The script is too American influenced - the diction, spelling and pronunciation
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
In the beginning, there was Final Fantasy VII. To commemorate the games' Tenth Anniversary, Square Enix has released yet another addition to the Final Fantasy VII series, making Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core the fourth in the compilation. Crisis Core is the prequel to the original, and the game mainly focuses on the familiar character (for those of you that have played the original game) of Zack Fair, a SOLDIER 2nd class. It is only available for the Playstation Portable Console and is a must have for RPG fans and owners of a PSP!
Crisis Core is the story leading up to the events prior to the start of Final Fantasy VII. There are many familiar characters Zack meets through his story such as Aerith Gainsborough, Cloud Strife and Sephiroth. The designers have also developed some scenes to induce nostalgia in those die-hard Final Fantasy fans. Some of these may include the church in the slums - the only place flowers grow in Midgar, besides just outside Aerith's house, the Shin-Ra Building incl. the Entrance Lobby, and the play park in the slums.
The battles, or "conflicts" as they are known in this game, are comprised of a whole new system that introduces the DMW - Digital Mind Wave. In the top left corner of the screen, there are three reels that constantly rotate as long as there is SP (Soldier Points) to power it. The DMW's movement is crucial in the development and growth of Zack throughout the game but it can be beneficial in other ways too. The three reels also contain smaller reels for three numbers to spin. Different sequences have different effects, but not all sequences do something. Upon winning a battle, you will be treated to the "conflict resolved" screen which occurs after very single fight.
Many of the major characters Zack encounters on his travels are added to the DMW Reel and, if the face of one of these people line up across all three of the reel, a power surge will take place. These are the equivalent of a LIMIT BREAK which are featured in Final Fantasy VII and VIII and each character that exists in the DMW has his or her own unique ability to help Zack out during a "conflict". Occasionally, the DMW reel featuring the faces of these people will change (once you have obtained the first materia for it) into the summons reel which, if say Ifrit's head lines up three times, it will unleash his trademark move "Hellfire". The cinematics for these summon attacks are simply stunning as are the graphics throughout a battle.
As mentioned moments before, Square Enix have left in the traditional band of summon monsters: Ifrit, Odin, Bahamut to name a few and it is nice to see how the details to their designs have been improved. To obtain the materia for a certain summon, you may very well have to battle and defeat that summon. Some can be claimed as part of a prize for completing a mission.
Crisis Core features a sub story of hundreds of missions that are made available to Zack at varying times in the game. Completing these missions can be tedious but are also good in a number of ways. For one, some show Zack's relationship with other players, some who consider themselves his rivals and others that can be just irritating! However, many fabulous items, materia and accessories can be earned or found whilst attempting one of these missions: so it is always worth giving them a try! Sometimes, completing a mission makes a new one available for Zack to undertake. You will find that, to finish most missions, you will need to defeat the small group of enemies lurking on the field map.
Another mini feature is the usage of Zacks mobile phone. He can receive email messages from his employers, friends and other people. These messages can give interesting, valid information but some can also make you laugh out loud. Some scenes portray Zack being called on his mobile and speaking to various people and I think that it's a wonderful little feature to have in this overall fantastic game!
Crisis Core has scrapped the ATB system, seeing as how you only have control of Zack, and has instead integrated real time action fighting instead. This allows Zack to evade, block and even counter enemy attacks (but be warned that these consume your AP, amongst other things) much easier, if one has quick enough reflexes. The system is great and easy to understand and in order to choose different abilities for Zack to execute, the player must scroll sideways with the L and R buttons. Each player will have his or her own method of attacks and skills and there are many combinations to choose from!
Materia - the form of magic power - has made a comeback (it just wouldn't be Final Fantasy VII without the term materia) and the way you use it is very similar to earlier games. As with the original, different coloured materia represents the difference in spells. For example, green materia represents supportive magic like cure and esuna, whilst yellow materia means that it is a skill such as power attack or jump you're equipping, not a spell. Zack can equip materia to his weapon and these are the ones he can use in battle so choose wisely. Once a materia has reached level five, it will be mastered, that is to say it will be at its most powerful.
Although materia has made its return to the series, it wouldn't be Final Fantasy without something new too. Once you have reached a certain point in the game, Materia Fusion become available to you. This basically means that you can fuse materia, both different and the same, together to make a completely new materia. Many of these fusions will cost SP so make sure you always have enough. In addition to fusing materia, the ability to fuse items in with the materia become available once you have obtained a certain artifact. Fusion can create some rather brilliant, helpful and downright cool results.
As is tradition, magic can only be cast with the appropriate amount of MP (Magic Points) at Zack's disposal. He can use both types of magic (black and white) in a fight - just don't forget to equip them to him!!
Some status ailments can also affect Zacks actions on the battlefield, such as curse (which stops the DMW from spinning), Silence (which prevents you from casting any magic spells), and stop (which freezes Zack for a short time).
Once again, the soundtrack for this game is magnificent, with elements of Final Fantasy VII in there. The tracks are a lot more modern than the original and each piece fits in very nicely with the scenes/areas that they emerge in. The soundtrack is very enjoyable and a great one to add to any Final Fantasy Fans' collection.
Square Enix have made Crisis Core to make the most out of the PSP system and that's exactly what it does! The graphics are amazing, the cinematics breath-taking and the scrip writing and story are terrific! If you have a PSP and don't own this game, I would highly recommend that you get it A.S.A.P: don't miss out on such a phenomenon!!
Fantasy VII " takes fans on an exciting journey through the origin of the internationally acclaimed Final Fantasy VII saga in an all-new action-packed experience. ...
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