Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has plenty to offer as a remaster

videogameschronicle.com:

As remasters go, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is one of the more carefully considered examples. To make a title originally built for the PSP feel at home on current generation machines, Square Enix hasn’t merely given it a HD facelift; it’s significantly updated visuals, audio and even a few game mechanics.

The result is a kind of halfway house between the flashy production values of Final Fantasy VII Remake, and the compact ambitions of the 2007 game. For the most part, that makes for an agreeable compromise, although some remnants of the original translate better than others in the jump from handheld play.

For the uninitiated, Crisis Core acts as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII, following the adventures of Zack Fair, a character who only featured briefly in flashback in the main game. As a member of Shinra Corp’s elite military unit, SOLDIER, Zack’s fortunes intertwine with those of Cloud and Sephiroth, the hero and villain to come.

Yet Crisis Core is more of an action game with light RPG elements than a full-blown RPG, with Zack charging into battle alone to hack away at monsters and evildoers with his oversized sword.

Reunion doesn’t change any of that, but first impressions certainly disguise that this was once a PSP game. The main character models, for instance, have been replaced with fresh ones that could pass for their Remake counterparts if you squint, and you’ll notice that menus and tutorial tips have the same stylings as the 2020 game.

Combat has also been spruced up and immediately feels much more dynamic. The camera holds closer to the action and is now fully controllable, while Zack shifts around as if he’s been charged with extra power himself, his blade combos landing with zest and ferocity.

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