Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. First released in 2007, it is a prequel to the 1997 game Final Fantasy VII and is part of the “Compilation of Final Fantasy VII” project which aims to expand and complete the story of Final Fantasy VIIand which includes other products related to the original game.

The game primarily focuses on Zack Fair, a young member of the paramilitary organization SOLDIER, who is assigned to search for the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos. While searching for Genesis, Zack discovers his origin, Project G, and how he is related to two other high-ranking SOLDIERs, Sephiroth and Angeal Hewley. The game's story takes the player from the war between the megacorporation Shinra and the people of Wutai to the events in Nibelheim, ending just before the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

The game was directed by Hajime Tabata, with Tetsuya Nomura as character designer. Prior to development, Square Enix staff initially planned to make a PlayStation Portable version of the mobile game Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, but after discussion, they decided to create an entirely new game. The plot is based on a scenario that Kazushige Nojima, the game's writer, had in mind when he was working on Final Fantasy VII. Crisis Core had very good sales, selling over three million units worldwide and critical reception was generally positive. A remaster of the game, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, was released on December 13, 2022. The game's story line will also be addressed and recreated in the future mobile game Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis.

Argument

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII is set years before the original game, focusing on the story of Zack Fair. Zack is a SOLDIER 2nd Class who has one dream: to become the greatest hero the world has ever imagined. To do this, he enlists in SOLDIER and, together with his mentor Angeal Hewley, tries to fulfill his dream by carrying out missions with the Shinra company, then directed by Director Lazard.

Zack is tasked with Angeal to attack the western city of Wutai, because Wutai is in the middle of a war with the Shinra. Even though Zack defeats the great Anti-Shinra weapons that Wutai had, the company decides to give the spotlight to Sefirot (at that time unaware of his true origin) who was also present in Wutai and patrolling another group. However, Zack observes mysterious defeated individuals in Wutai and later, Angeal disappears without a trace. In order to find clues about Angeal and Genesis Rhapsodos (another SOLDIER member who disappeared without explanation), Zack teams up with one of the Turks, Tseng, and they head to Banora, Angeal and Genesis' hometown. In this city, Zack encounters the same individuals defeated in Wutai and Genesis. This appears to be a mutated individual due to the sprouting of wings, although Zack is confused and cannot explain this. Angeal also appears on the scene, but he is not the same as before and does not return to the Shinra facilities. This city is later destroyed at the point of missiles.

Due to the good deeds that Zack did in Shinra, he is promoted to SOLDIER 1st class but there is no time to celebrate because Genesis copies attack the Shinra building. Zack and Sephiroth clean the place and head to the Mako 5 reactor. Sephiroth says that he was Angeal and Genesis's best friend and they always stopped together, although Genesis always held a grudge against him due to Sephiroth's great strength. After reaching the bottom they meet Professor Hollander. The scientist is intrinsically linked to the actions of Angeal and Genesis so Zack pursues him, but is stopped by Angeal. He dazzles a huge wing since he found out that it is an experiment, part of Project G where they sought to inject Jenova cells into other humans; The same effect also arises with Genesis, although his body cannot tolerate the cells and degrades more and more. Zack fails to understand this and Angeal punches him, causing Zack to fall into the void.

Zack wakes up in the suburban church listening to a girl's screams, this turns out to be Aeris Gainsborough. To avoid the inconvenience, Zack invites her to a date and tells Aeris a bit of her life and her dreams, thus starting her loving relationship. When Zack returns to the surface, copies of Genesis attack him and try to stop him but are defeated. After advancing to the Shinra building, Zack meets Professor Hojo and tries to find answers about Angeal. This along with Genesis appear on stage, but Zack defeats Genesis. Genesis seeks the gift of the goddess, something unknown but knows it exists because of the writings in its favorite book LOVELESS.

Zack, now Aeris' boyfriend, goes to visit her in the suburbs, but Tseng forces him not to go (since the Turks are watching Aeris for being one of the Elders or Cetra). However, he tells them to go to the town of Modeheim since they observed clues of Angeal. During the journey to Modeheim, Zack strikes up a conversation with an infantry guard with whom he gets along very well. This guard turns out to be Cloud Strife, who also likes Zack's presence and they become best friends. After arriving in Modeheim, Zack finds Angeal, almost worn out by Jenova's cells, and attacks Zack. After defeating Angeal, Zack becomes very sad and Angeal dies, but not before giving Zack the Buster Sword, giving all his hopes and dreams to him.

Days after these incidents, Genesis troops attack Junon Alto and Zack, along with two members of the Turks, Tseng and Cissnei, head to protect the city. Hollander also appears here and is chased by Zack; but he fails to capture it, which displeases Sefirot.

Zack convinces Aeris to have a flower business in the suburbs and throughout Midgar because Aeris loves flowers and wants the city to be more lively. Aeris loves the idea of her and becomes a florist with the help of Zack, who says goodbye to her as he will have a mission in Nibelheim together with Sephiroth.

Zack, Sefirot and two guards (one of them being Cloud) arrive at Nibelheim where they must investigate the area and the mako reactor on Mount Nibel. Cloud's childhood friend, Tifa Lockhart, will be the guide in the mountains and together they head to the reactor, however Cloud keeps his identity a secret so that Tifa does not see him. Here Zack and Sephiroth observe mutated specimens with Jenova cells resembling monsters, causing Sephiroth to doubt their origin, comparing himself to said monsters. Confused and without answers, Sefirot locks himself in the Shinra mansion and begins to read all the reports he can find there. Upon learning of its true origin, Sephiroth destroys Nibelheim by burning it and heads to the reactor on Mount Nibel to free Jenova who lies captive there. Zack and Tifa try to stop him but Sephiroth kills Tifa's father and leaves her unconscious. Zack cannot believe that Sephiroth is doing all this and finally confronts him, although in vain since Sephiroth is much stronger than him, leaving Zack very hurt. It is at that moment that Cloud appears and manages to defeat Sephiroth by expelling him into the Lifestream of the reactor, although Cloud is badly injured. After that, Professor Hojo takes Zack and Cloud and uses them as test instruments to add large doses of mako energy.

Four years later, Zack awakens and flees Nibelheim along with Cloud (who, due to the large doses of mako, can barely move or speak). They decide to return to Midgar since Zack wants to protect Cloud and reunite with Aeris, but first they take a break in Zack's hometown, Gongaga. Despite meeting Cissnei, who lets them escape, Hollander appears and injects himself with Jenova's cells, turning him into a monster. Zack manages to defeat him along with Director Lazard (also infected by the cells and disappeared four years ago) and they go in search of Genesis to the destroyed Banora, who claims to have found the gift of the goddess and intends to become the supreme ruler of the planet.. Zack puts an end to a weakened Genesis and, although he manages to meet the goddess, her body cannot resist the situation and is almost engulfed by the Lifestream, leaving him on the verge of death. Already on the surface, Lazard and Genesis die, leaving a secret note in the book of Genesis.

Zack and Cloud continue towards Midgar but are ambushed by a large number of Shinra guards. In order to protect Cloud, Zack sacrifices himself and is killed by the troops. Aeris feels Zack's death by being able to communicate with the planet and she mourns the loss of him. Cloud, now able to move, cries for the state of his best friend and, before dying, he gives the Buster Sword to Cloud, promising that he must fight for both of them. Cloud nods and leaves the place very sadly on the way to Midgar. Zack finally breathes his last breath realizing that, despite not becoming a hero to the world, he became one by protecting those he loved most.

The game concludes with the opening scene of the original game seeing Cloud as a SOLDIER 1st class and keeping the eternal promise he made to Zack.

Main characters

• Zack Fair: It is the protagonist of the game. Nice, extroverted, fun and very sure of yourself. His dream is to become a hero, therefore he came to Midgar from his homeland, Gongaga, to enter the organization of SOLDADO, where he managed to ascend to SOLDADO of 1.a class. He becomes the best friend of Cloud and also maintains a kind of loving relationship with Aeris. He is the disciple of Angeal, who will later inherit his mortal Sword (Buster Sword) and feel great admiration for Sefirot, even arriving to do some missions with him. He died at the hands of Shin-Ra defending his freedom and that of Cloud when both escaped from the genetic laboratory of Hojo where they were locked up.
• Cloud Strife: He came to Midgar from his homeland, Nibelheim, with the intention of entering SOLDADO, although he only became a member of infantry due to his few abilities. That's where he meets Zack and both become best friends. After the incident at the Monte Nibelheim reactor, he and Zack spent four years being Dr.'s lab specimens. Hojo, being exposed to large amounts of Mako energy, so Cloud, much weaker than Zack, loses most of its memories.
• Sefirot: Considered a hero and the best SOLDADO of 1.a class. During history, he, Zack, Cloud and another SOLDADO are sent to Nibelheim on a research mission. Sefirot discovers that it is part of the Jénova Project, therefore it is the product of an experiment from the cells of Jénova, an organism that came into the world thousands of years ago. This information makes you lose the sanity completely, isolates and starts fighting Shin-Ra to return to Jénova, his "mother", the world that belongs to you. In the reactor at Mount Nibelheim, Sefirot has a fight with Zack, although it is later that Cloud defeats him by throwing him into the Lifestream.
• Angeal Hewley: Born in Banora. SOLDADO of the 1st class and mentor of Zack, who defects from SOLDADO in the midst of a mission in Wutai after learning that he is also a monster created by Project G. It has a strong concept of dreams and honor, and is the original owner of the Deadly Sword. After a series of incidents, Zack is forced to defeat him, and before he dies, he gives him his sword, which Zack will later hand over to Cloud, also at the time of his death.
• Genesis Rhapsodos: He was born in Banora, thus raising with Angeal Hewley. First class until he defects in the middle of a mission in Wutai after taking with him several second and third class. He was one of Sefirot's best friends along with Angeal, but at the same time feeling some competitive rivalry. He feels true passion for literature, especially for an ancient epic poem called LOVELESS, with which he claims to be able to see the future.
• Aeris Gainsborough: She is a 17-year-old who cultivates flowers in a suburban church in Sector 5. Aeris descends from the race of the elders, a people to whom the power to hear and speak with the planet is attributed. It then begins to maintain a loving relationship with Zack Fair.
• Professor Hollander: Shinra Scientist who maintains a great rivalry with Hojo. He was the creator of Project G but then deserted when Hojo served as director of the Scientific Department. Actually, he's Angeal's father and that's why he called his project, Project G, being Gillian's G, his wife's name.
• Lazard Deusericus: He is the director of SOLDADO, he is a man who prefers the word to the sword because he is not good at the field work. He manages his department always faithful to the company and tries to get along with everyone. After he had mysteriously disappeared, he appears to be a clone of Angeal to help Zack.
• Tseng: He is a member of the Turks, and although at first he seems not to be congenious with Zack for not agreeing that he was with Aeris, they finally become good friends.
• Cissnei: She is the youngest of the Turks, she grew up in Shinra. He becomes a very good friend of Zack and agrees to help him even though he becomes a fugitive. "Cissnei" is not his real name, but he cannot reveal the true to Zack because he dies.
• Professor Hojo: He is Shinra's most renowned scientist for his success in the Jénova Project, achieving the position of head in Shinra's Scientific Department. Experience with humans, and use Zack and Cloud for specimens for their experiments.

Summons

In Crisis Core Zack will be able to use four of the original summons from Final Fantasy VII, and a new, more powerful form of Bahamut, Bahamut Sumo, very similar to the summon Bahamut ZERO from FF7. The invocations are:

• Ifrit "infernal fire". It appears and attacks with fire (not elemental).
• Odin. Cut your enemies.
• Bahamut. Non elemental attack on all enemies.
• Phoenix. It gives self-sacrifice and attacks enemies, not elemental.
• Bahamut Sumo. More powerful, not elemental attack.

There are also "secret invocations", accessible only through the development of alternate missions:

• Chocobo "Patada Chocobo". Zack and Chocobo launch an attack, more level, more force.
• Cait Sith "Raise of courage." It gives beneficial states to Zack: Physical, magical, lethal, shield. (if the invocation results in a mistake, then it will launch an attack that will remove 1 st of life).
• "Mil thorns" cactilio. A ball with the cactilio, at more level, greater strength.
• Moguri "Poder Moguri." The moguri, takes the subjects and unites them in a (increasing level of matter).
• Tomberi "Kitchen Killer." The tomberi goes for Zack, stumbles and claws the blade to an enemy.
• Magical Tinaja "long hands". This attack, at more level, more objects, you can remove objects from the tinaja.

LOVELESS

LOVELESS (or "Loveless", literally from English) is a fictional play, used as the main resource in the game's plot. Many of the songs that make up the work appear cited numerous times by one of the main characters, the antagonist Genesis Rhapsodos, who is obsessed with LOVELESS (as mentioned above). There are two versions of LOVELESS, one theatrical and the other poetic. Furthermore, at the end of the game the different "songs" of which the work is composed in the form of epitaphs on tombstones, leaving the 5th song unmentioned, which Genesis finally narrates in his last appearance.

First signs of the video game

The first images of Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core were shown during E3 in Los Angeles in 2006.

Plot line

Based on the OVA Final Fantasy VII: Last Order, Crisis Core focuses the main role on SOLDIER First Class Zack Fair. Among many other events represented in the game are the following:

• Zack's friendship with Cloud, as well as his relationship with Sefirot.
• Some aspects and secrets of the relationship between Zack and Aeris.
• The death of Zack that begins Final Fantasy VII.

Cast