Last month, Square Enix held an event for Final Fantasy 7's 25th anniversary that shed new light on the future of this specific entry of the series' future following 2020's hugely successful Final Fantasy 7 Remake. One of the biggest surprise announcements was for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, a remaster of the 2007 prequel developed for the PlayStation Portable. While many elements in the reveal trailer hinted that this remaster would be more related to the recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake than its original counterpart, Square Enix has now clarified that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will not introduce new story elements.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is a remaster of the 2007 PSP prequel that appears to combine elements of the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 series with the recent Final Fantasy 7 Remake series, which will continue in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The original game follows Zack Fair, a member of a paramilitary group named SOLDIER, as he searches for his missing associate, Genesis Rhapsodos, alongside fellow soldiers Sephiroth and Angeal. Crisis Core was originally directed by Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata, with a story from Final Fantasy 7 and Advent Children writer Kazushige Nojima.
Following the release of its original reveal trailer, fans were quick to notice many changes in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion seem to bring the original game more in line with the Remake series, such as the newly revamped art style and gameplay systems, redone voice acting featuring the cast of Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and the redesign of Zack's Buster Sword to resemble Cloud's in the remake. In a newly released interview with IGN however, producer Mariko Sato claims that all the core elements of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, including its story, are grounded within the original work.
Despite this, Crisis Core Reunion is being developed to be accessible to fans of the remake with reworked gameplay systems that make it play more like the 2020 PS4 game. For one, Limit Breaks will always be accessible to the player once they are charged up, not locked behind the roulette-styled Digital Mind Wave mechanic. Zack's combo attacks can also be linked together, helping him play more closely to the cast in the PS4 game.
All the game's textures have been completely remade, and it will run in Unreal Engine 4 similar to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Unlike the remake, however, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will be a multi-platform title, including a Nintendo Switch release.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will release this Winter for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.