If you didn't have a PSP, chances are you missed out on playing Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, a smaller, but complementary addition to the FF7 mythos. But fear not, its remake has just been announced, giving longtime fans the chance to step in the shoes of the lovable Zack Fair as he uncovers the various secrets within Shinra Electric Power Company.
While what's old will be new once again, it's a good time to look back and think about the things we want to see in the remake that we loved in the original. Whether you want to see all the old characters (including Genesis), jam out to the old music, or test your luck with the slot system, the OG Crisis Core deserves a revisit.
10 Genesis Revisited
The character of Genesis hasn't been the most well-received, considering he brings a soft retcon of certain events of the game, and brings more questions than answers. Genesis was created in collaboration with the J-Rock superstar Gackt and had initially been slated to be a small cameo, but Hideki Imaizumi, the producer of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7, decided that Genesis needed to be expanded specifically because of Gackt's involvement.
They planned every detail of Genesis' design and personality to make sure he fit within the world of Final Fantasy 7. After everything was released, players found him to be an awkward addition as well as not feeling fleshed out enough. This remake creates the perfect opportunity to do exactly that.
9 The Soundtrack
Few things about Final Fantasy are more well-known than the quality of music in each of their games, and Crisis Core is no different in that regard. While Crisis Core has remixes of some classic tracks from FF7, it tends to shine once it steps into its own music, made primarily by Takeharu Ishimoto, who did the score for The World Ends With You.
The game's title track is "Why" by Ayaka Iida. It's a song filled with melancholy emotions, and it's almost as if the song is saying its goodbye to the audience as much as it is to Zack and the people he cared for, and to us.
8 Reintroducing The Summons
In Crisis Core, there were only five summons in the game, a fraction of what could be found in the original game. It makes sense, considering it was a smaller game. But now that we're getting an upscaled console version, there's no telling who we're going to see. The original summons were Ifrit, Bahamut, and his Fury iteration, Odin, and Phoenix.
Seeing 'new' summons in the game like Leviathan, Titan, or maybe even Kujata would be a great addition to the summon roster. Though, Knights of the Round should be kept to the bigger title between this and Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.
7 The Trio's Blooming Friendship
Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth supposedly had a long and deep friendship before Crisis Core, but as far as the audience could see, there wasn't much. A curse of being told about it versus seeing it makes the audience do the heavy lifting of imagining the dynamic between the trio.
Reunion would benefit from letting the audience see the chemistry of the three while simultaneously seeing it being torn down slowly from the inside with the events in the game. It's unclear why that decision was made, especially considering that both Angeal and Genesis weren't a part of the FF7 mythos until this entry. They've made a good show of Zack and Angeal's relationship and ultimate separation, so why not the trio?
6 Test Your Luck
When you think of Final Fantasy's combat, you often think of turn-based fights with a little RNG mixed in. Crisis Core, however, adds a slot machine mechanic and ties it to your limit break move sets, so once you match two of the same faces, all combat stops, and you have to wait to see if you get a third matching face. If you are lucky, you'll get a match that will trigger Zack's limit break.
Each limit break is different depending on whose picture you land on. While great in theory, it leaves a lot of the combat choices out of your hands, including summoning. Yup, that's right. Summoning was left up to RNG, so you had to hope it played out in your favor. Even with all of that said, the slot system deserves to stay in the new version, just needs a few tweaks to it to make it great.
5 Playable Sephiroth
Yes, he was technically playable in the original, but it was such a small snippet of gameplay that it felt too short, and we didn't get much characterization of Sephiroth before his revelation and acceptance of Jenova outside some dialogue. Maybe there's a chance to dive into his mind and way of thinking as he unravels his truth; there's been so much time spent on his apathetic and evil nature, that exploring his humanity would be a strange, but satisfying journey if it were pulled off right.
Of course, someone who decides to murder an entire planet and all its inhabitants to turn it into an enormous spaceship doesn't necessarily need to be humanized or sympathized with, but to watch his descent into madness from his point of view would be interesting.
4 More About Minerva
Lifestream incarnate, Minerva is a goddess-type being who had no physical form in the main game. Knowing she isn't in the main game is kind of a setback for her though, particularly those who have played the original, as she is never mentioned again. Not in lore, not in the game, not even a single NPC recognizes anything involving Minerva. It's almost as if she only existed that one time.
She is a god, for all intents and purposes, so it's possible it isn't written in the stars to know more about who she is, to remain an enigma for others to discuss and theorize. Still, there's a chance she might get expanded on, if not here, maybe in another game?
3 Cissnei's Mysteries
A member of Shinra's Turks, Cissnei has a reserved personality but cares for those around her. Outside of being an orphan and raised by the Turks, there isn't a whole lot of information about her past. Not even her real name.
Her arc within Crisis Core is cut criminally short and for being a prominent character in keeping Zack hopeful, you would hope she gets the fleshing out she deserves. Reunion is a huge opportunity to fix the wrong that is Cissnei's shortened arc.
2 Zack And Aerith
Though their relationship didn't have a chance to blossom further, their love story shone brightly in the underbelly of Midgar. After falling into her flowerbed, Aerith and Zack grew close after going on a date that, like their relationship, was cut short too early.
Letters have gone unread, and feelings left unsaid, Aerith is left to carry on her feelings for years after he disappeared. They deserve all the time in the world, but we all know that it's not meant to be, so at the very least there should be more than just one date. Can we at least get five dates and three walks before they have to separate? The tears will flow in 4K.
1 Cloud And Zack's Friendship
A bond made in the throes of survival, Zack and Cloud had formed an informal mentor/mentee relationship after a failed assassination attempt by Genesis' forces. Both being from small towns, the two quickly grew to become best friends. Cloud had looked up to Zack, as he was a SOLDIER who was respected.
Sadly, as with most things in Crisis Core, their relationship came to an end. Zack did all he could to save Cloud's life, and in that sense he did. The cost was too great though, and Zack lost his life, but not before passing off his hopes, dreams, and legacy to his best friend Cloud. Most say that it's here that Cloud lost his identity and became what he thought SOLDIER, and indirectly Zack, should be. But what if in his loss, is where he received and carried a piece of Zack's soul until Cloud was strong enough to come to his senses of his own (with another big dose of mako poisoning)? The part of him that thought him Zack held him together while his consciousness needed to heal. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy Reunion will hopefully tie it all together.