Product Description

Seven years prior to the events of FINAL FANTASY VII The Shinra Company is rapidly increasing its influence through its monopoly on mako energy and military might. With the burgeoning city of Midgar as its base and symbol of prosperity, Shinra is on the verge of establishing absolute dominance over the world. SOLDIER is a group of skilled combat operatives within Shinra. The elite within the group those strong enough to be deemed SOLDIER 1st Class are respected and idolized by the citizenry. Zack is a young SOLDIER 2nd Class who aspires to become a 1st. He spends his days carrying out assignments under the guidance of his 1st Class mentor, Angeal. During an operation in Wutai, a large number of SOLDIER members, led by 1st Class operative Genesis, go missing. The severity of the situation prompts Shinra executives to deploy even more SOLDIER operatives in hopes of bringing an end to the war with Wutaiand conducting an investigation into the mass desertion. The ones assigned to the mission are Zack, Angeal, and the 1st Class hero who is known the world over as Sephiroth... What truths lie behind Genesis's disappearance? What secrets bind the three SOLDIER 1st Class operatives? For Zack, a cruel and fateful struggle awaits...

• Complete the FINAL FANTASY VII experience and reunite with the most recognized RPG characters created by world-renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura
• Witness stunning graphics, inspiring visuals, and gorgeous CG cut scenes coupled with top-notch voice acting in a 16:9 widescreen presentation, made possible by the PSP system hardware
• Innovative D.M.W (Digital Mind Wave) system enhances the action-packed, engaging, real-time battle system, allowing players to unleash special attacks or call upon iconic Final Fantasy summons
• Take on challenges with the all-new Hard Mode developed exclusively for the North American audiences
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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2100 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: Square Enix
• Released on: 2008-06-20
• Platform: Sony PSP

Product Features
•Complete the FINAL FANTASY VII experience and reunite with the most recognized RPG characters created by world-renowned character designer Tetsuya Nomura.

•Witness stunning graphics and gorgeous CG cutscenes coupled with top-notch voice acting in a 16:9 widescreen presentation, made possible by the PSP system hardware.

•Innovative DMW (Digital Mind Wave) system enhances the action-packed real-time battle system, allowing players to unleash special attacks or call upon iconic FINAL FANTASY summons.

•Take on challenges with the all-new "Hard Mode" which was not in the original Japanese release.

•Acquire unique accessories, items and abilities made available through 300 side missions to further enrich the gameplay experience.

Manufacturer's Description
CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII-, the highly anticipated entry in the Compilation of FINAL FANTASY VII, takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed FINAL FANTASY VII saga in an all-new action-packed experience. Developed exclusively for the PSP system, CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- marks the return of the celebrated game world that mesmerised many millions of gamers around the globe. With inspiring visuals, full 16:9 widescreen presentation and an engaging battle system, fans and newcomers alike can experience the world of FINAL FANTASY VII from an all-new perspective.

Customer Reviews

A Contrasting Opinion
If I may offer a different view for potential buyers interested in this game, I'll try to be quick.

As a large and long time fan of FFVII (my first FF experience) I was sorely dissapointed to find that the weakest aspect to this game was the story. Three factors contibute to this fault: horrendous dialogue; over the top cheesy US voice acting; and character motives that have no real understanding behind them. It creates a frustrating and at times offensive experience, particularly for those that enjoyed and cherish characters realised in FFVII.

Surprisingly the main draw for me, and the reason I score this game so highly, is the gameplay in here. I wont specify the mechanics but suffice to say it is a great offering and will quench your needs whether you want a long sitting or a quick fix on the bus to work- you will get hooked.

The star of the show (for EU gamers only) is the hard mode, which really turns the story mode and the side missions (all 300 of them) into a real challenge right from the start. I relished this challenge right till the end as it really kept the combat interesting throughout my 30+ hours with Crisis Core.

The music, while well produced, is at times relentlessly repititous and considering most of it is heavy metal/ techno hybrid buzz it really can get dull after time or even right off the bat depending on your personal tastes. Battle sound effects are top notch, however environmental noises are virtually non-existent.

To conclude, Crisis Core's shallow story will no doubt appease younger fans and satisfy those who found Advent Children to be the best thing sinse sliced Sephiroth. However, disregarding the excellent gameplay- which I believe warrents a purchase for action/ RPG fans- those who regard the franchise dearly should perhaps approach this game with caution, as there will no doubt be fans who wish that the game that started it all had remained as a single classic.

Comments are valued,

Cheers.

Really disappointing
I'm at a total loss as to how anyone can give this five stars? The graphics are impressive and the game has obviously had some money and time thrown at it. Awful, cheesy voice acting aside (please can we have an option for Japanese voices in future, or to just turn them off?), the game is brought down by the battle system. Considering you'll be spending most of your time fighting, the whole concept is disappointingly shallow. Fights consist of you running around and mashing your X button. That's it. There's not even some kind of timing system for combos as in Phantasy Star Online - that's right, the battle system is even more repetitive than in that series! Levelling up is also random for some bizarre reason...
Don't believe the hype, save your money for something worthwhile - this tries to be an RPG and an action game and fails on both counts.

Best game on PSP
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is undoubtedly the best game on the PSP, especially so if you played and made the connection with the original FFVII. The story is brilliant, giving a lot of extra back story behind Zack Fair, Cloud's first real friend in Shinra and add's a lot more depth to the ever-enigmatic character of Sepiroth. The graphics, for the PSP, are incredible; easily the best looking game i've seen on the system. In all honesty, at some moments you look at the scenery around you and it is truly breathtaking - i've seen worse looking 360 games.
The combat system, though, is very different from the original game, and takes a bit of getting used to - but only a little but. the learning curve is fairly gentle and the combat and customisation is so intuitive that you can be as involved or as removed as you like and still do quite well.
This game is really a must have for any FFVII fan - great story, great graphics, intuitive combat and brilliant customisation; in other words, exactly what you'd expect from a Final Fantasy game.