Last Fantasy 7 followers anticipated to eat properly again within the mid-noughties, as developer Sq. Enix launched a number of spinoffs increasing the universe of the legendary 1997 PlayStation RPG. Sadly, many of the new tales — like PS2 shooter Dirge of Cerberus and CGI film Creation Kids — turned to be quick meals in comparison with the scrumptious and nutritious meal that was Last Fantasy 7.
The only real exception was the superb 2007 action-RPG Disaster Core. This prequel solid you within the position of Zack Honest, a personality with a small however essential position in Last Fantasy 7’s essential story, and explored his profession as a member of megacorporation Shinra’s Soldier paramilitary group.
It supplied roughly 25 hours of essential story gameplay, a stable chunk of facet missions and an inevitable emotional gut-punch of an ending that seared itself into followers’ brains.
The issue: It was solely on PlayStation Transportable, aka the PSP, and remained marooned on Sony’s now-obsolete handheld for greater than 15 years. Nonetheless, after the 2020 Last Fantasy 7 Remake and its downloadable content material hinted at Zack’s enjoying a much bigger half within the upcoming Rebirth, Sq. Enix is lastly letting a brand new technology of players dive into Disaster Core.
Disaster Core: Last Fantasy 7 Reunion hit PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Sequence X and S, Nintendo Change and PC on Tuesday. I’ve performed a piece of the sport on PS5, and located this remastered traditional to be a nostalgic pleasure.
Initially, I assumed this was simply the PSP recreation with some fashionable prospers — 3D character fashions, upgraded environments and the power to lastly play it on a large TV display (or mirror the hand-held unique on Change). A few of the prerendered cutscenes aren’t as properly remastered, with graphical artifacts sometimes marring the picture.
Iconic summon Ifrit is the primary of many you will encounter.
Sq. Enix
As I performed, it grew to become more and more clear that Sq. Enix had made extra refined modifications as properly; builders have introduced the fight nearer to the Remake’s stunning stream. Chaining bodily, magical assaults and summoning god-like beings who carry out tremendous assaults feels pure and easy — partially as a result of all the fashionable methods’ controllers have extra buttons to make use of than the PSP — making for a much more nice expertise than it was in 2007.
You even have a brand new approach to interrupt your strongest enemies’ largest assaults, by doing as a lot injury as potential after they’re charging up. It won’t look like a serious addition, but it surely provides a layer of technique to boss encounters you would possibly in any other case have performed defensively.
The slot machine-style Digital Thoughts Wave system that periodically offers you bonuses or summons an ally in fight stays inscrutable as ever — it additionally determines when Zack and his skills degree up. Relaxation assured that this is not random, so evidently method you simply cannot see how a lot expertise factors you have got. Its hyperlink to Zack’s emotional impact additionally used to nice narrative impact at a couple of key factors.
Admittedly, Sephiroth turns into much less chill after a sure level.
Sq. Enix
All of the cutscenes are totally voice acted now — chunks of the unique have been text-only — with the Remake’s glorious solid again of their roles. That features Superman & Lois’ Tyler Hoechlin as future villain Sephiroth, who’s a reasonably chill (if a bit aloof) dude for a lot of this recreation.
Nonetheless, for good or in poor health, Disaster Core Reunion is basically the identical recreation we obtained in 2007. It is nonetheless divided into simply digestible story chapters the place Zack goes out on assignments for Shinra, unlocking bite-size missions alongside the way in which — it might’t fairly shake off its roots as a conveyable recreation designed for fast classes.
It feels slightly stop-start within the early hours, particularly as the sport’s numerous methods are launched to you, however you will quickly get into the groove.
The DMW on the highest left of the display shall be your fixed companion in battle.
Sq. Enix
The gameplay loop of doing a chapter, then blasting by way of a bunch of unlocked missions and speaking to the varied characters within the hub round Shinra headquarters is satisfying — much like Mass Impact, one other traditional 2007 RPG. It is mainly a couple of rooms and streets, drastically enhanced by the sport’s magnificent artwork route (with out the sluggish loading of the PSP model).
Zack can also be an ultra-charismatic protagonist, and his enthusiasm is a breath of contemporary air in comparison with Last Fantasy 7’s moody Cloud. Followers who know in regards to the relationship between these two will discover attending to know Zack notably rewarding.
The opposite characters are a blended bag — Zack’s Soldier mentor Angeal is so stiff that I virtually drift off each time he is on display, and essential villain Genesis is a dorky Sephiroth wannabe. The voice actors do their greatest, however the writing round these two simply is not compelling. Nonetheless, Cloud and Aerith make up for it after they enter the story.
And seeing the early adventures of those gaming icons, and the way Zack helped to form them, is the most effective purpose to play Disaster Core Reunion. It is nonetheless a 2007 PSP recreation at coronary heart (as evidenced by the gorgeous mid-noughties flip telephones), however Sq. Enix’s ambition made it among the finest video games on that system. I am so glad it is not trapped there any extra. It is a recreation each Last Fantasy 7 fan must play earlier than Rebirth arrives late subsequent 12 months.
