Genesis, and by say what you will, we mean just go ahead and quote any line from Loveless, because we all know it's about 80 percent of what he says. But the silky-smooth delivery almost makes us believe the play exists in real life. Most of Genesis' recitals are relatively uninspired, leading to a fair bit of dislike toward him as Crisis Core's antagonist. But there are some winners.
What we love about this line is that it tidily sets up Genesis' return. Of course, there's a difference between concept and execution here. Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 only followed up on this by revealing his would-be corpse is scooped up by Deepground members, and in the secret final scene of Dirge of Cerberus, we see the dude prepping his glorious not-forestalled return.
Nothing's come of it. But what if it ties into the Remake series in some fashion? We're sure that wouldn't go over well with some fans, but at least it'd deliver on his poetic promise.
1 "Boy, oh boy, the price of freedom is steep." -Zack
And then there's this. How could we not include it? How could it not rank ahead of the rest of them? If there's one thing Crisis Core nails, it's the ending. Sort of a prototype for Final Fantasy 15 in that regard, isn't it? Weird thought, that. But we digress.
All of Crisis Core's themes, cheesy though they are, culminate in this single quote. Zack reflects upon all that talk of freedom, continuing to embrace it to the very end of... things. Let's just say 'things'. It's the epitome, the most frequently-referenced dialogue tidbit in fandom. It's become one of Final Fantasy's most bitterly beloved moments. Godspeed, sweet puppy.