Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion – Trailer, timeline, story & more

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, a remake of the classic prequel to the original FFVII, was announced during the game’s 25th Anniversary Celebration. Here’s everything we know so far.

The Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Celebration came with plenty of major announcements that sent FF fans into a frenzy. Most notably, Square Enix dropped the first trailer for Final Fantasy Remake Part 2, now known as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

One of the most surprising reveals, however, was Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion, a remaster of a PSP game that served as a prequel to the original Final Fantasy 7. Crisis Core fleshed out the backstory of Zack Fair who played a vital role in Cloud’s story in FFVII, seen through flashbacks.

Here’s everything we know about the game so far, from the release window to what players can expect from the story.

Contents

• Is there a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion release date?
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy platforms 
• Crisis Core: Pre-order bonuses
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion trailer
• Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII story
• Which timeline is Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII set in?

Is there a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion release date?

Square Enix

Crisis Core explores the backstory of Zack Fair and his relationship with Cloud.

Yes, the release date for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion was revealed during the 2022 September Nintendo Direct, and is set for December 13, 2022.

Given that Zack is expected to play a key part in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in 2023, it feels right that Crisis Core is scheduled for later this year. Hopefully, a more specific date will be announced in the coming weeks.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy platforms 

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Ones, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Crisis Core: Pre-order bonuses

Pre-order bonuses for Crisis Core are starting to appear online with the Best Buy version offering a limited edition “Hero’s Legacy” Steelbook depicting protagonist Zack Fairs.

We imagine more pre-order bonuses will be unveiled in the coming weeks. We’re also unsure if the SteelBook is exclusive to Best Buy or a bonus for all/some pre-orders.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion trailer

There has only been one trailer for the Crisis Core remake so far, but it offered fans an in-depth look at how the game will look and feel. It showcased the impressive new visuals compared to the PSP classic, and fluid real-time combat.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion story

The original Crisis Core followed Zack Fair, a non-playable character from Final Fantasy VII who is integral to Cloud Strife’s backstory. It began seven years before the events of FFVII and explored the pair’s friendship while they fought as Shinra SOLDIERs.

It also delves into Zack’s connection to Aerith, which would later go on to impact Cloud’s relationship with her as his memories become more and more confused. The iconic villain Sephiroth also gets his backstory and motivations explored, as revelations come to light about his origin.

The Crisis Core remake is expected to follow the same story as the original game as it’s essentially a remaster for current gen. Square Enix’s website described the game as “a true remaster that follows the original’s narrative: Zack Fair’s mission to find the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos.”

Which timeline is Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion set in?

The events of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake (and its sequels) take place in a parallel world to the original FF7 on PS1 and feature some significant story deviations. If you’ve not played either then look away now, as spoilers are coming your way.

To cut a long story short, in the original FF7, Cloud adopted the persona of Zack Fair, the protagonist of Crisis Core who died in Cloud’s arms when they both escaped Shinra. Cloud would repress this memory, only to remember who he really is during the events of the original FF7.

While Cloud would regain a semblance of his old identity, he’d also continue to channel Zack as a mark of respect to his fallen comrade, and because by this point, that was who he was. However, in the FF7 Remake, Zack is revealed to have survived this fateful encounter. Quite how this impacts the story going forward is something we’re yet to learn, but we’ll likely find out more in FF7 Rebirth.

As Crisis Core: Final Fantasy IIV Reunion is a remaster of a game that was set in the original universe, it will stick to that story rather than incorporating the changes from the FF7 Remake series. An interview with the game’s producer, Yoshinori Kitase, confirmed this when Kitase said the story would “basically not change.”

Kitase did encourage fans to consider the Crisis Core remaster as part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake family of games, but warned them that something might feel “off” as the game will technically be set in a different timeline. However, the good news is that the events of Crisis Core are largely the same in both continuities, the only real difference being the fate of Zack.

There you have it! That was everything we know so far about Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. We’ll be updating this page with all the latest information as we get closer to release, so stay tuned for more details.

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