As I dove back into the unusual waters of CRISIS CORE -FINAL FANTASY VII- REUNION—this time on Nintendo Switch 2—it occurred to me that the game itself reflects the real-world scenario of its latest port and re-release.
Crisis Core Reunion is a remaster (or very near to a full remake) of the PlayStation Portable prequel, originally released ten years after the original Final Fantasy VII revolutionized RPGs and 3D games alike. It tells the story of Zack Fair, the previous wielder of the iconic Buster Sword and an influential figure in the life of Cloud Strife, the main hero of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
In laying retroactive groundwork for the PS1 game, Crisis Core tries to follow George Lucas’ infamous mantra for the Star Wars Prequels: “it’s like poetry, it rhymes.” In racing toward the foundational flashback at the heart of Cloud’s story, Zack’s life and career dovetail with familiar characters and locations. Zack even contrivedly follows in Cloud’s footsteps at one point, literally falling through the roof of the same church as his protege will several years later, thus meeting Aerith in similar fashion.
It also tells the tale of Sephiroth from Zack’s perspective, introducing two former colleagues who helped define the legendary hero’s career: Angeal, the Buster Sword’s original owner, and Genesis, a tortured poet type who goes rogue from Shinra’s SOLDIER program. Through the game Zack is pushed into an awkward role as a cross-generational witness, caught in the machinations of these three men, then trying to inspire a young trooper under his own wing, all while trying to secure a legacy of his own.
“Now, as Square Enix re-releases Crisis Core Reunion onto the market on Switch 2, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation is a fixed point on the road ahead, Zack’s story hits differently.”
Crisis Core Reunion was released nearly four years ago, doing a world of good for the aging PSP title. Back in 2022, it had been some time since I’d last played the original, and revisiting Zack’s tale with new quality of life improvements (like a full array of buttons) and a big screen glow up was a great way to hold myself over for the long-awaited arrival of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth—which, at that time, was just a vague twinkle on the horizon, with no inkling of an ETA.
Time changes perspectives. Now, as Square Enix re-releases Crisis Core Reunion onto the market on Switch 2, and Final Fantasy VII Revelation is a fixed point on the road ahead, Zack’s story hits differently. Post-Rebirth, I can’t say the prequel added as much to the Remake trilogy as I originally hoped it might when this remaster was originally announced in 2022, but I do still think it’ll prove worthwhile to experience this before Final Fantasy VII Revelation‘s launch next spring.
The story is goofy and often contrived—like one scene where a missile bombardment is held off by, let me check my notes here, cutting the missiles right before they hit you in the face—but at least competent enough to fulfill its purpose in the Final Fantasy VII canon. Likewise, the Switch 2 port of Crisis Core Reunion, or the circumstances of its re-release, are a little goofy and forced, while still feeling sufficiently worthwhile for players who have gotten caught up in the Remake trilogy on Nintendo’s shores.
Like Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Star Ocean The Second Story R before it, the Switch 2 version of Crisis Core Reunion is a fully separate title from the Switch 1 version that came out 4 years ago. Square Enix has, once again, foregone the upgrade path system; if you own the game on Switch 1 already, you’ll have to start all over again from literal square one. Not only do your save files not carry over across hardware generations, your ownership doesn’t either, and you’ll have to buy this separate iteration of the same game.
“With these updates, Crisis Core Reunion on Switch 2 feels virtually on par with the PlayStation 5 edition.”
I’ve already gotten up on my soapbox about this decision in the reviews for the aforementioned games, so I’ll leave it at this: this strategy burns a good chunk of the goodwill the company has been generating lately. Square Enix did a terrific job with the Switch 2 ports of Final Fantasy XIV and both Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth; then, next year they’ll be stuffing the platform full with a new FFXIV expansion, Revelation, and Kingdom Hearts 4. Offering an upgrade path for existing owners should be the least that they could do.
Setting aside the commercial aspect, Crisis Core Reunion does provide a service to Final Fantasy VII fans who are looking to invest in the Switch 2 ecosystem. The Switch 1 was out of its league with the 2022 release: capping at 30fps, aiming for 720p resolution, and generally hitting lower levels of detail across the board.
On the new hardware, however, Nintendo SOLDIERs can get the full, proper experience. There are graphics and performance modes, allowing you to set your priorities, and the load times have been slimmed down. With these updates, Crisis Core Reunion on Switch 2 feels virtually on par with the PlayStation 5 edition. However, there are no further additions on the gameplay side, nor was a toggle provided for the “initiating combat mode” and “conflict resolved” notifications, unfortunately.
True to its handheld origins, FFVII‘s prequel actually shines on Nintendo’s hybrid console, thanks to the sheer scale of its Mission mode. Beyond a relatively breezy story, Zack can challenge 300 distinct missions from save points, each rewarding gear and ultimately culminating in the game’s customary superboss encounter. I really appreciated having proper access to the game in handheld mode and with virtually the same performance as the PlayStation 5 version. By all metrics, this is hands down the better way to experience Crisis Core Reunion on Nintendo… so it’s unfortunate, again, that existing owners can’t upgrade easily and bring their saves with them.
Like several parts or story beats of the game itself (such as the Banora Village sequence), I found myself wondering why Square Enix made the decisions it did for Crisis Core Reunion on Switch 2. It’s a fun ride with plenty of handheld-friendly content that does add to the overall Final Fantasy VII mythos, but some of its mistakes could have been easily avoided in the first place.
