Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion‘s release date is just around the corner and the reviews are now available. It should be noted that all the reviews on Metacritic are for the PlayStation 5 version as it seems that was the platform Square Enix chose to give reviewers. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion currently has a Metascore of 77 on Metacritic based on 45 critic reviews (6.43pm UK time). Here’s a sample of some of the reviews to give you a general idea what reviewers thought of the refreshed version of the 2007 original PlayStation Portable game.
“However, not all of Crisis Core Reunion’s grinds have aged quite as well. For starters, the game has far too many random battles. At times, I found myself sprinting with Zack pressed up against the game’s walls to avoid being in the centralized areas that trigger them. Additionally, Crisis Core Reunion has a lot
of side missions. Considering the game was originally created to exist on a handheld console, it is understandable: Each of these missions last for a few minutes and would be ideal to play through if you have a few spare minutes while out and about. Removed from that context when played on a console, these missions are not as satisfying. And, considering how similar they are even if the background stories are slightly different, they quickly grow repetitive.”“Ultimately, if you go into Crisis Core Reunion expecting a one-for-one remake of Crisis Core, quirks and all, you will not be the slightest bit disappointed. It is a greatly improved version of a great game, one that all Final Fantasy VII fans eager for more story would benefit from playing. While you shouldn’t expect any new content or story revisions (sincere apologies to all of you who were hoping, I’ll admit I was too), you can expect a powerful ode to the kindest man you’ll ever meet and the legacy he passed on.”
“It’s bitterly disappointing that Crisis Core Reunion doesn’t let us see new sides of Aerith, Tifa, Tseng, or Rude. One could argue that just seeing them is enough for Final Fantasy 7 fans playing Crisis Core Reunion for the first time – regardless of whether they are new to this universe following the release of Remake, or simply didn’t have access to a PSP in 2007 – but in a post-MCU world, where characters are thrust into productions as walking, talking advertisements for the next big thing, it’s disheartening that appearances from Tifa and Aerith amount to little more than one-note cameos, particularly with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the near horizon.”
“Crisis Core Reunion is a fascinating look into the Square Enix of the past, meshed with Final Fantasy 7’s current trajectory in the Remake saga. Zack might be a dunce, and the early ’00s-era script fails him miserably, but he’s utterly loveable by the game’s end, far outshining Final Fantasy 7 stalwarts like Aerith, who mostly seem present for their cameo impact. The retooled combat system is Crisis Core Reunion’s most impressive upgrade, an elegant and electrifying system that’ll always keep you on your toes with smooth Digital Mind Wave implementation. Given Zack’s inevitable role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Crisis Core Reunion is an essential part of the overarching Remake saga, even if the writing does hold it back.”
“|If you’re a Final Fantasy 7 fan then the nostalgia bait is effective, and the ending is almost worth it all, but the dialogue is weak even by 2007 standards. While this is the first time it’s all been voice-acted, there’s only so much the actors can do with a script this wooden and inarticulate.”
“There never has been much point in play Crisis Core unless you’re already a hardcore Final Fantasy 7 fan, and without that level of interest the gameplay is exposed as a shallow, repetitive husk. And that is one aspect of the game that has not changed at all in the last 15 years.”