Hands on Preview: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII part 2

Yes thats in-game engine graphics folks..

A week and a half ago I posted my first hands on preview of Crisis Core, since then I have been busy playing the game. Also getting myself stuck for sometime in Midgard! Frustrating, but then again everything is in Japanese so i expected to have a few translation issues…My Japanese is as fluent as my Russian. In other words non existent… As far as the story goes I do believe I’m following what is happening. Of course the fact that I played Final Fantasy VII all those years ago does help.

I’m now a good 14 hours into the game, level 26 and can say that despite being lost a bit for a while its pretty easy to follow. As I’m not going to spoil this for anyone out there who’s looking to play the USA release once its translated into English. (By the way, there is no know Crisis Core Japanese to English translation patch. If only!)

“There is no known fan, Crisis Core – Japanese to English translation patch”

So far I’m 100% impressed and like Final Fantasy VII its hard to put it down and stop playing. Even though the game is a prequel set before Cloud decided to join avalanche, It plays very different. Firstly its real time battles as you all know. But you only play as Zack, there is no 4 party group this time round. And by the looks of it, no airship, chocobos and world map you can freely explore. I’m dissappointed in a way that it lacks that exploration feel like FFVII had. You do see other areas of the world, when taking the mission quests. This is mainly for experience,too meet other characters and gain Items i think.

Zack fights alone, no 4 party battles in Crisis Core.

So far I’ve visited many of the places we have seen before in FFVII, and Square-Enix have even included little details from the first game in and around Midgard that you will remember. (No Sploiers) But its nice too see. The game has a more mature feel to it, slightly. So far I haven’t seen any talking cat/doll things etc (The things the Japanese love in games) I guess square knows we are all 10 years older since FFVII and have focused on the fact that most of us would have played FF7.

The Materia system is back, here I have had a few difficulties with what spell is what. But green is offensive magic, purple is a modifier (+20%hp for example), light green is healing , yellow extra attack skills or steal etc. Its easy to follow but its a bit of hit and miss as to what green materia is flare or gravity. Its all trial and error. In the end I think I know what flare, barrier and cure is in Japanese!!

Well I’ll leave it at that for now, better get back to playing the game. Just to add that if your a FFVII fan . Then this game is worth your while and your not going to be disappointed. I can see when I review this game once I have an English copy that its will be a 9/10 game for the PSP.