Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion | Proven the return of the beloved chapter
September, as we know, is the month of the Tokyo Games Show, with the videogame kermesse of the Rising Sun that catalyzes the attention of the videogame world year after year in this period, especially the one most linked and interested in Japanese productions . This year, the Japanese fair in particular is proving to be in better shape than expected, giving us announcements after announcements and also several not bad surprises. A magic that Square Enix has decided to bring to the old continent as well, by organizing the Square Enix Plays 2022 concurrently with TGS 2022, a well-organized event that has also allowed the European press to try out the entire Square Enix lineup that will accompany us. from here until the end of the year. Something that has seen us fly to London in recent days and which had as a main course, and not only for its decidedly high-sounding name, Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion. A title, that of Square Enix, currently scheduled for next 13 December and that we have finally been able to try, eager to experience first-hand the goodness of this re-edition of the prologue of the immortal Final Fantasy VII.
An optimized but not distorted gameplay
Our test with Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion allowed us to play an abundant half hour of the game, allowing us to finally see all the news and improvements made to the title originally released in 2007 on PSP. The first thing to say is that defining this work as a trivial remastered is definitely an understatement, just as bothering with the term remake would be extremely wrong. In fact, the work done by Square Enix goes far beyond the simple upgrade of some polygonal models and textures, improving, without exaggerating, even the overall quality of the title, making it more suitable nowadays also in terms of gameplay. Warning: certainly do not expect substantial changes or anything else, but a series of small but targeted filings designed to make everything more pleasant and modern. - th_gamedivision_d_mh2_1 slot id: th_gamedivision_d_mh2 "); }Very interesting is for example the fact that the various enemies that we will face in Crisis Core, including the imposing Ifrit that has practically closed our demo, have powerful special attacks, capable of annihilating us in a single shot. To be able to unleash them, however, they will need a loading period, in which they will remain exposed and it will be possible to target them heavily, perhaps hitting them with some technique that exploits their weaknesses. All this, in addition to obviously causing damage to the opponent, also allows you to weaken the potential of the special move or, why not, even cancel it. A dynamic that makes certain situations even more interesting, in which we find ourselves perhaps forced to decide whether to exploit the opponent's momentary immobility to limit their future offensive or perhaps to reorganize, heal and, why not, even recharge with an ether.
The DMW system, that is Digital Mind Wave, returns, always remaining on the level of gameplay, also in this re-edition of Crisis Core. For those who do not know what it is we are talking about a sort of slot machine, located at the top left during the fights, which continues to extract different combinations, giving us passive upgrades and the possibility of unleashing powerful attacks. The release of the famous 777, on the other hand, allows Zach to move up a level. Although based on interesting ideas, such as the bond that is created in the course of the title between Zach and various characters and which determines the power of the bonus obtained, the DMW remains as it was now something very particular and not always easy to read. that would probably have deserved a profound rethink. As mentioned above, and as Square Enix has repeatedly stated, Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion wants to re-propose the original experience in a modern way without upsetting it. And, in this sense, the choice to keep the DMS as it was is certainly consistent and absolutely defensible. Fortunately, the introduction of the possibility of skipping the animation of the Limit Break performed by the player is excellent, thus reducing downtime and avoiding having to see the same animation dozens and dozens of times.
One deserved new look
The main improvements have been reserved above all to the models of the various characters, which have been heavily revised and made worthy of a title coming out in 2022. Zach, Angeal, Sepiroth and we also assume the other great protagonists and antagonists of the game, they have in fact been excellently recreated on a technical level and would not disfigure absolutely even within Final Fantasy VII Remake. Even the secondary characters, npc and various opponents have received an excellent treatment, albeit not at the level of the aforementioned Zach and company.
In general all the settings and textures of Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion have, however, obtained upgrades and improvements on a technical level, making everything more beautiful to see. Unfortunately, there are still some textures that are not exactly at the top, which betrays the original nature of the work, as can be seen in the backgrounds of tropical Banora, but the overall work is still of a very good level. Less appreciable, however, seem to be the animations and, above all, the expressiveness of the characters outside the fighting, with such elements that betray the age of the game.
