February is a huge month for both Square Enix and Final Fantasy fans alike with the release of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth just around the corner. Square Enix is having a sale on Steam just in time for the FFVII Rebirth release and the Lunar New Year.

Final Fantasy is a franchise that has captured the hearts of many since 1987. Over the years the games have become available on multiple platforms and have finally made their way to PC where fans can play some of the older games like the original Final Fantasy VII or some of the newer games like Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin. Now a lot of these games are on sale with some really good discounts that players will want to take advantage of.

Related: Final Fantasy 7 Characters That Belong in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department

All Final Fantasy Games on Sale for the Square Enix Lunar New Year Sale

The good news is all games are anywhere from 40% to 65% off for the Lunar New Year Sale on Steam. The sale will go on from February 5 to February 12. Not every Final Fantasy game is on sale but some of the fan favorites are.

Other Final Fantasy Games Currently On Sale

There are a few Final Fantasy games that are on sale but are not a part of the Lunar New Year sale. These contain smaller percentages off but are worth a look nonetheless.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII is full of emotionally expressive, insightful, and admittedly extra characters. Love them or hate them, there is no denying they would fit right in in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.

After Taylor Swift’s announcement of her upcoming album during the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, we’re officially back in Taylor Season. Set to hit on April 19, just a month after Final Fantasy VII Rebirth hits stores, it’s a cosmic collision. And the theme could not be more fitting, too: The Tortured Poets Department. Since neither TS nor FF are big on celebrity appearances or collaborations, I don’t expect we’ll be seeing any official crossover soon. Still, nothing is stopping us from having our own safe space to discuss which Final Fantasy VII characters would belong in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department album.

Related: Who Cares How Cait Sith Is Pronounced, He’s The Worst FF7 Character

Barret: Some Kind of Loaded Gun

Barrett is the man with a gun arm and a fiery spirit. I wouldn’t blame you for disregarding him as a battle powerhouse. But you have to admit his strength as a character doesn’t come only from his ranged support. He’s impulsive and has a knack for propelling the story forward, all fueled by his outspoken hatred speeches against Shinra. But beneath the tough exterior lies a man haunted by a tragic past. 

Forget the eco-warrior facade; Barrett’s fighting a personal vendetta against Shinra, the jerks who wrecked his town and livelihood and offed his wife. He is living his reputation era, aflame with desires for revenge.

The way in which Barret pours out the pain, the anger, and the guilt in Final Fantasy VII would fit right in with Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department album. 

Yuffie Kisaragi: Fearless Era

If it weren’t for Taylor Swift’s redemption arc, we wouldn’t have her crowned 2023’s Person of the Year. Every day, Yuffie Kisaragi gets called annoying by some rude fanboy. If they could, they’d go up a stage in the Golden Saucer, interrupt her mid-cutscenes, and say, “Yo Yuffie, I’m really happy for you. I’ma let you finish, but Sephiroth just had one of the best cutscenes of all time.”

But should you give Yuffie a chance, you’ll watch her character unfold into a multi-layered tale of optimism, resourcefulness, and ninja shenanigans. Yuffie Kisaragi dances through the narrative with a mix of mischief and heroism, proving that beneath her thieving exterior lies a poetic tale waiting to be explored. There has never been a character more deserving of a spot in Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department.

Roche: “All’s fair in love and poetry.”

Roche is a motorcycle maverick in Final Fantasy VII Remake, but you likely don’t remember him as a speed demon. Instead, you probably remember how he constantly professed his love for Cloud and acted like their duel was a date in Olive Garden. 

His overzealous and flamboyant entrances are nothing short of dramatic. Each line seems meticulously crafted to sound like it came out of a play. Roche isn’t just a one-trick pony with a killer bike; he’s a two-wheeled poet at heart. 

RED XIII: A Cat Poet 

Red XIII is our four-legged philosopher, the unsung poet of the party in Final Fantasy VII. I know what you’re thinking, but let me assure you they’re not just here because of Taylor Swift’s obsession with felines.

Amidst the chaos of technocratic greed and Avalanche’s rebellion, Red XIII takes a chill pill and views the world with a more objective, humane lens. He’s the yin to Shinra’s yang, representing a spiritual Native American vibe, fighting against the invasive force of technology and modernity. 

In Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department, there’s definitely a seat all saved up for Red XIII, the poetic beast with a philosophical feast.

Jessie Raspberry: Taking Romeo and Juliet to the Next Level

Jessie is a bomb-maker, an actress, and a go-getter in Final Fantasy VII. But mostly, she’s a hopeless romantic. From the first minute we meet her, she latches onto Cloud and tries to somehow make him fit into her idea of theatrical love. 

Just like Taylor Swift, she is the Mastermind behind most operations against Shinra, and in this love play, she has created for her and Cloud. I just know she would be part of Taylor’s Squad and most definitely earn her spot in the The Tortured Poets Department.

Vincent Valentine: A Daydream Dressed Like a Nightmare

Is there any character as unnecessarily edgy and overdramatic as Vincent Valentine? Crippled by guilt and torment, Vincent joins the party not as a chatterbox but as a silent observer. He speaks when it matters, making his contributions as measured as a haiku in a world of verbose soliloquies.

His brooding and mellow energy screams Evermore, but he’d make all the songs 10-minute versions for absolutely no reason. I’m sure Taylor Swift would love to welcome this walking anime trope into The Tortured Poets Department.

FF7 Rebirth is continuing the story of the FF7 Remake series, which means that Cait Sith is due to appear as the Gold Saucer returns to the story. Cait Sith’s reappearance has kicked off a debate among the fans about his name, but it really shouldn’t have because his name is mud, as he’s the worst character in Final Fantasy VII.

We won’t get into FF7 spoilers here (that’ll happen further below), so to keep it brief and spoiler-free — Cait Sith is an animatronic cat robot that controls a massive Moogle doll, which it rides into battle. The party first encounters Cait Sith in the Gold Saucer, who offers to read their fortune as the party is tracking Sephiroth through the region. Cait Sith joins the party and fights alongside them in battle, with the cat and Moogle acting as one.

Related: FF7 Rebirth: Everything New in the Latest Trailer

Square Enix Dropped A Pronunciation Bomb On The Fanbase

FF7 was a PlayStation 1 game, so it lacked any voice acting, which meant that fans had to spend years interpreting the pronunciation of Cait Sith’s name. Cait Sith will be playable in FF7 Rebirth, so the characters must say his name, answering the debate once and for all. A recent post on the official Final Fantasy VII Twitter page finally clarified matters, as Cait Sith’s name is pronounced Kate Sihth.

This has led to arguments online about how Square Enix is wrong and Cait Sith should be pronounced in different ways. The concept of Cait Sith comes from a creature in Celtic folklore, which actually appeared in Final Fantasy games that came before FF7. This has led to arguments that the name should be pronounced using the original Celtic pronunciation, while others disagree, based on the fact that they’ve been saying something different for decades. For my part, I’ve been pronouncing it as Kate Sith since FF7 came out, but I’d change after playing FF7 Rebirth, much like how I eventually switched from Aeris to Aerith.

Cait Sith Is The Worst Character In FF7

As a huge fan of the original Final Fantasy VII, I’ve been dreading the return of Cait Sith simply because he’s the worst character in the game due to how out of place he feels. The FF7 party is full of these fantastic, iconic characters, with even the strangest among them (Red XIII) fitting the game’s overall vibe. Then, you have this giant teddy bear robot who stands out like the custom character in a cutscene every time he shows up.

NOTE: FF7 and Potential FF7 Rebirth/Future Remake Games Spoilers Below

Cait Sith also sticks out in different ways, as he’s actually a spy planted by the Shinra Executives, with Reeve from FF7 Remake piloting the cat robot. There’s never a good reason given for why the party keep him around initially, as they’re international terrorists who are on the run from the most powerful corporations in the world, yet they let this robot duo into their ranks just… because.

Cait Sith eventually betrays the party, but he does redeem himself toward the end of the game, but the damage is done. He then just hangs around for most of the game, save for giving updates from the Shinra & Midgar side.

I’ve replayed FF7 many times over the years, yet I’ve never done a playthrough where I’ve included Cait Sith in the party just because I dislike him so much. He looks stupid, his random chance Limit Breaks suck, and he’s nowhere near as entertaining as any other party members. I also anticipate hating him even more in FF7 Rebirth because at least the other characters looked rough in FF7 on the PS1 due to the limitations of the hardware. In FF7 Rebirth, Cait Sith will stand out even more than the realistic depiction of the FF7 party members.

Cait Sith Is Also Pretty Bad In The FF7 Spin-Offs

Cait Sith reappeared in the FF7 spinoffs that have been released over the years, but he hasn’t fared much better, thanks to the baffling choice to give him an annoying Scottish accent. That’s right: the version of Cait Sith in Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus sounds like a high-pitched Shrek, just in case you thought he couldn’t get any more appealing.

Dirge of Cerberus also has the cardinal sin of making Cait Sith playable during parts of the game. He plays the same role as Mary Jane in Marvel’s Spider-Man, as Cait Sith is all about stealth sections, which are as fun as they sound. This means that the fast-paced anime action game, where the awesome Vincent Valentine trades bullets with the members of the Deepground, has to grind to a halt, while a cartoon cat drags its backside between different barrels, while it hides from foes.

The only reason Cait Sith isn’t the worst character in the Compilation of FF7 is because some later heroes and villains managed to overtake him. Genesis from Crisis Core might be the worst, being the crimson Marty Stu he is, while the Remnants of Sephiroth constantly chirping about “Mother” in Advent Children aren’t far behind. Cait Sith’s diminished role in the spinoffs worked to his advantage, as he hasn’t been around enough to be hated.

Cait Sith Is Playable In FF7 Rebirth, But Vincent & Cid Won’t Be

Cait Sith is fully playable in FF7 Rebirth, but that comes at a cost, as both Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind will be guest party members, similar to how Red XIII worked in FF7 Remake. This means you’ll be playing as Cait Sith in FF7 Rebirth, but those actually popular characters that people like are reduced to AI-controlled characters. Oh, joy!

Related: FF7 Rebirth Will End At Series’ Most Iconic Scene

Cait Sith’s appearance in FF7 Rebirth might be the thing that changes my opinion. After all, FF7 Remake made me appreciate FF7 characters like Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie a lot more, as well as the novel characters like Kyrie and Lester. Square Enix will have to perform a miracle to do this, as over twenty-five years of disdain won’t be easy to wash away. We finally know how Cait Sith’s name is pronounced, but will the developers make us care about him before the credits roll?

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis promises to be the compilation and remake that many Final Fantasy fans have been clamoring for for years. However, developer Square Enix seems to be making the same mistake with Ever Crisis as with Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, along with its other defunct mobile titles. The company is trying to pursue the lucrative mobile gaming market by using the most famous icons available to it while ignoring why fans enjoyed those characters and stories in the first place.

Ever Crisis is an upcoming RPG for Android and iOS devices that aims to retell the story of the Compilation of FF7 and add new lore and pieces of narrative that have yet to appear in other mediums. The game features turn-based battles and uses a gacha system to unlock new gear. Notably, Ever Crisis will feature the first-ever English adaptation of Before Crisis, a Japan-exclusive mobile title that starred the Turks in the days before FF7.

Related: Final Fantasy 7 Fans Prep For Ever Crisis By Sharing Their Favorite Memories

The Final Fantasy Audience Is Primarily On PC & Console

Ever Crisis isn’t the first mobile game set in the Final Fantasy VII universe, as a battle royale called The First Soldier was released in 2021. The First Soldier didn’t even last a full year before its service was shut down, despite including lots of fan service for FF7 fans, such as making the blocky PlayStation 1 sprite version of the characters playable and adding summons to the battlefields.

There are Final Fantasy mobile games, but most are crossover titles featuring heroes and villains from throughout the series. The issue with making a game based solely on FF7 and FF7 Remake is that the audience for those games is primarily on PC and consoles. One of the reasons The First Soldier failed is that it only launched on mobile devices and required a phone with decent specs to run, drastically narrowing the audience for the game, especially in a market that’s oversaturated with battle royales.

If The First Soldier had launched on other platforms, it would have reached a wider audience and entered the grasp of fans of the license. Final Fantasy 7 is one of Square Enix’s most well-known IPs, and a well-made shooter in that universe could have had legs if more people had the chance to play it.

Ever Crisis faces the same issue, with an even steeper climb uphill, as regular shooter fans could enjoy The First Soldier, but Ever Crisis is made for the FF7 diehards. The game is all about fanservice and lore, yet it’s unavailable on the systems where the fans who would care reside.

There’s No Allure To New Final Fantasy 7 Lore (As It Will All Be Online Anyway)

One aspect of Ever Crisis that Square Enix has heavily pushed is the new lore. There will be a segment exploring Sephiroth’s backstory, which is something that has barely been touched on in FF7 media. Even the other prequels (Crisis Core and Before Crisis) had little new information about Sephiroth’s youth.

The problem with using lore as a selling point is that we live in an age where information about games is uploaded shortly after it reaches the fans. If there are any interesting tidbits about Sephiroth’s life or any earth-shattering revelations about the Shinra Corporation revealed in Ever Crisis, then it will be covered to death by websites and Youtubers within days. This means there’s little incentive to play the game just to learn more when it’ll all be available for free.

Ever Crisis has to survive on its gameplay, which combines the turn-based RPG mechanics of the original FF7 with the graphical style of the Remake, at least in combat. What’s been shown of the combat system in Ever Crisis looks uninspired, carrying all of the hallmarks of the gacha game genre right down to auto-battle mode. In the end, the game’s goal is to extract money from the player, and the FF7 license has already failed to do that once in recent times, so hopes aren’t high that Ever Crisis can succeed where The First Soldier failed.

Square Enix Needs To Put Its Mobile Games On Other Platforms

If Ever Crisis is to survive, it needs to be put on the platforms where the Final Fantasy VII fanbase resides. The gameplay videos and previews for the game are filled with comments from fans asking for a PC or PS5 port, as they’re interested in seeing more of the beloved characters from FF7. As it stands, Ever Crisis is only pegged for Android and iOS release, with Square Enix giving no hints regarding a multi-platform release.

Related: Best FF7 Characters That Need To Be In Ever Crisis

It’s understandable why Square Enix would want to court the mobile gaming market and why it would use some of its most famous characters to try and appeal to a new audience, but it keeps ignoring the fans who actually care about this setting. Ever Crisis might look ugly as sin on PC or PS5, but fans don’t care about visuals if the gameplay and story are good. By restricting Ever Crisis to mobile devices, Square Enix is missing out on money and incentivizing the most dedicated fans to seek out the game’s secrets via Google rather than actually playing the game.

The name of the Final Fantasy series has become increasingly more inaccurate over time, as it seems unlikely that there will ever truly be a final entry, thanks to an endless parade of mainline entries. With that being said, many incredible Final Fantasy games don’t belong to the main franchise, as the spin-off entries can more than hold their own against the biggest names in the series.

Related: Final Fantasy VII Day is now officially recognized in Japan

Final Fantasy spinoff games — our top 10 pick

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy

It’s strange to think that one of the best Final Fantasy titles is a fighting game. A few can deny that Dissidia 012 is an incredible experience, packed with iconic characters, high-speed gameplay that feels like a battle anime, and a lengthy storyline that takes players on a journey throughout the multiverse.

It’s just a shame that the last entry in the series, Dissidia NT, was a colossal disappointment and may have scuppered the chances for Dissidia 012 to be given an HD remaster on modern systems, as it is more than deserving of one.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Crisis Core is a Final Fantasy VII prequel that puts Zack Fair in the starring role, showing his rise through the ranks of SOLDIER, his view of Sephiroth’s descent into madness, and his tragic fate at the hands of the Shinra army.

The original version of Crisis Core on the PSP was a great game, but the system’s hardware limited it. Luckily, an HD remaster on modern systems fixes the control issues, improves the graphics, and adds QoL features that iron out the problems with the base game. This HD version of Crisis Core is a must-play title for fans of the original Final Fantasy VII and its remake.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD

Final Fantasy games rarely deal with stories of soldiers fighting in a war, as the enemies are usually a despot who turns into giant monster for the players to stab. In Type-0, the game gets down into the trenches, with a blood-drenched story of young people fighting in a violent conflict, where cadets of a military academy must use their incredible magical gifts as weapons of war.

The player must guide the legendary Class Zero through countless battles and use each member’s talents in combat, giving every team member a chance to shine in the game’s fast-paced action RPG fights.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

Despite being a tactical RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a drastic departure from its predecessor, swapping the War of the Lions for a storybook world that offers an escape from the harsh realities of home. In the fairytale world of Ivalice, all conflicts are ruled over by the mysterious Judges, who can enforce rules on the battlefield and arrest those who break them. This system adds a layer of depth to the turn-based battles, as players must be ready to change tactics to abide by the whims of the law.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

Grimoire of the Rift has many similarities to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, using the storybook Ivalice and a world ruled by the might of the Judges, but it takes a lighter tone with its story and doubles down on the gameplay.

When comparing the two Final Fantasy Tactics Advance games, it’s fair to say that Grimoire of the Rift has a better combat system, with many character options and quests for the player to complete. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance has a better story and characters, as it deals with much darker themes.

World of Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy crossover games on consoles tend to move away from the RPG genre. The rare exception to this is World of Final Fantasy, which involves a hilarious journey through the game worlds of the series and encounters with its famous heroes and villains.

In World of Final Fantasy, two amnesiac twins must explore the universe and uncover the mystery of their past lives. To do this, they ride on the back of iconic Final Fantasy monsters or wear them on their head in a hilarious arrangement that offers many options in combat.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

There are few video game franchises with a music library as acclaimed as the Final Fantasy series, so it was only natural that all of those amazing soundtracks be used as the basis for a music game. Enter Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call, which combined RPG battles and character progression with some of the best songs in video gaming history.

Unfortunately, Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call is currently locked to the Nintendo 3DS, but the series will soon receive a sequel in the form of the upcoming Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Final Bar Line.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light

The mainline Final Fantasy games have experimented with their format and changed genre many times over the years, leaving the old-school fans wanting to return to the days of turn-based combat and character classes. The game that answered this prayer was 4 Heroes of Light, which returned to the days of jobs, magic crystals, and exploring dungeons for treasure and experience points.

4 Heroes of Light also has the distinction of being the predecessor of the excellent Bravely Default series, which carries the spirit of old-school JRPGs into the modern era.

Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

A Final Fantasy Nioh-style action game set in the world of the first game sounds like a dream come true. Unfortunately, Stranger of Paradise became better known for the memes than for its stellar gameplay, as Jack’s quest to destroy Chaos overtook the discourse for the game.

Chaos-hating aside, Strange of Paradise is a fantastic action game with incredible boss fights, massive levels to explore, and a mountain of customization options. The story can be silly, even by Final Fantasy standards, but it’s still incredible to see the world of the first Final Fantasy remade on modern systems.

Final Fantasy Tactics

Final Fantasy Tactics is the undisputed king of the Final Fantasy spin-off games, thanks to its incredible story, phenomenal soundtrack, and gameplay system that is both complex and rewarding in equal measures. Despite being overshadowed by Final Fantasy VII on the PlayStation during its launch year, Final Fantasy Tactics is regarded by many as the best entry in the series, despite its lack of number.

Final Fantasy Tactics is unavailable on modern consoles, but it might be on the way if the infamous GeForce Now leak is accurate.

The Final Fantasy series has always had its share of quirky side stories and minigames to participate in, and Crisis Core was no different. Reunion bolsters the visuals of the PSP original and faithfully brings back one of its silliest side ventures, the fan clubs. Reunion features five different fan clubs with their own requirements if you hope to join them. Despite the clubs being fun, the benefits of joining them aren’t always clear. This guide will explain what joining a fan club can do for you in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

Related: How long does Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion take to beat? Full chapter list

What do fan clubs do in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Fan clubs are groups designed to celebrate different members of the SOLDIER program. You can join one club for Angeal, one for Sephiroth, and two for everybody’s favorite hero turned traitor, Genesis. There is a fifth and final fan club with some steep requirements, and it’s for the lovable but dorky Zack Fair himself. These are the fan clubs you can join in Crisis Core.

• Keepers of Honor – Angeals Fan Club
• Loveless Study Group – Genesis Fan Club
• Red Leather – The other Genesis Fan Club
• The Silver Elite – Sephiroth Fan Club
• Zack Fair Fan club

Joining some of these fan clubs is more straightforward than others, but any potential rewards aren’t made clear, but there are benefits to joining.

The biggest reward joining all of the fan clubs can get you is a rare achievement/trophy called “Fan Club Savior.” The other, more prominent benefit of joining a club is many emails dedicated to that specific character. These include funny details, but some are in-depth lore explainers from other significant characters in Final Fantasy VII canon. Outside of the achievement and some fun emails, there isn’t any additional benefit to becoming a fan club aficionado.

After the success of Final Fantasy VII Remake, it was only a matter of time before Square Enix decided to expand and revisit the mythos surrounding Cloud and the gang. The original game had a series of spin-offs; some were bad, like Dirge of Cerberus, but others fared much better, especially Crisis Core. The 2007 PSP action RPG spin-off featured Zack Fair and told his story.

Upon its initial release, Crisis Core was lauded as an ambitious title that pushed the envelope of portable titles forward at the time. It also gave Final Fantasy fans a deep story and insight into many aspects of its world and characters. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is an attempt to bring the original game to a new audience of Final Fantasy VII fans, and it mostly succeeds at modernizing it in the process.

Related: How long does Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion take to beat? Full chapter list

SOLDIER reporting for duty

For the uninitiated, Crisis Core was an action RPG where players controlled Zack as he earned his stripes in the SOLDIER program. The story served as a prequel and featured Sephiroth and Aerith alongside mysterious newcomers such as Zack’s mentor Angeal and Genesis, with a focus on Shinra and the war against Wutai. The conflict opens Zack’s eyes to the reality of the SOLDIER program and challenges his ideals. It’s a well-done story, and for those interested in Final Fantasy VII’s world and characters, it’s worth experiencing.

Crisis Core veterans will find that the game has never looked or played better. The somewhat confusing title of this game made more sense once I put a few hours into it. Visually, the game is undeniably a dramatic improvement from the original. Free from the constraints of the portable screen, Reunion features character models and graphic effects rebuilt from the ground up. Each character has new facial and combat animations that help bring the presentation up a few notches. Voice actors have also been replaced with performers from Final Fantasy VII Remake, which helps create consistency between both games.

One aspect that has remained true to the original is Crisis Core’s controversial “DMW.” The Digital Mind Wave combat mechanic is essentially a slot machine that is running during combat at all times. If numbers or character images align, then specific effects will trigger in battles, such as extra health, zero mana cost for spells, or Limit Breaks. Reunion minimizes the downtime the DMW system used to have, drastically improving the flow of fighting. But Square Enix didn’t change a thing about the leveling system, which may confuse new players. You’ll gain experience in combat, but you won’t level up unless the slot machine rolls three matching numbers and three matching images. As you can imagine, this is rare and can lead to moments of frustration when you’re in need of a level-up, but the slots just won’t give it to you.

Related: What’s new in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion? – story, graphics, combat differences

A handheld heritage

Other aspects of combat fare better than the Digital Mind Wave in this reimagining. New animations have been added, as well as refined camera controls and battle shortcuts for quick access to spells and abilities. The changes Square implemented to streamline your abilities help to keep the action fast and loose. Reunion’s commands and streamlined action shortcuts evoke the look and feel of Remake’s combat. Once you look past the presentation and combat improvements, the rest of the game is far more remaster than a remake.

The level design, script, and pacing of Reunion all reek of its PSP origins. Each level is a linear series of hallways and small rooms with random combat encounters every few feet. You can also undertake a series of short missions that are about five minutes in length on average, which makes sense when you consider the game’s portable roots.

The simplicity in the level design and gameplay is firmly rooted in 2007. While serviceable, it doesn’t measure to modern contemporaries in the slightest. The story hasn’t changed, and Zack remains a likable hero who seems dumbstruck by the anime absurdity of literally every other character he encounters. It’s an entertaining plot, and the stripped-down game design at least has its merits when it comes to avoiding the open-world bloat that plagues most role-playing games as of late. 

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is worth experiencing if you’re invested in Final Fantasy VII or were a big fan of the original. Square Enix took a gamble on maintaining the core game design and DMW system, but it paid off, as there is nothing really like it in the Final Fantasy lineup. Despite the improvements across the board, players looking for the next great action RPG are best served elsewhere.

Crisis Core Reunion is a reimagined take on the spinoff prequel to Final Fantasy VII, and it features many of the same characters and locations. The original Crisis Core was a different style of game entirely, ditching turn-based JRPG mechanics for a streamlined, solo action RPG affair. Crisis Core was a decent length for a portable game at the time but took considerably less time to beat compared to the average mainline Final Fantasy title. Reunion is a faithful remaster, so the length is roughly the same as the PSP original. This guide will explain how long Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion takes to beat.

Related: What’s new in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion? – story, graphics, combat differences

How long is Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion?

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion takes around 15 hours to complete on average, with our playthrough clocking in approximately 24 hours. We played on Hard and completed every side mission the game had to offer. Crisis Core Reunion allows players to play on Hard from the beginning of the game, and it does feature a New Game Plus that allows you to carry over your skills and gear. This will shorten the gameplay length considerably.

All chapters in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion features 10 distinct chapters following a lengthy prologue sequence. This is the complete chapter list you will encounter in Crisis Core Reunion.

• Chapter 0 – Prologue
• Chapter 1 – Embrace Your Dreams
• Chapter 2 – Betrayal?
• Chapter 3 – Monster
• Chapter 4 – An Angel’s Dream
• Chapter 5 – Where Are You?
• Chapter 6 – Protect Your Honor
• Chapter 7 – The End of Genesis?
• Chapter 8 – Departure
• Chapter 9 – See You Soon
• Chapter 10 – Heroes

Chapter seven is the point of no return, so take the time to complete any missions you have to complete in Midgar. Once you begin chapter eight, the story is on a freight train until you reach its conclusion.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is somewhere between a full-blown remake and a mere remaster of the 2007 release. Crisis Core is considered the best of the Final Fantasy VII spin-offs and was an ambitious title on the PSP. The success of Final Fantasy VII Remake has fans wanting more from the world and its characters, and Crisis Core Reunion is a modern take on the original with some significant changes and improvements. This guide will explain what’s new in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion.

Related: What is the Final Fantasy VII timeline? FF7 games and movies in order

All changes and additions to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

As the original game was released on portable hardware, Crisis Core Reunion upgrades several major aspects of the game. Presentation, combat, and even the voice cast have been altered and modernized to more closely align with Final Fantasy VII Remake.

Graphical changes in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

The visuals have been overhauled and remade entirely from scratch. Each main character has new models featuring improved facial animations, which bring new life to the various cutscenes in the story. Combat animations have also been improved, which help create a fluid movement system that resembles action from FF7 Remake. CG cutscenes haven’t been remade though, with them merely getting an increase in resolution. Last but not least, the summons has all-new animations for their ultimate attacks, creating a sense of scale far beyond what the PSP could handle.

Combat changes in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

The original Crisis Core was an action RPG that featured Zack as your party’s only character. It also featured a controversial mechanic known as the Digital Mind Wave, or DMW for short. This slot machine runs at all times during combat and can grant bonuses to your stats or let you use Summon materia and Limit Breaks. Crisis Core Reunion doesn’t alter the DMW but does streamline its effects and how much it interrupts the action. It’s far less intrusive and allows combat to flow in a much more seamless manner.

Zack can also use equipped skills and abilities using a shortcut command similar to FF7 Remake. This allows players to seamlessly transition between moves without thumbing through a menu during a heated battle.

Story in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

Crisis Core Reunion is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII. The main story, script, and even CG cutscenes are unchanged from the original game. The most significant changes come from the audio regarding the story presentation. The initial release’s voice cast is gone and replaced with actors from Final Fantasy VII Remake. This creates consistency between this game and Remake, which makes jumping from one to the other a less jarring proposition. The soundtrack also has a new arrangement, mainly used to mix it better for modern audio playback.

All of the differences and improvements to Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion make it a much more enjoyable experience to play in modern times, but they don’t transform the experience. It still plays and feels like it came from a handheld system, but the added bells and whistles easily make it the best version for old fans and newcomers alike.

Back in 2007, Crisis Core told the story of what happened before the events of Final Fantasy VII proper. In 2022, it’s returning as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion as part of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake universe. Here’s what you can do to get your hands on it this winter.

Related: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion will keep the slot machine combat system, disappointing some fans

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Standard Edition

This is the basic version of the game with no frills, and it’ll cost you $49.99 USD across all platforms. While there isn’t anything too special about this edition in and of itself, preordering does get you a nice bonus. As showcased on Twitter, Crisis Core is getting a “Hero’s Legacy” steelbook, featuring protagonist Zack Fair posing against a silver background. Zack might be the face of many a meme, but this steelbook does look downright gorgeous. Preordering the physical game gets you one, plus a trio of Materia for use in-game.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Collector’s Edition

Crisis Core does have a Collector’s Edition, but it’s only for customers in Japan. For those curious, the ￥32,000 package includes the game in the same steelbook case and bonus Materia, as well as the game’s soundtrack, script book, artbook, a Zack figurine, and a letter from Aerith. While this Collector’s Edition likely won’t be released in any other territories, that price point does equate to about $224 USD, if you’re looking for a ballpark estimate of the potential cost.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Release Date & Platforms

Crisis Core will be arriving before the end of the year: its release date is Tuesday, December 13. While the original game was relegated to the PSP, Reunion will be available on a variety of platforms. It’s headed to PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.