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FFVII Crisis Core, Impressions and Hints at an FFVII Remake?

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FFVII Crisis Core, Impressions and Hints at an FFVII Remake?

Well, 14 hours was how long it took to finish FFVII: Crisis Core's main story. I didn't expect it to be this short when it was leaked on 2ch but looks like it's true. But if you did all the short side missions, you could land up to 50 hours!

The RPG's been fun in terms of gameplay with a bit of freedom to roam, easy instant access to shops, no grinding and the great mix and match Materia system similar to the original FFVII's one.

The "DMW" system was also a fresh new element turning it into an ARPG / slots machine kind of game. During battles, the slot machine in the corner rolls away randomly as you kill off enemies to earn SP (Soldier Points) which is also your EXP basically. As numbers match in the background you gain various temporal effects such as becoming immune to physical or magical attacks.

When two of the three character portraits matches it's enlarged on your screen. The numbers continue to roll and the middle character portrait does too. Then you just wait for them to stop, hoping you get the right combinations. The redder the limit gauge is, the more likely you'll three matching character portraits. This way, Zack unleashes a limit break or summon and the numbers you manage to roll adds to your current stats. Three matching numbers mean Zack levels up and two numbers mean your Materia levels up. The more you match character portraits, the more likely you'll get a different video flashback related to those characters.

It's mostly about luck really and that's what annoyed me towards the second half of the game. Sometimes it would kick in a bit too much and give the wrong limit breaks you needed or it doesn't run at all! However, according to Japanese sites, you can control them apparently depending on your Materia setup.

The rest of the battle system is very smooth. Although it looks like an action RPG (which is mostly is), you're actually queuing commands for Zack to perform. He doesn't respond to your commands instantly but it's still much more action oriented than turn based RPGs. Enemies are still invisible as you run around on the field but, encounters happen exactly on the same spots so you know where to avoid or just run around the edges.

For gear, you don't really have much to wear apart from accessories you gain from doing missions. Items are used pretty much the same way but you can buy them easily no matter where you are via your mobile phone. Saves all that travelling time which is a feature I like. It does make the game very easy though since you don't have to worry about running out of items as long as you have plenty of Gil. That said, the main game itself is very easy to beat!

And speaking of the mobile phone, you have access to over 200 different side missions which you can do at any time wherever there's a save point. Once at the familiar green spots of light, you just switch over the mobile phone screen and then access the missions. You then get "teleported" instantly to where you need to go or dive right into battle. Again, very handy. The missions start out easy much like the story battles but get unbelievably hard as you unlock new ones...

Needless to say the graphics are astounding for the PSP with some great facial expressions but in-game graphics wise, I would have to say they're on the same level as the MHP games. On the other hand, the pre-rendered videos are nowhere as good as the AC quality movies here. The following are a collection of screenshots from the game, most of which brings back enough nostalgia for players of the original FFVII and a very rough summary of CC.

Be warned, big spoilers ahead!

The story takes place 7 years ago before FFVII. 1st Class Soldier Genesis has gone missing during a Wutai mission along with other Soldiers. Now Zack must set out to help settle matters in Wutai.

Not the first familiar place. Sector 8.

The Shinra building.

With an exhibition room full of familiar transportation too which you can view up close.

The 3 friends Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth hanging out on top of the Junon Canon. Genesis can't get away from the Loveless poems.

And a little dispute means they end up chopping the place into pieces.

It's that reactor.

Aerith and Zack's destined meeting for the first time. They get along well. It was Zack that suggested she went to sell flowers. Aerith wanted to spread the rare flowers all around Midgar.

The playground. Aerith seems to know about Soldiers taking a "special operation" and worries about Zack.

The highway but no chase.

Ah, here's where Cloud finds JENOVA's headless body.

Red XIII makes his appearance. Hojo still the crazy scientist here in CC.

Cloud and Zack meets and finds out they have much in common. Both coming from a rural place with a rural sounding name.

Zack trying to relax on the sunny beaches of Costa del Sol.

With the lovely Turks recruit Cissnei. Zack misses Aerith and wants to call her.

But even at the beach they can't relax. Zack fights the group of Genesis clones with a nearby umbrella. I just happened to roll a "Chocobo Kick" with the DMW.

Junon is under attack again. Well... This is in the past.

The action in Junon proves a little bit much for the low rank Cloud.

Ah yes, the first boss from FFVII. So it's 7 year old Shinra technology.

Zack finally gets to spend some time alone with Aerith again. He finally builds that little wagon for her and decides to go out to sell the flowers.

Zack wants to grant her every wish. Aerith tells him she has 25 but Zack is all she wants right now. The rest is written on paper for Zack.

Out in the park, the pair have a hard time finding customers. Just as things start to work out a little, Zack has another mission. Tseng assures him that part of their spying on Aerith means protecting her too. Zack leaves, a little less worried.

It's off to Nibelheim.

The exact same scene and lines, "So how does it feel? I wouldn't know because I don't have a hometown."

Not the type of person who talks about himself much, Sephiroth.

Tifa's disappointed to hear Sephiroth and Zack are the only 1st rank Soldiers around.

Welcome to the inn where Sephiroth and Zack stayed.

Nice place.

But did you know it's "haunted"?

Tifa's the guide? Too dangerous says Zack.

Lets pose for that photo!

Didn't come out too bad.

On the way up to the reactor, Zack continues to try and convince Tifa it's dangerous. Monsters appear before Tifa and guess who was the first one to defeat them? The one in the helmet.

"Mystery" soldier continues to do his job by keeping Tifa out of the reactor. Not very happy obviously.

Where the crisis begins.

Sephiroth and Zack discovers the origin of the monsters around Nibelheim.

"It is unfortunate. You are a monster."

Says Genesis, helping to confirm Sephiroth's thoughts. A result of the Jenova Projects just like Genesis himself and Angeal. However, Sephiroth worked out the best thus he doesn't suffer from the same deterioration they do.

As the two leaves, Zack gives chase as the two leaves the reactor but finds Cloud unconscious outside. Monsters had attacked them and Cloud had tried to protect Tifa.

Zack escorts them back to town, unsure of what to do.

Back at the inn, Cloud wakes up. He still wants to be a 1st Rank Soldier but Zack tells him to forget it because Soldiers are like monsters.

Going outside, Aerith calls. Zack makes sure none of the others are watching before taking it. After a brief conversation...

Zack: I'll call you again later.
Aerith: No, don't...
Zack: I got it. I'll go see you.
Aerith: I'll be waiting for you.

He also receives an e-mail from Tifa who is worried about the soldier who protected her earlier. She's also glad Zack stayed with them until they were back in town. She wants to ask more about Soldier.

Meanwhile Sephiroth digs deeper to find out about the Jenova Project. Another memorable scene.

The light underground never went out.

And so the madness begins. No more nice Mr. Sephiroth.

Zack rushes to the reactor to confront him.

Zack tries to stop Sephiroth but he isn't strong enough.

Cloud just manages to severely wound him from behind.

He goes back out to his beloved Tifa but Sephiroth was not dead yet.

Encouraged by Zack, Cloud picks up the Buster Sword to try and finish Sephiroth.

With his strong will power he manages to do it throwing Sephiroth deep into the reactor.

Both passed out, Zack manages to catch a glimpse of Hojo and his Shinra soldiers preparing to carry him and Cloud off for his experiments.

In his dream, Zack wishes Angeal was still around to tell him what he should do now.

Zack wakes up, breaking himself out of the Mako container and makes his escape with Cloud who was now poisoned with Mako.

Seeing how Cloud's clothes were soaked in Mako, Zack decides to stop by Nibelheim to find some clothes for him. Already, Shinra soldiers are out to retrieve Hojo's "samples".

After entering the Shinra Mansion, Zack finds a Soldier suit for Cloud and changes him into it. He then remembers Aerith was waiting for him and decides they should head to Midgar next. He still had to fulfil Aerith's wishes. It wasn't going to be easy.

The Turks were onto them too and Zack did not want to fight them because of his respect for their heavy sense of duty.

Cissnei attacks but with little effort. She had already fallen for Zack and after seeing the ill Cloud behind him, she hands over keys to a bike so that they could get away more easily.

But more problems awaited ahead. Genesis wasn't dead and with new Jenova cells injected into Zack and Cloud, he wanted them dead so that he could stop his deterioration.

Before Zack starts his new life away from Shinra, he drops by to see his parents in Gongaga. He is hesitant about going in. Cissnei already knew he was going to do that and was waiting for him. Fortunately, it was just her. She wanted to know what has happened.

Zack explains and how he escaped the Shinra Mansion together with Cloud. He decides not to drop in his home so that he doesn't make his parents worried. Cissnei tells him they are fine. He thanks her and leaves.

On his way, he finds the Genesis cell injected Hollander attacking someone who resembles Angeal. It turns out to be Lazard who reveals he is actually a clone of Angeal produced as one of the earlier Jenova projects.

Zack decides to go finish off Genesis once and for all to end his madness.

He successfully defeats Genesis while Lazard had been keeping Cloud safe outside. Unfortunately, Lazard's time was up. After burying Lazard, Zack leaves with Cloud ready to start a new life but the Shinra were onto him.

Zack puts up a brave fight but even with his skills, he no match for the enormous Shinra army before him. Back in the church Aerith can feel something has happened.

Cloud manages to get up and crawls over to Zack, still unable to speak due to his Mako poisoning. Just before Zack dies, he puts the Buster Sword in Cloud's hands and leaves the sheet of paper that Aerith gave to him with her list of wishes.

Cloud gives out a cry of sorrow.

He walks off, dragging the Buster Sword behind him.

"If you see Aerith, take good care of her for me."

SE Hinting at a FFVII Remake or...?

And once you finish the game, SE had a little surprise for all the FFVII fans. A pre-rendered "trailer" for Final Fantasy VII which very much resembles the real-time PS3 tech demo.

So what could this mean? There's quite a number of ways to interpret this. First, since Crisis Core is a prequel to FFVII, this trailer would obviously point to the story continuing in the original game.

However, you can't actually purchase the original game anymore so perhaps SE is hinting at the PS3 remake that FFVII fans have been waiting so long for, despite the company denying it? As we can see from this game, they clearly have a fair proportion of the game re-modelled. Or is Sony just going to re-release the original game again on their Playstation Store so that players can play it on the PSP's official PSX emulator?

I think SE will re-release the PS1 game first then announce a PS3 remake. More money that way.

Final Thoughts

So complaints about Crisis Core? Well, an option to replay all the pre-rendered movies and a skip button for them during the plus game would be good.

I haven't really had time to sit at home to play the game so, I've been playing the game completely on the move mostly. Coming home and going to uni/work takes an hour on the bus so I've been spending that time playing CC. The gaps between save points are short and the side missions are quick too so I haven't found myself having to put the PSP in standby. Shows how portable friendly the game is.

You don't see anyone here playing portables on public transport but if you were in HK, you'll see people everywhere carrying them in queues and public transport mainly but also people who are waiting for their food. Most are playing their DS, though...

Why not take a break?

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#1

Ryuu


id buy a ps3 just to play ffvii if they remade it. im currentley playing crisis core and love it. cound you tell me how do you take these screenshots?

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#2

ShinRa


I'm playing for the second time, and it's still great. Gotta love this game! And, hell, gotta love Zack the puppy. And Cloud. And Sephiroth. And Tseng. And pretty much every character that appears on that little screen. This time, I'm going to try to beat all the missions. Some of them are insanely hard, indeed.

Also, if they ever release a remake of FFVII, I would buy it for sure. I'm gonna get the PS3 this year, and if they do release it, it would make me so happy. It's good to be a FFVII fan: they've gone as far as making a film for us! Advent Children Complete is so beautiful, in so many ways. Way better than the first release.

I also would kill for a PSP version of Before Crisis. I'm such a turk fan.

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#3

Xcomp Author


Glad you finally got to play the game!

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#4

Nagashiwa


It did took a long time till I could play it finaly, just because I didn't got a PSP

But I play the game right now for the 2nd time and I still love it!!

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#5

Sja


I loved this game. I thought it was sad though, that Zack was killed on his way to see Aerith. ):

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#6

Alce


Thank you ! great job !

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#7

Rimau99


i have ended playing this game and the great story of this still remains till now . i love ZaeritH

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#8

Xcomp Author


Is this spam...? = /

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#9

Bunekinha ♥


olha ta tudo em ingles comoo que eu irei conseguir ler?

coloca em portugues por favor!!eu nunca joguei esse jogo pois nao tenho play 2 !!!
vou comprar e jogar na casa da minha primaa

mas coloca em portugues!!!plis!!tanks

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#10

Karen


Hey - Hey! Crisis Core to be released in two days in Europe! Also available is a special edition PSP with Crisis Core and FF VII 10th Anniversary logo on it.
Argh! That wasn't availabel for the US! Rats!

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#11

Xcomp Author


Me? No I haven't.

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#12

Loveless fanatic


Hey have you read loveless already???
or the Ghost story???

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#13

Loveless fanatic


Heya Guys....
Have any of you beaten all the missions???
this really help you boost your dmw's and your level mine is lvl 99 now...
A remake would be great but iy doesn't hurt if they make a story about sepiroth's life and how did he really became a hero...

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#14

Karen


Heya, Thomas. Yeah, I understand that OCD, I am sooo like that, too. lol The comment about Omnislash was actually Xcomp replying to Rumble, but yeah, I think she meant Octaslash.

I still haven't completely figured out the materia fusion thing, since I haven't really played the game again since completing it for the first time.

I also bought my PSP just for CC but I also picked up a Hot Shots golf game that's kinda fun but just for one player.

I also agree with you about the PS3 but I'm sure I'm going to buy the PS3 anyway as my PS2 is losing it. I can't always get my games to load on it anymore, like DoC won't even load. It sucks. Love KH as well and I will get KH3 when I can.

To Xcomp: Thanks again for this cool website. After playing CC I really HOPE that we will see a remake of FF VII but I doubt that we'll see it anytime soon.

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#15

Thomas


To Rumble: This was bugging me the whole time I was reading this, and I just had to correct considering how OCD I am. Its Octaslash as Sephiroth's special, not Omnislash. Omnislash is for Cloud in FFVII. xD

Anyways, just had to add my little bit in here, I love this game a lot! I had bought two other games along with CC for this PSP of mine, but I play CC more than the other two combined.

Oh, and if they make a FFVII remake, I don't care if it will cost me 2 paychecks to get it, I will get a PS3 and FFVII.

IT. IS. WORTH. IT!

Oh, and maybe I'd buy KH3. =3

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#16

Sara


For the 1000 soldiers...I used Thundaga, if you use it carefully, you can get quite a few of them at a tiem.
Also, I kept combining my materia till I got +320% HP And I had 9999 HP lol
That came in very useful at the end.
I can't decide whether I love or hate the end, it's so sad you have to hate it...But so amazing and beautiful that you have to simply adore it.
I think the game was a bit too short, too.
And I found the quests either insanely hard, or insanely easy with a few exceptions...=] Great game altogether.
And I'd love a remake of 7 for PSP (I bought mine just for Crisis Core =] )

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#17

Karen


T.J. - I totally agree with you, that makes a lot of sense, that Zack would have been the leader. It had to happen for the storyline to continue as it did, of course.

I haven't beat the final boss yet. I almost don't want to. But I am stuck down in the Lake of Oblivion finishing up more missions to unlock the third and fourth accessory slots so I can be stronger for the battle.

G.T. - Have you gotten past the 1000 soldiers yet? I found quake to be useful in that battle, plus Assault Twister. I use quake to take down the group of soldiers, then attack or whatever on the single ones. You also need to have something equipped that prevents silence (which I forgot to do the first time) as the soldiers will silence you with their gun attacks as well. I'm curious to know what worked for you. Thanks

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#18

T.J.


it was really sad. the game helps you get to know this character that was barely mentioned in the original or Advent children and it really makes you like him for his strength, determination, and goodness. but he is a static character and he lacks depth, you know what hes going to do all the time and its easy to assume that hes going to win almost every confrontation he goes up against. cloud on the other hand is a dynamic character and has a lot of depth. he is easily influenced by sephiroth on several occasions and nearly gives up more than once. if zack had stayed with cloud, he would have dominated the role of leader and the game would have probably been vastly different. its sad, but he had to die

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#19

GT


Yes Final Fantasy Crisis Core is very amazing and to help you with your question on the key hole you need to count the books on the floor and on the top of the book case/ Then you need to count the fether duster ghosts/ Next is The canned apple and the apples and finally is the chairs in the safe is the vital slash materia an amazing crit materia maxxed that causes 9999 damage it makes fights a lot easier.

Has anyone had trouble on 1000 shinra troops i am having one heck of a time with that some hints would be nice lol.

Also its really sad how zack dies at the end i mean its good but i think they coulda keep him alive also but that just my opinion :) the game is great and I loved it very much even thought the ending was sad.

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#20

T.J.


Xcomp and Karen: Thank you. I thought it had something to do with those keyholes and i tried counting some of the items in the rooms, but i couldnt get it right and i got frustrated. I actually just finally beat it after about 24 hours (or about six days since i started playing). great game, makes me want to play a ps3 version of ffvii right now

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#21

Karen


TJ: Yeah, it took me two guesses on this. The Overflowing information had to be something with the bookcases or books. But there are a LOT of books on the shelves and only two bookcases that you can see thru the keyhole. But the clue is "overflowing" so how many books are on top of the bookcase? Hmmm?

Xcomp:
Sorry to be so particular but I am somewhat OCB.^-^
But those are not paint cans in the room with the apples. There are some apples and some canned apples. It says right on the label, "Banora White," the name of the tree that the 'Dumbapples' fall from, according to Angeal's story.

I am LOVING this game! great graphics, GREAT music and some of the flashbacks right out of the AC CGI movie.
I am off to Nibelheim for the fireworks! Kya ha ha!

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#22

Xcomp Author


TJ,

Oh I remember that... The codes are randomly generated so you'll have to work it out yourself. The hints are (highlight to see):

1. Number of books in the right-hand room of the second floor.
2. Number of ghosts in the right-room of the first floor.
3. Number of apples and paint cans in the left-hand room on the second floor.
4. Number of chairs in the left-hand room on the first floor.


You'll have to peek into the keyholes and look very carefully because sometimes the objects are generated almost out of view. The ghosts also disappear.

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#23

T.J.


14 hours? nice. i was curious.... you did such a good job put on images in a picture book fashion of the straightest storyline possible in ffvii cc, but i was wondering if you could give a little help to some side quests. namely, for me right now, do you know the combination in the shinra manshion in ffvii cc? the clues they give you in ffvii cc dont work anything like they did in the original ffvii

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#24

Karen


Ok, Rumble.
I was wondering about that after I sent this. I guess I'm gonna find out soon as I'm heading out to get my copy of CC TODAY!
"I'll phone in the verdict," (CLoud, AC)

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#25

Xcomp Author


Karen,
Not sure when Europe will be getting Crisis Core, TBH.

Rumble,
It depends on what Materia you equip and what limit breaks you manage to pull off with the DMW slots system supposedly. Someone said they equipped a mastered Omnislash Materia and their gauge stayed at "heavenly" but I don't know if it's true or not.

I never really paid attention TBH because the main story battles have been so easy.

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#26

Rumble


@Karen,

I was actually referring to Crisis Core, not FF7. :)

To further elaborate, How do you raise the limit gauge from say 'normal' to 'heavenly'?

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#27

Karen


Tomorrow! The game, Crisis Core, it will be mine! I already got my PSP, Piano Black! Sooooooo Excited! Do you have yours?

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#28

Karen


To RUMBLE

Ok, I know this one.

To make your limit gauge "red" give your character a HYPER.
This put them into FURY status. Normally, you would use HYPER to cure sadness which makes your limit gauge blue and causes it to fill up slower. But in FURY status, your limit gauge will fill up faster, however it also makes your character a little less efficient.
I use this option when I'm trying to level up limit breaks for other characters besides Cloud. I managed to get Aerith(Aeris) to learn her final Limit break, Great Gosdpel, before going into the Temple. It makes the Temple really easy cus you're at level 40 or something

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#29

Rumble


Just a quick question,

how exactly do you get your limit gauge to become redder?

Nice Review btw! ;)

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#30

DeathOfSpades


love the pics. I bought my psp just for this game. unfortunately i cant play my ps1 ff7... the third disk is all jacked up while the first 2 are near mint. its times like these that i hate life.

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#31

Karen


Love your site. I'm a long time FF VII fan since it first came out. Our family has a number of other FF titles including VIII, IX and XII and just recently I & II, & FFIII for DS. I have been eyeing the PSP since learning that Crisis Core will be released next month here in the US. I have a Best Buy gift card that I'm holding onto from the recent holidays to purchase the game and the PSP. I love the idea of a remake, but who doesn't? I know I'd buy it!
I just recently pulled out the old 3-disc game and dusted off the PS and spent many happy hours replaying the entire game again. Still enjoying it 11 years after it was introduced. Just THE best RPG ever IMO

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#32

Xcomp


You could be right... FFXIII's graphics engine as the "guinea pig" before the remake.

Then again, they already have that PS3 tech demo working... All they have to do is build on that.

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#33

Calvin Michel Sidjaja


wow, thanks for posting the comprehensive spoiler+screenshots here. now I don't need to buy psp only for the sake of this game :3

Hmm, I think SE have a (low-priority) plan to make a FFVII remake, but since nomura is concentrating in FF XIII, maybe we could expect it after FF XIII has been released. Maybe they will use FFXIII's engine to ensure the remake is graphically powerful.

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#34

Katherine


Let's just hope that if, (when?) they put out FFVII for PS3 - they don't change the story line or the "play."

I'm geared up to purchase a PSP as soon as Crisis is released this Spring. Like any FFVII fan, if you put it out there, I will buy . . . :-)

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#35

Xcomp


You and all the other loyal FFVII fans out there I'm sure. I think it would be amazing to play the game with Advent Children graphics.

So many more PS3 units will be moved if a remake did come out. SE could even help produce a new PS3 bundle, limited edition even.

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#36

Sam


If they make a VII remake for PS3, I will buy both immediately.

lol. unfortunately, that probably won't be for some time...

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#37

Xcomp


Well, the demand's there. Every time a hint about an FFVII re-make like this crops up, the forums are fired up with a few hundred replies in no time. They pretty much have all the 3D models done so the graphics would be covered. I don't think programming would be too much of a task either.

And yeah, DS is more popular thanks to its stylus controls and "non-games". I've hardly played either recently. Just the Wii ^^;

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#38

Matdesa


Looks good. I'll wait for the English version first. Game seems rather short, but nostalgic feelings for FFVII will make me buy Crisis Core as well anyway.

As much as I like a remake, it might be a huge waste of resource on Square Enix, I dont know much on programming, but wouldn't they need to rebuild the game again? Having said that, I will still grab it if they remake. :)

Anyway, DS seems to be highly popular compared to PSP.

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