Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Sony PSP

Final Fantasy VII was the game that made me want a PlayStation 1. I played Final Fantasy VII briefly after it was initially released at a friend's house, then my own copies later in college on both the PC and PlayStation 1. So when I ordered a PlayStation Portable (PSP) recently it seemed like a no-brainer to pick up a copy of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII as one of my first games. Having previously played and enjoyed the Kingdom Hearts games for the PlayStation 2, this game was the perfect choice for my first PSP game, and is the major reason I'm extremely glad I didn't pick up a PSPgo, and will continue to keep my PSP-3000 for as long as it works. Crisis Core tells the events that lead up to Final Fantasy VII (in fact ending with the opening of FF7), and I'll admit the story is pretty moving (Lost Odyssey was the last game to make me tear-up, and I didn't cry during FF7). The gameplay will be quite familar if you've played the PlayStation 2 Kingdom Hearts games, featuring a mix of real-time battles with RPG elements. Depending upon your preference for such things, it offers various simplified elements, such as the shop and leveling, which I think works fairly well. The game plays great on the PSP, offering fairly tight controls (movement via either the d-pad or stick), with great sound and video (as usual with Square (Enix), the CG videos are top-notch and they look great on the PSP). The game is UMD-only, and there seem to be no plans to make it available electronically. Compared to the other UMD game I've thus far played, Star Ocean: First Departure, the UMD seems to be read from fairly frequently, but loading times are fairly quick, and it's something that you can easily ignore. To completion, with a number of optional missions finished, I put in a little over 27 hours into the game, and will definitely be putting more hours in to get near 100% on the optional missions, and perhaps even another playthrough (via new game plus). On the default difficulty I died once or twice (excluding those times a Phoenix Down kept me going), and those were more from stupidity then anything else. Generally, I'd say the game is fairly easy, with some fights a little more difficult than others. Unlike Final Fantasy VII it seems to be a little easier to be a completionist in this game, but since the main area is pretty spread out, those of this type might get a little bored walking back and forth (unless they're following a guide). I give the game 5 stars of 5, as I found the game to be extremely enjoyable, and the amount of time put into it currently, and in the future, is vastly more than the price of entry. Recommended for fans of Final Fantasy VII, as well as those who enjoyed Kingdom Hearts on the PlayStation 2.

great game

This game is divine. I had it when it came out in 2007. And played it a lot out of my old psp collection. The game is of course a prequel to FFVII. It follows Zack, Clouds old friend/mentor?. This game of course is real time action and not turn based. It follows a linear story BUT there are side missions and places to explore around Midgar and the Slums. There are cameos of the protagonists of FFVII everywhere and origin stories. The game play is great although it will get a little dull after awhile. The soundtrack is nice and captivates surroundings and cut scenes well. The cut scenes are the pinnacle of the power the psp can bring, to screen the most HD images ever! There is materia to be found, bosses to fight, and little scavenger hunts to partake. I personally recommend this game because an average gamer wouldn't need to play FFVII yet. Like myself. Though I do own it now. Crisis Core is truly among the best games in the PSP era. It showed class and raised the bar for the handheld, before MGS PEACE WALKER. It is without a doubt a beautiful game to own. And the the sole message this game can leave a player is; "Embrace your dreams and protect your HONOR as SOLDIER." Five stars for this masterpiece. P.S. And wait til FFVII "REMAKE" comes out. You'll see why this game was worth it. And yes play the Original PS1 FFVII, its a timeless gem.

Arrived on time in the condition described (new). As for the game itself, there are some balancing issues in the combat system (normal is too easy, hard is too hard) but the game is still a very fun action-rpg that features a large, customizable materia system (different from Final Fantasy VII). The story is very sad; those familiar with FF7 will know the story's outline before starting, and will get more out of the story. Those not familiar with FF7 can still enjoy the game, as there is a new cast of characters and new plot introduced, however some parts of the story, and some characters, will not mean as much. Also, Aerith is in the game :) Edit: A lot of people complain about the DMW and random leveling up, and I just wanted to add that the leveling up is not completely random. A certain number of enemies/amount of SP must be earned, and then the next level becomes available on the DMW; that is, it's not completely random (the amount leveling up is still based on battles). It's just that the level up does not occur immediately upon reaching the required number/SP, instead leveling up becomes a possible outcome for the DMW. I hope that makes sense, it's kind of hard to explain.

First of all, I have not entirely beaten Crisis Core yet, so this review will be based on that. I'm sure most if not all of you know by now that Crisis Core is a prequel to the original Final Fantasy VII. Taking place 7 years prior to the original game, it follows the originally mysterious protagonist Zack Fair's time in SOLDIER. I'll start off by going over the good parts to the game. As you can expect out of a prequel, the high point to this game is its story. It adds a new level of depth to the Final Fantasy VII universe, introduces a few lovable characters, reunites you with some of your most favorite characters in the original game (albeit younger versions of them), and most importantly shines on Zack - who is potentially one of the best characters in the Final Fantasy VII universe. In general, the story keeps you going right from the beginning and gets better as you proceed through the game, turning you through several tragedies and revelations while still keeping an almost light-hearted mood simply from Zack's general attitude. Coinciding with the well crafted plot is a game with graphics and voice acting worthy of being a prequel to one of the highest rated RPGs of all time (whether or not that's deserved is a matter of opinion). The sound is gorgeous, from voice acting to music, and the graphics are powerful enough to be on the PS2. It brings a lot of life to this game. A new aspect to this game is the DMW, or Digital Mind Wave. While not exactly the most innovative or best limit break / leveling system, it is unique and entertaining. It basically works like a glorified slot machine constantly running in the top left corner of the screen during battles. Whenever the left and right images of the slot machine match, you enter "modulation phase." If any two numbers match, the materia equipped in the materia slot matching to the corresponding number levels up. If you by chance get a 7 7 7, Zack levels up. If all three images on the slot machine match, you perform a limit break. Contrary to what some say, leveling up is not entirely random. Supposedly there is an invisible EXP counter that keeps track of Zack's EXP and he levels up like a traditional RPG. However, as I've gotten 7 7 7 sometimes twice in one boss battle or even three times in one mission before, while other times going through over a dozen missions and not seeing it once. Therefore, I'd rather say that this invisible EXP counter influences the chance of Zack leveling up, but luck is a factor too. In all, the DMW is a neat system that works for Crisis Core and makes it fun, though I'm not so sure it'd work well in any other game. With all of this however, are a few problems. The first of this being missions. These work as you'd expect them; Zack is sent out (no matter where he is or how crucial of a moment you're in, as long as you're at a save point) on a mission to perform some sort of duty. In EVERY SINGLE MISSION, this relates to tracking down and defeating the lone monster on the screen (there are plenty of random encounters, but those are not visible.) With 300 missions, this gets really repetitive really fast. This is made even worse by the fact that there are I believe less than 10 maps you explore throughout all 300 missions. In general, the missions could've been made far more engaging and less repetitive. You could simply skip doing missions altogether, but completionists won't want to. As well, acquiring almost all summon materia as well as getting a few unique accessories requires completing some of them. The accessories/materia you get through treasures or as a reward is also a decent incentive, as these are oftentimes quite useful. The plus side is that these often take little time, so they can be done on the fly when you don't have a lot of time to play. Unfortunately, missions make up the bulk of the game - it's fairly short without them (~10 hours). Another large complaint is with the INSANE random encounter rate. I've found myself in a battle after walking simply one step before. A large chunk of them can be avoided by simply hugging all the walls, but the poor camera makes it hard to properly scan the area by doing so. If you don't, you can expect to be launched into battle after battle with little break. While those are my main complaints with the game, criticism could also be aimed towards the very generic battle system (typical of action games, though most try to throw in some gimmick to make it a little different - the most Crisis Core has is the DMW, which is not directly controllable). As well, the difficulty level of normal mode is incredibly low if you do most missions as they become available - I, for example, find myself able to kill all story bosses within 10 hits - while the difficulty level of hard mode is truly insane unless you choose it from a New Game+. Overall, it's a very engaging game and worthy of being called the prequel to Final Fantasy VII (though it's not even my favorite game in the series). There are just a few things that make it annoying. If you're a Final Fantasy fan, though, and looking for a great PSP game, then this one of the best options for you. It's easy to look past its annoyances after adjusting to them.

This game really changed my opinion of Zack. In the original FF7, he didnt seem to do much. In fact, his classification as "SOLDIER 1st Class" seemed exaggerated. Not anymore! His character really shines in this game. Plus, we really get to understand his relationship with Aeris (I spell her name this way coz thats the way it was spelled in the original FF7. I dont care how many times they try to correct me - this is the name I'll remember forever) and Cloud. The battle system will seem awkward at first. It is kinda like a cross between old-school RPG action-selection and real-time-action where you control the characters movements and dodging. It time however, the system becomes really natural. Another awkward thing that I found is the limit break system. Gone are the days where you charge up and select what limit break skill you wanna use. Now it occurs randomly. Even which limit break you use is random. However, limit breaks occur ALOT. Overall, the game is an instant classic. The storyline is stellar. When I finished the game, I had to recuperate the emotional heartache for a few hours at work. Thats how a good game is supposed to be.

Honestly, if you're already on the fence about buying this game then I think you should just get it, because the people who hate these things can usually tell by reading a summary of it alone. This game's engrossing personal involvement, unique blend of role-playing and action, and thoughtfully poignant storyline is an ineffably appreciated breath of fresh air from the millions of FPS about being a freaking US marine that seem to be infesting the gaming market. It's nice to see original games like this still being made; in my opinion RPGs are the only meaningful video-games one can dedicate time their to. Fans of FFVII will be in for a cherished treat with this one, and so will anyone else who is interested in a good storyline coupled with bountiful action and excitement. You can pour countless hours into this game (actually it counts them for you) and still not unlock and/or discover everything for many months, or you can power through it in a matter of days just to say you beat it. Either way, Crisis Core has a pace and content level for everyone from novice to veteran. This game has made it onto every top 10 PSP list since it came out for a reason- and I invite you to find out what that is.

The Good: Insane production values, real-time random battles are better, materia system is good, the DMW is odd but works The Bad: Pretty short for FF standards, lame side missions, combat is too simple If you've been holding out on a PSP (I don't know why you have), but here is another reason to buy one. CC offers and original game experience and, well, here's how. First off, people who HATE turned based RPGs can relax. We get a whole new real-time combat engine and no it's not like FF12's. When you engage in combat you can select attack, your materia (more on that later), and your items with the L or R buttons. You attack with X (combat is VERY simple and pretty easy). Now for the new original hate-it-or-like-it idea: The DMW. It looks like a slot machine up in the corner and this is how you choose your power attacks (overdrives), level up, and your Aeon. This is also random so it mixes up gameplay, yet for micro-managing freaks they will hate this. Each character's face is on the wheel and as you meet them they are unlocked. Each character has a special move either offensive or defensive and they are pretty neat. You also have numbers as well and for example if you get three 7's you level up. If you get two of the same number you level up your materia. Another thing, you don't have magic and all that anymore. Materia are things like Fire, Thunder, Vital Slash, and even Graviga. You also have AP now which is for materia like Vital Slash, Jump Attack etc. You can also fuse materia together to make different materia. This is really fun to do and there are TONS of combos and different materia too collect. There are plenty of enemy types so don't worry. Now for the story is picks up after the movie where you play as Zack (yes just one character through the whole game...yeah so...deal with it). You have to save the world from the evil Projects that people are doing and stop Genesis from taking over the world. While the graphics are AMAZING and the voice acting (first time in a FF game) is great you also get beautiful pre-rendered FMV's. Now for the issues. The DMW wheel is great and it's very fair on leveling you up (I finished at level 38) and balances your character very well for you. The combat is very simple with just a one button hit, block, and dodge. This could have been revamped more. The game is pretty short for FF standards. I beat the game in 17 hours and I did 15% of the side missions as well. Speaking of that the side missions get dull real fast. You access them through save points and it's just a "kill every enemy in the room" type thing and it's for getting more items. You can't get new weapons either...you're stuck with what you got. You also access shops through the menu at any time which is convenient but makes the game even more easy. Overall if you love FF you'll absolutely LOVE this. If you hate FF then try the game and I'm sure you'll like it now.

Llego antes de la fecha y además viene en muy buenas condiciones, muy bien por el vendedor

One of the best games for the PSP! Especially if you are a fan of the Final Fantasy 7 story, then this is a must have title.

セリフは英語のほうが自然でカッコいいです。とくにザック&エアリスの会話、スロット技も日本語にはない魅力があって楽しいです。唇も英語の発音に合わせており、日本語にはない表現が新鮮だったりします。 自分は英語は苦手ですが、アルティマニアオメガに日本語セリフが記載してありますし、ストーリーを理解していればゲームを進めるには支障ないです。 日本版CCの映像や言葉に飽きた方にはぜひ。

Guter Zustand. Alles in Ordnung.

My expectations were set at a pretty high standard considering the quality performance of products attached to this particular developer and it did not disappoint. This title was one of the many reasons why I considered purchasing a PSP again. I am quite satisfied with what I received and surprised on how fantastic the game looks and plays so many years later. A great number of games on the PSP have, and will continue to age gracefully over time, and this game alone proves that beyond all shadow of a doubt. Highly recommended for fans of Final Fantasy VII and for action RPG fans in general.