I remember playing Final Fantasy VII, my first entry into the JRPG genre. All those years ago are now gone, replaced with the comforting memory of a simpler time. Memories of when a 3-disc RPG meant you were in for a good time.
Flashforward to 2020’s Final Fantasy VII Remake, although excellent in its own right, left me yearning for a purer retelling of the iconic entry into the legendary series. Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is not that, but as far as mobile gacha games go, Ever Crisis is pretty decent time with just the right amount of nostalgia and actual gameplay to make it a worthy way to pass the time when out and about or in need of a quick distraction.
Developed by Square Enix and Applibot, the same folks that brought out Nier Reincarnation, Ever Crisis is a game that promises to collect all the major story beats of not only the original PlayStation release of Final Fantasy VII but also games like Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus and even Advent Children. Currently, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis features content from Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core and a brand-new prequel that follows the exploits of a young Sephiroth.
“Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is more of an abridged collection of the titles mentioned above, delivered in piecemeal over a heaping helping of gacha game mechanics.”
On paper, a title that features all the major games and spinoffs under one roof sounds like a great and ideal way to experience the expanded world of Final Fantasy VII—in practice, however, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is more of an abridged collection of the titles mentioned above, delivered in piecemeal over a heaping helping of gacha game mechanics.
Once players successfully learn to navigate Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis’s messy UI and convoluted menu system, which features all manners of gacha-related distractions and popups, the game itself can be rather fun. Starting with the original Final Fantasy VII, Ever Crisis employs the use of prerendered backgrounds and chibi-style overworld character models, which feel very much like a throwback to the 1997 original in the best way possible.
Although few and far between, some of the sections in the game even allow the player to move around and explore, which helps sell the experience of a true JRPG title, complete with turn-based bouts that feel close enough to a traditional roleplaying experience.
“Once players successfully learn to navigate Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis’s messy UI and convoluted menu system, the game itself can be rather fun.”
The battle themselves cleverly use assets from the 2020 remake, which results in the game looking very impressive in motion. Outside of boss encounters, most of the enemy fodder in the game can be bested simply by using the auto-battle command in the game. Still, thankfully, tougher encounters do require a bit of brain power to tackle successfully.
Players can switch between a defensive or offensive stance, which is imperative when dealing with heavier attacks and knowing when to change. Managing characters and ensuring everyone is healed is similar to playing an actual full-fat Final Fantasy game and helps sell the experience.
Unfortunately, this is where things take a turn for the worse, with some of the later encounters requiring the party to be adequately levelled and equipped with strong enough gear. If you’re used to playing gacha games, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is nothing new, with in-game currencies that can be exchanged for some equipment, daily login bonuses, and free spins at the chance of getting better drops, etc.
But what dampens the experience somewhat is having to go on what the game refers to as Solo Content, missions which are required to complete to be strong enough to tackle encounters in the story mode. In typical mobile-game fashion, Solo content is tied to a timer and ultimately feels like the game casting Slowga on the player’s progress.
Ultimately, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis isn’t exactly what I was hoping for, but for a free-to-play mobile experience, the game offers a good amount of content that can be accessed without having to pay up, which in my books, equates to a worthy addition to the both the iOS appstore and the Google Playstore.
