Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Based on a scenario that Kazushige Nojima had in mind when working on Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core follows the story of Zack Fair, a young member of the paramilitary organization SOLDIER, who is assigned to look for the missing SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos. As he searches for Genesis, Zack discovers Genesis’ origin, Project G, and how it is related to two other high-ranking SOLDIERs, Sephiroth and Angeal Hewley. The game’s storyline takes the player from the war between the megacorporation Shinra and the people of Wutai to the events in Nibelheim, ending just before the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.

Crisis Core uses a real-time combat system in which the player can move Zack around, initiate attacks, special abilities and spells, use items, and block or dodge attacks. Zack’s abilities in battle are set by what materia he currently has equipped. The game’s key feature is the Digital Mind Wave (DMW)—a slot machine-like screen in the upper left-hand corner. Images and numbers continuously scroll in each of the three slots consuming Soldier Points (SP). Combinations of sevens lead to special status effects, while having identical characters in the left and right slot opens up the modulating phase. Certain combinations of characters and numbers in modulating phase will allow the player to level up Zack, power up Materia, or perform special moves and summons.

Discover Final Fantasy VII origins in a game that serves as the perfect prelude to one of the most emblematic RPGs of all time.