Ever Crisis is the new remake of the cult classic, but what does it really bring to the table?

How many reactors do they have to explode in Midgard? You could almost, almost say that Square Enix creates three reactors for every one that Cloud and the rest of AVALANCHE reduce to scrap and rubble. And yet, there are still new stories and great excuses to return to Final Fantasy VII and in the process, keep it as epic as it is interesting. Like, for example, discovering for the first time the journey of a young hero named Sephiroth.

Developed by Applibot for iOS and Android devices, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis (FF7: Ever Core) dares to synthesize everything already shown, interspersing the classic aesthetic with which Cloud debuted on the original PlayStation with the modern one of PS5 and PC and, in the process, combining all those parallel stories between both games. Contributing to the fan new pieces to a puzzle under construction that many of us finished.

That’s great, but back to basics: What is FF7: Ever Core? Or, rather, how a new remake of the 1997 game fits into everything that’s already been released and what’s yet to come. If we get strictly pragmatic, it is an RPG for mobiles that bets on an episodic model and that will bet on the free-to-play. Two terms that will make many old-school gamers (and fans of the game) FF7 original) begin to raise their eyebrows.

However, and despite the fact that it is a full-fledged remake of the original that will be released in parallel to the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, Rebirth and the third title to be shown; FF7: Ever Core A return to the roots of the Square saga and everything that has been lost over the years is also curious. Starting with the very same turn-based combat.

FF7: Ever Core, a remake in which the new and the classic converge

Since its presentation, in February 2021, FF7: Ever Core has assumed what we all have thought to a greater or lesser extent: Is there still room for another remake of Final Fantasy VII? What’s more, that same phrase, expressed in the form of a resounding affirmation, is the engine behind the initiative.

The first thing that stands out is that FF7: Ever Core It does not commit to a visual style, but to bring the already known ones to its terrain: we will be able to see that detailed and stylized aspect of the Cloud that we saw in the 2020 game, but also a comprehensive update and review of those big-headed heroes with whom we explored the game of the first PlayStation. Gaining new nuances in both cases.

With that ahead: FF7: Ever Core It does not contradict either the Remake or the original, and it does not opt ​​for one or the other. We will see the same scenes reimagined for the occasion.

• At the playable level, and as detailed, we will have an aerial view and chibi characters during exploration or certain cinematic sequences.

• While in battle we will have a more dynamic camera and modern designs. Of course, the combats are the same as the originals, but much more visual and comfortable.

Applibot brings back turn-based combat from Final Fantasy VII classic through a mobile adapted version of the system Active Time Battle, in which a new layer of depth is given to the development of the combats and recurring elements such as the use of matter (as it should be), the summons and that ‘limit breaks’ system from the original game are recovered. Accommodating the interface, yes, to management by touch screen.

However, what is truly suggestive is that on this occasion the set of already known elements has been accommodated to a new way of enjoying them episodicly, by chapters and even allowing us to intersperse between the different stories, events and adaptations of Final Fantasy VII.

• From the start, from the main menu we can choose between numerous game events and other productions, including Final Fantasy VIIFinal Fantasy VII: Advent Children, Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII- and the recently removed Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier.

• But it is also that each of these incursions into what we can call -badly and quickly- as the multiverse of Final Fantasy VII (a little later we will clarify) and their parallel stories are presented as chapters and missions that will make us advance and, from time to time, they will drop different rewards.

As we mentioned, the great premise of the game is that FF7: Ever Core is to offer content in a serialized manner and offer them periodically. Expanding the game at your own pace while replaying the big events we’ve already known (or haven’t known yet). However, the most peculiar thing is that in the process also the door opens to new stories.

Square Enix confirmed that in FF7: Ever Core unprecedented events would be revealed within the already extensive legacy of Final Fantasy VII in video games. Anticipating that we will participate for the first time in a new plot that will reveal to us a transcendental part of Sephiroth’s past (or Sephirot, if you prefer) and, in the process, unifying and expanding the great background project: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

What is the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII Initiative

Before, we have referred in an illustrative manner to the entire set of projects and initiatives created around Final Fantasy VII like a multiverse. Being more specific, and according to its own, Square Enix the initiative is a metaseries and it goes beyond what is seen on consoles and PCs. What’s more, the metaseries has its own name: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

Although, throughout the main Final Fantasy saga we have seen how remakes, remasters and direct sequels have been produced without colliding too much with the originals -with some exceptions- the original objective of Compilation of Final Fantasy VII was to expand the universe created for the 1997 video game in various ways, including new titles, novels, films and more experimental formats.

The funny thing is that it is not something new: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII started more than 20 years ago (in 2003) with the announcement of the film Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children, anticipating the arrival of four video games and a feature film. Yes indeed, FF7: Ever Core It is neither the last game, nor the penultimate one of which we are aware: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and the Remake trilogy pin will continue to expand the initiative.

Does that mean that all the games in which Cloud or Sephiroth appear are part of the meta-series? Absolutely. Games like Kingdom Hearts or Super Smash Bros. are parallel productions not connected to Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.

That being said, it is a great initiative that added to the rest of productions in parallel -and without being clear about what Square Enix has on its hands- puts us ahead of more than a dozen works.

Will the initiative end here? Well, we have reason to assume that Square Enix will offer new revisions to the Final Fantasy Remake trilogy for the uncertain future.

The Ultimate Final Fantasy Review?

So,FF7: Ever Core Is it a compilation of the best moments or a remake? The reality is that it is still early to reach that conclusion: we know that we will be able to jump from the menus between the different raids of the metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII and, from there, chapter by chapter, we will have a general vision of what happened to them. Without overlapping, and that is the essential, neither the charm of the classic nor the ambition of the remakes.

We know, and this is crucial, that FF7: Ever Core will be free with paid options. It has been established Speaking to Famitsu from Nomura himself that these payment options have to do with obtaining items and cosmetic elements for the game, and unless the plans change, the way in which we will get these special items, or at least several of them, is random through loot boxes. That is, the controversial loot boxes.

The monetized item is basically loot boxes that contain random weapons. Some of the special weapons also come as a set that includes new outfits that weren’t in the original games, adding a new way to enjoy the story that you haven’t seen before.

In fact, in the trailers and in-game screenshots we’ve been able to see some of these examples, including Cloud in samurai armor and three colossal katanas.

The underlying idea, according to Square Enix, is to offer an RPG experience in which fans of Final Fantasy VII and those who have not yet played any of the games in the meta-series can enjoy and delve into everything created. In fact, it is no secret that the Japanese giants (including Nintendo) are committed to bringing their sagas to mobile phones so that they serve as ambassadors for games or larger productions on consoles and PCs.

In a way, the raison d’être of FF7: Ever Core with, two parts of Final Fantasy VII Remake announced and the 1997 classic re-released on all systems, has a lot to do with this idea.

In any case, not everything that touches Final Fantasy VII Goes Gold: Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier servers were shut down in 2022 after months of finding their own space in the crowded mobile battle royale market. It will be interesting to see to what extent this ambitious return to the origins of the 1997 classic and its expansion into the meta-series achieves its own depth.

Because it is undeniable that, despite bravely assimilating being a new remake of Final Fantasy VII from your own ad, its release comes at a great time for fans.

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