Like the PSP original, Final Fantasy 7, providing context and clarity for certain FF7 plot elements, but Crisis Core jumped through narrative hoops to do so at the expense of its own story. The remastered Reunion edition offers improved graphics and updated gameplay, but the story remains an awkward attempt to shoehorn Cloud’s origin into a story that rightfully should have focused on Zack. A compelling character in his own right, Zack spends the first part of the game struggling to balance honor and personal relationships, but Cloud becomes literal dead weight for the latter portion of Crisis Core.
[Warning: This article contains spoilers for Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion.]
While Crisis Core’s plot helped set up FF7 Remake, it also provides a standalone story in the shared setting with a definitive ending. Zack initially believes that by working towards the rank of SOLDIER First Class he can be a hero, unaware of the evils of the corporation he serves. Over time Zack sees how Shinra sees its personnel as test subjects and disposable resources, and he becomes a victim of Hojo’s experimentation as well. Zack continues with his quest to defeat Genesis for the sake of the world, and his only reward is an execution by his former employer.
Crisis Core Is About Zack, But Cloud Has Too Much Screen Time
All of this adds up to a memorable story with a distinctly different tone from a typical Final Fantasy game. Zack’s bonds with Angeal and his hero worship of Sephiroth carry the same sincere drama as a classic John Woo film, and his heroic sacrifice also fits that tone. Fans who rank their favorite Crisis Core characters have little reason to consider Cloud above tragic figures like Zack, Genesis, or Angeal, yet Cloud’s origins eat up a large portion of Crisis Core’s story. The Nibelheim incident that was handled as a repeated flashback in FF7 is shown in full clarity in Crisis Core, marking a turning point for the game.
Before the sequence where Nibelheim is destroyed, the story flows at a natural pace, and maintains consistent themes and stakes. Zack has some brief banter with the Shinra infantryman Cloud, who ends up going beyond anyone’s expectations as he defeats Sephiroth where Zack failed to. After Cloud and Zack are captured and become lab rats for Hojo, Cloud spends the rest of the game in a near-comatose fugue state, and Zack transports Cloud’s unresponsive body like a JRPG take on the 1989 comedy Weekend At Bernie’s. Cloud owes everything to Zack, proving Zack is a better FF7 hero than Cloud, as Crisis Core makes evident.
Zack carries Cloud from place to place, dropping him off to clear out threats, and repeats the process. While there is some justification for the sequence, since Cloud’s adrenaline-fueled rage against Sephiroth certainly saved Zack’s life, the entire sequence comes across as a bizarre variety of fanservice for FF7 alums. It gives Cloud more screen time without conflicting with his backstory as laid out in FF7, but reduces Cloud to a bulky piece of inventory, akin to an extended escort mission, or the sequences from Death Stranding where Sam transports a limp human body. This damaged the tonal consistency of Crisis Core, simply to set the stage for FF7.
Crisis Core's Story Was Burdened By Too Much Focus On FF7
There would never have been a Crisis Core without Final Fantasy 7, and the success of the FF7 Remake likely prompted the Reunion remaster of Crisis Core. The Remake sequel, FF7 Rebirth, is clearer thanks to Crisis Core, as the defeat of the Whispers altered the timeline to return Zack to life. It is obvious that Crisis Core had two agendas, since it focuses on filling in the gaps of some of FF7’s murkier narrative elements, while telling its own story. Just as Cloud was Zack's burden, the burden of putting another game’s story before its own cheapened Crisis Core.
Compared to the sprawling epic of Final Fantasy 7, Crisis Core is a more restrained story. There is still a world-ending threat with the powers of a god that emerges as the end boss, but prior to that the game has more personal stakes. The cast of Crisis Core is smaller, and it takes less time to beat the game. Despite its less ambitious scope, the game was still an enjoyable experience, for many, and Crisis Core’s many twists are certainly memorable. Crisis Core missed an opportunity to have a bit more separation from Final Fantasy 7, since the excessive focus on Cloud took the spotlight away from Zack’s story.
Source: Final Fantasy/YouTube