After it stopped getting major entries, few thought that the Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 would come back. Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s references to other parts of the collection like Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 and Advent Children came as a surprise, as did the mobile title Ever Crisis’ intent to remake all of it in classic FF7 form. Then Square Enix shocked fans again by announcing Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, which releases in 2022.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is an unknown quantity right now. The subtitle "Reunion" was expected to be used in the FF7 Remake trilogy, not what is essentially a spin-off. Fans suspect that something new has been added to the end of the game that will tie into the main Remake titles. Its release window could mean that it's relevant for the upcoming Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but whatever the case, Crisis Core fans are glad that the game is being resurrected and polished into its ideal form. Crisis Core: Reunion will have a host of upgrades that place it over the PSP original, and fans are hopeful that it will feel like a whole new experience.

RELATED: Where Crisis Core Takes Place in the Final Fantasy 7 Story Timeline

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion Updates Its Presentation

Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion Combat

The most obvious changes Crisis Core: Reunion makes are to its visuals and audio. All the assets and lighting are changed to be more in-line with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It is still recognizable as an altered PSP game, especially during cutscenes, but the effort going into it is far greater than the average remaster. Special effects have been updated, and it seems like assets present in FF7 Remake are being used in Reunion. The summons and enemies in particular may share less-detailed models, with attention paid to ensure that this game will be able to scale down to Nintendo Switch.

On the sound front, new background music arrangements have been created by Takeharu Ishimoto. The voiceover has also been re-recorded with actors from FF7 Remake slotting in where applicable. This is a fairly high level of investment on its own, but Crisis Core: Reunion goes even farther and dubs all the dialogue that previously had no voice acting. This means Yuffie, Aerith, Tifa, and other characters will receive more impactful scenes in this iteration. The one complaint that fans have is that Zack Fair's new voice is more nasally than the original. This may be a result of the actor getting directed to sound young during early parts of the game, so hopefully it will smooth out as the plot moves forward.

RELATED: Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth - Everything the Subtitle Could Refer To

Crisis Core: Reunion Has Altered Gameplay

The new UI of Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion

One burning question that fans of the original Crisis Core have is how the gameplay will be different. While it was not a bad action game, there was a lot of jerkiness in the movement and randomness as part of the Digital Mind Wave (DMW) system. The camera was also barely under the player's control, something that Crisis Core: Reunion will be using modern controllers' extra joysticks to fix. In a tweet, Square Enix confirmed that camera and character movements will be optimized along with the UI, enabling the smoothest gameplay experience possible.

As for whether anything mechanically has changed, not much has been revealed. The DMW acting as a dual slot machine with numbers and character faces is still present, as is a mood indicator for Zack. With movement being polished, there may be various small changes to the combat that hardcore fans can dig into once the game is out. Some major changes are known about. A menu has been integrated into the combat, possibly inspired by Final Fantasy 7 Remake. While Crisis Core does not have the same ATB system as FF7, it should still allow players to pause the action and select the moves they want. FF7 Remake's shortcut menu, a feature borrowed from Kingdom Hearts, will likely also make a return.

Possible New Story Elements in Crisis Core: FF7 Reunion

final-fantasy-7-crisis-core-timeline

What remains the biggest mystery of all is how Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion will interact with the greater story of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Things like voice actors and designs being brought back to Crisis Core raise a lot of suspicion, and the reveal trailer even shows a CG cutscene has been altered to give Zack the FF7 Remake’s Buster Sword design. With so many changes, it feels almost certain that something new has been inserted into the game.

The most common theory is that something teasing Zack or Genesis’ involvement in the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be tacked onto the finale, possibly in place of the original secret ending. The subtitle “Reunion” hints at new developments, as the term holds a lot of weight in the context of Final Fantasy 7. It's unlikely that the iconic final battle sequence will be changed, but a look at FF7 Remake’s Zack might be in order. The introduction of Deepground in Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade means that any interactions Genesis has with them won't come out of nowhere. Roping that game’s secret ending into Crisis Core could avoid the need to release a full Dirge of Cerberus remake. Whatever the case, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion is bringing more than just a fresh coat of paint to Crisis Core, and the community will have its hands full unraveling its mysteries once it comes out.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion releases winter 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: 7 Things You Might Have Missed In The Reveal Trailer