Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion

0:09 Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is the remaster of Crisis Core, the 2007 PSP action RPG about Zack Fair, released on Dec 13, 2022 on PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, and on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 9, 2026. IGN's review calls it, at this moment, a game that "blur[s] the line between a remaster and a remake": the PSP game's skeleton with graphics and combat rebuilt to sit close to Final Fantasy VII Remake. Its story is a prequel that ends where the original Final Fantasy VII begins, and Zack, its hero, has a bigger playable part in Final Fantasy VII Revelation, which makes Reunion the one optional game we recommend before Apr 8, 2027.

Quick facts

What is Crisis Core about?

0:48 Crisis Core follows Zack Fair, in IGN's words a "plucky and likable foil" to Cloud Strife, starting roughly seven years before Final Fantasy VII. Zack wants to climb the ranks of Shinra's SOLDIER program and become First Class, like Sephiroth, and the story ties Zack, Cloud and Sephiroth together.

7:06 GameSpot's timeline places it at this moment: the bulk of Crisis Core runs at the same time as the Turks' story Before Crisis, beginning at the very end of the Wutai war, when Zack and his mentor Angeal are sent to Wutai to finish it. There they learn that another First Class SOLDIER, Genesis, has deserted Shinra. The ending, which we leave unspoiled, leads directly into the opening of the 1997 game. Where it sits among every Final Fantasy VII game is on Final Fantasy VII Games in Order.

1:01 Square Enix's Reunion launch date trailer of Sep 13, 2022 gives the story's tone in a few lines: talk of "the gift of the goddess", Zack's banter, and the fear that Angeal "has betrayed us as well".

What changed from the PSP game

1:29 The most visible change is the graphical overhaul. IGN says Reunion uses Unreal Engine 4 to bring its in-game look "relatively close to parity" with Final Fantasy VII Remake, with a new menu modeled on Remake's, but reuses the original's pre-rendered CG cutscenes, which look noticeably aged next to the new in-game scenes.

3:07 The controls were rebuilt for modern controllers. The PSP's single stick and two shoulder buttons had forced players to cycle through commands; in Reunion, attack, dodge and guard sit on face buttons and triggers, abilities and spells are cast by holding L1, and nearly everything can be remapped.

4:25 Combat is much faster. IGN's reviewer, who replayed the PSP version as a refresher, calls the difference in pace "night and day": Zack can dodge, roll behind enemies for critical hits and slip back out to cast. It still lacks Remake's depth and its party switching, since Zack fights alone.

3:49 The Digital Mind Wave (DMW) returns "largely unaltered": a three-reel slot machine spins in the corner during every fight and, when faces or numbers line up, grants boosts such as unlimited MP or a Limit Break. IGN finds it fun but very uneven in how often it pays out.

Our summary of IGN's comparison of the two versions:

Is Crisis Core Reunion worth playing before Revelation?

5:47 IGN expected Square Enix might change Crisis Core's story to fit the remake's surprises, especially around Zack, but found the main story "identical" to the original, and calls it "the most integral entry" of the Compilation after the first game. That is our reason to recommend it before Revelation: the remake trilogy has made Zack a much larger figure than he was in 1997, and Crisis Core is the only game that tells his story.

6:55 Reunion also recast its English voices with Remake's actors for Zack, Sephiroth, Aerith and others, "giving a stronger sense of cohesion" with the trilogy, as IGN puts it here. That cohesion goes further in Revelation: Inven Global reports that Zack's playable segments were substantially increased, and the $349.99 Collector's Edition statue puts Zack beside Cloud and Sephiroth (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Collector's Edition).

7:00 Crisis Core characters are in Revelation itself. The Deep Dive trailer says Revelation includes "stories and characters from titles within the Final Fantasy VII compilation", and names Cissnei, a Turk from Before Crisis and Crisis Core. In the Deep Dive she appears in a quest whose story changes with the party member who takes it (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Side Quests).

8:31 At New York Comic Con in Oct 2026, asked for favorite lines, a member of the English cast picked Zack's two words "Me, Gongaga", a line that "stuck with me for a long time". Gongaga, which the line names, is a region of Revelation, overrun by Malboros in the Deep Dive. We think Revelation gives Zack a chapter in Gongaga, and our reasoning is on Predictions.

What Reunion does not do well, in IGN's view: its side missions remain "bite-sized" quests built for a handheld, mostly the same few corridors with random battles, and some dialogue is "cringe-worthy". We think that is a fair warning, and that the ten story chapters are what matter for Revelation; the missions can be left alone.

Crisis Core on Nintendo Switch 2

0:05 Square Enix released Reunion on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 9, 2026, announced in that day's Nintendo Direct, with this trailer. That puts every game we suggest before Revelation (Remake Intergrade, Rebirth and Crisis Core Reunion) on Switch 2, the console where Revelation also launches on Apr 8, 2027 (Final Fantasy VII Revelation Switch 2).

Square Enix has published no worldwide sales figure for Reunion, as of Nov 7, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

When did Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion come out?

On Dec 13, 2022 on PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and PC, and on Nintendo Switch 2 on Sep 9, 2026. The PSP original dates from 2007.

Is Crisis Core Reunion a remake or a remaster?

Square Enix calls it a remaster. It rebuilds the graphics and combat but keeps the original's story, missions and CG cutscenes, which is why IGN says it blurs the line.

Does Crisis Core change the story to match the remake?

No. IGN found the main story identical to the 2007 game.

Should I play Crisis Core before Final Fantasy VII Revelation?

It is optional but, we think, worth it: Zack has a bigger playable role in Revelation, and Crisis Core is his story. See Final Fantasy VII Games in Order.

Is Zack in Final Fantasy VII Revelation?

Yes. He returns with more playable segments, voiced by Caleb Pierce, as on Final Fantasy VII Revelation Characters.

Sources

• Gematsu, Sep 2022: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion launches December 13
• RPG Site, Sep 9, 2026: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion launches on Nintendo Switch 2 today
• Inven Global, Sep 10, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation includes everything we wanted to tell
• IGN, Dec 7, 2022: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion Review
• Square Enix, Sep 13, 2022: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion Launch Date Trailer
• Square Enix, Sep 9, 2026: Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion, now available on Nintendo Switch 2
• GameSpot, Mar 5, 2024: The Complete Final Fantasy 7 Timeline Explained
• Square Enix, Sep 3, 2026: Final Fantasy VII Revelation Combat and Exploration Deep Dive Trailer
• TV Insider, Oct 13, 2026: Final Fantasy VII cast on the emotional finale