Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion has lots to offer with its impactful, heartwrenching story, unique combat, and the ability to use the beloved world of Final Fantasy 7 to bring back fan-favorite characters, locations, and even Summons. Even with Summons being locked behind the randomized DMW system, they're still exhilarating to obtain and call upon in a time of need.
There are five Summons in Crisis Core, all of which bring something different to the table, allowing you to demolish your foes if you are fortunate enough to roll their portraits during combat. While obtaining all Summons in the game can take some time, it will be more than worth the effort as they can significantly push the tides of battle in your favor.
5 Hellfire - Ifrit
Ifrit is the first Summon you gain access to in Crisis Core and is a devastating force of nature from the beginning of your journey to the bitter end. However, despite the firey and destructive punch Ifrit's Hellfire packs, it is the weakest Summon in the game and has the lowest damage output out of the five total you can obtain.
The one benefit to Summoning Ifrit is his Hellfire deals significant fire damage to all enemies while ignoring their Spirit Stat, essentially removing any magical defense they may have. Unfortunately, Ifrit isn't the only fire-based Summon in Crisis Core, and the other beats him out quite convincingly. Still, at the end of the day, Ifrit is a remarkable Summon that can help you secure a victory when called upon.
4 Megaflare - Bahamut
Next in line is Bahamut and his Megaflare attack, a staple of the Final Fantasy series and one that is just as destructive as it is cool to watch unfold in front of you. However, due to there being an enhanced version of Bahamut later in the game, it falls a bit shorter than you might expect. That's not to say the default Bahamut is terribly by any stretch, just that the other is that much better.
Like Ifrit, Bahamut ignores the enemy's Spirit Stat, allowing it to unleash pure magical damage on all targets in the area. Moreover, Megaflare does significantly more damage than Hellfire, making it the clear better option if you were actually to have one with the DMW system. Nonetheless, Bahamut remains a solid Summon in Crisis Core, just as it would in any other Final Fantasy title, so pulling it from the quirky DMW roulette wheel will never be a bad thing.
3 Exa Flare - Bahamut Fury
Speaking of the ultra-enhanced Bahamut, let's get into Bahamut Fury and how absolutely devastating its Exa Flare attack is, as it has the rawest magical damage in the game, aside from one other Summon we will get into a bit later. Furthermore, the cutscene that plays when calling upon Bahamut Fury's power is incredible to watch and will be hard to skip, no matter how many times you see it play out. It is phenomenal to see it align itself with the moon and planet to punch a hole through the moon and obliterate the earth with its laser.
Whether you pull Bahamut or Bahamut Fury from the spinning wheel of chaos is up the chance, but both will help you tremendously either way. Still, getting regular Bahamut over this one does feel underwhelming, especially after seeing just how much damage Exa Flare does, especially considering it also waves your target's Spirit Stat and essentially nukes them from orbit.
2 Rebirth Flame - Pheonix
Despite doing considerably less damage than both of the Bahamuts, the Pheonix Summon is a literal lifesaver and dishes out more than decent damage while also granting you Raise, allowing you to get back up if you were to fall in battle. Like the others, Phoenix's Rebirth Flame ignores the enemy's Spirit Stat, allowing it to light them and the entire arena ablaze, ignoring their magical protections and delivering a potentially fatal blow.
Phoenix may not have the best damage output for a Summon, but it still offers more damage than Ifrit, making it stand on its own even late into your journey. It being a support Summon also works wonders, making it come in clutch during the more formidable boss encounters or near-impossible side missions that may be giving you trouble in Crisis Core's endgame.
1 Zantetsuken - Odin
Finally, we have the coolest, most badass, and incredibly brutal Summon in Crisis Core, Odin. This Summon is in a completely different tier in terms of damage, thanks to its Zantetsuken ability applying the Instant Death Effect on all opponents in the arena, having him slice them in half with his flaming sword after he rides in on his horse in style.
Despite a select few enemies being immune to the effects of Instant Death, Odin's Zantetsuken remains the ultimate Summon that will almost always end your current encounter. Bosses, formidable groups of enemies, you name it, and Odin will likely be able to cut them in half and secure your victory. Now, if you can, please excuse us. We're going to watch his awesome cutscene again.