The release of the upcoming Crisis Core Reunion could be preparing the way for a future playable character in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Square Enix recently announced Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion for PC and consoles, which is an HD remaster of an FF7 prequel that was originally released for the PlayStation Portable in 2007. The timing of this rerelease is no coincidence, as Crisis Core Reunion stars a character named Zack Fair, who will likely have a big role in the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The release of Crisis Core Reunion is likely preparing fans for a big moment involving Zack, which would be lost on players who have only experienced FF7 Remake or the modern remaster of FF7.
Crisis Core is a prequel to FF7yet it has a completely different gameplay style from its predecessor. FF7 was a turn-based game that featured a party of three, while Crisis Core was an action RPG that only starred Zack. The Materia system from FF7 was also dumbed down in Crisis Core, though the player now had the ability to fuse Materia in order to give it new effects. The fact that Crisis Core only starred Zack meant that it was a fair bit trickier than FF7as healing left the player vulnerable, and the small battle arenas meant it was easy for enemies to catch up or flank Zack.
Zack is dead during the events of FF7but that is no longer the case in FF7 Remake. The INTERmission DLC ending in FF7 Intergrade has confirmed that Zack is still alive and he’s not far away from Aerith and Cloud. The first trailer for FF7 Rebirth also shows Zack returning to Midgar with a wounded Cloud, raising questions about whether there is a second Cloud Strife out there somewhere. It’s clear that Zack is being built up for big things and this might be why Crisis Core Reunion is being made in the first place, as it tricky to play the original game.
Crisis Core Reunion Puts Zack Fair In The Spotlight
The most disappointing aspect of FF7 Remake is that it’s not for newcomers. Once the player reaches the last section of the game, they’ll be introduced to characters and scenes that will be meaningless to people who have not played FF7 or the other games in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. This is even more true of the INTERmission DLC, which ends with the confirmation that Zack is now alive and is running around in Midgar, even though he still hasn’t been properly introduced to newcomers.
Crisis Core Reunion will give players the chance to get caught up on Zack’s story. FF7 is available on all modern platforms, but Crisis Core is currently only legally available on PSP, or through the backward compatibility features of the PS Vita and PlayStation TV. Crisis Core Reunion also means the original game likely won’t come to PlayStation Plus Premium in the future. This means there are a lot of annoying roadblocks for people who want to experience Zack’s story for themselves. Crisis Core Reunion will be the best way to play the game, thanks to its updated visuals, and being able to escape from the horrible control design of the PSP. The low-quality visuals of the PSP mean that Crisis Core is also an unpleasant game to look at, perhaps taking away the incentive to even watch a Let’s Play of the game.
The INTERmission DLC & FF7 Rebirth Trailer Are Hyping Up Zack’s Return
The ending of the FF7 Remake was coy about whether Zack had actually survived, or whether this was just a vision seen by Aerith as the new timeline was being formed. The ending to the INTERmission DLC threw away any ambiguity, as Zack is shown arriving at the Sector 5 Church, where he looks for Aerith, unaware that she has already left Midgar. This raises some issues, as Aerith isn’t that far away, and if Zack discovers that she is nearby, he will be able to catch up with her, completely derailing the story, as well as undoing the big story twist in FF7.
The developers could keep Zack out of the way by having him become the new leader of Avalanche, as the group is shown to be fractured in FF7 Remake, and witnessing the victims of Sector 7 might cause Zack to stick around and fight the Shinra in Midgar. This might not be the case, as the first trailer for FF7 Rebirth heavily features Zack, suggesting he is going to have a big role in the story going forward. The upcoming Aerith and Tifa novel (which is already available in Japan) confirms that the group makes it to the boat ride to Costa Del Sol without encountering Zack, but he still has plenty of opportunities to catch up with them after that. The developers clearly have big plans for Zack, but what is it all leading up to?
FF7 Rebirth May Actually Have A Playable Zack Fair
There’s a good chance that Zack is going to be playable in FF7 Rebirth or the unnamed third entry in the series. Zack already had a playable role in Crisis Core and it would be easy to adapt Cloud’s basic movements and attacks to him. He also has a built-in gimmick, with the Digital Mind Wave acting as his power source in combat. This eventual jump to player character status might be why Crisis Core Reunion is coming out in the first place, as it will give players plenty of time to not only familiarize themselves with Zack’s backstory but the combat system from Crisis Core.
Making it easier for most players to experience Crisis Core will also hype up a specific moment, should Zack become playable in FF7 Rebirth. If the player is thrust into control of Zack and the game plays the iconic “Activating Combat Mode” sound effect from Crisis Core, then it will be an amazing moment for people who have played through Zack’s original game. If most of the player base hasn’t played Crisis Core, then that moment will be lost on them. The return of Zack is an incredible twist for longtime. Final Fantasy fans and Crisis Core Reunion will give new players the chance to get up to speed and experience his tale for themselves.
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