Square Enix has discussed the choice to revisit Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII with the imminent release of Reunion, as well as why the firm chose a remaster rather a full-fledged remake.
The RPG initially appeared on the PSP in Japan in 2007, then in the United States in 2008. Square Enix hasn’t done anything with the game since then.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is not a remake
When asked whether now is a good moment to revisit Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, creative director Tetsuya Nomura told Press Start:
“Remastering Crisis Core has always been something we’ve wanted to accomplish and have spoken about doing.” But there were a lot of unknowns with the Final Fantasy VII Remake project, both in terms of time and project direction. So, now that Final Fantasy VII Remake is out and we know where everything is going, we thought it was a good moment to announce Crisis Core Reunion.”
Yoshinori Kitase, the game’s executive producer, also explained why Square Enix opted to make Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion a remaster rather than a remake like Final Fantasy VII.
“With the Final Fantasy VII Remake, we’re rebuilding the Final Fantasy VII plot and experience from the ground up, which is a massive endeavor that’s also time intensive.” And with the kind of roadmap that we have in mind for the three titles that will be included in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, we felt that remastering Crisis Core was the best way to keep those main three titles coming out at a good pace while not overextending the project and keeping players waiting. That way, we can guarantee that the Final Fantasy VII remakes are provided to players in a timely manner while also providing the Crisis Core remaster between Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
And with the Remake and Zack, I believe if you’ve played it, you’ll see that Zack has become a more prominent figure. There’s more emphasis on him, so bringing Crisis Core into the mix was something we really wanted to accomplish.”
Apart from that, producer Mariko Sato said that Square Enix is “really recreating the original Crisis Core, thus there are no new plot aspects.” However, there will be additional “adjustments and upgrades that we made to the overall gaming experience.”
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion will be released this winter for Nintendo Switch.
