Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. The game was first released in 2007, and serves as a prequel to the 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII. It is part of the metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, which includes other products related to the original game.
The game primarily focuses on Zack Fair, a young member of the paramilitary organization SOLDIER, who is assigned to look for the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos. As he searches for Genesis, Zack discovers Genesis' origin, Project G, and its connection to the high-ranking SOLDIERs, Sephiroth and Angeal Hewley. The game's storyline spans the war between the megacorporation Shinra and the people of Wutai to the events in Nibelheim, ending just before the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.
The game was directed by Hajime Tabata, with Tetsuya Nomura serving as creative producer and character designer. Before development, the Square Enix staff initially planned to make a PlayStation Portable port of the mobile phone game Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, but after discussion, they decided to create a new game instead. The plot is based on a scenario Kazushige Nojima had in mind when working on Final Fantasy VII.
Crisis Core enjoyed strong sales, selling over two million units worldwide. Critical reception was generally positive, with praise for its story but mixed responses on its combat system. A remake of the game, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, was released on December 13, 2022. Its storyline will be recreated in the mobile game Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis.
