In 1997, Square Enix released one of the most critically-acclaimed JRPGs ever made, Final Fantasy 7. Final Fantasy 7 was a massive success for the company, with its popularity spawning numerous spin-offs, movies, and other media revolving around the game, its lore, and characters.
Square Enix has released a number of Final Fantasy spin-offs over the years, ranging from mobile games to PSP prequels. These spin-offs often provide more context for some of the characters and events in the original Final Fantasy 7, and so some are definitely worth seeking out for diehard FF7 fans.
For those wondering what they can play and what they can't, here are all the Final Fantasy 7 spin-offs explained.
Before Crisis (2004)
Only ever released in Japan, Final Fantasy 7: Before Crisis is a mobile game and prequel to the main Final Fantasy 7 storyline. Its main purpose is to provide more content about the Turks, the villainous group that works for Shinra in the main Final Fantasy 7 game and serve as some of the main boss fights in the early parts of both FF7 and 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake. While the Turks are some of the antagonists in Final Fantasy 7, they are actually presented as the protagonists of this game, with players taking on the role of the Turks as they work for Shinra and fight against the AVALANCHE eco-terrorist group.
Even though Final Fantasy 7: Before Crisis was never released outside of Japan, it has gotten attention in western markets, and has earned quite a bit of praise for its story and gameplay. Quality mobile games were hard to come by in 2004, but Final Fantasy 7: Before Crisis can be considered one of the better mobile games of the era. It featured action-RPG gameplay instead of the traditional turn-based gameplay from the base Final Fantasy 7 game and also featured multiplayer, so its willingness to take risks with the established formula was also commendable.
Unfortunately, Final Fantasy 7: Before Crisis was shut down in 2018, so it's not even accessible in Japan anymore. However, it seems as though Square Enix will be repurposing its story content for the Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis game that is aiming to release on mobile devices in 2022.
Dirge of Cerberus (2006)
Square Enix continued to experiment with what a Final Fantasy 7 game could be with 2006's Dirge of Cerberus. However, Dirge of Cerberus went in a completely different direction, mixing RPG elements with third-person shooter gameplay. The latest game in the Final Fantasy 7 timeline, Dirge of Cerberus is set three years after the events of the main game, and it mainly focuses on optional party member Vincent Valentine who has to stop a group called Deepground from summoning a monster that could wipe out all life on the planet.
Whereas Final Fantasy 7: Before Crisis was relatively well-received by Final Fantasy fans, Dirge of Cerberus was not quite as popular. Many critics took issue with the way it tried to appeal to both shooter fans and RPG fans, as it failed to satisfy either group. Even so, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 did earn some praise for its storyline and its status as being the last game in the FF7 series chronologically makes it of particular interest.
Crisis Core (2007)
One of the most notable games that's exclusive to Sony's PlayStation Portable handheld, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 is arguably the most important Final Fantasy 7 spin-off game to date. It features the story of Zack Fair, a hugely important character in the Final Fantasy 7 timeline, and serves as yet another prequel to the main game. It's set roughly during the same time as Before Crisis, featuring some of the Turks from that game, but mainly focuses on the SOLDIER organization.
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 is yet another Final Fantasy 7 spin-off game that focuses on action-RPG gameplay instead of turn-based combat. It also earned quite a bit of critical acclaim at the time of its release and is generally considered one of the better games that released for the PSP. It provides a lot more context to some of the events in Final Fantasy 7, and helps to further flesh out fan favorite characters like Aerith, Cloud, and the villainous Sephiroth.
Considering the popularity of Crisis Core and its story, it's a bit surprising that Square Enix has kept it as an exclusive for the PlayStation Portable. However, the game's story will be revisited in the Ever Crisis mobile game, though the action-RPG gameplay will be replaced with a more traditional turn-based system.
G-Bike (2014)
In Final Fantasy 7, there is a segment where players use a G-Bike to fight enemies and speed down a highway. The scene is one of the most memorable from the early parts of the original Final Fantasy 7 game, and it was impressively recreated in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Square Enix evidently thought that the G-Bike mini-game deserved a game of its own, and so it released Final Fantasy 7: G-Bike for mobile devices in 2014.
Fan reaction to Final Fantasy 7: G-Bike was largely negative, and unsurprisingly so. After all, it had been seven years since the last time a Final Fantasy 7 series game had been released, and so many were hoping for something more substantial. The lack of interest from series fans saw Final Fantasy 7: G-Bike shut down in 2015, making it yet another Final Fantasy 7 spin-off game that's completely inaccessible. However, there were no important story beats in G-Bike to worry about, so at least fans aren't missing out on anything like that.
First Soldier (2021)
There are more Final Fantasy 7 spin-off games in active development, likely brought on by the success of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. The first will release later this year for mobile devices in the form of Final Fantasy 7: First Soldier. A Final Fantasy 7 battle royale game, Final Fantasy 7: First Soldier is set about 30 years prior to the events of the main Final Fantasy 7 game. And as its name implies, it's about the SOLDIER program.
Ever Crisis (2022)
The Final Fantasy 7 timeline is a long and winding one, with some parts of the story stuck in games that are no longer accessible by fans. For this reason, Square Enix is recreating the Final Fantasy 7 story in bite-sized form, allowing players to get the full gist of the plot without getting a time machine to play games like Before Crisis. Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is a mobile project that will released chunks of the Final Fantasy 7 story in episodic installments, retelling the stories with a turn-based combat system reminiscent of the original Final Fantasy 7. It remains to be seen how fans will react to yet another Final Fantasy 7 mobile offering, but we'll find out next year.