CRISIS CORE –FINAL FANTASY VII– REUNION

Crisis Core – Final Fantasy VII – Reunion is the modernized action RPG about Zack Fair, the prequel to Final Fantasy VII. The original came out on PSP in 2007. Reunion reworks the graphics, models, combat system and controls, and adds fully voiced dialogue throughout and newly arranged music.

The single-player story follows the soldier Zack and combines direct sword fights with spells, skills and the special Digital Mind Wave system.

The reworked version was released on Dec 13, 2022 for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, and Nintendo Switch. The Japanese Square Enix site gives Dec 14 for the Steam release there; Steam itself lists Dec 13.

A native Nintendo Switch 2 version arrived on the German and American eShop on Sep 9, 2026. The new version has its own product listing and is not a regular upgrade of the older Switch edition.

Native versions exist for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2. On PC, Reunion is available via Steam. The PS4 and PS5 versions are sold together on the PlayStation Store, but are technically separate console versions.

On Nintendo, a distinction must be made between the 2022 Switch version and the 2026 version released specifically for Switch 2. The original Switch version also runs on Switch 2 via backward compatibility. However, that does not make it a native Switch 2 version.

At its heart is a real-time action role-playing game: Zack attacks with his sword, dodges, blocks and uses spells or special abilities. Equipped materia determines which actions are available. Combat is supplemented by an automatic random system that can trigger bonuses and powerful attacks.

The Reunion version adapts the controls originally designed for PSP to modern controllers and PC. The developers mainly reworked the flow and timing of combat.

Steam requires Windows 10 or 11 64-bit, DirectX 12, 8 GB RAM and 30 GB of free storage space. Minimum hardware is listed as an AMD A8-7600 or Intel Core i3-3210, as well as for example a Radeon RX 460, GeForce GTX 750 Ti or Intel Arc A380.

Recommended specs include a Ryzen 3 1200 or Core i5-6500 as well as a Radeon RX 5500 XT, GeForce GTX 1060 or Intel Arc A750. The minimum requirement is based on 720p at 30 FPS, the recommendation on 1080p at 60 FPS. On powerful PCs, the game supports up to 120 FPS.

Seven years before Final Fantasy VII, Zack Fair serves the Shinra Company in the elite SOLDIER unit. Together with his mentor Angeal and Sephiroth, he is drawn into the investigation of missing SOLDIERs. Along the way he uncovers the company's dark experiments and traces of the vanished Genesis.

The story shows the relationships Zack has with characters such as Cloud and Aerith. Their later twists are deliberately not covered in this summary.

Zack Fair is the playable lead. The experienced SOLDIER Angeal Hewley shapes his training. Sephiroth is one of the best-known members of the unit, while Genesis Rhapsodos is part of the missing persons cases that Zack investigates.

Cloud Strife and Aerith also appear in the story. The newly modelled characters are presented with English or Japanese voice acting.

Sword strikes are combined with magic attacks and additional abilities in battle. Spells use magic points, while certain melee actions require action points. The officially described abilities include Assault Twister and Jump; for magic, fire and lightning variants are among those available.

Control remains focused on Zack. A freely controllable party of several heroes is not the basic concept of this game.

The Digital Mind Wave shows automatically spinning number and figure reels during combat. Matching combinations can trigger special effects: such as temporary critical hits, protection against physical or magic attacks, or lower skill costs.

With matching character images, Zack can also use Limit attacks. The system combines chance with deliberate decisions about equipment and direct combat control.

Materia gives Zack spells, physical special abilities and status boosts. Depending on the combination chosen, a fight is geared toward melee attacks, magic or mixed actions.

DMW effects can additionally influence equipped materia. Through this interplay, skill development and equipment setup remain key elements of progression.

Alongside the linear main story, Reunion offers numerous additional combat missions. The side missions serve as further challenges and open up extra opportunities for items and equipment progression.

The missions complement Zack's story missions. If you mainly want to experience the story, you can focus on the main chapters, while the side missions add more combat to the action RPG.

The Reunion version goes well beyond a simple higher resolution. Characters and environments received new 3D models; the interface, controls and combat flow were retuned. English and Japanese dialogue is fully voiced, and Takeharu Ishimoto re-arranged the music.

According to the developers, a key goal was to present the former handheld title convincingly on large screens. The basic structure and the backstory of the PSP game were preserved.

Nintendo's Switch 2 version of September 9, 2026 is listed as a separate software product. It cannot be played on the original Switch, and save data is not compatible with the Switch version.

According to Nintendo, no upgrade pack from the original Switch version to the native Switch 2 version is planned. It can still be played on Switch 2 via backward compatibility. Check the product label carefully when buying.

The Standard Edition includes the full game. The Digital Deluxe Edition adds a digital mini soundtrack and the digital artbook HEROES Past and Present – The Art of CRISIS CORE.

These companion media are not standalone story DLC. The editions of the Switch and Switch 2 versions are listed separately and are not automatically interchangeable.

The dialogue is fully voiced in English and Japanese. German text is supported on Steam and in the German Nintendo eShop. Other text languages include French, Italian and Spanish.

The exact number of available text languages differs depending on the platform; the Steam store additionally lists several Asian languages.

Crisis Core Reunion is a single-player RPG. Steam offers achievements and cloud saves, while Nintendo provides one player per system for Switch 2 as well as cloud storage.

The description of a Nintendo Online service on the store page should not be confused with an in-game co-op or multiplayer mode.

Square Enix handles publishing and is listed as developer together with TOSE. Producer Mariko Sato and the team described the modernised models and the reworked action combat as the central elements of the remaster.

The soundtrack's new arrangements come from original composer Takeharu Ishimoto.