Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionintroduces fans to several ofFinal Fantasy 7’s main characters, including Cloud, Sephiroth, Aerith, and Tifa among others. The game serves as a prequel toFinal Fantasy 7and was originally released in 2007 exclusively for the PSP. It tells the story of young SOLDIER recruit Zack Fair, as he carries out missions alongside Sephiroth at the behest of the Shinra Electric Power Company. Along the way, he meets young versions of Cloud, Aerith, and even Yuffie. Based roughly on the character’s ages, it can be ascertained thatCrisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reuniontakes place approximately seven years before events inFF7.
The unprecedented popularity ofFinal Fantasy 7saw the game turned into its own franchise known asThe Compilation of Final Fantasy 7, which included several other video games and even a couple of movies too. Arguably thoughCrisis Coreproved to be among the most popular of these other projects and went on to become one of the PSP’s most celebrated exclusives. The game’s narrative, while primarily focused on Zack, serves an extremely important purpose by shedding more light on both Cloud and Sephiroth’s backstories.WithFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthdue late next year,Crisis Coreis an essential part of the series' lore, and understanding where it sits withinFinal Fantasy 7’s timeline is of crucial importance.
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Crisis Core’s Characters are at Earlier Stages of Their Journeys
DuringCrisis Core’s story, Sephiroth is still a powerful and respected member of SOLDIER, seen as a hero for his actions during Shinra’s conflict with Wutai in a long, drawn-out war. He is an authoritative figure and is someone who Zack looks up to and aspires to be like.The Sephiroth fans know fromFinal Fantasy 7is a far cry from the character ofCrisis Core, at least at the start, and seeing a different side to him is a refreshing change. During the game’s climactic chapters, players get to experience his descent into madness firsthand.
WhenZack meets a younger Cloud, the latter is just a recruit, full of enthusiasm and in total awe of both Zack and SOLDIER itself. Lacking any of the stone-eyed confidence and indifferent temperament that fans have come to associate with Cloud, players are instead shown a side to him that has rarely been seen. The events ofCrisis Coreobviously take a heavy toll on Cloud, and getting to see them from this perspective really helps players to be able to connect and empathize with his character, explaining what exactly happens with his mental health.
Yuffie is just a child when Zack first meets her too during theShinra- Wutai conflict, though, unlike Cloud, she certainly isn’t lacking in confidence even at such a young age. Aerith is 16 when Zack plummets through the roof of her church from the Number 5 Reactor above. He clearly makes an impression on her, even convincing her to become a flower peddler, and the two share a budding relationship that gets cut tragically short following Zack’s capture and eventual death at the hands of Shinra.
The history of the famous Buster Sword is even revealed, with Zack inheriting it from his mentor and fellow SOLDIER Angeal Hewley, before passing it on to Cloud prior to his own death. Events such as this, as well as Tifa’s introduction and an in-depth look at SOLDIER and Shinra during what were considered to be their prime years, makeCrisis Core’s place on theFinal Fantasy 7timeline integral to the overarching narrative.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunionis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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