Crisis Core Reunion: All Changes So Far

Crisis Core Reunion is the new version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII and has come out this month. The previous edition, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, came out 15 years ago on PSP, so there was much wait for Crisis Core Reunion. There are numerous changes between the two editions, with a few similarities.

The players embrace the changes as the changes make the game fun to play instead of playing a refurbished version of the old edition. Some similar glimpses from the previous edition help in enjoying a bond that was established between the characters and the story.

Changes mentioned here have been spotted thus far, but some gamers with an eagle’s eye might find one or two more changes. Many enjoyable changes have been discovered from the gameplay to the story, from DMW (Digital Mind Wave) to the Side quest missions.

Game Settings

This heading covers the palpable changes to the story of Crisis Core Reunion from the Final Fantasy 7 remake. Moreover, the changes to the graphics display and the audio presentation are also covered, referred to as settings. The newer settings make the game flashier.

It is to be noted that the game is made using Unreal Engine 4. Advancements in the Unreal Engine software have enabled Crisis Core Reunion to have better fidelity. Therefore, now Reunion shares many similar regions with the Final Fantasy remake.

The Remake has better graphics than what the Reunion has to offer. But there are similarities in the standard assets, the lighting provided, and the rendering techniques. With the better visual settings embedded in the game, Reunion has a sharper contrast which is better than the PSP edition.

User Interface, or the UI, is entirely designed by keeping in mind the aesthetics of the Remake.

The Crisis Core assets were swapped with their counterparts in the Final Fantasy 7 remake. For instance, the default and initial sword used by Zack’s first soldier is presented in an updated design that Roche equipped.

Another Staunch change has been observed in the cutscenes—all the cutscenes in the game use one top-notch model for all characters. The older edition cutscenes’ used comparatively simple heads consisting of animated textures representing the mouth.

These cutscenes involved a dialogue between characters. The communication text was presented in a box at the bottom of the screen.

FMVs: Full Motion Videos

The Full Motion Video, or the FMV, cinematics have been held intact from the Remake. But the ones used in Reunion have a better resolution than the original edition. Moreover, significant changes have been made to the Buster Sword’s aesthetics.

The Buster Sword has experienced changes in its cross-guard, Pommel, and Materia slots. The design from the Original Final Fantasy 7 has been brought to make. The same methods were used in the remake of Final Fantasy 7. Although, the PSP version of the game had slight changes.

The PSP version of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII had a well-decorated golden hilt design with a red grip on it – the grip was taken from the Advent Children movie.

The PSP version was full of cinematics that were FMVs of in-engine footage. The Reunion edition of the game also has FMVs, but the change is that Unreal Engine 4 is the engine in Reunion.

The Summons’ FMV cinematics have undergone a considerable change. They are entirely built again. They now have very modern visuals and are much shorter in duration than in the PSP edition.

Script

The fluidity of the game relies on the script and the sounds. Both have observed massive changes.

The script has been entirely retranslated. As a result, there are moments in the game when different characters say the same things, although they use different wording. At times, the paraphrasing they use makes it hard to notice that the item has been said before.

Sounds

The voice dialogue in the game has been cemented to be in the entire game. It appears in the simple scenes and DMW flashback scenes, with permanent subtitles appearing on the bottom. Therefore, more characters have voiced lines, whereas some get a voice for the first time.

Since the sounds have been edited, so suitable to assume that a modern cast is hired to voice the characters, altogether new cast was hired; there are some similarities in the voices. The shooting of the audio was done fresh. This also applies to the actors that were partaking again.

Takeharu Ishimoto did the soundtrack of the newer version. He is the same composer who did the soundtrack for the original version. The template might look similar to the original PSP edition, but a second listen makes the change. It also carries a more subtle feel with it.

Post-Credits

The FMV cinematic of the post-credits is also changed. It was recreating the opening scene of Final Fantasy 7. The changes are as follows:

The part where Aerith appears has undergone reconstruction with footage from Final Fantasy 7, which was the Remake’s intro, and a new shot using these assets. The purpose of the shots was to make it look closer to the original Final Fantasy 7’s opening.

The ending is the same as the two editions. The end involves Cloud on the train. Cloud is bowing into the Buster Sword as Angeal and Zack did before him.

Apart from these changes, there is still a similarity. The starting shot of the Starts and Lifestream is still from the Technical Demo for PS3.

Basic Features

Crisis Core Reunion brought many different features compared to its previous editions on many different levels. Here are the general ones and the newly released exciting features.

A very time-saving advancement is that all cutscenes, cinematics, and Limit Breaks in the game can also be skipped. Although, Summons were also allowed to skip in the original version.

Dialogue

Subtitles play a significant part in understanding the story and script but also annoy some people. So, subtitles under cutscenes can now be off from the Options menu. You might be unable to hide the subtitles that come in the most basic cutscenes – these are usually in a box.

The medium of exchange in dialogue can also be switched between English and Japanese, regardless of the game’s stage. This does not apply to the subtitles. To change the language of subtitles, the console language must be altered.

Something that the Final Fantasy VII remake offered but the PSP version did not is that the left stick can be used to sprint. An essential and helpful feature that makes certain parts of the game go smoothly, e.g., item collection minigames of Banora. The dash Materia was used previously, and that too only during battles.

The target lock feature has been made better. Reunion helps to set the camera to focus on a particular enemy. Using this feature in Limit Breaks is wise since a specific enemy is to be hit with the attack, e.g., Octaslash and Murderous Thrust.

Rumble is a feature that adds a tactile experience during combat impacts, cutscenes, and FMV cinematics aids timings in minigames like Squatting and is now available in the current version of the game. This feature was not part of the original PSP version of the game.

Materia

Zack’s private arsenal capacity has been increased. He can now possess up to 5 Materia and item loadouts with himself. Moreover, the Materia acquired can also be sorted to improve accessibility.

Trying different experiments with Materia Fusion is now made more accessible. The Materia Fusion screen, which is used to display the final product of Materia after combining two separate Materia with the click of a button, now automatically shows the final product; it makes experimentation handier.

Chests

The chests have undergone significant changes and adjustments in many ways. Now more chests are waiting to be opened in all the story chapters and side quest missions.

Also, the location of the chests, along with some objective destinations, has been changed in some side quest missions. The primary change, liked by gamers, is that a player does not necessarily have to finish a mission before capturing the chest the mission contains.

There will be no need to go past the objective fight and conclude the mission before you can get your hands on the chest of the mission.

The objective destinations and the compass have been retained from the Final Fantasy remake. These help the player navigate places and are deemed more critical in side quest missions. A player can always turn them off as per his liking.

People that have played Final Fantasy before know that chests used to contain summon items and shop addresses. Both these are now automatically received by Zack after completing the mission. This way, a player will always catch these items after completing a mission.

The reward of some chests has also been changed. Their previous rewards have been swapped with Soldier Points (SP). If you don’t know what to do with SP, they benefit from Materia fusion.

Buster Sword

Buster Sword has had its due share of changes.

After Zack has got his hands on Buster Sword, he can get into the Battle Stance. The Battle Stance is extremely important in fighting stronger enemies. Zack then deals in stronger attacks, does not flinch between attacks, and blocks enemy attacks better. It takes 10 AP to get into Battle Stance.

Moreover, when Zack is in Battle Stance, his proficiency is improved, and he can unlock new perks. Similar perks were part of the Final Fantasy remake. These perks include dishing out attacks exceeding the 9999 damage limit and attacks that can go through Barrier.

Bonuses & Others

The bonuses after a result are tinkered with in Reunion. The result bonuses are unlocked at the start of Chapter 3. These bonuses include refilling Zack’s health, MP or AP after he performs well in an encounter. The amount filled of the meter can be up to the full at max.

Moreover, Zack could kill all enemies without getting hit or throwing killing blows with Magic, an Ability, a Limit Break, or a Summon. If you use more than one bonus at a time, they all accumulate on top of one another.

A time-saving feature inducted into Reunion exclusively is that after Zack is defeated and dies in a match, the payer can restart the battle or change his equipment and then restart the battle. PSP edition automatically threw Zack to the latest checkpoint covered.

As far as respawning is concerned, after Zack has aborted an option side-quest mission, he is taken to his initial state before the mission. Therefore, to retain any awards such as items or Level ups, Zack must complete the mission successfully.

Options Menu

A change to Reunion from the previous editions is the Options menu which has made using some controls very handy. Many controls can be accessed from the Options menu, which is very easy to handle.

The Options menu can be accessed from the main menu and pause menu. It provides a variety of controls to the players.

Players can easily set the game difficulty without starting a fresh playthrough. Moreover, changing subtitles language, vibration settings, and destination markers are also very easy now.

A player can also set the Auto-advance dialogue ON. This will help skip the dialogue scenes automatically missed with the press of a button. The camera setting can be changed, including the camera’s distance from Zack and camera behavior.

Lastly, the sound and brightness settings can also be changed from the Options menu. Some players like to customize their controller settings and alter the purpose of each button. That can also be achieved to some extent from the Options menu.

Controls & Camera

The changes made to the controls are a welcome change in the eyes of all gamers. The original PSP had very few controls, so it offered lesser dimensions in terms of controls. But with the Reunion released on better platforms, the controls will be enjoyed.

Camera

The camera is now the department of the right analog stick by default. This helps in better vertical movement of the camera, and the camera can be easily handled when traveling at low speeds.

The camera can now be easily and freely rotated during a battle. Upgrading from L and R setting on the PSP to control the camera is a huge bonus. People that played Fantasy on PSP would know how troublesome it was to fit all enemies on one screen.

The camera moves closer to Zack when Zack establishes contact with a wall or any other such object. The camera backs once it has enough space. This improvement is beneficial in close combat fights in tight spaces. More specifically, the side-quest missions.

Other Controls

Reviving Zack’s health is now an easier task. This means that due to control upgrades made in Reunion, consuming potions has been made easier. The player will press Down on the D-pad. This will make Zack consume a potion, but only specific potions can be used.

Only regular potions can be used. Hi-Potions or X-Potions will not be used. Moreover, Zack will not heal him with Cure spells at times when he is not indulged in combat.

If you recall being annoyed by the time-consuming method of reading mails, it has also been eased to your delight. Use the right bumper and head directly to the Inbox in Mailbox.

Lastly, while undertaking a side quest mission, you can jump straight to the Missions menu with a button prompt.

Combat

Combat improvements or changes modernize the game and make combats more fun to partake in.

Fighting combats is a relieving and easier task in Reunion than it was before. It is especially beneficial to mainline the main story chapters without wasting time undertaking the optional side missions.

There are many changes, and the abilities are increased exponentially in the Reunion.

Zack Combat Animations

Zack possesses faster and more fluid combat animations. This has made it quicker and more versatile, hitting opponents while carefully dodging attacks. Apart from Zack being fast, his sword moves quickly, also.

Sword

The sword combo is performed quickly. Zack runs faster; instead of running to his locked target enemies, he dashes to them and recovers from the evade roll sooner. Escaping from non-mandatory random encounters is also possible now. It is done when Zack encounters a barrier for a few seconds; he will run alone.

Melee Attacks

When Zack performed melee attacks in the older versions, he lunged toward the enemy if the enemy was out of his melee attack range. But, in Reunion, Zack swings the melee toward the enemy if it means catching thin air only. You can undo this change and apply the old setting if you want.

Where Zack has been blessed with specific abilities, his enemies also enjoy some upgrades. Enemy AI has been improved by making it faster and more responsive toward Zack’s blows. This improvement in AI makes it harder to dish some critical hits to the enemies from behind.

Combat Materia

Although this article has covered how the Materia differs in the two final fantasies, under this heading, we have mentioned the changes that underwent Materia that is used during combats.

The conjunction of Materia and Sword has been defined newly. Command Materia or Offensive Magic would have more damage if they performed in a combo with Zack’s sword melee combo. This trick also happens when Zack is standing in his usual battle stance.

Bosses & Other Enemies

The older version of the game used to give Zack Status Ailments that occurred after a battle and were held until the next battle. This feature is now discontinued and is not seen in Crisis Core Reunion.

Materia

Another tangible change while encountering bosses or other enemies is that their stats always hover above their heads as a label. The stats include their name, health meter, current status, and elemental weakness. Previously, this was achieved by Libra Materia.

It is to be noted that, even in Crisis Core Reunion, Libra Materia has a use in viewing a stat. The enemy’s MP meter can only be seen in the upper right corner using the Libra Materia. Otherwise, Libra Materia does not show any other stat. At the same time, the Materia was the only way to view an enemy’s stats in PSP editions.

People who played Crisis Core Reunion received flashbacks of the Punch Command Materia that was once very spiteful. The Punch Command Materia changed before it was included in Reunion also. Its rigor is increased and now stands as a highly lethal attack.

Costly Punch can now consume 15.625% of Zack’s health, a massive increase from the damage of 1.5625% it originally used to do. It is important to note here that players reported a bug in the game where Costly Punch was giving 0 damage had been fixed, so players should be alerted of the move.

Labels

The enemy’s labels indicate if the enemy has thrown out an attack. The label color turns red, something we also saw in the remake. This retention from the remake has been praised because of its helpfulness. As you know, not all enemies are catered for on one screen. Therefore, the red label does allow Zack to brace himself.

Limit Breaks

For someone who has played Final Fantasy in any form before, know that bosses use a Skill Power Meter to boost their Limit Break during battles. Since they are not attacking in the duration, they are to be dealt with as much damage as possible, as this reduces their Skill Power Meter by a certain proportion.

The reduction could be 25%, 50%, or 75%. Moreover, if a player is lucky enough to damage the enemy, the Limit Break can be destroyed. But this demands extreme awareness and a quick response from the player to take down the meter fully.

DMW: Digital Mind Wave

The Digital Mind Wave, or DMW, raised many questions and doubts in the gaming community; therefore, the Reunion was expected to have it in a more acceptable shape and form. Below are what changes DMW has gone through and what it looks like.

DMW Modes

DMW was infamous because it interfered with the gameplay, so this has been catered for now. The Modulating phase of DMW, Summon mode, and Chocobo mode are now used without consuming the entire game screen and pausing the game.

The modes show only in the top-left corner as the player continues to fight normally. Almost the same issue of taking up the entire screen is associated with the ‘flashback slides’ of still images from full-motion video cinematics. They also have been resolved in the same manner.

Due to the abovementioned changes, the DMW presentation in the final boss battle is manually recreated using FMV cinematics.

Limit Breaks

Palpable edits have been done to Limit Breaks and Summons.

The Limit Breaks and Summons now only last for the latest live battle. After the battle being fought is concluded, Limit Break and Summon disappear and are held at the start of the next fight.

Limit Breaks and Summons do not activate automatically in Reunion – which they used to do after a successful Digital Mind Wave roll – and so they are to be triggered via a button control. Manual controls demand more expertise, but they also empower players more as they can be used strategically and wisely.

Most players use it in combination with the Healing Wave Limit Break. As a result of this combination, Zack receives a fully healed health bar and is also made invincible for a short period. Also, it should be kept in mind that Limit Break will extinguish after the battle is over and isn’t retained until the next fight.

You would already know that Limit Breaks and Summons are to be manually activated. So, if Zack is in a difficult situation – as that of status ailments – Zack cannot do anything to come out of it by using Limit Breaks or Summons.

Limit Breaks and Summons are provided in different ‘reserve’ slots. However, only one of the two can be held at a time. If any of the two is activated by the DMW, the other one will automatically be swapped from the reserve.

Levelling Up

If DMW is launching a set of numbers that would have resulted in the leveling up of either Zack or his Materia during a battle, but the struggle concludes before the roll can be completed, it has been implemented that they will level up regardless.

This is a welcome change from the original PSP version of the game, where a ‘completed’ roll was required for a level-up to occur. This is seen as an advantage by the gaming community.

Flashbacks

In the previous editions of the game, viewing a memory flashback video for a character in DMW was used to guarantee a successful roll of that character as the video concluded. This feature has been struck off from the Reunion, and no successes are guaranteed.

Even then, it does indicate that there are high chances that a successful roll would occur.

Saving Game Data

While this change can be overlooked at first glance but these do make you feel the change. The change lies in the Save Points and how the game is saved.

A welcome change is that autosave has been inducted into the game, but it is to be noted that there is only one Autosave slot and the latest version is saved overwritten instead.

It must be mentioned here that the game offers 30 save slots plus one Autosave file. PSP edition offered to save as many files as you wanted, but this hasn’t concerned many gamers.

A convenient change has also been observed with game-saving in Reunion. When Zack touches a Save Point, his MP, HP, and AP are automatically restored to full. The original PSP version demanded a monotonous way to restore health: enter a mission other than training and exit it.

This ‘free’ HP restoration undermines the position of the Potion Promotion lady who stands in the lobby of the Shinra Building. It is to be noted that she is accommodating in having the Raise Buff – a free revive after Zack’s death.

Furthermore, as saving has been made more accessible, loading has also been made easier. A save can now be loaded using the Pause Menu without even standing a Save Point. The PSP version demanded the game to be quit, and the game had to be taken to the title screen’s Load function.

There was also a Delete button on the PSP edition that is now removed. When Zack stands at a Save Point, the player can jump directly to the Mission Log Screen with a button.

Side-Quest Missions

As most of you would know that Crisis Core offers side quest missions. These missions are available at Save Points.

Mission Completion & Rewards

Completing a mission or a series of missions demands that Zack report back to the person who had instructed him to undertake and complete the mission in the first place. Any rewards obtained after mission completion are only kept if the mission was completed.

Players can now view the completion rewards of a mission, along with the number of chests the mission contains and how many of the chests are unlocked. The rewards after achieving milestones can be viewed from a separate dedicated menu screen.

The rewards are lost if a mission is aborted, regardless of its reason.

Others

The changes start with how the missions are graded. Previously, missions were graded using a scale like Likert Scale, which used words to describe the difficulty: very easy, easy, normal, complex, and very hard. But Reunion uses are Star system, where more stars are given to missions with more difficulty.

A player also has the flexibility to sort chests according to their status: Unopened, Uncleared, New, or All.

Reminding notifications are introduced. As new Missions are unlocked, the player is given a notification. Previously, the player was notified when he reached a Save Point.

Another added feature is Destination icons. The location of the missions can be marked on the map to remind oneself where the mission is to be accessed. There is an option to turn Destination icons off – what the PSP version was about.

Moreover, some missions in the Crisis Core Reunion can be missed easily. Here is how you can learn about them.

The trigger zones that Zack runs around and avoids are relatively smaller than previous editions, making it easier to avoid them.

The rate of encounter is decreased in the vast open field mission areas. Also, these missions encounter places that cease to trigger a second time after you have collected a nearby chest. The site is to be abandoned via an exit for it to occur.

Miscellaneous Changes

The changes inducted into the Reunion were presented in the above headings. Some changes cannot be assembled under one name, so those various changes are. Some of these are minor to notice, but we still have them.

Title Page

In the PSP original edition, the ‘Start game’ options came after the intro movie, and the title screen came after it was over. Reunion has divided the intro movie and title screen.

More options are now available to select from on the title screen page. A player can choose to continue from the most recent save, which is the autosave. Also, there is support from people who use PS5. They can convert their data from PS4 into a form ready to use by PS5.

Returning to the title screen after playing the game has been made easier since it requires only three clicks. You can use the pause menu and go directly to the title screen. This is a change positive change that came after the original PSP edition.

About the ‘save screen,’ chapters are sorted by their number instead of their name. To find the names, you must go to the Trophies and Achievements unlocked section after completing them.

Areas

Some areas have also undergone some change. Previously there was a fade between the main conference room and the briefing room’s supply pod area. Now it has been removed.

The wide-open field contains some red diamonds, which indicate the level boundaries. As you would know, some other levels in the game are already introduced this.

Characters

More characters are placed in the isolated public Midgar areas. Zack cannot interact with those players, and they are only there to fill some empty open space. Also, the industrial mission zones draw areas are updated and are much more significant.

The Model SA-37 in the Exhibit Room, previously adorned with the Midgar’s Motor Group logo, now appears free of branding, possibly due to its resemblance to the symbol of Harley Davidson Motorcycles.

There also used to be a young girl in Sector 5 Slums. She now does not comment about the delicate and highly rejuvenating treatment she went under her “don” uncle.

Zack

Zack will receive extra emails in Reunion. These additional mails inform him of the missions that reward him with significant items such as Summons, practical Materia Fusion recipes, etc.

Technological and graphical advancements ensure that Zack’s description of Angeal matches what is presented in his mother’s house photos. The PSP version blurred the pictures enough that they were hard to check with the description.

“LOVELESS” appeared under the enemies during the Apocalypse Limit Break. Those characters are now rotated 90° clockwise.

Rewards & Final Battle

Before, the rewards after performing well in the Alert Head sniper rifle minigame used to be collected from chests. Now they are automatically received.  This way, the chest can be noticed since they are not to be traced in the first attempt.

The Alert Head, Sniper Rifle minigame, had a random encounter trick that has been adjusted. The first random encounter trick on the path is no more and has yet to be included in Reunion. Therefore, use the third sniper rifle before capturing two encounter spots.

Only then can you get some KILL points and maximize the upgradation of the gun.

The final battle has had some changes and revisions too. The ambiance is filled with more rocks; this is done to match the FMV cinematics that comes up after the battle. The second half of the fight clearly shows the battle’s progression.

As you would know, a player can control the camera in Reunion. Therefore, the camera that used to be fixed is now controlled by the player.

Chests & Abilities

Although, in general, chests have been increased in side quest missions but barring one place. The chests in the Gongaga waterfall minigame are reduced to 10 from 11. The reduced number is still significant to collect complete rewards as the mission concludes. However, all challenges of the minigame need to be completed.

Some changes were also observed in abilities. The Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder blade abilities now cost AP. This costed MP in the original version.

There is an endgame super boss, Minerva. Minerva is an optional endgame and can be defeated at the player’s discretion. Minerva now has 77,777,777 HP when the difficulty is set to Hard. This is four times the HP that was developed in the PSP edition.

Ending Notes

A change is made only for the improvement of something. Indeed, all the changes made to Crisis Core Reunion from its previous editions are to make the gameplay more enjoyable.

Some of these changes are welcomed by gamers, whereas some have a tough time accepting them. Nevertheless, the Crisis Core franchise has always amassed popular support because of how entertaining an experience the game offers.

If you are interested in Crisis Core Reunion, here are the best mods of the game. Also, know what the best accessories of the game are.