Author: Dr. K

Game Corner: Final Fantasy VII Remake (PlayStation 4)

Dr. K1 Comment

Released: 10 April 2010
Developer: Square Enix Business Division 1
Also Available For: PC and PlayStation 5 (Intergrade Version)

The Background:
Before the PlayStation, Square’s Final Fantasy titles were primarily known as a Nintendo-based franchise. That all changed with Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997), an award-winning role-playing game (RPG) that sold over ten million copies for the upstart console. Final Fantasy VII was so successful that Square Enix were inspired to expand its lore and characters through numerous spin-off media, including a computer-generated movie, an RPG/action shooter follow-up, and a mission-based prequel initially exclusive to the PlayStation Portable. Development of a remake can be traced back to the early 2000s, though hardware limitations saw the project delayed until late-2015. Rather than simply remaster the original, the team decided to completely rebuild Final Fantasy VII from the ground up, replacing the turn-based mechanics for a more action-orientated gameplay style and creating all-new, photorealistic character models. Soon into development, the team also decided to split the game into three parts, expanding on supporting characters and even adding additional story elements to bolster this first entry. The announcement and first trailer alone did big numbers for Square Enix and the game sold over 3.5 million units worldwide within its first three days and was met with critical acclaim. Reviews praised the expanded characters and lore, the revised combat mechanics, and the deep dive into Midgar society. While some criticised the slower parts of the story and some tedious mechanics, Final Fantasy VII Remake echoed its source material by becoming an award-winning title. In 2021, an enhanced port dubbed Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade was released for the PlayStation 5, where the second part of the project released, also to widespread praise.

The Plot:
The Shinra Electric Power Company drains the planet’s “Lifestream” by harvesting its “Mako” energy, making life miserable for the lower classes. Ex-SOLDIER Cloud Strife reluctantly teams with eco-terrorist group Avalanche to oppose Shinra, only to end up defending fate itself when Sephiroth, a celebrated SOLDIER, enacts a mad plot to alter the timeline and become a God.

Gameplay and Power-Ups:
Final Fantasy VII Remake is, as the title suggests, an action-orientated remake of the classic RPG Final Fantasy VII. As in the original game, players assume the role of stoic mercenary Cloud Strike, a troubled young man who wields various swords as tall as he is, and team up with some colourful characters in a bid to first stick it to a corporate conglomerate, then to defend both the world and fate itself. If you’ve never played the original game, this is a great way to experience the story for the first time. However, Remake does dabble in multiple timelines and rely on references near the later stages so some familiarity with the original is required. Those who are well-versed in the original and the series will find new gameplay options available here that mix things up. Obviously, the turn-based mechanics are gone, replaced with the franchise’s more modern third-person, active battle system. You can set up battles to somewhat resemble the original system with “Classic” mode, where attacks are automated and you simply focus on making decisions, though I chose to play on “Easy” mode and have full control over Cloud and his allies. Battles are semi-random; enemies appear and occasionally respawn in specific areas for you to battle for experience points (EXP) and Gil, but you won’t be assaulted every other step like in the original game. When in combat, Square unleashes your standard attack and holding it performs either a multi-hit swing or an automated combo, depending on who you’re controlling. Triangle activates each character’s signature move: Cloud switches between the faster, weaker “Operator” stance and the slower, more powerful “Punisher” stance, while Barret Wallace unleashes a powerful blast from his gun arm that must be recharged, Tifa Lockhart executes a whirlwind uppercut, and Aerith Gainsborough deals magical damage with Tempest. X opens the command menu, slowing the battle to a snail’s pace as you select magic attacks, items, or character abilities. Circle allows you to evade, you can guard by holding R1 to reduce incoming damage, L1 opens your shortcut menu (allowing you to quickly perform preset actions), and you can lock-on to targets by pressing in the right stick. While in the “Commands” menu, L2 or R2 issue commands to your two teammates and you can switch to them with the directional pad, though they’ll battle independently without your input.

Combat is fast and action-packed as you pummel enemies with spectacular special attacks.

Although battles are much more chaotic and action-packed, many of Final Fantasy VII’s mechanics return here. Your health points (HP) are depleted as you take damage, with characters being knocked unconscious after enough hits, and utilising spells such as Fire, Cure, or Barrier drains magic points (MP). Attacking enemies builds up the Active-Time Battle (ATB) gauge and allows you to perform certain actions. You need at least one bar to consume a restorative item, cast a spell, or perform a character’s special abilities, with stronger magic and attacks consuming two bars. These special abilities are dictated by the weapons you hold; each weapon unlocks a new ability once you use it enough, allowing you to use it whenever you like with different weapons, and these abilities essentially replace the multiple “Limit Breaks” of the original game. Limit Breaks are still present, however, and again activated when a small gar fills up during battles. Selecting a special ability or Limit Break can turn the tide of trickier battles as you’ll deal greater damage or inflict wider status effects so they’re worth experimenting with. Victory not only earns you EXP to boost your level and stats (attack, defence, speed, etc) but also nets you Skill Points (SP). These are spent in a surreal menu not unlike Final Fantasy X’s (Square, 2001) Sphere Grid and boost your stats further or grant you additional Materia slots. As you explore and interact with non-playable characters (NPCs), you’ll find Materia that can be equipped to weapons, armour, and accessories. Materia allows you to cast spells in battle, from elemental attacks like Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard, to defensive spells like Barrier and Haste, to boosting your stats and assessing enemy weaknesses. Materia also levels-up through battle and the acquisition of Ability Points (AP), and levelling-up certain Materia lets you cast more powerful spells, though these consume more MP and have a noticeable charge time. Certain weapons add elemental effects to your attacks and most enemies have some kind of elemental weakness, so having a diverse set of Materia is key to mastering the combat system. It also helps to take advantage of buffs and status draining magic, capitalise on “critical hits”, and pummel your target when they’re “staggered”.

Completing side quests and mini games nets you Summons, fast travel, and other rewards.

When facing more powerful enemies, this staggered state is crucial to victory as landing successive hits builds the “Summon” meter. If you have a Summon Materia equipped, you can call forth a powerful beast to fight alongside you. Unlike in the original game, you issue orders to the Summon from the Commands menu and it’ll fight with you until the bar depletes. There are only four Summons available, with three locked behind virtual reality missions where you must defeat them to earn them, but they’re well worth bringing out during tougher boss battles. Victory, chests, and completing side quests also nets you Gil, which you spend on items to restore your HP, MP, or remove status effects like sleep and toad, purchase weapons and accessories, and buy more Materia. You can also use it to rest in inns, but I found little use for this as the game’s littered with helpful benches that restore your party to full health and Cloud even has a free room he can rest in during the first part of the game. This meant I never bought any items and rarely used them in battle and was much more frugal with my MP expenditure than usual, especially as I took the time to complete side quests to gain greater levels and gear. At various points throughout the chapter-based story, you’re encouraged to complete side quests for the destitute inhabitants of the Slums or the boisterous locals at Wall Market. These see you finding and feeding Chocobos to unlock a fast travel system, collecting medicines, defeating enemies that’ve infested the scrapyard and other areas, finding mischievous local kids, and playing songs to cheer people up. You’re usually rewarded with Gil but you’ll also unlock new Materia or be gifted SP or certain gear. Though these side quests did feel like padding at times, it was a great way to flesh out the game’s supporting characters and develop a deeper connection to the Midgar residents, meaning it has more emotional impact when Shinra decimates the area and kills most of them as recompense for your disruptive actions.

Gameplay is mixed up with some racing, interactable, and puzzle solving sections.

While Final Fantasy VII Remake is heavy on combat, you can run from most battles and much of your time between fighting is spent interacting with party members, other members of Avalanche, and the NPCs in the Slums and other Sectors. These interactions also see you participating in various mini games, such as a squat and pull up contest where you rhythmically press buttons in the correct order, culminating in a full-blown rhythm game where a cross-dressing Cloud shows off his dance skills! There are two sections where you race along the Midgar highways on a motorcycle; both see you swinging your sword at Shinra’s soldiers or blasting them with a beam attack, though the second jaunt sees you dodging anaerial bombardment and taking on a massive tank! While most areas are sprawling and daunting in their size, your helpful mini map, onscreen compass, and the larger in-game map steer you in the right direction. Puzzles generally involve squeezing through gaps, pushing things aside, or activating consoles and levers but you’ll also be moving crates (and giving Aerith a ride) using gigantic robotic hands, switching between parties to open doors, asking Red XIII to hop along walls to pull levers, and rescuing terrified children following Shinra’s horrendous counterattack. When bringing down the Mako Reactors, you’re given a time limit to battle to safety; when infiltrating Shinra headquarters, you find and upgrade identification cards and crawl through vents; and you’ll be firing grapnel guns with Triangle to escape the Slums, blasting walls with Barret’s gun arm to find goodies, and draining water to progress in the bug-infested sewers. Shinra-branded crates are scattered everywhere, and you can smash these for items, to restore a little MP with Mako Shards, and to collect Moogle Medals to trade in the slums. You’ll be competing in the colosseum to progress the story and gain levels, searching for cats and allies, following a disconcerting trail of glowing slime, clambering on overheard poles, and shifting disused trains around in your quest. None of it’s too demanding but the game does slow down noticeably during the more padded and tedious moments.

Presentation:
Final Fantasy VII Remake is absolutely gorgeous. The graphical standard is so high that it’s basically like playing through Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Nomura, 2005) and a far cry from the chibi-like polygons of the original! However, I did notice some texture warping in the environment now and then and a delay loading the correct, high-quality textures here and there. Still, character models are now expressive and incredibly realistic, with your party’s weapons and gear reflecting what you’ve equipped in every cutscene (so, for example, Cloud doesn’t default to the Buster Sword when you’ve equipped the Nail Bat) and them being more expressive than ever. Cloud, especially, benefits from this as the story revolves around him and him slowly coming out of his shell as he interacts with his unlikely friends and other NPCs. He’s socially awkward at times and hesitant to form deep connections, meaning he’s left quite uncomfortable by Jessie Raspberry’s advances and Aerith’s teasing. He constantly clashes with Barret, who constantly gives Cloud a hard time and it takes a while for him to see Cloud in a different light when he willingly opposes Shinra and defends Midgar. Barret is a standout character for his passionate love for the planet and his little girl, Marlene, but I was surprised to see how big a role supporting characters like Jessie, Biggs, and Wedge have this time around. They desperately try to pierce Cloud’s armour and he begrudgingly comes to care for them, making their injuries and deaths all the more impactful, but it’s obviously his care for Tifa and Aerith that have the most impact on his character. Beset by migraines and assaulted by visions of his past, a distorted version of events, and Sephiroth, Cloud is a deeply troubled young man initially just looking to get a payday who naturally assumes a leadership role and goes out of his way to protect his newfound friends, even accepting Red XII without hesitation.

Midgar has never been so lively and expansive! it’s truly awe-inspiring to behold.

These narrative moments are pivotal to Remake’s story and directly tie into your extended time in Midgar and its various Sectors. While you can argue it unnecessarily drags things out, I did form a deeper bond with the welfare of the NPCs and this area since I interacted with everyone and got a sense of their society. Remake is quite linear and restrictive at times, however; it’s rare that you’ll get lost as your destination is either clearly signposted or you’re barred from going in different directions. You can explore a bit, though, and will find nooks and crannies hiding chests, Materia, health-restoring benches, or other minor goodies. Sometimes you have to go out of your way to find these, like directing moving platforms to an area behind some giant fans that you temporarily disable to snag some Materia. The game often highlights when you might’ve missed something with characters giving you the option to go back, but you can ignore these prompts if you just want to progress. You’ll be exploring Midgar’s Slums often, venturing into the squalor and interacting with the locals at the scrapyard, orphanage, or various shops. Aerith’s church is also here, of course, as is her beautiful house. You’ll also venture deeper into the oppressive and dark, steampunk-styled streets of Midgar to visit Jessie’s family, clamber up a pillar to escape, and toil in the dank sewers beneath Don Corneo’s opulent mansion. Quite often, you’re treated to a sprawling view of Midgar, which looms over the Slums like a dark shadow or stretches to the horizon, either twinkling with lights or left in ruins. The environments all recall the pre-rendered backgrounds of the original game but in a much greater scale. This is best felt when exploring the Mako Reactors, which feel large and lived in and fully operational, and when escaping the wreckage of the Slums and venturing into Shinra headquarters.

Cloud’s emotional journey takes a dramatic twist by the end.

Shinra headquarters is a high-tech skyscraper housing offices, an luxurious library (where the mayor is hidden away like a bad secret), toilets, and a museum dedicated to Shinra’s Mako research. It’s also home to Professor Hojo’s sprawling laboratory, where his Mako experiments created abominations and super-soldiers alike. Although Cloud is beset by fragmented memories, they become much more volatile here as Professor Hojo drops hints regarding his true past and his visions of Sephiroth manifest in physical form. We get brief glimpses of Cloud and Tifa’s childhood and a fiery incident involving Sephiroth, but nothing concrete, of course. Sephiroth’s presence is much more prominent here than during the original game, with his presence altered to potentially be time displaced and often accompanied by ominous, robed spectres known as “Whispers”. These pop up at key moments to keep the timeline intact but rage out of control in the finale, engulfing Shinra headquarters and warping Cloud and his friends to a desolate, whirlwind of a wasteland for the game’s final battle. Final Fantasy VII had one of the best soundtracks in all of videogaming, to say nothing of the franchise, and it’s well represented here. All the memorable themes make a return and can be freely listened to from jukeboxes once you’ve acquired CDs from vendors and side quests, and they even dynamically shift depending on what you’re doing. While your party won’t strike poses after every battle, they do in the combat simulator and Barret likes to hum the “Victory Fanfare” after a win, which is fun. A new remix of “One-Wing Angel” plays during the final battle, which always ups the ante of these situations, and Cloud’s confrontation with Sephiroth echoes their final encounter in Advent Children and recreates the automated showdown from the end of the original game. Finally, Remake ends with a tantalising teaser for what’s to come as we witness an alternative timeline where Zack Fair survived his dramatic last stand and leaves the ultimate fate of these characters up in the air since Sephiroth’s messing with the timeline.

Enemies and Bosses:
It’s been a while since I played Final Fantasy VII so I admit that I didn’t recognise many of the enemies I cut down throughout the remake. Some Final Fantasy staples are recognisable, of course, like the flaming Bombs, frog-like Hedgehog Pies, and the deceptively dangerous Tonberries. Many battles pit you against Shinra’s forces; these militant goons wield machine guns, toss grenades, hide behind riot shields, and even fly using helicopter blades. Shock troopers, faster, more annoying “elite” variants, and even 3rd class SOLDIERS also crop up, alongside turrets, small drones, and cannons. Some of these are placed amidst the environment and can be pre-emptively destroyed by Barret; others come to life from the background or pop up from holes in the ground. Shinra also employs large mechs known as “Sweepers” that boast buzzsaw appendages, flamethrowers, and missile launchers. Their clandestine operatives, Rude and Reno of the Turks, occasionally attack from a chopper and their troops are often accompanied by monstrous guard dogs seemingly bred from Red XIII. Various bizarre monsters, presumably discarded experiments or the result of Shinra’s hazardous actions, are also fought in the Slums and other Sectors. Ravenous rats, crane-like birds, disgusting insects, and weird amphibious creatures are as commonplace as living junk and bandits looking to pick a fight. Ghosts and the ominous Whispers are also encountered numerous times, alongside lizardmen, wolf-like beasts, and the truly peculiar “Unknown Entities” birthed from Professor Hojo’s lab! Many attack in groups and utilise similar magic to you, but you’ll find they invariable have elemental weaknesses, items to be stolen, or are all bark and no bite, especially if your levels and weapons are particularly strong. I’d recommended using Assess to keep a record of their weaknesses, hitting the touch panel on the controller to review each enemy afterwards, and equipping Enemy Skill to learn some of their more troubling abilities for yourself. The game also logs battle intel on each creature for you to review and this ties into the VR side quest to snag new Materia as well.

Shinra’s mechs and agents will hound you throughout the story.

Shinra’s military arm is second to none in the world of Final Fantasy VII and, consequently, you’ll be battling some massive, heavily armed mechs. The Scorpion Sentinel is a significant first boss since you’re also battling a twenty- or thirty-minute timer during the escape portion. The Scorpion Sentinel sets a precedent for the game’s bosses in that they all consist of multiple phases, with the environment changing or the boss altering its appearance and attacks as you deal damage. Able to lock on and bombard you with missiles, leap to the walls, and fire a devastating laser beam from its tail, the Scorpion Sentinel isn’t to be underestimated but, as with every other boss, can be staggered by targeting its appendages and elemental attacks (in this case Thunder) turn the tide. The Crab Warden is somewhat similar, though favouring flame bursts and electrifying the floor and with a central generator and pilot for you to target once you bust through its defences. The Airbuster continues the trend, though the difficulty of the timed fight is set by you since you can sabotage the machine while exploring the Mako Reactor. The Airbuster boasts a large beam cannon, launches its fists, and flies out of reach to pepper you with missiles. In the second phase, it sits at the end of a narrow walkway and will decimate you with its beam unless you take cover, while filling the space with laser beams in the third phase. The Valkyrie flying machine chases you down as you escape the Slums, favouring rapid-fire chainguns and explosive artillery, the tank-like Arsenal must have its wheels cut from under it on the highways, and you must swap between parties to battle the snake-like Swordipede in the depths of Shinra headquarters. This electrified mech flies about, tossing a buzzsaw and blasting you with an electrical field that can make it tough to hit. Alongside these mechs, you’ll battle Shinra’s human forces: Reno and Rude, in particular, are a troublesome duo, attacking with both speed and power. You’ll also match wits with SOLDIER 3rd Class Roche, earning his begrudging respect in a duel, and must target Rufus Shinra’s canine companions to keep him from counterattacking with a shotgun to your face!

Bizarre, monstrous creatures lurk in the shadows and burst free from Professor Hojo’s lab.

You’ll also face some large, generally grotesque monsters. If you want to summon Shiva, Chocobo and Moogle, and the Fat Chocobo, you must first defeat them in VR simulations, which isn’t too difficult given their obvious weaknesses. While competing in the Wall Market colosseum, you’re forced to fight the Hell House, a strange sentient house that’s initially immune to physical attacks, protects itself with Barrier, sends fireworks into the arena, and uses its jet boosters to stay out of reach. While in the sewers, you battle the troll-like Abzu, targeting its horns with Fire magic and avoiding its devastating pounce and poisonous water. A damaged Abzu reappears when you revisit the sewers, now accompanied by its pig-like offspring, retreating to tunnels to flood the room but otherwise retaining the same attacks. Abzu is good practice for the Type-0 Behemoth, a ravenous beast best crippled by attacking its torso and hind legs so you can target its horns, which make it otherwise invulnerable. Similar to the Whispers, who spawn the “Enigmatic Spectre” mini boss, the ghosts that haunt the trainyard are governed by the Ghoul, a poltergeist-like entity that teleports, becomes intangible, and inflicts Silence. This is merely the prelude to the Grim Reaper-like Eligor, who races around in a chariot, sweeps the floor with its eye laser, and can only be attacked from behind (preferably by ice-based magic). Finally, there’s Specimen H0512, a Cthulhu-like chimera with no elemental weaknesses, poisons and who “Slows” you with Noxious Expulsion and Mako Expulsion, slams one of your team around like a ragdoll, and spawns disgusting little minions to distract you.

Sephiroth reaches out from across time to try and undo his defeat and realise his mad goals.

Final Fantasy VII Remake includes an all-new form of Jenova, Jenova Dreamweaver, a malformed, Lovecraftian, tree-like entity fought in Shinra headquarters. This writhing, tentacled thing is rendered vulnerable by attacking its appendages, which spawn throughout the arena, pushes you back with Cast Aside, targets a single character with the hard-hitting Vengeance laser orb, and envelops itself in an impenetrable barrier with Rejection. It’s a fun, three-stage fight that keeps you on your toes, but the tension really ramps up once you enter the “Singularity” and are confronted by the titanic Whisper Harbinger. This towering monstrosity is too big and too far away to hit, but it does create three Whisper-like avatars: Whisper Rubrum, Whisper Viridi, and Whisper Croceo. Though colour-coded, they have no elemental weaknesses and instead absorb elemental attacks; they also constantly teleport and respawn, so it’s better to focus on one at a time. Deal enough damage and they’ll cast Correction, separating your party and forcing you to flee as the Whisper Harbinger wrecks the floating environment and showers the floor with lightning blasts. When Barret and Red XIII leave to attack Whisper Harbinger directly, you’ll face Whisper Bahamut, which throws explosive purple flame balls and the devastating, unavoidable Megaflare. Defeating it, and the other avatars, sees the Whisper Harbinger lose health and eventually crumble but this is a gruelling multi-stage fight that I’m not sure has checkpoints between each phase. Victory sees you confront Sephiroth, first as Cloud alone and then alongside his friends. Sephiroth is fast, casting elemental attacks, attacking with a sword beam, launching a three-swipe attack, and being the most aggressive and damaging enemy you’ll face. His Aeolian Onslaught can be tricky to dodge, his Hell’s Gate creates an explosion of light that hits anyone nearby, his Flamewall restricts your movements, and his Octoslash is effectively a one-hit KO attack. Once you deal enough damage, Sephiroth casts Meteor; you then have until the count of ten to finish him off before your whole party is decimated! This is a tough fight but also incredibly enjoyable. It echoes the Advent Children finale while also bolstering Cloud’s relationships since his friends arrive to help him for each phase of the fight.

Additional Features:
Final Fantasy VII Remake has fifty-four Trophies up for grabs, with one awarded each time you clear a story chapter and when you finish the game. You’ll get additional Trophies for completing side quests, like decorating the orphanage, helping out Johnny, and defeating Summons in VR. Collecting CDs, calling upon a Summon, levelling-up Materia and your characters, and mastering weapons all award Trophies as well. While it’s easy enough to win a battle and stagger an enemy, mastering the darts mini game, receiving praise from Jessie for your motorcycle skills, completing all the squat and pull up challenges, and beating the game on “Hard” mode are a bit more taxing. “Hard” mode is unlocked once you finish the game and disables items and restricts you to healing at benches, making for a far greater challenge. Beating the game also unlocks a chapter select option so you can retry any remaining side quests all while retaining your current level and gear. Your EXP and AP is also doubled at this point, which is helpful, a play log is unlocked, and additional battles are added to the combat simulator. Completing Chadley’s Battle Intel requests lets you battle and add Bahumut and Leviathan to your team, and you’ll need to defeat all these Summons to take on the optional superboss the Pride and Joy Prototype. In addition to a bevy of options, from combat controls to camera positions, you can also upload your save file to the PlayStation 5 to continue your game there. The PlayStation 5 version is the only way to play an interlude mission involving Yuffie Kisaragi, so it’s probably better you upgrade to that version to get the full experience.

The Summary:
Unsurprisingly, I’m a big fan of Final Fantasy VII. I enjoyed playing through it and have been waiting for a remake for a long time, though I never expected Square to go this far with it! I would’ve settled for a graphical overhaul of the original, with additional CGI FMVs tossed in to bolster the experience but, much like Capcom, Square went above and beyond in remaking arguably their most successful RPG and the results are clear to see. Final Fantasy has never looked better; Remake is like playing through a high-budget CGI movie, with an incredible sense of detail and depth to every environment. Making you interact with NPCs and spend more time helping them out fleshed out every character, not just the supporting roles, making them richer and more nuanced than ever. I loved the classic turn-based battle system and was worried I’d struggle here as a result, but combat is fast, fluid, action-packed, and intuitive. It’s fun issuing orders or switching to characters on the fly, taking cover, healing, or dishing out damage across the battlefield, to the point where it would’ve been great if this was a co-op experience! While the playable roster and the available gear is limited and you’re restricted to what amounts to the first disc of the original game, there’s a lot to see and do here and I liked the twist that this is more of a retelling of these events than a complete retread. The bosses were large and engaging and the sense of empowerment and progression was great; I played on “Easy” and didn’t get a single game over but enjoyed the sliding difficulty scale as the stakes increased. My only regrets are that this isn’t available on the Xbox One as of yet and that I don’t have the means to play Intergrade or the next chapter as I’d love to see how the story unfolds following this game. Regardless, Final Fantasy VII Remake is an outstanding visual and gameplay experience, easily accessible to newcomers and packed with fan service for long-time fans, revitalising and expanding upon the original game in bold, new (and, crucially, fun) ways to present a truly amazing feat of videogaming.

My Rating:

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Fantastic

Have you played Final Fantasy VII Remake? If so, what did you think to it and how do you think it holds up against the original? Were you disappointed that the project was split into three parts across two console generations? What did you think to the Whispers and the changes made to the story? Did you enjoy getting to know Midgar more intimately here? Which of the side quests was your favourite? Did you struggle against Whisper Harbinger and Sephiroth? Would you say it’s worth upgrading to the PlayStation 5 to continue the story? Which Final Fantasy game is your favourite? Let me know your thoughts on Final Fantasy VII in the comments and be sure to check out my other Final Fantasy content on the site.

Movie Night [National Anime Day]: Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals

Dr. K2 Comments

15 April has been designated National Anime Day to celebrate the stylistic genre, which achieved mainstream success thanks to animators like Osamu Tezuka.

Released: 21 March 1994 to 21 July 1994
Directors: Rintaro, Naoto Kanda, and Tomohiko Ohkuda
Distributor: Madhouse
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Matt K. Miller, Sherry Lynn, John DeMita, Kate T. Vogt, Michael Sorich, Julia Fletcher, and Barbara Goodson

The Plot:
200 years after Final Fantasy V (Square, 1992), the malevolent Ra Devil (Sorich) arrives from the Black Moon and seeks the four elemental Crystals and only a quartet of unlikely heroes – headstrong Prettz (Miller), timid Linaly (Lynn), bumbling Valkus (DeMita), and mischievous Rouge (Vogt) – can stop him.

The Background:
In the mid-1980s, developer Square entered the Japanese videogame industry with simple role-playing games (RPGs), racers, and platformers for the Nintendo Famicom but, fearing low sales, forbade Hironobu Sakaguchi from developing a more complex RPG. That all changed with the success of Dragon Warrior (Chunsoft, 1986), prompting Square to reconsider their stance. Thus, Sakaguchi formed a small team to develop what he saw as his last chance at success in the industry. Of course, Final Fantasy (Square, 1987) was a huge hit that not only popularised the genre, but led to a slew of sequels and spin-offs over the following years. By 1994. the series spanned five games (with a sixth, arguably one of the greatest entries, due that same year). Final Fantasy V was a big hit upon release, despite not receiving an English translation, and Square sought to capitalise (and expand beyond videogames) by partnering with NTT Publishing on an original video animation (OVA) based on the title. The first direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals was originally released in Japan across four episodes on VHS before being dubbed into English and released in two volumes some three years later. At the time, the OVA was warmly received and praised for its visually engaging mixture of action and adventure. While some have criticised it as a poor adaptation and for its more comedic aspects, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals became notorious for its scarcity. The OVA has never been re-released on any other media and is essentially lost to time, known only to a handful of die hard Final Fantasy and anime fans.

The Review:
200 years ago, the Warriors of Light (or “Valiant Ones”, as they’re referred to here) defeated the mad ambitions of Exdeath (dubbed “Exodus” here) to use the four elemental Crystals of Planet R to plunge all life into an everlasting void of darkness. Since then, Bartz Klauser (here called “Batz”), Lenna Tycoon, Galuf and Krile Baldesion, and Faris Scherwiz have passed into legend, with only Batz leaving behind a legacy in his descendants, the elderly Hassam (John Hostetter) and his brave but timid daughter, Linaly. Hassam operates alongside an unnamed Blue Mage (Unknown) as a spiritual advisor to Queen Lenna (Goodson), monarch of Tycoon, who learn from the wind itself of an oncoming danger. Despite his age, Hassam is adamant about journeying to the Wind Temple to investigate, determined to live up to the standard set by his ancestor. When Linaly offers to go in his place, the two reach a compromise to travel together, but Hassam refuses to allow boisterous Prettz to tag along as Linaly’s “bodyguard”. Believing the hot-headed youth would desecrate the sacred Wind Temple (and suspecting that Prettz just wants to impress Linaly), Hassam refuses to divulge their destination or let him on their boat, despite Linaly having a soft spot for the boy. Undeterred, Prettz follows on his bitchin’, steampunk-esque motorcycle, ultimately saving them from a gigantic, insectile desert monster when his nodachi proves more effective than the gaunt, featherless Chocobo Linaly summons. Despite severing the creature’s head with one dramatic slash, Prettz fails to impress Hassam who, too injured and exhausted to continue, insists that Linaly continue by herself. With Hassam returning to their village to rest and offering spiritual guidance to his granddaughter through a mystical talisman, Prettz continues to follow Linaly, whom he has an obvious crush on. Though she steadfastly refuses his offer for a ride since she wants to honour her grandfather’s wishes to go alone, Linaly soon changes her mind when threatened by a massive airship. Piloted by treasure-hungry pirate Rouge and her all-female crew, the pirates accost them, looking to steal their bike and possessions. Although Prettz manages to elude the pirates using his riding skills and one of his trademark spiked bombs, he makes an enemy of Rouge, who vows to hunt him down and make him pay for the humiliation.

Prettz insists on accompanying Linaly and gets mixed up with a magical Crystal.

While taking refuge in a forest, Linaly reveals the true nature of her quest to Prettz and uses her talisman (and telepathic advice from Hassam) to guide them to the Wind Temple, leading them to a raging sandstorm which Prettz rushes head-first into while Linaly allows her faith to guide her. Upon reaching the Wind Temple, however, they find the shrine out of reach. Hitting upon an idea, Prettz doubles back and forces Rouge and her crew to pilot her airship into the temple valley, threatening to blow them all sky-high unless they agree. Begrudgingly, Rouge agrees and, despite her annoyance and doubts that her ship will even fit through the canyon, successfully brings Prettz to the temple’s entrance…where he finds Linaly waiting! While he was off being a show-off, Linaly investigated the area and solved the puzzle to open the way to the Wind Temple and she ventures inside with Prettz while Rouge is distracted by an incoming airship. Braving the temple’s interior, the duo locate the Crystal, which, upon contact, bombards Linaly with visions of the past and a malevolent figure and the spirits of the long-dead Valiant Ones crying for aid. Overwhelmed by the barrage, both Prettz and Linaly are powerless to keep the Wind Crystal from entering her body, where it glows ominously from her perky little butt (leading to much raunchy leering throughout the OVA). Desperate to help his friend, Prettz races from the Wind Temple, reasoning that the Blue Mage would be able to help her, only to be confronted by Valkus, the heavyset commander of the Iron Wings, the same airship that caught Rouge’s attention. Having learned that the other three elemental Crystals have been stolen and their nations have descended into chaos, Valkus and his crew flew to the Wind Temple to secure and protect the remaining Crystal. Naturally, Valkus believes Prettz and Linaly to be thieves and fires on the two when they not only refuse to return the Crystal but when Prettz also pushes his disrespectful attitude too far. Despite the Iron Wings’ bombardment and Valkus shooting at the two with his pistol, the duo topple Valkus and attempt to escape. After being grazed by one of Valkus’ shots, however, Prettz flies into a rage, only to have his sword blocked by the commander’s bare hands and the hostilities between the group ended when Rouge (who had been eavesdropping the entire time) knocks them all unconscious with gas and kidnaps them, lusting after the mysterious Crystal she heard them talking about.

The lovelorn Valkus is locked up with the duo and learns of the impended threat from Mid.

Elated to have captured not only the kids who humiliated her so badly but also the captain of the Iron Wings, Rouge spirits her quarry to her personal island and threatens them with torture. Defiant to the end, Prettz scoffs at her threats, maintaining his insolent attitude even when Rouge subjects him to a tickle machine. When Rouge threatens to snap Linaly’s neck with her whip, Prettz attacks in a fury, only to receive a beating that renders him unconscious. The three are thrown into a cell while Rouge ponders her next strategy. Though Prettz desperately tries to break out, he receives little help from Valkus, who finds himself confused by his attraction to Rouge. While Valkus’s crew frantically search for their lost commander, following sporadic energy spikes emitted by the Wind Crystal, the prisoners are stunned when the Crystal suddenly emerges from Linaly’s chest, and the spirit of Mid Previa (Fletcher) appears before them. The grandson of Cid, an ally of the Valiant Ones, Mid’s restless spirit ignores Prettz’s insolence and drops a bunch of exposition on the captives. Sometime after defeating Exodus, Mid was heartbroken when his beloved grandfather died, taking all his secrets of the Crystals with him since he’d come to realise it was foolish to meddle with their divine power. While mourning at Cid’s grave, Mid was suddenly attacked by the same dark figure that’s been haunting Linaly’s dreams and barking orders at his robotic subordinate throughout the OVA. This demonic being, later identified as Ra Devil, desecrated Cid’s grave, stealing his brain to absorb the old man’s knowledge, and murdered Mid simply for witnessing the act. Unable to rest, Mid pleads with Linaly to keep the Crystal safe within her and reveals that the three of them (and Rouge) have been chosen by the Wind Crystal to be the new Valiant Ones destined to save Planet R from destruction. Despite Prettz’s scepticism and continued hostility towards Mid because of their shared feelings for Linaly, the group soon set aside their differences when Rouge takes Linaly to forcibly remove the Crystal from her. Thanks to spurring Valkus on with promises that he can see Rouge again if they escape, Prettz finally breaks free from the cell and is forced to follow Mid’s lead.

The rag-tag Valiant Ones must awaken a dragon to confront Ra Devil on the Black Moon.

Although Rouge implied that she would surgically remove the Crystal, Prettz is stunned to find the pirate queen serving his friend laxatives! After fighting past Rouge’s guards, Prettz rescues Linaly and reunites with his bike, thanks to Mid, discovering a massive cavern filled with explosives. When their escape threatens to turn violent, Valkus intervenes to try and make peace, only for Ra Devil’s Deathgyunos forces to attack. Prettz lures the alien creatures away, claiming that he possesses the Wind Crystal and allowing the others to flee to the Iron Wings. Prettz leads the creatures to the cavern of explosives and sets off a massive explosion that leaves Rouge’s island in flames, distraught at the sight, Rouge is offered some comfort by the blushing Valkus and Linaly is overjoyed to see Prettz inexplicably survived the explosion despite being at the heart of it. Reunited on the Iron Wings, Rouge is initially outraged when Valkus is forced to put her in chains to appease his loyal crew. However, she’s soon freed per a decree from Queen Lenna, whom the group meets in person upon reaching Castle Tycoon. Queen Lenna echoes much of Mid’s earlier exposition, explaining that the rag-tag group are the last hope for the world, which will be torn apart if Ra Devil acquires the last Crystal and absorbs their powers. Although Mid confirms the villain’s threat, the group remains sceptical: Linaly doesn’t believe she’s special, Prettz refuses to believe he’s been chosen by an inanimate object, and Rouge scoffs at the idea of a pirate like her being crucial to saving the world. Only Valkus accepts his destiny and the challenge of confronting Ra Devil on his base, the Black Moon, though the others are soon coerced into helping when Queen Lenna promises Rouge a treasure trove of riches and Prettz volunteers to protect Linaly, who quietly accepts her calling to save the world. However, to reach the Black Moon, the group must first venture into the depths of Castle Tycoon to awaken their guardian deity, the flying dragon (or “Hyriuu”). While Valkus and Rouge fend off the attacking Deathgyunos forces, Prettz, Linaly, and Mid head into the catacombs beneath the palace, fending off Ra Devil’s soldiers and taking a plunge through the clouds to a hidden stone shrine to the dragon. Prettz is dismayed to find the creature is represented only by murals and a tiny, flightless lizard (though Linaly is instantly enamoured by the cute little dragon). However, when Ra Devil appears in the chamber and kidnaps Linaly, shrugging off Prettz’s attack and terrifying Mid, Prettz finds himself astride the legendary dragon when it undergoes a dramatic transformation into a titanic winged deity ready to spirit the group to the Black Moon.

The Nitty-Gritty:
Although I haven’t played Final Fantasy V yet, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is no less enjoyable both as an adaptation/continuation of the game and as an anime. Setting it 200 years after the videogame is a good way to tell a brand-new story with some original characters, though I do wonder if this may alienate or disappoint fans of the game, who only get to see familiar characters returning as spirits. The visual, action, and humour are all far more reminiscent of Dragon Ball (1986 to 1989), focusing more on touches of lewd humour (mainly with everyone staring at Linaly’s glowing butt) and a fantasy land that’s less medieval and more disparate. I’d wager some of the locations will be familiar to fans of the videogame, especially Castle Tycoon and the Black Moon, and the OVA does a decent job of recreating a few of Final Fantasy’s gameplay mechanics. The group engage in random battles, for example; Linaly is a summoner (albeit not a very accomplished one); Queen Lenna is advised by a Blue Mage; and elements of the iconic Final Fantasy theme are sprinkled throughout the soundtrack. Airships are also few prominent and Linaly’s shown to be able to summon Chocobos. They don’t resemble the cute, furry beasts from the games, but this is attributed to Linaly not having fully realised her power. Each of the new Valiant Ones also has a “class” just like in the classic games, with Prettz being a swordsman, Linaly a mage, Valkus a marksman, and Rogue basically being a thief. Finally, there’s the obvious plot point of them safeguarding magical Crystals (specifically the Wind Crystal), which are so powerful and integral to Planet R that their absence causes nations to fall into ruin. Indeed, Queen Leena warns that simply protecting the Wind Crystal isn’t enough and that the world will end if the other three aren’t recovered, much less if their powers and corrupted by Ra Devil.

The OVA is bolstered by some fun action and amusing moments between the heroes.

Ra Devil is an indistinct and vague threat who spends the first three parts of the OVA barking orders from his Black Moon base and resembling little more than a shadowy, vaguely cybernetic/demonic figure. When he appears before Mid and Linaly, he cuts an intimidating if generic and stoic figure, conveying his menace through desecrating Cid’s grave, murdering Mid, and kidnapping Linaly. Rather than being Exdeath Exodus reborn, Ra Devil is a seemingly alien threat who leaves the heavy lifting to his Deathgyunos soldiers, a nigh-endless swarm of demonic creatures who have the numbers advantage but are routinely cut down by Prettz and Valkus. There’s some enjoyable anime action in this OVA, especially when Prettz blasts about on his motorcycle or busts out his sword (something that, sadly, doesn’t happen all that often). The airships are suitably impressive, being immaculately detailed, and I enjoyed the mixture of action and comedy in most action scenes. Rouge’s “torture” turning out to be tickling and prune juice was amusing, as was Mid constantly winding Prettz up by comparing him to a dog and being immune to his physical reprimands. Although the attraction between Prettz and Linaly isn’t dwelled on all that much and is mainly conveyed through his willingness to endure any hardship to protect her, I enjoyed Valkus’ adoration of Rouge, which left the big man a blushing mess whenever the sultry pirate was around. The mismatched Valiant Ones make for quite the odd partnership; they’re often plagued by doubts or bickering between each other rather than battling Ra Devil’s forces. While only Valkus and Mid (and, to a degree, Linaly) understand the true scope of Ra Devil’s threat, even Rouge is convinced to help save the planet when she’s presented with riches. Prettz may be a sceptic and have an unruly demeanour, but he’s loyal to Linaly almost to a fault, volunteering for dangerous missions without truly understanding what he’s up against and taking on foes and even natural disasters with only his moxie and bombs to back him up. Though he knows when to flee a confrontation, Prettz is quick to join a fight if insulted or if Linaly is in danger and impresses with his defiant spirit. This contrasts with Linaly’s more subdued characterisation and leads to some fun interactions between him and his rag-tag cohorts.

Ultimately Linaly bests the God-like Deathgyunos, saves the world, and honours her ancestors.

Despite none of their airships being protected against the vacuum of space, the flying dragon hauls Valkus and Rouge’s crafts into the void, leaving Rouge and her crew stunned to discover Planet R is round rather than flat. Upon spotting the Black Moon, Mid is dismayed to find that Ra Devil’s plot is already underway. After wandering the universe in search of the ultimate power, the half-crippled demonic entity built an ominous base on the Black Moon and hooked the three Crystals up to an elaborate machine. With Linaly in place alongside Cid’s severed brain, Ra Devil begins siphoning the Crystals’ energy to channel the cosmic power of the universe into his very being! While his minions cry out in joy as Ra Devil slowly absorbs the power and knowledge of the universe, a lightning bolt causes our heroes to crash to the Black Moon’s surface, which is both hospitable and strewn with debris. After ordering her crew to repair the damage and nurse the dragon back to health, Rouge joins Prettz, Valkus, and Mid in tracking Linaly using her talisman (which Prettz retrieved in the dragon’s chamber) and Cid’s desperate pleas. When Ra Devil completes his transformation into Deathgyunos, the “God of Oblivion” (a titanic Eldritch abomination of organs and metal), Valkus and Rouge return to their airships to counterattack his forces, leading to Valkus flying into a rage when Rogue is wounded and his ship to be destroyed in an ultimately futile attempt to bring the behemoth down. Although Prettz rescues Linaly, he’s attacked by her thanks to Deathgyunos’ influence and it’s only through Mid’s intervention that the girl is brought to her senses. After Valkus’s men retrieve the other three Crystals and Mid reunites with his grandfather’s brain, Mid stalls Deathgyunos’ advance to allow his newfound friends to escape. Undeterred and seemingly unkillable, Deathgyunos continues, relentless in its desire for complete obliteration and torturing Prettz after the Wind Crystal joins with him. Though Valkus destroys the abomination’s hand, Linaly’s left to confront the creature alone when it subdues her friends with its energy blasts. Summoning a flock of Chocobos, Linaly rips Deathgyunos to shreds, leaving it vulnerable to Prettz’s final sword slash. Victorious, the newly formed Valiant Ones bid a fond farewell to Mid, who crosses over to be with his grandfather and friends, before returning home. Linaly relates their adventure to Hassam, who reacts with awe and pride, and the OVA ends to show Vulkus joining Rouge’s pirates to be with his sultry queen.

The Summary:
It’s a shame that Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals isn’t more readily available. The best you can hope for are poor transfers on video streaming sites or maybe a battered VHS copy. It really should be more widely available and I’ve never understood why it isn’t, especially as Final Fantasy and anime fans would probably lap it up. This is a really fun OVA with a lot of amusing moments and memorable characters. I really liked how hot-headed and brazen Prettz was, how he treated everyone except Linaly with such a smart-mouthed disdain and how he impressed with his defiant, never-say-die attitude. He charges into situations without thinking, full of piss and vinegar, and never betrays his friends, no matter the situation. Linaly was probably my least favourite character since she’s so sombre and laid back. Though I enjoyed the relationship between her and Prettz, I would’ve liked to see more of her struggling with her ancestry. Valkus and Rouge were also great; I loved how the big, bossy oaf was left a blushing schoolboy whenever Rouge sauntered about and how mischievous and roguish the pirate queen was. Mid also proved an enjoyable foil for Prettz, even if he’s mostly there for exposition and as a link to Final Fantasy V. Again, I suspect the large gap between the game and the OVA may be disappointing to fans of Final Fantasy V as it may as well have just been a standalone Final Fantasy story since it’s so far removed from Final Fantasy V. I suspect the biggest issue from this is with Ra Devil, a painfully generic threat compared to Exdeath, though he at least visually makes up for it by transforming into a nigh-unstoppable Lovecraftian monstrosity at the end. I would’ve liked to see more from Ra Devil, perhaps have him physically interact with the heroes a bit more, and maybe create a link between him and Exdeath based on their shared desire for destruction. Similarly, while I enjoyed that much of the conflict came from the mismatched Valiant Ones learning to co-operate, it would’ve been nice to see a few more action scenes to show off the gorgeous animation. Otherwise, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals is a lot of fun and has a lot to offer. It’s definitely worth seeking out and petitioning for an official release for, if only to drag it out of obscurity so I can stop thinking of it as a “hidden gem”.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever seen Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals? Were you disappointed that it was set 200 years after Final Fantasy V or did you enjoy the new characters? Which of the new Valiant Ones was your favourite and what did you think to their interactions? Did you like Ra Devil and how do you think he compares to Exdeath? Would you like to see the OVA be more widely available or do you think it deserves to be forgotten? What was your introduction to anime and how are you celebrating National Anime Day today? Whatever your thoughts on Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, or anime in general, feel free to share them in the comments, support me on Ko-Fi, and go check out my other anime and Final Fantasy content.

Wrestling Recap: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn (Hardcore Heaven ’99)

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The Date: 16 May 1999
The Venue: Mid-Hudson Civic Centre; Poughkeepsie, New York
The Commentary: Joey Styles
The Referee: John Finegan
The Stakes: Singles match for the ECW World Television Championship

The Build-Up:
In the nineties, while the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestling (WCW) dominated the professional wrestling scene in an all-out war for television ratings, Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) offered an alterative product to its mainstream counterparts. Originally known as Eastern Championship Wrestling, ECW was re-branded in 1993 by pro wrestling genius Paul Heyman and quickly grew a cult following with the rabid Philadelphia crowd at the ECW Arena. While making waves with its violent and controversial matches and content, ECW also offered no-nonsense wrestling, greatly inspired the WWF’s “Attitude Era”, and gave future wrestling stars a chance to hone their craft. Up until 1997, ECW primarily presented non-televised supercard events from the ECW Arena, but Heyman got his big break with his first pay-per-view, Barely Legal, on this day in 1997. Unquestionably, one of ECW’s biggest stars was “Mr. Monday Night” Rob Van Dam, a trainee of the legendary Sheik who started out as enhancement talent for various independent promotions and WCW before honing his craft in All Japan Pro Wrestling (AJPW) and being signed by Heyman in 1996. Depicted as a stoner, RVD made a name for himself with his rivalry with Sabu, which saw him transform into an arrogant heel, and his career-defining run with the ECW World Television Championship, which lasted 700 days! Widely considered one of RVD’s greatest rivals, Jerry Lynn had numerous clashes with RVD before and after his TV Championship reign, most notably earning this shot at the belt after declaring himself “The New Fuckin’ Show” and vowing to relieve RVD of the championship.

The Match:
This classic bout for the ECW Television Championship, a belt made famous my ECW’s most charismatic star, RVD, started with a lot of postering by “The Whole Fuckin’ Show” and his ever-annoying manager, Bill Alfonso, as they milked the crowd’s anticipation, laid down the law with the referee, and played into RVD’s arrogant character. Once the bell rang, however, Jerry Lynn wasted no time in going for the attack, fitting considering how badly he “coveted” the belt. Lynn’s opening wristlock kicked off an extended showcase of both men’s athleticism and wrestling fundamentals as RVD flipped his way into an advantageous position, took Lynn to the mat with a headlock, and the two effortlessly exchanged wristlocks, hammerlocks, and takedowns, proving themselves evenly matched and earning the respect and appreciation of the raucous ECW crowd. The next exchange emphasised their speed as both men shot off the ropes, ducked and dodged running attacks, and ended up in that classic wrestling standoff, with even the cocksure RVD giving his opponent his props for his quickness. Despite Alfonso’s irritating whistling, the crowd chanting the cocky champion’s name, and RVD’s showboating, Lynn remained laser focused and went right back working over the champion in the corner. Again, though, RVD proved too quick and constantly slipped out of every attack and Lynn answered right back, awkwardly flipping out of RVD’s patented corner monkey flip and leading to another stalemate. An errant elbow from the challenger caught RVD above the eyebrow, causing a minor wound that Alfonso tried to use as an excuse to call the match off, but RVD simply shrugged it off and went back to work with some martial arts kicks. The two then fought on the ring apron, with RVD missing a top rope backflip and being dumped out of the ring from Lynn’s springboard dropkick. However, RVD clumsily caught and countered Lynn’s top-rope dive and both men crashed to the concrete.

When the duo proved evenly matched, RVD upped his attack on the outside to gain the advantage.

RVD returned to the ring the hard way when Lynn stunned him with a dropkick and then hit a guillotine leg drop from the top rope that saw RVD folded up like an accordion on the ring apron! This scored Lynn the first near fall of the match and saw him work RVD over in the corner with some chops and a ludicrous avalanche bulldog…for a two count! When Lynn went back up to continue his assault, Alfonso tripped him and sent him crotch-first into the ropes, though Lynn fought the little weasel off and acquired a steel chair in the process, leading to a sickening shot to RVD’s head. The champion basically no-sold this, however, as he immediately crotched Lynn and sent him tumbling to the outside with a springboard kick. RVD took his time stalking Lynn and hauling the dead weight of his challenger back to his feet, then spitefully launched Lynn into and over the security guardrail. RVD followed up with an impressive flying clothesline, leading the dazed and bleeding Lynn to answer with a dropkick that sent RVD scurrying back into the ring. Lynn (who was either legitimately hurt or really good at selling), stumbled after him and even tangled RVD up with a rollup after dodging a corner attack. Although Lynn couldn’t hit a piledriver or avoid a rolling leg drop, he did roll out of the way of RVD’s Rolling Thunder. However, when Lynn went for a Tornado DDT out of the corner, RVD impressively countered into a Northern Lights Suplex pin for a near fall. With both men back in the corner again and battling on the top rope, Lynn took RVD to the mat with an avalanche sunset flip for another near fall then just decked him with a short-arm clothesline. With RVD down, Lynn set up a table at ringside but was again tossed into the front row when RVD intercepted him and ate a steel chair to the face thanks to an assist from Alfonso and a Van Daminator from the guardrail. However, Lynn quickly answered back by ramming RVD’s head off the ring post and teasing a top-rope hurricanrana through the table, only to be clunkily back body dropped through the wood!

The back and forth action culminated in RVD’s victory and a show of mutual respect.

RVD soon doubled down with a corkscrew guillotine leg drop off the top rope and across the prone Lynn’s back as he dangled over the railing. When Lynn still kicked out from the follow-up pin, RVD targeted his left knee and flip-dropkicked the steel chair into his face. RVD then countered a Tornado DDT onto the apron with a clothesline and a flying leg drop for another two count. Frustrated and impressed by his opponent’s resolve, RVD was sent through the ringside table when Lynn hit a sunset flip over the top rope and through the wood! RVD still kicked out of a pin fall and dodged a chair shot, but Lynn threw the chair in Alfonso’s face and nailed a nice bridging German Suplex for a near fall, though both men tumbled to the mat while fighting on the top rope in what could’ve easily been a very dangerous botch. A hush fell over the crowd as Lynn kicked out of the pin fall, but they soon got back into the action when Lynn dropkicked the steel chair into RVD’s face for a near fall. A clumsy pinning and reversal sequence saw Lynn switch his Cradle Piledriver attempt into a roll up and RVD hit the Split-Legged Moonsault for a two count. After slipping out of Lynn’s Inverted DDT attempt, RVD nailed a beautiful Five-Star Frog Splash, only for Lynn to roll into a pinning attempt. In the end, it was Alfonso who was the difference maker as he tossed the steel chair back into the ring, leading to a second Van Daminator and another Five-Star Frog Splash for RVD to retain his championship, though both RVD and Alfonso gave Lynn his props during their celebration. This was a very athletic and impressive showing from both men, though I would’ve preferred to see the stalling replaced with the guys selling the punishment they were dishing out as it seemed they were back on their feet far too quickly off the bigger moves. I liked how they made good use of all the space and were constantly portrayed as evenly matched, with both men easily dodging, countering, and exchanging strikes, holds, and crazy moves with tables and chairs. It felt as though the match could end at any moment and either man could be the victor, and they definitely built up a lot of anticipation and paced things out well, and the sloppier aspects actually fed into this narrative really well.

The Aftermath:
Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn’s iconic clash for the ECW World Television Championship was so well received that Paul Heyman opted to air the match in its entirety when ECW debuted on TNN. Given that a mutual respect had been earned between the two competitors, RVD and Lynn teamed up at ECW’s next pay-per-view, Heat Wave, to take on the Impact Players. While the duo won the match, RVD did accidentally hit Lynn with the Five-Star Frog Plash while aiming for Lance Storm. Despite this, Lynn branched off to feud with Storm and, later, Yoshihiro Tajiri and Super Crazy while RVD continued to defend his championship in a career-defining reign. Unfortunately, a broken ankle meant RVD was forced to vacate the belt and, when he returned at the 2000 Hardcore Heaven event, it was to face Lynn once again. This time, Lynn was victorious thanks to interference by Scott Anton, though RVD got another win over his rival at the start of 2001 in what turned out to be RVD’s final ECW match. Despite both men competing for World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) during and after the ill-fated “Invasion” angle, their paths wouldn’t cross until they were in Total Nonstop Action (TNA), where RVD defeated Lynn on five separate occasions.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to this classic match between Rob Van Dam and Jerry Lynn? Who were you rooting for at the time? Were you a fan of Rob Van Dam’s time in ECW? What did you think to the two being portrayed as evenly matched? Do you agree that there could’ve been a bit more selling of the bigger moves? Did you watch ECW back in the day and, if so, who were some of your favourite wrestlers and what were some of your favourite matches and moments? Whatever your thoughts, feel free to leave them below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other ECW content across the site!

Mini Game Corner: Aliens: Dark Descent (Xbox Series X)

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Released: 20 June 2023
Developer: Tindalos Interactive
Also Available For: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S

A Brief Background:
The Alien franchise (Various, 1979 to present) has had a long and complex history with videogame adaptations over the years. The films have been adapted into everything from primitive pixelated messes to crossover titles, survival/horror experiences, and first-person shooters. We even got a real-time strategy title back in 2003, one that garnered a lukewarm reaction from critics. While it may be surprising that Tindalos Interactive chose this genre for their adaptation of Aliens (Cameron, 1986), there was precedent for this given their success in the genre with Battlefleet Gothic: Armada (2016). While there isn’t much information about the game’s development available online, I can tell you that Aliens: Dark Descent was received rather favourably and that critics praised the foreboding atmosphere and immersive gameplay while criticising its performance and the unwieldy nature of certain control options.

My Progression:
Aliens: Dark Descent is a real-time tactics games that borrows many visual cues, dialogue, and audio from Aliens. Played from a top-down, isometric perspective, the game has players control a squad of four Colonial Marines and take on various missions on Lethe, a planet they’re stuck on following a Xenomorph outbreak on an orbiting Weyland-Yutani space station. Initially, you learn some of the basics by controlling a single character, Deputy Administrator Maeko Hayes, who’s responsible for them being stranded on Lethe. While nowhere near as capable as the Marines, controlling Hayes teaches you the basics of character and camera movement, the interactions you’ll need to progress, and the importance of stealth in later missions. She also tours the downed USS Otago between missions, promoting Marines, assigning Physicians to heal injured troops, and deploying missions across Lethe. When on a mission, you press X to have your Marines move to a point on the environment. You can also double tap X to have them run, though they’re inexplicably unable to shoot and run at the same time. Y allows them to interact with the environment, activating consoles, calling lifts, extracting samples from downed Xenomorphs, and repairing sentry guns or healing teammates. You can also hold Y or press in the right stick to activate a flashlight, which is super useful for exploring the game’s dark, ominous areas. A confirms your menu selections, B cancels them, and the Xbox’s ‘View’ button opens a full-sized map (though I found the smaller mini map, with built-in motion tracker, more useful). From the map screen, you can select any security cameras you’ve activated, see primary and secondary objectives, and call the M540 Armoured Reconnaissance Carrier (ARC) for some heavy ordnance support or to extract your team. The Left Trigger allows a grapnel function, though I never utilised this so I can’t comment on it, and you can focus on your team leader or reload your weapons by using the directional pad.

Assemble a team of Marines to investigate and exterminate the Alien infestation.

Your squad will automatically open fire on any nearby targets or if manually directed by your inputs. They don’t have infinite ammo, however, so you must loot corpses and crates to boost your stock, though your inventory is limited. You can select a Marine with Y to apply first aid or give them a booster to calm their nerves as your troops will grew more and more anxious as you engage in combat. The Right Trigger opens the “Skill Menu”, allowing you to utilise additional weapons (such as a shotgun spread, suppressive fire, a flamethrower, and a grenade launcher) at the cost of “Command Points”. Command Points regenerate over time, but you can fully restock them, calm down your squad, and manually save the game by welding shut doors in enclosed spaces to create a “Shelter”. This can only be done as long as you have “Tools” points and will not refill their health, unfortunately, but it gives you a chance to catch your breath. Each Marine has a personality trait that affects their gameplay; they may be cowardly, or quick to panic, or clumsy. These negatively impact their performance, reducing accuracy, increasing the chances of exhaustion, and lessening their attack power. Even if your Marines survive their mission, they are left traumatised by several afflictions. While some are cured by a Physician, others escalate, especially as you pass days to give them time to recuperate. You can level-up and Promote your Marines, however, adding additional buffs such as increasing their armour or their build/health speed. You also spend points in the workshop purchasing new weapons, such as the Smart Gun and mines, and accessories like the sentry guns and tactical analysis, which can be lifesavers out in the field. While you can heal, save, and often carry downed Marines to safety, any you lose are gone forever and memorialised on the USS Otago, forcing you to strategize and make smart use of your resources and surroundings to keep them healthy and alive.

Alien hoards will wipe out or traumatise your squad if you’re not careful.

This adds a level of tension and dread to Aliens: Dark Descent that’s exacerbated not just by the foreboding visuals and obscured map but also the game out-right warning you of its difficulty. You can adjust the game’s difficulty settings and the enemy intelligence before starting a campaign, though the standard settings were challenging enough for me. Lethe is crawling with Xenomorphs who scurry about on walls and ceilings and burst from pipes and the shadows. Aliens swipe with their claws and tails, attack with their little mouths, spit and bleed acid, and abduct your Marines and non-playable characters (NPCs) to be cocooned elsewhere. You’ll occasionally free these victims, though most die from a Chestburster, and encounter numerous Alien eggs and Facehuggers, which must be dispatched before they impregnate your troops. Even bog standard Xenomorph drones can take a lot of firepower to put down, especially if your squad is weak, injured, or panicked. Your best bet is to either use cover or stay back, laying down suppressive fire or deploying sentry guns in a kill box to thin out the Aliens. While they usually attack in small groups, their aggressiveness will increase, they will actively hunt you, large swarms spawn in for a short time, and their numbers and aggression only increase the more days you waste recuperating. Eventually, you’ll encounter a larger Alien variant, a “Charger”, that…well, charges at you like a rhino. Though big and cumbersome, the first encounter in the slaughterhouse isn’t too bad as long as you stay back and rest your troops, but they spelled disaster for my repeated excursions into the mine. An Alien nest is found here, with cocooned scientists and eggs everywhere, and sheltering a gigantic Xenomorph Queen. Ironically, this battle was easier than exploring the mines! I laid down suppressive fire, unloaded with the grenade launcher and flamethrower, and placed a sentry gun or two and she went down on my second try, though I think the strength of my squad had a lot to do with that as I had to extract and heal up to even reach her lair. It seems like you’ll also battle malfunctioning synthetics as well; this happened once during my playthrough so I imagine they, and other Aliens, crop up later in the game.

A tactical retreat to heal and regroup is often necessary to win the day.

Aliens: Dark Descent certainly looks the part. The perspective obviously makes the game far less detailed than FPS or third-person Alien titles, but the environments are all ripped right out of Aliens and I loved how all the tech and readouts aligned with what we saw in the first two films. Character models are very basic, however, often disappearing into the dark environments and not featuring much variety unless your troops are limping from wounds. They express themselves more through dialogue, shamelessly stealing the best lines from Aliens and commenting on every situation, and through the many pre-rendered cutscenes. Hayes’ time on the USS Otago recalls similar third-person sections from Aliens: Fireteam Elite (Cold Iron Studios, 2021) and sees her meeting new recruits, prioritising her troops, and being assigned side missions by other NPCs. If you choose not to deploy your squad, the infestation increases and your troops suffer; oddly, demanding they rest causes them to become exhausted, which was very strange. Passing the time often gives you the option to undertake offscreen missions for additional resources, though at the cost of a deployment, meaning you have to weigh the pros and cons of obtaining additional bonuses versus increasing the Alien resistance. Eventually, I got into a routine of deploying, accomplishing a mission or two, and fleeing Lethe with more of my squad, meaning the bulk of my gameplay was focused on repetition, trial and error, and revisiting the same locations with a bit more experience. It took everything I had just to clear the first mission, which took a good few hours, which tells me that Aliens: Dark Descent has a lot of play time in it, likely focused on grinding and exploration to nab all those hidden Achievements, though it’s possible those better versed in this genre of game may have better luck than I did during my frustrating play time.

When I first started Aliens: Dark Descent, I was expecting a game akin to the Command & Conquer games (Various, 1995 to present) I dabbled in as a kid. This turned out to not be entirely true as it’s much more focused on stealth and action rather than building bases and such, though the Shelter mechanic masquerades as a base, I suppose. This genre of game isn’t really one I’ve had that much experience with; it seems more geared to mobile players or fans of “roguelike” titles, and therefore was quite a chore and a challenge to play. I was hoping for a mission-based title where you strategically place troops and build forces to hold off the Xenomorphs, and instead was beaten over the head with a moody, difficult, and often tedious gameplay experience. The visual fidelity to the first two movies is amazing; the atmosphere is perfectly foreboding and the dread of every encounter, however minor, definitely echoes the dire straits faced by the Marines in Cameron’s sci-fi classic. Aliens: Dark Descent can be very unforgiving, though; even if you take the time to heal and prepare, the odds are always against you. Just one Xenomorph can wipe out your squad, especially if they are injured or fresh-faced recruits, and it’s very easy for the tide to turn against you, even if you set up a well-armed kill box and farm nearby resources. I can see that Aliens: Dark Descent is going to demand a lot of my time as the first mission took me most of an afternoon to get through, meaning it’s a game I will likely revisit in the same manner I played: “short, sharp bursts” to whittle away at each objective, no doubt to be wiped out by some unforeseen new Alien variant. But maybe I just suck. Maybe you had a better strategy. Maybe you found all the data pads and creamed this game. If so, tell me about it in the comments, tell me your favourite Alien game, and check out my other Alien content.

Game Corner: Final Fantasy IX (Xbox Series X)

Dr. K1 Comment

Released: 13 February 2019
Originally Released: 7 July 2000
Developer: Square
Original Developer: Squaresoft
Also Available For: Android, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series S

The Background:
Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997) is unquestionably one of the definitive role-playing games (RPGs) and probably the most popular Final Fantasy title, selling over twelve million copies worldwide and making its way onto many “top ten” lists. In comparison, Final Fantasy VIII (ibid, 1999), despite being a best-seller, is often the subject of criticism. For the ninth game, Square decided to veer away from the pseudo-futuristic settings of its predecessors and move back towards a medieval fantasy aesthetic like the original games. This fantastical setting would be home to the various anthropomorphic characters who made up the game’s cast, all of whom were designed by Shūkō Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana, and Yoshitaka Amano. Main character Zidane Tribal was purposely designed to be the inverse of his predecessors: young, agile, brash, and outspoken with an eye for the ladies, a philosophy that extended to his supporting cast and the lighter tone of the narrative. Determined to return to the roots of the franchise by reviving narrative concepts such as the Crystals, Fiends, and fantasy elements, the developers tweaked the battle system to be both familiar and slightly different, returning character classes (or “Jobs”) to the franchise to make each character unique both visually and in terms of their abilities. Final Fantasy IX became the second-highest selling game in Japan upon release and was met with critical acclaim. Reviews praised the back-to-basics approach, amusing characters, and detailed environments and character models, though main villain Kuja was seen as inferior to his predecessors In later years, Final Fantasy IX has been recognised as an under-rated entry in the franchise, which perhaps prompted Square to release this enhanced version of the game in 2019. Featuring graphical updates and helpful boosters to speed up the gameplay, Final Fantasy IX found new life and new success on modern consoles and became much more accessible as a result.

The Plot:
In the medieval fantasy world of Gaia, thief Zidane Tribal kidnaps princess Garnet Til Alexandros XVII as part of a ploy by the neighbouring nation of Lindblum. However, he ends up joining forces with Garnet and a diverse cast of characters to take down her mother, Queen Brahne of Alexandria, who has sparked an all-out war between Gaia’s nations.

Gameplay and Power-Ups:
Final Fantasy XI is a traditional turn-based RPG set in a fictional and very fantasy-orientated medieval land. Unlike the previous two Final Fantasy titles, players now form a team (or “party”) of up to four characters, each with their own set of skills, magic, and abilities that are analogous to the classic Final Fantasy Job system. Primarily, players control Zidane, a peppy monkey-boy thief, though you’ll control his teammates at various points and will be encouraged to view their character-building moments and forced to split the playable roster into separate teams. In terms of controls, Final Fantasy XI is nice and simple: use the control stick or directional pad to move your character around the various towns, overworlds, and locations and to select commands in battle, execute those commands. Talk to teammates and non-playable characters (NPCs), activate objects and open chests with A, and back out of menus with B. Open up the main menu with Y, challenge characters to a game of Tetra Master with X, and use Right and the Left Triggers to move the camera on the overworld. RT also enables an “auto battle” function, effectively removing control from the player in battles. In battle, you can press Y to switch characters, hold the Left and Right Bumpers to escape (if possible), and select battle commands (attack, defend, casting spells, using items, and such) from several in-game menus. Pressing the View button opens the map on the overworld (which is eventually enhanced to show location names and allow fast travel) and helpful notes when on menus (a Moogle says what each item or spell does, for example), while pressing Menu pauses the game. From the pause screen, the shoulder triggers and bumpers activate some helpful boosters, such as turning off random battles and setting your maximum attack power to 9999 and speeding up the gameplay, all while still allowing you to obtain Achievements.

Engage in fantasy battles, powering up with Trance and more powerful weapons and gear.

There are some other helpful settings in the main menu, too. You can change the borders and text speed, set your default movement speed to run or walk, turn a helpful cursor on or off so you can always locate your character, and set the battle system to turn-based or “wait”. If you set it to wait, enemies won’t attack while you’re selecting moves, easing the pressure on you. You can also turn certain camera movements on or off to further speed up the gameplay, and certain items also affect this as they increase your chances of attacking first, avoiding damage, and the speed your Active Time Battle (ATB) gauge fills up. When exploring the overworld and the various swamps, forests, caves, and castles, you’re randomly attacked by monsters. Defeating them earns you experience points (EXP), ability points (AP) for your character’s different abilities (as dictated by the gear they have equipped), Gil (Gaia’s currency), and random items (potions, elixirs, and the like). Battling also fills the ATB gauge; once full, you automatically enter a “Trance” state that increases your attack power and speed and allows access to more powerful attacks. Each character carries a weapon to inflict damage on enemies; these are applied manually or you can select “Optimise” to equip the best options. Weapons and gear can be swapped for more powerful options you either steal, find, buy, or “synthesise” in specialist shops to increase their attack power and add various buffs or status effects to your attacks. Different equipment (armour, rings, headbands, and such) do the same, allowing characters to learn abilities that can then be equipped providing you have enough AP. These increase your maximum health and/or magic points (HP/MP, respectively), have you automatically counterattack or take damage for party members, increase you chances of stealing, escaping, or attacking first, negate back attacks, and make you resistant to status effects like poison, petrify, stop, and mini. Each character has different special attacks, too: Zidane steals from enemies, Vivi Ornitier and Eiko Carol cast magic twice in a row, Quina Quen eat enemies to learn their attacks, and Freya Crescent leaps to attack from the air, for example. These abilities are then enhanced through Trance, adding more powerful attacks to your arsenal that will attack or affect multiple enemies, deal greater damage and inflict status effects upon them, or heal or revive your party, though at the cost of MP.

Summon Eidolons, ride Chocobos, and traverse Gaia in various airships.

Characters like Eiko and Garnet (who later takes the name “Dagger”) can also summon “Eidolons”, powerful creatures that deal huge damage. Other beneficial magic includes healing spells, spells that cure status effects, and spells that revive downed players, abilities also accomplished by various items, using a tent at save points, or resting at inns (though this will cost you). Google save points are all around Gaia and you can eventually summon a Moogle on the overworld with X. Moogles also teach you the game’s mechanics, sell items, weapons, and accessories, and have you ferry letters around. Some key items must also be selected from your inventory to be used, such as the Gysahl Greens that summon a rideable Chocobo at specific parts of the map, and orbs or keys to open pathways. Initially, your Chocobo simply travels across the open fields but, as you play the aggravating Hot and Cold mini game to find treasures, it’s enhanced to traverse mountains, water, and even fly. However, you’ll also get access to different ships, ones that traverse water and, eventually, the skies, allowing you to quickly fast travel. When in the castle town of Lindblum, Air Cabs take you to the different districts; Memoria features teleport pads, but mostly you use ropes or ladders to explore. When you’re not battling, you can play Tetra Master, a card game almost every NPC plays. As you explore and battle, you’ll acquire cards; these have different strength ratings that, when placed on a grid, allow you to steal your opponent’s cards. Use the arrows on each card and their strength rating to judge where best to place them and fill the board with your colour to win, though I’d recommend making liberal use of nearby save points as NPCs are unfairly skilled. While it’s largely an optional distraction, you must win a small tournament in Treno to progress the story. Speaking of which, you’re regularly prompted to watch an Active Time Event (ATE). A prompt appears onscreen and, when selected, the game shifts to an NPC or teammate as they contemplate their situation or get into mischief. These are optional, and can arguably distract from the main game, but I liken them to regular cutscenes but with a little more character.

Various mini games and additional mechanics add some (often aggravating) variety.

As is common Final Fantasy games, the difficulty scales in Final Fantasy XI; the further you progress, the more powerful enemies become, even in areas you’ve previously explored. Puzzles are generally quite simple: you’ll be activating switches and consoles, collecting items, pulling levers, and traversing mazes in different areas without too much difficulty. There is a lot of back and forth and repetition involved, though, such as when you explore Fossil Roo and change the track the spider-like gargant takes to reach the exit, or when you wander Pinnacle Rocks looking for Ramuh to piece together his fable and earn him as a summon, or taking the correct path in a looping forest to reach the Black Mage village. You’ll light candles to uncover hidden stairways, explore rooms to find hidden passages, search for your teammates when they’re captured or inevitably wander off or have an identity crisis, mashing A to escape quicksand, and cooking dinner for your party. This, like some other parts of the game, requires you to select the right order from a list to get the best results, with some decisions leading to you battling a swarm of enemies. Final Fantasy XI is full of little mini games, with many being mandatory: you jump rope in Alexandria, take part in a play and sword fight with Zidane’s friend, Blank, and question your life decisions as you swing a cage back and forth to rescue Adelbert Steiner and occasional party member Marcus. Marcus and Beatrix, General of Alexandria’s armies, temporarily join the party at various points, with the latter often teaming with Steiner in side battles. Similarly, there’s a part where you play as Regent Cid Fabool IX (who’s been transformed into frog) and must carefully sneak past a Hedgehog Pie and then balance a set of scales to rescue Zidane’s friends. When exploring Ipsen’s Castle, you can open a secret passageway by picking the correct sequence and then mix ingredients for the Ancient Aroma. In Pandemonium, you get thirty seconds to slip past light plumes and the random battles they contain to cross a temporary bridge, as well as altering some headings to activate platforms. You’ll also power up and activate orbs in Oeilvert to learn valuable lore about Terra and Garland’s plan to fuse it with Gaia.

Presentation:
I loved the chibi character models of Final Fantasy VII and its industrial, futuristic steampunk prerendered backgrounds. Final Fantasy VIII was a huge visual improvement, both in terms of the more detailed character models and environments. Returning to a medieval setting for Final Fantasy IX is a shame for me as I prefer the more futuristic settings, but my God is this game full of charm! Zidane is the polar opposite of the brooding Cloud Strife and the melancholy Squall Leonhart, being peppy, agile, mischievous, and eternally optimistic. Zidane fancies himself a romantic, pirate-like figure; his charms are mostly wasted on Dagger but she warms to his enthusiasm and heart. When he learns his origins from Garland, Zidane becomes morose and lashes out at his friends, who endure tough battles to snap him out of his uncharacteristic mood. While he’s the focus of the story and gets the most character development, Zidane has competition in Vivi, a clumsy, insecure Black Mage who’s constantly feared and hated due to his destructive brethren who embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Zidane clashes with Steiner, the oafish captain of Alexandria’s guards, and Amarant Coral, a brutish thug and loner with a grudge against Zidane. Freya is an old ally of his searching for her lost love, while Eiko is a young girl with a crush on him who’s both envious of Dagger and also tries to get them to admit their feelings. Then there’s the supporting cast, such as Zidane’s roguish crew, the Tantalus Theater Troupe, who initially seek riches but are roped into saving the world, the jester-like Zorn and Thorn who constantly hound and mock the player, and the enigmatic Kuja, a flamboyant villain who lacks the menace of his predecessors but makes up for it in theatricality. It’s a very light-hearted, whimsical adventure for the most part; slapstick comedy and goofy moments pepper the narrative (especially whenever the androgynous and perpetually hungry Quina is around). However, there’s a lot of heart and emotion and high stakes as the story progresses, with characters questioning themselves and being forced to find the courage to fight for something worthwhile.

Medieval fantasy lands soon give way to surreal, alien landscapes.

While the overworld is largely similar to those of the last two games, comprising various land masses (fields, deserts, a snow region), lakes, and a vast ocean, the towns are closer to those seen in pre-Final Fantasy VII, now brought to life in more detail than ever before. The medieval and fantasy theme delivers bustling castle towns, lavish stone palaces, and quaint little villages. Technology is of a similar steampunk style, but far less advanced (airships and complex machinery aside), with towns relying on wind and water power for the most part. While it’s all very beautiful, it’s an aesthetic I find quite samey; Alexandria and Lindblum are quite similar in many ways, for example, though they get more personality after they’re attacked and left in disarray. One aspect I was keenly aware of was that each area is home to a different species, often anthropomorphic ones, and these different species intermingle throughout the game, adding to its distinct visual style and giving it a diverse world. Caverns, ice caves, great trees, murky swamps, and arid deserts filled with abandoned temples and structures are everywhere. Qu Marshes are full of tall crass and frog ponds, the Iifa Tree looms ominously and sports gigantic, twisted branches, and you’ll find isolated settlements in forests and atop mountains. Ruins, great gates, and abandoned towns add a sense of desolation but things really become surreal and visually interesting when you’re transported to Terra, a bizarre alien landscape whose architecture emphasises glaring eyes, spheres, and a quasi-magical awe. Like the chilling Black Mage production line in Dali, the warped, crystalline Terra and its main town, Bran Bal, is where the genomes (Zidane and Kuja’s people) are created as puppets for Garland’s plot. Though you only visit Terra once, its spirit lives on in the desolate landscape of Pandemonium, a ruined dimension of chaos and memory that threatens to eradicate all life.

The game has a strong visual appeal, with fun characters and rising stakes.

Unlike in previous Final Fantasy games, dialogue is delivered through speech bubbles, allowing multiple characters to talk at once and adding a level of personality not seen before. There’s no voice acting beyond a few roars and squeals and such, but each character exudes personality in their body language; Steiner even lives up to his nickname, “Rusty”, since his armour clanks as he walks. Legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu remixes classic Final Fantasy themes for this throwback, infusing every grand town and castle with a regality or sense of adventure, and every warped nightmare realm with a sense of foreboding as this whimsical adventure takes a dark turn. While no tunes were as memorable as “Dancing Mad”, “One Wing Angel”, or “Maybe I’m a Lion”, I enjoyed the fantasy score. Pre-rendered cutscenes and FMV sequences show our heroes comically swinging through the skies, emotionally reunite, and the all-out destruction of castle towns by powerful summons. Many cutscenes are standout moments, such as the characters flying the Invincible through a swarm of Silver Dragons, Dagger and Eiko summoning Alexander to repel Bahamut, and Zidane braving the Iifa Tree to rescue Kuja. Cutscenes are also told using the in-game models, of course, and these are often animated over FMV sequences. The transition is much less jarring than in previous games and, similarly, the distinction between the overworld models and the battle models is basically none this time around. Battles still load up an enclosed arena, characters still pose triumphantly as the victory fanfare plays, and their weapons change appearance as you equip new ones. Unfortunately, I did notice a considerable lag when the game loads battles that I don’t remember from the last two games. Since random encounters happen very frequently, it can get frustrating staring at a black screen and thinking the game’s crashed every other battle.

Enemies and Bosses:
Final Fantasy is known for having some bizarre enemies, but Final Fantasy IX may be some of the weirdest I’ve seen from the series. Sure, you’ve got some returning faces (Bombs, the ever-annoying Cactuars and Tonberries, Goblins, Hedgehog Pies, Malboros, and such) but these are joined by literal zombies, yetis, warrior skeletons, sand golems, lizard men carrying tridents or hatchets, amorphous red blobs with too many eyes for comfort, and a strange living house on spider legs! Giant armoured tortoises, vulture-like birds, oversized beetles, large worms and crabs, ravenous wolves, and sicken toads are commonplace, existing alongside powerful dragons, chimeras, giant trolls, terrifying robe-wearing ogres, and seemingly innocuous treasure chests that turn out to be Mimics. Epitaphs are living stone statues that conjure replicas of your party, Gimme Cats yield barely any rewards upon defeat and simply demand your items, Grand Dragons and Behemoths can KO with one hit even with the boosters activated, Jabberwocks and monstrous Mistodons are the stuff of nightmares, and you’ll be caught completely off-guard by the small, sheep-like Yans and being decimated by their powerful magic. Enemies inflict harmful or aggravating status effects, confusing you, poisoning you, or keeping you from using certain attacks. They heal themselves and their allies, cast elemental magic, and even blow party members away, though many can be stolen from to acquire powerful or rare items. When visiting Treno, you can challenge a powerful monster in the weapon shop if you’re feeling brave, though sadly this is the only opportunity to do this and it’s limited to certain monsters.

Aggressive Black Mages, powerful soldiers, and monstrous plants all stand in your way.

There are many boss battles in Final Fantasy XI, and some enemies must be fought multiple times. Steiner, for example, initially tries to stop you in Alexandria; you’ll battle him three times during your escape, though he’ll either flee or be felled by a Bomb, and he’ll refuse to attack Garnet so you can use this to your advantage. You also have three unwinnable fights with Beatrix where, after you deal enough damage, she uses Stock Break or Climhazzard and flees. You’ll battle Zidane’s boss and father figure, Baku, twice, with the first essentially acting as a battle tutorial, though he’s quite clumsy and often trips. Amarant is also fought before he joins your team; his battle is interesting as he hops all around the arena, making it difficult to target him, though he also casts Death, which can be a problem as you fight him as Zidane alone. Many Black Waltz’s, bloodthirsty Black Mages, attack Gaia’s towns and are thus greatly feared. They use elemental attacks, can freeze your party members, and even utilise dual magic attacks, though the third one you encounter also refuses to attack Dagger. Red Dragons pounce in Mount Gulug (though they’re naturally weak to Blizzard) and two serpentine beasts – Ralvurahva and Ralvuimago – must be fought to pass Gargan Roo. In the early game, Dagger and Vivi are both captured by the appropriately named Prison Cage, a strange plant-like creature from the Evil Forest that sucks HP from its captives. You must be mindful of this and hurting your allies, as it’s game over if their HP drops to zero. The Evil Forest is also home to the Plant Brain, a hideous malicious bud that attacks with lashing tentacles and by casting Thunder or afflicting Darkness through Pollen, though Fire attacks and Blank’s support will win the day (at the cost of the forest).

Bosses become more monstruous and fearsome as you progress.

Your reward for rescuing Lindblum during the Festival of the Hunt is a battle against the boar-like Zaghnol, which enhances its Thunder spells and rams you with Heave. While exploring Gizamaluke’s Grotto, Zorn and Thorn manipulate the cobra-like Gizamaluke into attacking you, though the Bird Killer ability counterbalances its powerful Water spell. While exploring Cleyra and the desert of the Outer Continent, you’ll fight the ravenous Antlion, which reduces your HP to single digits with Sandstorm, counterattacks when attacked physically, and inflicts Trouble (which can only be cured with Annoytment). You’ll finally confront Zorn and Thorn, who fuse into the Lovecraftian entity Meltigemini, which poisons you and stops you earning AP with Virus, though it is weak to Fire magic. Deep in the Iifa Tree, you confront the tree-like demon Soulcage to dispel the Mist spewing from the tree. It can cast LV5 Death and infuriate party members with Mustard Bomb and its attack power is raised if you use Fire spells, but it’s undead so you can use a Phoenix Down to reduce its HP to 1 or use Life or Elixir to instantly kill it. In Fossil Roo, you spring past hazards as the Armodullahan chases them. If hit, you battle it, desperately avoiding its Death spells, until it falls down a hole but you can outrun it if you’re quick. When forced into journeying to Oeilvert to obtain the Gulag Stone, players battle the Ark, and airship-like being that can confuse your team or reduce them to 1 HP but will become a summon upon defeat. Also, when in Ipsen’s Castle, the insectile Taharka attacks when you steal the four elemental mirrors, increasing its defence when it curls into a ball but being notable susceptible to Heat, Silence, and Sleep spells.

Kuja’s threat is usurped by Garland, who’s usurped by Necron!

When the party learns of the four elemental temples, they split up to explore them and are attacked be the four Guardians of Terra, though the player only battles the Earth Guardian, a regal skeleton that attacks with Earth Shake. As you enter Memoria, you’ll battle the Nova Dragon, which tosses you with Psychokinesis, inflicts heavy damage with Twister and Tidal Wave, and counterattacks when physically hit. The four guardians are recreated by Kuja in Memoria and randomly attack as you explore: the four-armed Maliris favours Fire magic, Tiama is a three-headed dragon (almost a Cthulu-type being) that uses Wind magic and can blow you off the battlefield, Kraken is a disgusting octopus-like creature that fires Water or Ink from its tentacles or inflicts Freeze, and Lich is the Earth Guardian reborn, now more likely to cast Death. In Pandemonium, you endure a three-stage gauntlet against the Silver Dragon, Garland, and Kuja with no respite between. While the Silver Dragon favours Wind spells like the Nova Dragon, Garland likes to freeze the party with Stop (causing a game over if all four are afflicted) and obliterate their HP with Flare. In comparison, Kuja casts Demi, Ultima, and Flare Star, the latter of which cannot be protected against with Shell or Reflect. This is an unwinnable battle, as Kuja enters Trance to end the battle, and battle him (as “Trance Kuja”) again after besting the four guardians and Deathguise, another cobra-like dragon capable of annihilating ill-prepared parties with Meteor. Trance Kuja heals with Curaga, casts Flare, Holy, and Flare Star, though these same spells (or similar) can be turned against him. Once again, this is an unwinnable fight but, this time, you’re transported to the Hill of Despair and challenged to assemble a refreshed party to battle Necron, a being from beyond time and space who appears out of nowhere, drawn to Kuja’s despair. This surreal, angelic being is fought in a void and boasts powerful magic spells, including Blue Shockwave (which reduces one character to 1 HP), Grand Cross (which randomly inflicts different status ailments), and Neutron Ring to deal heavy damage. Necron can also attack four times in a row, easily pummelling the unprepared, so it’s best to have abilities like Regen, Auto-Life, and Mighty Guard enabled.

Additional Features:
There are fifty-one Achievements in Final Fantasy XI, with very few obtained through simple gameplay. You’ll get one for finishing the game, sure, and for winning one, ten, and 100 Tetra Master matches, but you’ll be hard-pressed to defeat 10,000 enemies or reach level 99 without grinding endlessly. Similarly, while it is possible to view 79 ATEs in a single playthrough, if you miss even one you can’t go back and view it or tick it off on a second playthrough, same goes for buying every item from Stiltzkin the Moogle (I missed that he was in Bran Bal). While guiding the residents of Cleyra to safety, entering Trance fifty times, causing Moguo to have a tantrum, and having Vivi win the Festival of the Hunt are pretty easy, getting an encore from the nobles, catching ninety-nine frogs, and jumping rope 100 and 1000 times are more than a chore! Similarly, you’ll be playing Hot and Cold a lot to upgrade your Chocobo’s beak and uncover all the hidden treasures across Gaia, though you can obtain most of the Ultimate Weapons if you search around Memoria. Other Achievements are gained from delivering Moogle mail and repairing their Mognet, uncovering the secret of the Eidolon Wall by interacting with the images etched there, obtaining four Moonstones, capturing a golden frog, and trading thirteen rare cards to Queen Stella. If you defeat the Behemoth in the Treno weapon shop with Dagger, you’ll get an Achievement (something easier said than done even with the boosters on!), and you’ll get another for getting a Very Good Omen from the fortune feature in Dali, where you also earn a nifty model airship if you bring an NPC three coffees hidden throughout Gaia.

You’ll have to endure tedious side quests to reap the best rewards and challenge the bizarre Ozma.

Other Achievements are much more time consuming. You can’t acquire Zidane’s Ultimate Weapon unless you upgrade your Chocobo, which must also be done to find hidden treasure chests and reach Chocobo’s Air Garden. This is a hell of an ask and an aggravating task, but your reward is battling the spherical superboss Ozma, an existential cosmic being capable of fully regenerating itself and attacking before you do, decimating the party with powerful spells like LV5 Death, LV4 Holy, Doomsday, and Meteor. Ozma is also practically unreachable unless you befriend all the friendly monsters across Gaia (which also awards another Achievement). These randomly appear (accompanied by a whimsical jingle) asking for ore or diamonds or other items and allow you to attack Ozma unrestricted once appeased. The Ragtime Mouse also randomly appears throughout the overworld, challenging you answer his quiz to earn rewards and another Achievement. All the boosters in the world won’t help too much with these tedious tasks, and be careful what you activate as there are cheat boosters in the main menu that disable Achievements. If you fancy synthesising the best weapons and gear, search around in Memoria to find Hades, an optional superboss that likes to inflict numerous status ailments and reduce you to 1 HP with Judgment Sword but will synthesise the best gear upon defeat. Additionally, you can take on the Tetra Master tournament as often as you like (and challenge numerous NPCs) and pop along to the Trena auction house to win rare items, some of which are needed for Achievements. If you reach Memoria in under twelve hours, you’ll also acquire Steiner’s Ultimate Weapon, Excalibur II, and you’ll even be ranked on your treasure hunting abilities by a mysterious four-armed man. Finally, completing the game unlocks a movie gallery and an additional card game from the main menu, if you fancy checking those out.

The Summary:
I first played Final Fantasy XI on the PlayStation 3 back in the day after years of being a SEGA and Nintendo kid. The darker, more melancholy and futuristic nature of its two predecessors appealed to me a lot more so it was always jarring entering a medieval fantasy world, a trope that had been done to death even back then, but the sheer visual appeal and wacky nature of the game’s characters quickly won me over. I was excited to return to Gaia, especially with the helpful boosters this version offers, and the story and characters are just as appealing as ever. Everyone has such life and personality to them and, while the game is very goofy, there’s an emotional undercurrent through it and it gets pretty dark at times when castles are being destroyed and characters are questioning their origins and morality. While I wasn’t massively blown away by the game’s locations or music, few of which really stood out for me, the diverse cast and bizarre enemies made up for it, as did the bonkers existential narrative that the otherwise simple plot descends into by the end. Gameplay is solid throughout; battles are as easy to navigate as ever, with a few tweaks to the formula to harken back to the old Job system and make characters unique through their abilities. I was a bit disappointed by the Trance state as I missed the big Limit Break attacks of the past games, but they open up new attack options and the summons are as impressive as ever. While it can lag at times and the mini games can be frustrating and the ATEs a little distracting, I think the whole package comes together nicely to pay homage to the franchise’s rich history and deliver a suitable love letter to the games that made Final Fantasy a household name. It may not be as mainstream as Final Fantasy VII or as controversial as Final Fantasy VIII, and I’d agree that it’s unfairly forgotten or overshadowed by its more successful and appealing predecessors and successors, but Final Fantasy XI is everything you could want from an RPG. Strong story, fun and engaging characters, intricate battle system, and a fair amount of replay value if you’re willing to put the time into doing tedious tasks for high rewards.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Are you a fan of Final Fantasy IX? Were you pleased to see it return to the medieval roots of the series? Who was in your party in Final Fantasy IX and which character was your favourite? Were you surprised when Necron randomly appeared at the end? Did you ever find all the treasures and defeat Ozma? Whatever your thoughts on Final Fantasy IX, and the Final Fantasy series, drop a comment below and go check out my other Final Fantasy content.

Movie Night: Last Order: Final Fantasy VII

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Released: 14 September 2005
Director: Morio Asaka
Distributor: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Budget: Unknown
Stars: Christian Sekhanan, Jonathan Waters, Kennedy Spatz, and David J.G. Doyle

The Plot:
Tseng (Waters) of the Turks recaps the catastrophic events of Nibelheim, where super soldier Sephiroth (Sekhanan) learned of his origins and went mad, leading to a violent confrontation with his fellow SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair (Sekhanan) and rookie Cloud Strife (ibid).

The Background:
Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997) needs no introduction. The genre-changing, award-winning game was a best seller on the PlayStation and so popular that Square Enix expanded upon the story with the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII multimedia venture. Produced alongside the computer-generated movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Nomura, 2005), Last Order: Final Fantasy VII wasn’t the first anime venture for the franchise (Final Fantasy: Unlimited (2001 to 2002) finished only two years previously) or the first to be directly tied to an existing game in the franchise, a task animation studio Madhouse didn’t take lightly. Final Fantasy VII director Tetsuya Nomura was apparently heavily involved in the original video animation (OVA), to the point where development was troubled as a result. Nevertheless, producer Akio Ofuji was allegedly determined to produce a high-quality product that expanded upon Zack’s character and legacy. Although included with some releases of Advent Children outside of Japan, the OVA never received an English dub, though this didn’t stop the anime from being widely praised. Unfortunately, Square were said to be discouraged by negative feedback and subsequently erased Last Order from continuity with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII (Square Enix, 2007).

The Review:
Last Order begins right after the sacking of Nibelheim and finds Zack Fair helping his wounded friend, SOLDIER grunt Cloud Strife, to safety in the nearby woods. Unfortunately, the Shinra Electric Power Company sends their troops into the woods to weed the duo out, under the direction of Tseng, leader of Shinra’s clandestine force, the Turks. As he’s essentially a super soldier, Zack easily makes short work of the grunts, though he is massively outmanned and outgunned and burdened by Cloud’s dead weight. The two are branded as “samples” that escaped from Professor Hojo’s (Sekhanan) laboratory in Nibelheim, with both infused with “Mako” energy (the veritable life force of the planet), plus cells from the malevolent alien entity known as Jenovah, and thus branded a threat, especially considering Zack’s vaulted status in SOLDIER. Though Tseng issues the order to recapture the two, he morosely reflects on the events that led to this point, thumbing through his records (and memories) of SOLDIER’s greatest warrior, the super soldier Sephiroth, who turned his wrath on Nibelheim after learning of his true origins as a genetic experiment. Seeing Jenovah as his “mother”, Sephiroth slaughtered most of Nibelheim’s inhabitants and set the town ablaze, leaving young Tifa Lockhart (Spatz) stunned by the legendary hero’s murderous actions. When she learns that her father, Brian (Justin Cabanting), went to the local Mako Reactor to confront Sephiroth, she rushes to help despite the protestations of her martial art instructor, Zangan (Doyle). When she gets there, her father dies in her arms, leaving her further distraught and even more enraged. Determined to get revenge, she enters the Mako Reactor to make Sephiroth (and everything associated with Shinra) pay. Despite her moxie, Tifa is naturally no match for Sephiroth and is left an unconscious, heartbroken heap in the Mako Reactor. Zack was equally horrified by Sephiroth’s sudden turn but was cocksure of his ability to confront the fallen hero, shocked that he could harm innocents, much less their mutual friend, Tifa, who’s left vilifying SOLDIER and all they stand for.

Sephiroth’s psychotic break enrages Zack and compels him to avenge those lost.

Regardless, Zack ploughs into the Mako Reactor to bring the fight to Sephiroth, only to be hopelessly outclassed and left gravely injured. Yet, even in his weakened state, Zack finds the strength to cheer Cloud on when the enraged foot soldier takes Sephiroth by surprise, summoning the will to send the once-lauded hero plummeting to his apparent death, though this also leaves Cloud grievously injured. In their weakened state, the two are easily apprehended by sadistic Shinra scientist Professor Hojo, the man who created Sephiroth, and imprisoned in his laboratory beneath the Shinra Mansion. Even after escaping from Professor Hojo, Zack doesn’t lose his snarky, carefree attitude, despite the odds against him. Cloud might be out cold, but that doesn’t stop Zack reassuring him and making light of the situation, regardless of how grim it appears, and promising him they’ll start a new life once they reach a safe haven. Zack is so athletic that he easily dances rings around the military, dodging their gunfire and decimating them in melee combat and with his gigantic Buster Sword. Although Zack and Cloud represent a real threat, and are valuable assets to Shinra, Tseng orders Rude (Sekhanan) to bring them in alive. As much as others revere Sephiroth, his abilities and his reputation, many also respect Zack’s skill. And with good reason: he’s a one-man army, with determination and charisma that inspires admiration, even from his enemies. This is true of all the Turks (who paradoxically sympathise with Zack and Cloud’s plight while remaining determined to bring them in) and especially their leader. Tseng was already questioning Shinra’s unethical practices; he was outspoken about Professor Hojo’s experiments and the treatment of Nibelheim. However, resentful of the Turks, the military defy their authority (and their direct orders) and use lethal force against Zack and Cloud. When they locate the two hitching a ride on a truck, they’re more than happy to take sniper shots at them and unleash their full might against them.

Tseng reflects on Sephiroth’s downfall and Zack’s persecution.

Unfortunately, we’re denied seeing this as the short cuts to the credits right as Zack’s last stand starts. While this is very dramatic, it denies us the full tragedy of Zack’s last moments; we see him fight for his friends and get a taste of his physical ability, but the feature doesn’t go into much depth with this. It’s a shame as the action sequences bring Zack, Sephiroth, and the game’s turn-based battles to life in a visually striking way thanks to the anime’s slick presentation. The battle between Zack and Sephiroth is as beautiful as it is deadly, with the two trading strikes within the hyper-industrialised Mako Reactor and the fight nicely personifies their different personas. Zack is emotional and hot-headed, full of passion and justified anger, while Sephiroth is a cold, soft-spoken, ominous individual, just as he was in the cutscenes and gameplay moments that this feature recreates. We don’t get a sense of his personality before his psychotic break, but Zack and others express shock at his sickening actions and awe at his abilities. Having learned that he was a genetic monstrosity infused with alien DNA, Sephiroth becomes obsessed with freeing his “mother”, Jenovah, and bringing ruin upon the world, starting with Nibelheim. Even with his new skewed outlook and apparent disregard for his SOLDIER honour and the lives of others, Sephiroth still sees Zack as a “traitor” for opposing him. Unmatched in combat and attacking with a blade that’s twice his size (one-handed, no less!), Sephiroth is a formidable foe; his madness has extended to a full-blown God complex and he easily bests Zack. However, Sephiroth’s obsessions also empower him with a faulty overconfidence; thus, he ignores a cardinal rule of battle and turns his back on his foe and is impaled by Cloud. Despite this fatal injury, Sephiroth’s rage and power are enough for him to return the favour, but he underestimates Cloud’s resolve and ends up careening down the reactor shaft, still clutching at his mother’s severed head!

The Summary:
I fully admit that I came into Final Fantasy VII a bit ass-backwards. Although aware of the game as a kid, I was a SEGA and Nintendo 64 gamer back in the day; I don’t recall any of my PlayStation-owning friends having the game at the time. So, it wasn’t until I was a lot older and got a PlayStation 3 that I really got into it, and the entire Final Fantasy franchise. This means that my first real exposure to the game was Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and the handy feature-length recap included. I then played the game, then its spin-off sequel and prequel, and here we are with this anime feature, which I believe I first watched between Advent Children and completing Final Fantasy VII, or somewhere around there. However, I didn’t remember it ending so abruptly, or being so shallow. Despite incorporating musical remixes (including a new version of “One-Wing Angel” during Zack’s duel with Sephiroth) and a handful of Limit Breaks, action sequences are incredibly brief and the short focuses more on being a sombre and brief recap of the Nibelheim incident, something the game’s cutscenes convey in far more detail. Sure, Zack showcases more personality, but the feature is so short that even he is painfully one-dimensional (he’s fierce and loyal and carefree, and that’s about it). The same is true of Sephiroth, Cloud, and Tifa, with only Tifa really standing out because you see a lot of emotion in a very short time from her. If it was supposed to be more of a deep dive into Tseng, Last Order also fumbles the ball as he just seems reflective and conflicted over it all and not much else. It’s a shame as the animation is gorgeous, but Last Order is too short to live up to its potential and left me disappointed that we didn’t get to see more of the game’s moments and features recreated with the same level of detail on show here.

My Rating:

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Could Be Better

Did you enjoy Last Order: Final Fantasy VII? Do you agree that it was too short to really impress or were you satisfied with the retelling of the Nibelheim incident? Did you enjoy seeing a little more of Zack’s personality and what did you think to the abrupt ending? Would you like to see more anime adaptations of Final Fantasy? Which adaptation of the franchise is your favourite? Whatever you think about Final Fantasy, drop a comment below and be sure to check out my other Final Fantasy VII content.

Back Issues [Crossover Crisis]: Crisis on Infinite Earths

Dr. K13 Comments

Cover-dated April 1985, the first issue of this ground-breaking event precipitated the destruction of the “Multiverse” in favour of a unified DC canon. Though DC returned to this concept again and again, that doesn’t change how influential this massive crossover was and what better way to celebrate than with a “Crossover Crisis” of my own?

Published: 3 January 1985 (cover-dated: April 1985) to March 1986 (cover date)
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Pérez

The Background:
In Showcase #4 (1956), writer Robert Kanigher and artist Carmine Infantino debuted Barry Allen/The Flash, the successor to Jay Garrick, who was established as an alternative version of the Fastest Man Alive. This concept was taken to the next level when Barry and Jay met face-to-face, revealing an infinite number of parallel worlds. Regular crossovers between the likes the Justice Society of America and the Justice League of America soon followed, allowing alternative heroes and various stories to exist simultaneously. Over time, writers like Mark Wolfman became frustrated with this concept, which made keeping track of continuity difficult and it was hard for both writers and readers to connect with the stories. Wolfman initially pitched a reader guide to simplify the DC universe, which then evolved into a sprawling tale of multiversal destruction seen as a risky proposition as it meant erasing all continuity and starting from scratch to attract new readers. Such an event was unprecedented and DC spent two years laying the foundation for this Crisis, hiring researchers to document every character and event in their library and bringing in George Pérez to illustrate, with the artist excited at the idea of illustrating every DC character. Crisis on Infinite Earths became a bestseller for DC Comics and was heralded as a turning point for both the publisher and the industry. The fallout saw every DC character rebooted, with Clark Kent/Superman notably being reimagined as a more grounded character and Wally West taking over as the Flash, though Carter Hall/Hawkman was irrevocably damaged for years as DC struggled to reconcile certain elements of his character. Praised as the greatest comic book crossover in history, the event popularised massive, cosmic crossovers and DC revisited this concept numerous times in subsequent years. The event was even adapted into an ambitious and well received television event and an impressive three-part animated feature.

The Review:
Confused by the concept of the multiverse? Well, Crisis on Infinite Earths has you covered, to a degree, as it opens with (and features throughout) narration and exposition from the tragic Kell Mossa/Pariah. In the beginning, before there was light and life, there was only darkness. Then, from nowhere, came a single light that grew and expanded and finally exploded in “pain [and] relief” as the multiverse was born. The idea is infinite parallel realities all co-exist at once, separated by vibrational planes, though this is noted to not have been the intention when the light burst into being. The story the shifts to one such Earth where the hooded, weeping Pariah witnesses the destruction of not only that world, but the entire reality, at the hands of an all-encompassing white light. As entropy erases everything it touches, Pariah begs to be taken with it, sparing him his grim fate, only to be teleported away as the universe meets its destructive end. We then jump to Earth-3, home of the Crime Syndicate, an evil alternative version of the Justice League. There, Harold Jordan/Power Ring and Clark Kent/Ultraman desperately try to stop the cataclysmic natural disasters springing up across their world as the anti-matter wave approaches. While Thomas Wayne Jr./Owlman and Jonathan Allen/Johnny Quick lament their helplessness against such awesome power, the world’s only superhero, Alexander Luthor, watches helplessly as lifelong enemies like Diana/Superwoman are devoured by the anti-matter wave. With no way to save his world, Alexander rushes to be with his wife, Lois, and baby son, Alexander Luthor, Jr. In a parallel to Superman’s iconic origin, the baby is loaded into a specially prepared rocket and spirited away to Earth-1 as his world dies.

With all universes at risk of annihilation, the Monitor assembles a team of heroes and villains.

The mysterious Mar Novu/The Monitor observes this from his orbiting, spherical space station alongside Lyla Michaels/Harbinger, whom he sends to recruit Earth’s greatest heroes and villains to stop the pending Crisis. Harbinger recruits King Solovar from Gorilla City, Dawnstar from the 30th century Legion of Super-Heroes, Danette Reilly/Firebrand from Earth-2 1942, Ted Kord/The Blue Beetle from Earth-4, and Roger Hayden/Psycho-Pirate from present-day Earth-2. She returns Psycho-Pirate’s emotion manipulating Medusa Mask and coerces him into quelling Louise Lincoln/Killer Frost’s bloodlust and bringing both her and Ronnie Raymond and Professor Martin Stein/Firestorm to the cause. Though Harbinger is possessed by a Shadow Demon when recruiting Ahri’ahn/Arion the Sorcerer, he joins the other recruits, including Kal-L/Superman, John Stewart/Green Lantern, Neal Emerson/Doctor Polaris, Victor Stone/Cyborg, Simon Jones/Psimon, and Todd Rice/Obsidian. With tensions running high, the group are attacked by Shadow Demons, which seem impervious to physical, mental, and energy-based attacks. While the likes of the Blue Beetle can only run and Firestorm struggles with Killer Frost’s newfound affections, Obsidian and the arrogant Dr. Polaris put their shadow- and magnetism-based powers to good use. The Monitor halts the attack and introduces both himself and the threat to their universes. Weakened by the spread of anti-matter and facing suspicion from his assembled forces, the Monitor reveals that he’s judged them as the best hope of protecting five devices spread across the different eras that he hopes will halt the anti-matter wave. Meanwhile, reality is warped across the multiverse: in prehistoric times, Anthro the Cave-Boy is as astonished to spot a futuristic city amongst the wilds as Querl Dox/Brainiac-5 is to see mammoths stampeding through the 30th century. Half a galaxy away on Oa, the Guardians of the Universe prepare to summon their entire Green Lantern Corps to meet the threat, only for a mysterious voice to corrupt the Central Battery and trap them in a stasis beam. On Earth-1, Bruce Wayne/Batman is busy confronting the Joker during his latest crime spree and is astonished when an emaciated, confused Flash suddenly appears babbling about the end of the world and begging for help before disintegrating before the Dark Knight’s eyes!

As the Crisis worsens, the Monitors prepares Alexander and a new Dr. Light to face the threat.

On the post-apocalyptic Earth-AD, Kal-L, King Solovar, and Dawnstar meet Kamandi, the last boy on Earth, and discover the Monitor’s device, a towering, golden Cosmic Tuning Fork that’s immediately (though only briefly) attacked by Shadow Demons. Arion, Obsidian and the Psycho-Pirate watch over another tower in Atlantis, only for the Psycho-Pirate to be transported to a dark realm and coerced into turning against the Monitor just as Harbinger secretly conspires with that same dark force. Oblivious, the Monitor experiments on the rapidly aging Alexander Luthor, Jr., an impossible merger of matter and anti-matter who potentially holds the key to defeating the anti-matter spread, whom Harbinger’s dark master wants destroyed before he can threaten his schemes. Meanwhile, in the far future of Earth-1, the Flash races to keep his world from being torn apart from natural disasters but is forced to vibrate at super-speed to escape death. This same anti-matter energy arrives on present-day Earth-1, much to the horror of the Teen Titans, who desperately try to both halt the destructive wave and save lives alongside Batman and Superman. As Linda Lee/Kara Zor-El/Supergirl does the same, Barbara Gordon/Batgirl gives in to self-doubt, and John Constantine arrogantly believes it’ll all work out, Vril Dox/Brainiac coldly observes the events concludes that, if he’s to survive, he must team up with Lex Luthor. While defending a Cosmic Tuning Fork from both Nazi forces and Shadow Demons in 1942 Markovia, the Blue Beetle discovers the mysterious Scarab fused to his suit is lethal to the shadowy entities but is wounded before he can put this to good use and returned to his world by the Monitor to spare him. Back on Earth-AD, the skies turn red and King Solovar succumbs to his wounds while Cyborg, Firebrand, John Stewart, and Psimon team up with some local heroes (including Jonah Hex) in 1879 to defend another tower, only to be as overwhelmed by anti-matter as the far-flung future of the Legion of Super-Heroes. Elsewhere, the terrified heroes of Earth-6 blame Pariah for the looming threat, to no avail (though Pariah does save Tashana/Lady Quark to ease his suffering). While the unseen villain forcibly recruits the Red Tornado, the Monitor activates an “ion-based energy ray” to empower Doctor Kimiyo Hoshi, transforming her into the new Doctor Light and sending her to defend his tower on Earth-1.

Following the Monitor’s death, his champions are convinced to unite and save the remaining Earths.

When the heroes attack her, believing she and the tower caused the entropy, Superman quells the fighting, though things take a turn when the Shadow Demons combine into one gigantic, terrifying entity in each era. Even Princess Diana Prince/Wonder Woman’s hopes of recruiting her Amazonian sisters fail. When Pariah berates the Monitor for not doing more to intervene, he reveals just how weak he’s become and then nobly faces his end at Harbinger’s hands. Distraught, Pariah weeps as Earth-1 and Earth-2 are finally consumed; confused to find his strength hasn’t increased as a result, the dark villain delights in having the Psycho-Pirate torture the Flash. Depowered, Lyla is distressed by her actions but a pre-recorded message from the Monitor reveals that his death allowed his essence to empower his Cosmic Tuning Forks and create a “netherverse”, a pocket dimension to keep Earth-1 and Earth-2 safe. After giving the Monitor an appropriate burial, Lyla, Pariah, and the now teenage Alexander Luthor, Jr. gather both world’s champions on the Monitor’s satellite to merge all existing realities into one lest all worlds and realities be lost. Since there are some doubters, Alexander has them witness the Red Tornado be forcibly transformed into a being of pure, primal force, one easily subdued by sorcerers like Kent Nelson/Doctor Fate and Zatanna Zatara (though Ted Grant/Wildcat’s legs are shattered during the fracas). Thus, even the most sceptical agree to defend their worlds, only for the satellite to disintegrate courtesy of the event’s big bad, the Anti-Monitor! Fleeing to the emptiness of limbo, Alexander moves to save Earth-4, -S, and -X, only for Harbinger to subdue him and take his place. While Yolanda Montez continues Wildcat’s legacy on Earth-2, the Freedom Fighters and the Monitor’s agents come to blows on Earth-X when the Psycho-Pirate, his powers augmented by the demonic Anti-Monitor, stirs fear and hatred amongst them. Similarly, on Earth-1, Billy Batson/Captain Marvel and his siblings mindlessly attack Supergirl and Wonder Woman, though the fighting ends when Harbinger forces Earth-4, -S, and -X into the netherverse alongside Earth-1 and Earth-2, exhausting her incredible powers but dooming them to be slowly merged together.

After Lyla relates the Anti-Monitor’s origin, Supergirl sacrifices herself to try and destroy him.

Thus, Lyla, Pariah, and Alexander assemble Earth-1’s Superman, Earth-2’s (Kal-L), Captain Marvel, the Blue Beetle, Lady Quark, and Uncle Sam and reveal that, ten billion years ago, the Oan scientist Krona dared to seek the beginning of the universe, witnessing a giant hand clutching a star cluster. This caused a cosmic fracture, creating not just the multiverse, but an anti-matter universe and a counterpart to Oa, Qward. After banishing Kronoa, the Oans created peacekeeping forces like the defective Manhunters and the Green Lantern Corps but were fractured by a civil war, birthing the Controllers. Amidst the fighting, the Monitor and his evil, anti-matter counterpart came into being. The Anti-Matter conquered Qward and created the Shadow Demons to spread his influence throughout the anti-matter universe before waging war against the Monitor upon sensing his presence. Evenly matched, they were rendered unconscious for nine billion years before being awoken by the misguided Pariah, once a celebrated healer and scientist who also investigated the origin of the universe. Pariah’s world paid the price, and he was damned to live forever and watch all worlds die, though the Monitor also saw him as instrumental in saving all reality. Alexander uses his unique matter/anti-matter powers to create a dimensional tear to the anti-matter universe, which Pariah leads the heroes to the Anti-Monitor’s vast stone fortress. Enraged that the Psycho-Pirate is too drained to corrupt them, the Anti-Monitor has his stronghold attack, injuring the usually invulnerable Kal-L. Dr. Light and Superman discover the Anti-Monitor’s solar collector but are attacked before they can destroy it and halt the merger of the Earths. Hearing her cousin’s agony, Supergirl flies to Superman’s aid, brutally beating the villain in a rage and chastising his disdain for life, tearing through his protective armour. Furious, the Anti-Monitor prepares to explode with all his energy and, in a last-ditch effort to destroy him, his machine, and save everyone, Supergirl tackles him, destroying his machine but being fatally blasted. As the Anti-Monitor’s deteriorating, incorporeal form slinks away, Superman mourns his cousin’s death and vows to kill the Anti-Monitor. Kal-L calms his counterpart and they escape, and a memorial service is held on Earth-2, where Superman pays homage to Supergirl, vowing to remember her and fight in her name. Despite the loss, the five worlds are saved; similarly, the Green Lantern Corps free their masters and almighty Darkseid wisely cloaks Apokalips from the Anti-Monitor’s gaze. However, the Anti-Monitor reconstitutes himself on his ship, where the Flash is imprisoned, and prepares a counterattack from Qward.

Despite the Flash’s noble sacrifice, the Anti-Monitor gains God-like power from his anti-matter universe.

Though saved, the five worlds are still overlapping, causing anomalies and damage to each while  the Anti-Monitor oversees the creation of the anti-matter cannon, which he plans to use to obliterate the worlds. Just as the Psycho-Pirate feels his powers return, the Flash escapes and angrily attacks the sadistic villain, forcing him to turn the Anti-Monitor’s slaves against their master as a distraction. Though stunned to find the anti-matter cannon is powered by concentrated anti-matter and realising that destroying it would kill him, the Flash bravely circles the weapon’s core to turn its destructive energy back on it. Staving off the agony with memories of his loved ones, the Flash runs fast enough to move back in time (explaining his earlier, sudden appearances). Though Barry successfully destroys the weapon, it costs him his life. Enraged, the Anti-Matter absorbs the anti-matter universe, literally sucking the life out of over a million worlds to feed his lust for power and vengeance, an act so awesome that it’s detected by both the Challengers of the Unknown and the embodiment of the Lord’s wrath, Jim Corrigan/The Spectre. In the face of multiversal destruction, the Guardians of the Universe offer Guy Gardner the chance to become a Green Lantern once again and, when all but one of them are all slaughtered by a sudden explosion, Guy vows to avenge them as their champion. The Brainiac/Luthor team then recruit dozens of villains to strike while the remaining Earths are weak and in disarray. As time runs amok on Earth-1 and Alexander, Lyla, and Pariah address the United Nations, the villains make their move, having conquered Earth-4, -S, and -X, encasing them within impenetrable barriers, and threatening to destroy the remaining worlds. Lyla and Jay recruit a reluctant Wally West/Kid Flash to breach the barrier with the cosmic treadmill, though neither Luthor or Brainiac care much about their losses since they still possess the power to destroy everything. However, the Spectre ends the hostilities by revealing that the Anti-Monitor still lives and plans to corrupt the flow of time and formation of life by travelling to the dawn of time.

The Spectre demands co-operation, resulting in a singular world being created.

With the villains back on side, Kal-L bids an emotional farewell to his wife, Lois Lane, to join the counterattack, alongside a surprising newcomer: the Superboy from Earth-Prime (a fictional approximation of the real world where he’s the only superhero). After a rousing speech from Uncle Sam, heroes and villains alike pool their technology and powers to travel to the dawn of time and confront the anxious Anti-Monitor. The Anti-Monitor reveals that he, not Pariah, was responsible for the destruction of Pariah’s world after he took advantage of Pariah’s experiments to rebuild his power, absolving the tragic figure of his sins. Now grown to immense proportions, the Anti-Monitor withstands the assault of those assembled (with guys like Batman offering only support), absorbing their life energy to add to his power and allowing his hand to be the one that shapes all reality, as witnessed by Kronoa. His grasp is intercepted by the Spectre and the combined magic of the unified sorcerers, reducing the battle to a literal arm wrestle between the Anti-Monitor and the Spectre. Thanks to their bickering, Luthor’s underlings fail to kill Kronoa before he can cause the creation of the multiverse and the Anti-Monitor, and all seems lost. However, following a blinding light and the literal shattering of all time and space, Kal-L awakens on present-day Earth to find he’s on the same world as his Earth-1 counterpart. Sharing the same fragmented memories, Superman explains that time seems to be healing (albeit wonkily) and that elements of multiple Earths have been merged into one. For example, everyone knows Supergirl died but not how, the Flash is presumed vanished, and Earth-2’s Keystone City and Jay Garrick now live on this Earth. Jay, Wally, and the Supermen use the cosmic treadmill to discover Earth-2 is missing. Realising that the multiverse no longer exists, Superman has to force his older counterpart to return rather than throw himself into the endless void in despair. With the cosmic treadmill irreparably damaged, Wally assembles everyone at Titans Tower, discovering guys like Captain Marvel, Superbody-Prime, Uncle Sam, and the Earth-2 Dick Grayson/Robin also exist on this world, where they’re all shocked to see Harbinger alive and powered back up. The refugees are despondent and horrified to learn their worlds, pasts, and many loved ones are gone thanks to “cosmic irony” as Harbinger explains that there is now one Earth with one coherent timeline that folds their disparate lives into its flow, sending Kal-L into a crazed distress at having lost his wife and home.

A final, all-out assault ends the Anti-Monitor and starts the universe anew, with some casualties.

After questioning the imprisoned Lex Luthor, Batman, Jason Todd/Robin, and Alexander confirm that, while some duplicates remain and some lives were restored, others weren’t and only those who present at the dawn of time remember the multiverse. Just as they’re processing this, the skies turn red and the world suddenly shifts to the anti-matter universe, where the titanic, disembodied Anti-Monitor still lives! Though incensed by their efforts, the Anti-Monitor congratulates them for handing him his first defeat in ten billion years and then decrees that they must all die. Wally’s shock at his mentor’s death is mirrored by the abject panic that sweeps the civilians following the Anti-Monitor’s threat, which doubles when the Shadow Demons kill Don Hall/Dove, Helena Wayne/Huntress, and Tula Marius/Aquagirl. While the sorcerers remove the Shadow Demons, Harbinger assembles one last effort to stop the Anti-Monitor on Qward. Though the Anti-Monitor is too large and powerful to be damaged, Harbinger has Dr. Light absorb the star feeding him power, weakening him enough for Alexander to breach the villain’s armour. With the threat seemingly ended by a combined energy blast, Alexander struggles to return Earth home and the Anti-Monitor absorbs his exiled Shadow Demons to rise again and vaporise Wonder Woman. Rather than see anyone else die, Kal-L tackles the Anti-Monitor, believing he’s got nothing to lose, and Alexander and Superboy-Prime are trapped with him. Though Darkseid, watching from Apokalips, strikes a fatal blow through Alexander’s eyes, the Anti-Monitor refuses to die, so Kal-L delivers a final strike that obliterates the tyrant. Faced with the pending destruction of the anti-matter universe, Kal-L and Superboy-Prime prepare to meet their end only for Alexander to teleport them, alongside Kal-L’s Lois, to a pocket dimension. In the aftermath, Wonder Woman returns to the clay that forms Themyscira, her Earth-2 counterpart is welcomed among the Gods, the dead heroes are memorialised, and Wally assumes the Flash mangle. Confined to Arkham Asylum, the Psycho-Pirate is dubbed a raving lunatic since he’s the only one who remembers the multiverse and the catastrophic events of the Crisis.

The Summary:
Whew, there’s a lot happening in Crisis on Infinite Earths. There’s a reason I’ve put off reviewing it for so long, and why I rarely revisit it. It’s a very dense and complex story, full of exposition and cameos and faces both obscure and iconic. As a celebration of DC’s rich history and characters, it’s hard to find much better than Crisis on Infinite Earths, which stuffs just about every costumed character, hero or villain, into its dense twelve issues! My hat’s off to George Pérez; it must’ve been painstaking to sketch all these group shots, action sequences, montages, and dramatic events. Equal praise to Marv Wolfman as I can’t imagine how difficult it was to make sense of all these different worlds and come up with a cohesive way to explain, link, and destroy them all. In the end, the solution was simple: pure, destructive, unstoppable entropy. It’s fitting that the anti-matter wave is depicted as a blinding white light that erases everything it touches, for it symbolically represents a blank page or an artist’s eraser, indicating that these colourful and convoluted worlds are being literally wiped clean for a new status quo. Our guide through most of this is Pariah, a tragic figure doomed to watch each world die as penance for kick-starting the events that follow. Immortal but seemingly powerless to intervene, all he can do is shout desperate warnings and is powerless to rescue anyone and constantly met with aggression, suspicion, and accusations. He’s merely a pawn in a much larger game, however, much like Harbinger, who acts as an all-powerful emissary of the Monitor and deliver exposition in his stead. A conflicted individual burdened with the knowledge that she will betray and murder the man to whom she owes her life, Harbinger, nevertheless works to uphold the Monitor’s legacy and bring together heroes and villains alike to stand against his dark counterpart.

The Anti-Monitor’s power sends shockwaves through the multiverse and those who’ve witnessed it.

The dreaded inevitability of death is a focal point in Crisis on Infinite Earths. When the anti-matter wave hits, heroes and villains set aside their differences and use all their powers and resources to either stop it or save people from its destructive touch. Even the abhorrent Crime Syndicate find themselves fighting to save their world and Ultraman willingly enters the wave to die on his terms. Even before the wave arrives, the worlds are shaken to their core by natural disasters; volcanoes, tsunamis, and ominous, crackling red skies precipitate the disaster as much as Pariah. Perhaps no character is more synonymous with the coming destruction than the Flash; thanks to his super-speed, he ends up travelling through time, arriving before the likes of Batman and Wally as an omen of what’s to come and taking on an appearance that resembles Death itself. The Anti-Monitor echoes this in his design; though shrouded by his all-powerful armour, he sports a skull-like visage and dark, piercing eyes. Commanding demonic shadows, he’s very much the embodiment of Death and his lust for utter annihilation drives him to snuff out all life and light. Sadistic to the core, he employs the Psycho-Pirate to foster fear and hate, turning his would-be opponents against each other and causing countless more deaths. His ruthlessness seemingly knows no boundaries as he gleefully corrupts Harbinger, relishes the death of his counterpart, and nonchalantly obliterates his rebellious slaves without a second thought. His power and cruelty are so great that even the mighty Darkseid is driven to hide rather than confront him, striking when the villain is at his most vulnerable and largely avoiding the greater conflict. For all his God-like power, the Anti-Monitor still relies on technology; his merger and destruction of worlds can be halted or stopped by Cosmic Tuning Forks or destroying his solar collector. Indeed, it’s only after his massive, world-ending cannon is destroyed that the Anti-Monitor eschews all other methods and absorbs the entire lifeforce of the anti-matter universe into himself to literally take matters into his own hands.

The Supermen anchor the story, leading the assembled champions in battle and saving all reality.

There is no one central character in Crisis on Infinite Earths. Instead, it’s a team-up story through and through, meaning some of your favourites may be sidelined. In some respects, I don’t mind this; Batman outright admits how useless he is against the Anti-Monitor and it’s clear only beings of incredible power can stand against him. Yet, the Blue Beetle is said to be pivotal in opposing the villain, the Red Tornado is briefly said to be incredibly important, and Lex Luthor comes close to co-ruling five entire worlds and even leads the charge to assassinate Kronoa. The Earth-2 Superman, Kal-L, is often at the heart of the conflict, leading the others and inspiring confidence, as is his Earth-1 counterpart. It’s therefore more tragic seeing Superman’s grief-stricken reaction to his cousin’s death; holding Supergirl in his arms, the Man of Steel briefly forgets his morals and vows to kill the Anti-Monitor as recompense. This is but one of the unforgettable deaths featured in Crisis on Infinite Earths as the Flash sacrifices himself to deal a critical blow to the Anti-Monitor, making a martyr of himself for decades before DC made the bone-headed decision to revive him. There’s an odd dichotomy in Crisis on Infinite Earths; these alternative worlds and characters co-exist and are even folded into one by the end. Rather than wiping everything away and starting afresh by the conclusion, the story clunkily has the survivors forget key events and weaves characters like Captain Marvel and the Justice Society into a unified timeline. This works for me as I prefer a coherent narrative, but it essentially means Crisis on Infinite Earth takes place mid-way through the early years of the post-Crisis reboot and reimaginings like John Byrne’s Superman stories happen before and during this event, rather than after it.

Worlds lived, worlds died, and the DC Universe was never the same…for about twenty years…

These days, Crisis on Infinite Earths may be a lot for modern readers to take in. Many of its characters and concepts are either forgotten, wildly different, or have been done to death thanks to the multiple reality-altering events that followed (many specifically to address loose ends from this story). At the time, though, I’d wager many long-term DC readers appreciated the cameos and call-backs weaved into the story. I’m glad DC devoted twelve issues to the story and didn’t rush it, but it does get repetitive and convoluted as it drags on. The secondary threat of Brainiac and Luthor directing a team of villains to conquer the five worlds, for example, could probably be skipped or relegated to a tie-in comic. Similarly, the defending of the Cosmic Tuning Forks isn’t very interesting and doesn’t really add to the story since we barely see any action around this, the Shadow Demons are too powerful to be interesting, and it’s all negated by the Monitor’s death. In this respect, I think the event could’ve been cut down to eight or ten issues and still been just as effective, especially as many Earths and characters feature as quick cameos to be obliterated. The remaining five Earths are said to be the most important, which is a little disrespectful to those that perished by the Anti-Monitor’s hand and a bit of an insult to any fans of those worlds. I liked seeing new heroes rise during the chaos, like a new Dr. Light (who was an aggressive bitch throughout), Wildcat, and Guy being Green Lantern again, though it falls a little flat when you know the canon is going to be altered after this to return the status quo. I liked the Anti-Monitor’s design and his characterisation as a reprehensible being who craved only power and destruction, but it was hard to get a sense of his power and limitations. One minute he’s weakened by giant towers, then his armour is containing his energy, and then he’s being powered by a black sun despite having absorbed the lifeforce of his anti-matter universe. Still, the unification of heroes and villains to oppose him was fun to see, the sacrifices and determination were poignant, and the weaving together of a singular continuity, while flawed, was ambitious and visually engaging to behold.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

Have you ever read Crisis on Infinite Earths? What did you think of this unprecedented mash-up of DC’s various worlds and characters? Which parallel world was your favourite and were you upset to see destroyed? What did you think to the Anti-Monitor, his vast power and his stubborn refusal to die? Were you shocked to see Supergirl and the Flash die so dramatically? Do you agree that the story dragged on a bit by the end? Which of the subsequent Crisis events was your favourite and what are some of your favourite cosmic events? Drop a comment below to share your thoughts about Crisis on Infinite Earths and feel free to check out my reviews of other notable crossovers.

Back Issues [Dare-DAY-vil]: Daredevil #182-184

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Blind lawyer Matt Murdock debuted in Daredevil #1 in April 1964 and was co-created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett, with input from the legendary Jack Kirby. While perhaps not as mainstream as characters like Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Daredevil has become one of Marvel Comics’ greatest creations and has starred in a questionably-received 2003 big-screen adaptation and a critically-successful Netflix series.

Writers: Frank Miller and Roger McKenzie – Artist: Frank Miller

Story Title: “She’s Alive”
Published: 26 January 1982 (cover-dated: May 1982)

Story Title: “Child’s Play”
Published: 23 February 1982 (cover-dated: June 1982)

Story Title: “Good Guys Wear Red!”
Published: 23 March 1982 (cover-dated: July 1982)

The Background:
The 1960s were a golden age for Marvel Comics, when Stan Lee teamed with the likes of Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby to create some of their most recognisable superheroes. On 1 April 1964, Stan Lee and artist Bill Everett introduced their most challenging hero yet, Matt Murdock/Daredevil, who became a popular and enduring character thank to the efforts of writer/artist Frank Miller, who spearheaded some of Daredevil’s most memorable stories. It was during Miller’s run that Daredevil first crossed paths with Frank Castle/The Punisher, a Vietnam veteran-turned-mercenary vigilante who first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15. Inspired by The Executioner (Pendleton, et al, 1969 to present), designed by Gerry Conway, and named by Stan Lee, the Punisher was a natural foil for the more righteous and law abiding Daredevil. The two have clashed, begrudgingly teamed up, and debated their different philosophies numerous times in the years since they first met. Their memorable rivalry even made it to the silver screen when the two clashed on the streets and in the courtroom during Daredevil’s second season (Various, 2016).

The Review:
Our story begins with Matt Murdock still reeling from the recent murder of his lover, Elektra Natchios, at the hands of the sadistic mercenary, Lester/Bullseye. Despite having cradled Elektra in his arms, felt her last heartbeat, heard her death rattle, and attended her funeral, Matt awakens from a nightmare convinced that she’s somehow still alive. Overwhelmed by guilt at having not done more to steer Elektra away from the ninja organisation, the Hand, and the dark path that led to her becoming an assassin, and sure that those same ninjas taught her a way to fake her death, Matt pulls on his costume and heads out into the snow swept night to get some answers. This takes him to a “grimy underworld saloon”, where Daredevil kicks the shit out of the patrons, easily dodging their blows and bullets, and accosts one of them into revealing that Wilson Fisk/The Kingpin is holding a summit of the city’s top mobsters at midnight. Sure that the Kingpin must be trying to sell Elektra’s services, Daredevil returns to his civilian identity and has his secretary, Rebecca “Becky” Blake, go through the coroner’s report on Elektra’s body. Despite the evidence stating quite clearly that Elektra suffered mortal wounds, Matt’s convinced that the body could’ve been swapped and is so blinded by his obsession with proving that his former lover is still alive that he gives his current love interest, Heather Glenn, the cold shoulder. Indeed, it’s only when his best friend and law partner, Franklin “Foggy” Nelson, chews him out that Matt begins to question his state of mind. Across the city, in Ryker’s Island penitentiary, Frank Castle is locked up alongside the city’s scumbags. When the Punisher puts Joe Carson/Injun Joe in the infirmary, a few of his boys accost him in the showers and, despite being outnumbered by the armed assailants, the Punisher easily overpowers and kills the three. Though indifferent to his actions, the Punisher is intrigued when an emissary of the “agency” offers to get him out of prison so he can covertly intercept a shipment of narcotics, and promptly escapes via helicopter.

Matt’s obsession over Elektra’s death is compounded when the Punisher goes on a killing spree.

Thus, the Punisher heads to Long Island and lays in wait for the shipment. Thanks to his trip wires, tear gas, and skill with a shotgun and assault rifle, the Punisher wipes out the goons, even gunning one down after he surrenders since “war [doesn’t] take prisoners”. However, the Punisher is distraught to learn his victim was merely a child; laying out the G-man, the Punisher vows to continue his war on crime, especially if evil is corrupting children. Daredevil easily dispatches the Kingpin’s goons and confronts the rotund crime boss regarding Elektra, confusing Fisk with his accusations and eventually leaving after the Kingpin calls his bluff, confirming that Matt hasn’t completely gone off the deep end just yet. Foggy’s concerns are only exacerbated when he’s awoken in the middle of the night to learn that Matt coerced a city judge into signing an exhumation order for Elektra’s body! By the time Foggy gets to the cemetery, Matt has already frantically, feverishly dug up Elektra’s grave, only to confirm with his very hands that his lover is, in fact, dead and causing him to break down in tears in his friend’s arms. Still reeling from this moment, Matt is horrified when a young schoolgirl suddenly freaks out in the middle of a Civics class he’s attending and, convinced that snakes are crawling over her skin, throws herself out the window! Switching to Daredevil, Matt races the girl’s broken body to the hospital, only for her to succumb to her injuries thanks to the “Angel Dust” in her system. Daredevil learns from the doctor that the girl is the latest in a long line of child victims of drugs, with phencyclidine being the most common and most dangerous as it causes many horrible side effects, including psychosis, and lingers in the system for years. Donning a simple disguise (over his costume, no less), Daredevil hits the streets to try and get a lead on Peter Grunter/Hogman, one of the lead pushers of the drug, only to be attacked by drugged-up kids. Although Daredevil pulls his punches, sympathetic to their plight, he’s stunned when the Punisher appears, murders one of them with a knife, and prepares to execute the others in cold blood.

While working to prove a boy’s innocence, Daredevil clashes with the hard-nosed Punisher.

Although Daredevil keeps the Punisher from carrying out the kill, and the Punisher expresses respect for ol’ hornhead, the two are stunned when another shooter guns down one of Daredevil’s attackers. While the Punisher is indifferent, Daredevil is aghast to discover the shooter is William “Billy” O’Koren, the brother of the girl who was driven to suicide. Matt pledges to represent Billy in court, sure that he’s innocent, a hunch he all-but confirms when he returns to the crime scene. The Punisher also suspects that a more competent sniper made the shot, despite a lack of tangible evidence. Daredevil gets some intel on the Punisher from Ben Urich (who’s aware of Matt’s dual identity), who warns him against going toe-to-toe with the Punisher since he’s a well-trained, cold-blooded killer. As luck (or fate) would have it, the Punisher just so happens to be beating up a junkie on a nearby rooftop, so Daredevil intervenes, disgusted by Castle’s brutal methods, which the Punisher defends as the only way to permanently deal with criminals. While Daredevil’s quick to fight, the Punisher suggests they team up to eliminate their common enemy and, when Daredevil adamantly refuses, he spares his foe a quick death by shooting Daredevil with a tranquilizer dart. Severely weakened from the shot, Daredevil’s powerless to stop the Punisher beating his victim so badly that he suffers a heart attack. Luckily, Daredevil’s quick bout of CPR sees the junkie cling to life and point him towards a restaurant, where Daredevil finds the elusive Hogman. When Hogman’s cohorts refuse to back him up, the drug peddler is apprehended by Daredevil and the Punisher’s victim recovers to testify in court, absolving Billy of any wrongdoing, though Matt’s stunned when his super senses reveal that Hogman is also innocent of murdering his partner.

A mistake by Daredevil sees him and the Punisher battling for a boy’s soul.

After winning Heather back with a marriage proposal, Matt volunteers to represent Hogman and prove his innocence. Sure that Matt can absolve him of the crime, the arrogant Hogman stuffs his face with pasta, unaware that the stoic Punisher has taken up a sniping position on a rooftop across the street. Luckily, Daredevil is on hand to keep his client safe but, when the Punisher’s shot buries him under a pile of bricks, Daredevil again fails to apprehend the murderous vigilante. Although Matt claims to have evidence to prove that Hogman is being used as a convenient patsy by the true culprit, Billy’s coach, Patrick Donahue, he doesn’t get solid confirmation until Donahue calls him to discuss the whole operation in private. The call costs Matt dearly as he ends up giving Heather the brush off and it leads to Matt being attacked by the rabid Donahue, who’s been driven to a crazed frenzy by his own drugs! Despite the coach’s augmented strength, Matt uses his agility to put him in a choke hold and subdue him, theorising that a third party juiced Donahue up. In court, Matt successfully absolves Hogman of his crime, only to learn afterwards that the scumbag is not only guilty, but gleefully causes his returning customers to overdose to amuse himself. When Daredevil confronts Hogman, threatening to beat him to a pulp, Matt realises he’s been played for a fool as Hogman’s pacemaker screwed up his radar sense. When Billy decides to take the law into his own hands, Daredevil races to intervene, only for the Punisher to show up and subdue Hogman with some well-placed shots. Daredevil stops him from delivering the killing shot and calls the Punisher’s bluff, fully aware that he’s purposely missing and would never knowing kill an innocent person. Although the Punisher again offers a truce, he’s stunned when Daredevil subdues him with a gunshot, leaving Matt free to appeal to Billy’s better nature. His pleas get through and Billy testifies against Hogman, leaving the drug baron facing serious jail time and Matt emphasising the importance of following the law to the impressionable pre-teen.

The Summary:
I’ve talked about this before, but I’m really not a big fan of Frank Miller’s art. He’s nowhere near as bad here as he is in his efforts for DC Comics and his independent publications, but he really does draw some of the ugliest faces I’ve ever seen. His use of shadows and lighting are extraordinary, however, and he draws a very dynamic and intimidating Daredevil, something bolstered by the start darkness of night. In Miller’s hands, New York City and Hell’s Kitchen are a dark, ominous place that feels very dangerous. Violence stalks the streets, but this is taken to the next level here as Hogman sells drugs to kids, using Coach Donahue as a gofer and selling to kids at a Catholic school. Happy to cause overdoses and kill anyone who tries to speak out against him, even if they’re his partners, Hogman thinks nothing of abusing the law system and little children to come out on top. He’s practically giddy when Matt clears him of murder, only to immediately reveal that he’s “guilty as sin”, and Matt’s left humiliated since he was convinced of the villain’s innocence thanks to Hogman’s pacemaker. Matt’s a bit all over the place in these issues, reeling from Elektra’s murder and as desperate to prove that she’s alive as he is to defend Billy and keep the neighbourhood kids free from drugs. Grief hits Matt like a brick wall, causing him to descend into denial and desperation, only to be mocked by the likes of the Kingpin, push away those closest to him, and ultimately go to extreme lengths to prove his theory…only to find that Elektra is well and truly dead. This revelation seemingly snaps Matt from his malady as he’s back to normal in the very next issue and doesn’t mention Elektra again, instead turning his focus towards Hogman, the kids he abuses, and the Punisher.

Sadly, Daredevil and the Punisher don’t clash enough, physically or ideologically, for my tastes.

The Punisher pretty much steals the show here. Still portrayed as a ruthless vigilante killer, he’s largely indifferent to the world around him, as though sleepwalking through life and unconcerned about the machinations of those who would seek to release him onto the streets. Castle couldn’t care less about the scumbags he kills and only shows a shred of remorse when he’s forced to gun down a kid. Even then, rather than dwell on how his actions have cost a misguided youth their life, the Punisher refocuses his energy on taking out those responsible for putting the boy in that position in the first place. Interestingly, the Punisher has no desire to fight Daredevil; indeed, he not only purposely misses his shots but shows a great deal of respect for ol’ hornhead. The Punisher repeatedly offers to form a partnership with Daredevil, believing they’re kindred spirits who fight for the same thing against a common enemy, only to be rebuffed each time. While the Punisher is respectful towards Daredevil, Matt attacks Castle without hesitation, disgusted by his disregard for the law and the lives of his victims. It’s an interesting dichotomy since Matt, as a vigilante, is breaking the laws he so diligently serves in his civilian guise so it’s a touch hypocritical for him to lecture the Punisher on his vigilante ways. Of course, the real difference between the two is that the Punisher kills his victims whereas daredevil just beats them up and has them arrested so they can stand trial, a system the Punisher openly mocks for being flawed and broken. While Daredevil valiantly fights to defend all lives and everyone’s rights, even those of scumbags like Hogman, the Punisher takes a more direct approach, putting the two at natural odds. Unfortunately, this isn’t explored that well here; their fights are very brief, their different ideologies barely touched upon, and much of the potential of their first meeting is secondary to the main plot concerning Hogman. Therefore, these issues are important for being the first meeting between these two characters but there are far better clashes between the two out there, such as Garth Ennis’s iconic story from the early 2000s.

My Rating:

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Great Stuff

What did you think to the first meeting of Daredevil and the Punisher? Do you agree that the story didn’t quite live up to its potential? What did you think to the differences between Daredevil and the Punisher, particularly in their methods? How impactful did you find the main plot concerning kids and drugs? What are some of your favourite Daredevil and Punisher moments and how are you celebrating the Man Without Fear this month? I’d love to know your thoughts so feel free to share them in the comments below, support me on Ko-Fi, and be sure to check out my other Daredevil and Punisher content.

Game Corner: Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster (Xbox Series X)

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Released: 26 September 2024
Originally Released: 18 December 1987
Developer: Square Enix / TOSE
Original Developer: Square
Also Available For: Android, Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S (Pixel Remaster); EZweb, Game Boy Advance, i-mode, J2ME, MSX2, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), PlayStation, PlayStation Portable (PSP), WonderSwan Color (Original / Ports)

The Background:
Midway through the 1980s, videogame developer Square first branched into the Japanese videogame industry with simplistic role-playing games (RPGs), racing titles, and platformers for the Nintendo Famicom. Cautious to risk their sales, they initially refused to allow Hironobu Sakaguchi to develop a more complex RPG, however the success of Dragon Warrior (Chunsoft, 1986) saw Square reconsider this decision. Accordingly, Sakaguchi put together a small team to develop what he saw as his last chance to achieve success in the industry. Though Sakaguchi was known as a hard taskmaster, his team worked hard to conceive of the game’s turn-based battle system and lore, inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, and advocating for as much player choice as possible. Yoshitaka Amano joined the project as the character designer while Nobuo Uematsu came on board as the composer, while Nasir Gebelli was brought in to code the game and design an additional sliding puzzle minigame. Against the odds, Final Fantasy proved a critical and commercial success and a game-changing entry in the RPG genre, despite its difficulty and laborious mechanics. This success launched a slew of sequels, spin-off titles, and multimedia ventures, turning Sakaguchi’s last-gasp at success into perhaps the most prolific RPG franchise in all of gaming. Over the years, Final Fantasy has been ported to multiple consoles, adding visual and gameplay upgrades to each new version, such as the quality of life tweaks, a “Bestiary”, and additional dungeons seen in the warmly received Game Boy Advance version that I first played. This rebuilt version of the game was originally exclusive to mobile platforms and Steam, before jumping to home consoles and, eventually, the Xbox series in late-2024. Although this Pixel Remaster removed some features from previous ports, it boasted a much-needed visual upgrade to the classic game and included some modern features to make the experience more accessible, resulting in a largely praised collection of RPG classics.

The Plot:
Upon arriving in the medieval fantasy land of Cornelia, four Warriors of Light are charged with rescuing Princess Sarah from the rogue Cornelian knight, Garland. However, their journey sees them embroiled in a paradoxical plot to upset the four elemental Crystals and spread chaos across the land using four mythical Fiends.

Gameplay and Power-Ups:
Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster is a spruced-up overhaul of previous 16-bit remakes of the original Final Fantasy. Accordingly, the game is a traditional turn-based RPG title in which players explore a vast overworld and various dungeons from a top-down perspective and engage in regular, random battles while exploring outside towns. As soon as you start the game, you must form a team (or “party”) of four characters, picking from six different character classes (also commonly referred to as “Jobs”). Each has different strengths and weaknesses and can be equipped with different gear, and each class is later upgraded after you acquire a specific key item and talk to the legendary king of dragons, Bahamut, which allows even a Warrior to cast magic. Due to sticking closely to the original NES version, Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster’s actions are relatively simple, with you using A to talk to non-playable characters (NPCs), open treasure chests, enter your Airship, and to select commands from the various menus. B backs out of these menus and cancels your last order, while “Start” pauses the game. Y brings up a full screen map, which clearly shows towns and things of interest and is a godsend since this was missing in previous versions. A mini map also appears onscreen, which you can toggle with the Right Trigger. X opens the main menu, where you can tinker with either the party or the in-game settings. You can rearrange the order of your party (which changes the overworld sprite), though you won’t be placing characters in front or behind to increase or reduce damage. You can also use various items both in and out of battle, equip various gear (weapons, shields, and clothing, for example), and review or use any spells you’ve acquired from the various magic shops found in each town. When in battle, you can choose to attack, cast magic (which can only be done so many times), use items, or flee. You can still be attacked when fleeing, and you’ll forfeit any experience points (EXP) and Gil (the currency of Final Fantasy) you would’ve earned from a victory. Finally, you can enable the “Auto-Battle” option to have the CPU repeat your last inputs and speed up encounters.

Gear up your party of chosen warriors and prepare for an arduous, fantastical quest.

Battles were frequent in the original Final Fantasy, with anywhere from one to nine enemies randomly attacking after one step or more. These are a bit less annoying in the Pixel Remaster, however, and you can even toggle them off from the “Boost” menu. I’d recommend battling every enemy you encounter, not just to stock up on Gil and randomly dropped items, but also to gain EXP and level-up your party up to stand a better chance against later battles and bosses. The “Boost” menu also allows you to increase the Gil and EXP you receive, meaning you can level-up your characters and increase their stats even faster. This ups their attack power, evasion, and maximum health points (HP), enabling them to take more hits before being knocked out or more easily flee. Each class utilises different weapons and gear and has pros and cons. The Warrior, for example, can wield powerful swords and block damage with shields, but their magic is limited. The Thief attacks with high accuracy, but their gear selection is poor; the Monk can easily flee but cannot use shields and fights best bare-handed. The White and Black Mages specialise in healing and offensive magic, respectively, with the Red Mage being the jack of all trades and probably your best bet for overall coverage. Although you cannot summon powerful monsters to aid you in battle or utilise class-specific moves like stealing items or learning enemy attacks, you can use certain gear in battle to cast magic without cost. You can cast elemental magic against enemies, such as Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder, or restorative spells on your party to cure status effects like Poison or Stone and even return them to life. Magic is a bit weird in this game, with you having to buy it for extortionate prices and characters only able to learn select spells according to different “magic levels”. Better, more useful spells like Flare, Holy, and Warp can all be learned as you progress, allowing you to deal or heal additional damage, escape from dungeons, and up your attack or evasiveness, among other buffs. While some status ailments (like Darkness and Paralysis) disappear after battle, others (Poison and Stone, for example) can only by cured using magic or items; even resting at an inn won’t remove these effects, which can be aggravating.

Some dungeons have hazards to watch out for and you’ll soar through the sky in an Airship.

On the plus side, the Pixel Remaster utilises both autosaves, quick saves, and a manual save anywhere outside of a battle screen, you can find loads of treasure in each area, and you can always backtrack to cheaper inns if you’re low on Gil. Still, Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster certainly doesn’t hold your hand. While things are pretty linear at the start, you’ll soon be left wandering the overworld with little direction on where to go and what to do. NPCs offer hints and inform you of their current troubles, but it’s mostly up to you to figure out where to go next. It’s not uncommon to stumble upon caves and blocked paths, or NPCs who require items but won’t tell you where to find them. It’s equally easy to miss crucial pick-ups or interactable elements in some dungeons, such as the Cavern of Earth, where you must return with the Earth Staff to proceed further. Most dungeons are simply mazes of tight corridors and stairs, though teleports pop up in the Flying Fortress. Some dungeons contain cracked floor tiles that drop you to lower areas, lava or spiked floors that sap your health, a maze of doors that turn you around, and even areas where random encounters are increased! Unless you battle one of the main bosses, you can’t exit a dungeon until you purchase the Warp spell, so it pays to have a good stock of healing items and to watch your resources so you can stay alive long enough to leave the more labyrinthine areas. You’ll need key items like the nitro powder, oxyale, and the magic key to unlock new areas or progress further and it’s recommended that you spend time grinding as the difficulty can spike at times, especially in the endgame. While you wander about on foot most of the time (and should therefore enable the “run” option in the settings), you soon acquire a pirate ship to cross the sea, a rowboat to travel through shallow streams, and eventually an Airship to fly over the map with no fear of random encounters (though limited places to land).

Presentation:
Final Fantasy has been completely overhauled here, ditching the indistinct and outdated 8-bit graphics and adding an additional graphical flair to the 16-bit paint job seen in the Dawn of Souls (Square Enix/TOSE, 2004) version I first played. This not only brings Final Fantasy more in line with the standard set by Final Fantasy VI (Square, 1994) but also adds some visual effects to compliment the sprite work, such as fog, rushing water, twinkling snow, and more theatrical spells in battle. This also means that sprites are far more detailed and lively, towns and dungeons pop with colour and little details, and a touch of Mode 7 brings an additional gravitas to your flights around the overworld. The graphical overhaul extends to the game’s cutscenes, which introduce the basic story and show new areas unlocking or being altered by your actions. This is all bolstered by a remix of Nobuo Uematsu’s timeless score, which gives each area a distinct identity and makes boss battles more dramatic. However, as slick and detailed as the game looks, there are still some holdovers from the 8-bit days. Sprites constantly run in place, for example, and, though each character in your party can be named, they’ll never speak during the game. Still, your party exudes a decent amount of character at times, splitting out from your lead character during key events, celebrating victories, slumping in defeat, and even keeling over when afflicting with status ailments. Character sprites change when you upgrade their classes (or press the shoulder triggers) to keep things visually interesting and they’ll even whip out different gear when you equip new weapons, which was a nice touch. Battle animations are limited, with basic attacks never connecting with either party, but magic effects are very impressive, with flames bursting from the ground, tidal waves sweeping your party away, and bolts of lightning raining down. There are some nice visual effects are times, too, such as clouds passing by beneath the Flying Fortress, bosses disintegrating upon defeat, harmless bats flittering about in caves, and the Airship and Mirage Tower making their grand entrances.

The graphical overhaul brings a whole new lease of life to this classic RPG title.

Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster has both feet firmly planted in a medieval fantasy setting. Accordingly, you’ll visit numerous towns in the shadow of large, stone castles and populated by colourful NPCs, from dwarves, to dragons, to mermaids. Some even speak with regional accents not unlike Scottish or Irish, which was a welcome detail, and others change their dialogue after you’ve liberated their towns or defeated whatever evil threatens them. Each town is very distinct, though they share common elements such as stone paths, rural brick buildings, wells, churches, and churchyards. Castle Corneria is an ornate abode of marble statues and beautiful carpets, Pravotia is a town criss-crossed by moats and under siege by Bikke’s pirates, Mount Duergar is a dwarf mine where blacksmiths toil, and Melmond is a town in ruins thanks to a local vampire. While caves and dungeons are primarily differentiated by colour palettes and different layouts, some stood out, such as the volcanic Mount Gulg, the trepidatious Cavern of Ice, and the pyramid-like Mirage Tower. Depending on where you are, the battle backgrounds also change, ranging from a swamp-like marsh to a dark cavern to a cosmic barrage of colours by the end. In-game cutscenes shine with their use of sprite-based assets, such as the king’s men hastily constructing a bridge to speed you on your quest and Bahamut majestically spreading his wings before upgrading your classes, with the game’s ending providing a sneak peek at the peace your actions have brought each location. The game performs exceptionally well, with battles loading and progressing with a slickness the NES could only dream of, though the game can still be tedious due to the constant grinding to survive its progressively more powerful enemies. The methodical nature of its genre means you may get frustrated by the barrage of battles, even with the boosts and Auto-Battle enabled, though things are far less aggravating than in previous versions thanks to the autosaving allowing for quick reloads.

Enemies and Bosses:
There are loads of fantastical, monstrous, and aggravating enemies to contend with in Final Fantasy, with many being recycled as palette swaps but augmented by greater attack power, magic, or coming in larger groups. Various goblins, snakes, tarantulas, and sharks are commonplace enemies, for example, alongside more recognisable enemies such as the Sahagin lizardmen, who naturally make their debut here. Golems, crocodiles, hydras, various dragons, and undead enemies like mummies, vampires, and ghouls all crop up alongside giant worms, bizarre cycloptic creatures, wolves, tigers, and ogres. For the most part, these enemies are relatively unspectacular, lashing out with simple melee attacks and going down in just a few hits. Others, like zombies, Chimera, and the techno-organic Soldiers, both resist and are immune to certain elemental magic. Undead enemies, for example, are particularly weak to Dia spells, the different Elemental enemies will be weak to their corresponding element, and many drop items or gear upon defeat. While enemies can flee from battle, which is to your benefit, some will automatically regenerate health as the battle goes on and many eventually cast magic of their own. While this means they can blast you with Fire or strike you with Icestorm, it’s the status ailments that’ll give you the most trouble. Enemies can “slow” you, paralyse you to keep you from attacking, whittle away your health in and out of battle with poison, and halve your accuracy by inflicting Darkness. Your party can also be subdued by being put to sleep or turned to stone, or even knocked out with one hit if Death is evoked. Luckily, you can equip gear that’ll nullify many of these status effects, and use items and magic to cure them, but they can significantly impact battles even when you’re at a high level, especially when confronted by a swarm of enemies.

While things start simple with an errant knight, you’re soon battling mythological beasts!

While many treasure chests are guarded by specific encounters with the likes of Evil Eyes, Dragon Zombies, and Piscodemons, these are merely tougher enemy variants and don’t really classify as bosses. Your first test comes at the Chaos Shrine when you confront Garland, an armour-clad knight who certainly looks and talks tough and has no elemental weaknesses but is easily put down if you grind to about level twenty since he relies solely on melee attacks. After wiping the floor with Bikke’s pirates and securing a boat, you’ll cross the sea to Elfheim and investigate the Western Keep, tangling with Piscodemons and rescuing the elf-king…who turns out to be the Dark Elf monarch Astos. Like Garland, Astos has no elemental weaknesses but boasts a greater health pool and debilitating spells like Slowra, Dark, and the ever-aggravating Death. You’ll fight many variants of the Vampire boss as regular enemies after encountering him in the Cavern of Earth. Luckily, he’s weak to Fire magic and, naturally, Dia, which can make short work of him and nullify his paralysing Gaze attack. Your primary goal in Final Fantasy is slaying the Four Fiends and restoring the four elemental Crystals, and these mythical creatures represent some of the game’s most impressive and detailed sprites (even if they are mostly static). The Grim Reaper-like Lich is up first, attacking with Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara as well as paralysing you with Hold and putting your entire party to sleep. Weak to Fire, Ice, and Dia magic, Lich is the toughest enemy of the early game but is easily overcome within a few turns if you’ve optimised your equipment, levelled-up, and have the appropriate magic. Marilith is tougher still, resisting or having no discernible elemental weaknesses, roasting you with Fira and handicapping you with Darkness. This was the first real challenge I faced, but a fun one as I was at a high level and could withstand Marilith’s high attack power.

As tough as Chaos is, the game’s optional superbosses will absolutely decimate the unprepared!

Minotaurs, armoured turtles, and oriental-style monsters pepper the convoluted path to Kraken, a Cthulu-like monarch who inflicts Darkness with Ink and decimates your party with Thundara, though it’s naturally weak to Thunder attacks. The final Fiend, Tiamat, is the most horrific; a multi-headed dragon who can poison and chill the entire party with Poison Gas and Blizzard. With a high health pool and no elemental weaknesses, Tiamat can be quite the hurdle for an unprepared or under levelled party. The Four Fiends are fought again, attacking in specific spots as you explore the Chaos Shrine 2,000 years in the past. The battles are mostly the same, bar some new moves to their arsenals, though you should be a lot tougher by this point. They serve as the perfect appetiser to the game’s final boss, who turns out to be Garland, having ensured his survival with a time loop and transformed himself into the demonic Chaos! Chaos is, without a doubt, the toughest of the regular bosses, boasting a whopping 20,000 HP and no discernible weaknesses. Chaos sports some devastating attacks that can wipe out your party with ease, such as a unique version of Flare, a powerful tsunami and cyclone, and the one-hit KO Earthquake, alongside incredibly powerful elemental magic. Your best bet is to get your levels high, equip Ribbons (since Protect Rings won’t help against Earthquake), and cast Haste, Invisira, and Curaga as soon as possible. Holy and Flare are your best bet here, but it’s a gruelling battle, one only surpassed by the death machine, Warmech, a superboss that may surprise you when you approach Tiamat. Unfortunately, this version of the game removes the additional dungeons and optional superbosses from the Dawn of Souls version, meaning you’ll need to shell out a fair bit of money if you want to tackle returning faces like Gilgamesh, Deathgaze, and Shinryu, as well as an even tougher variant of Warmech, Omega, and even the ever-ridiculous Phantom Train!

Additional Features:
There are twenty-three Achievements to earn in this version of Final Fantasy, with six earned from completing story-based objectives like rescuing Princess Sarah and restoring the Crystals, and three more for defeating 100, 300, and 500 enemies. You’ll get additional Achievements for getting your whole party to level 50, obtaining up to 100,000 Gil, playing the hidden slide puzzle game, and finding some and then all of the game’s treasure. There’s loads of treasure to be found in Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster (more than you can ever carry!), and most of it is guarded by tougher enemies or hidden away in optional rooms and alternative routes in dungeons. If you’re frugal or activate the Gil multiplier boost, like me, you can easily amass enough Gil to buy new gear and spells, but you’ll eventually amass more Gil than you can carry and won’t have to worry about keeping your items fully stocked. You must search around, pay attention, or use a guide to get the best rewards, such as Excalibur and Masamune, the two most powerful swords, though getting the best spells is simply a question of cash and properly thinking about what your characters are capable of learning. Like previous re-releases of Final Fantasy, the Pixel Remaster includes a “Bestiary”, which fills as you encounter new enemies and bosses, cluing you in on their strengths, weaknesses, and the rewards they drop. Unfortunately, defeating the Four Fiends no longer unlocks the four additional areas from the Dawn of Souls remake, so you won’t get to test your mettle against those optional superbosses, though you can still go seek out the elusive Warmech if you want an extra challenge.

The Summary:
I’ve only played a few Final Fantasy titles, so I’ll be the first to admit that I was wary about tackling Final Fantasy: Pixel Remaster, primarily because of the time and energy required to play it. However, I enjoyed my time with the Dawn of Souls version and this version of the game has some benefits over even that version, such the boost features that increase the Gil and EXP you earn and the Auto-Battle mode, which really benefitted my playthrough. It also helped to be able to save at any time and to be frugal with my Gil and spending, and to spend some time between dungeons levelling-up so I was prepared for future challenges. It helps that the game looks awesome; the constantly walking sprites were distracting but, otherwise, Final Fantasy greatly benefits from the graphical tweaks and improvements. This includes adding a visual flair to enhance the redrawn sprites and making battles even more spectacular with some truly impressive sprite art. The story is paper thin for the most part and the main characters largely lifeless, but the world is brought to life through the varied locations and lively NPCs, who are all different races and offer something different to the player. I enjoyed the twist at the end that Garland was creating a self-sustaining paradox and the challenge offered by the Four Fiends, though the difficulty curve was very much like a rollercoaster at times, with some debilitating attacks making even regular enemies an uphill battle if you get unlucky. It would’ve been nice to see a bit more direction about where I needed to go and what I needed to do at times, perhaps by having the priest at the various churches pointing you in the right direction, but it was fun exploring and figuring things out (and online guides are always available). In the end, while it’s obviously dated and lacks many of the more enjoyable features of its previous ports, this much-needed overhaul of Final Fantasy was a lot of fun to play through and I was glad to revisit the game it and see how many of the franchise’s recurring elements got their start, even if it’s obviously been far surpassed.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Have you ever played the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy? What did you think to the new additions and were you able to figure out the Magic Level system? Which character classes made up your party? What did you think to the difficulty curve and the final battle against Chaos? Did you ever defeat Warmech and complete the Bestiary? Which Final Fantasy game is your favourite? Whatever your thoughts and memories of Final Fantasy, drop a comment below, support me on Ko-Fi, and check out my other Final Fantasy content.

Game Corner: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Xbox Series X)

Dr. K2 Comments

Released: 13 December 2022
Originally Released: 13 September 2007
Developer: Tose
Original Developer: Square Enix
Also Available For: Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S (Reunion); PlayStation Portable (Original)

The Background:
You’ve heard of Final Fantasy VII (Square, 1997), right? Of course you have! The game won numerous awards and sold over ten million copies on the PlayStation alone! But the story of Final Fantasy VII doesn’t end there. Seeking to expand their scope beyond just the gaming world, Square Enix announced Compilation of Final Fantasy VII in 2003, a multimedia venture that included the fantastic computer-generated movie Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (Nomura, 2005) and numerous spin-off titles that expanded the lore and world of Final Fantasy VII. Crisis Core, a prequel story initially exclusive to the divisive PlayStation Portable, was one such title. Director Hajime Tabata wished to exceed fan expectations with the game, which focused on the younger days of popular characters Zack Fair and Sephiroth and built upon story elements that had been laid out for both by Tetsuya Nomura. Envisioned as an action game first and foremost, the team incorporated role-playing elements to craft something of a hybrid and emphasised an element of luck to the combat through the Digital Mind Wave (DMW) system. Upon release, Crisis Core was met with generally positive reviews; while the combat was praised, critics were divided on the DMW system but praised the game’s narrative and graphics. About fifteen years later, to commemorate Final Fantasy VII’s 25th anniversary, Square Enix developed a remake for then-modern consoles alongside Tose, one that completely overhauled the graphics, soundtrack, and voice acting. Although the story remained the same, the game was tweaked to closely align with the much-anticipated Final Fantasy VII remake project. Producer Mariko Sato advocated for numerous improvements to the original game, such as reducing combat interruptions, adjusting the magic speed, and including a “Hard” mode for returning players. Like the original game, Crisis Core Reunion was largely praised; while critics were divided regarding the characterisations and the DMW system, the improved gameplay was praised and it was one of eleven recipients of an “Award for Excellence” at the 2023 Japan Game Awards.

The Plot:
Before Final Fantasy VII, Zack Fair of the paramilitary organisation SOLDIER is assigned to find his mentor, Angeal Hewley, and fellow SOLDIER Genesis Rhapsodos and discovers a revelation that sets him against the malevolent schemes of his former masters.

Gameplay and Power-Ups:
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion is a HD reimagining of the original action/role-playing PSP title. Unlike the original Final Fantasy VII (and most of the Final Fantasy games I’ve played to this point), it’s less of a turn-based RPG and more of a mission-based, action-orientated title in which players control one character (Zack) rather than a party of diverse fighters. Zack is free to roam around various 3D locations (with many being recreations of environments seen in Final Fantasy VII) and automatically engages in random battles when exploring. When in a conflict situation, Zack can attack with X; successive presses of X unleash combination attacks (with some dealing additional damage from “critical hits”), and you can target enemies by pressing in the right stick and switch to different targets by pressing the Left Bumper and the right stick. A lets you dodge incoming attacks, the Right Bumper puts up a guard to reduce damage, and you can flee from most battles by running against the edge of the barrier that pops up in each combat scenario. You use the Left and Right Triggers to cycle through your available items and use them with B, restoring health points (HP), magic points (MP), and providing certain buffs to Zack or debuffs to enemies. The Left Bumper brings up the Materia command window; eventually, you equip different Materia to the four face buttons and RB and RT, allowing you to perform elemental magic attacks, healing spells, reduce damage, apply buffs, eliminate status effects, and more if you have enough MP. Outside of battle, you can dash with RT and hold it to run (a toggle option would’ve been nice), talk to non-playable characters (NPCs), and bring up the map with X. While there’s no mini map (which also would’ve helped), you can toggle on destination markers to help guide you to your objectives from the settings menu, and set the in-game language and toggle the camera tracking.

Equip Materia to boost your attacks and use the DMW to unleash Limit Breaks and Summons.

The game’s big unique feature is the DMW system, a slot-based game of chance that automatically plays in every battle and seems to spin faster and build up the more you attack. Each spin consumes Soldier Points (SP), which are gained from winning battles and fusing Materia, and the strength of each DMW image increases as the game progresses. The game says they’re made stronger by Zack’s emotional tie to the characters represented, but your DMW avatars actually level-up in battle just like him. When three of the same images appear in the slots, press Y to perform a Limit Break or press in both analogue sticks to unleash a powerful Summon. These super powerful attacks, often accompanied by an annoying cutscene that’s thankfully skippable, can lay waste to entire foes, completely heal you and bestow buffs, level-up your Materia, and more. Additionally, during combat, you are often granted limited buffs, such as temporary invincibility or infinite MP or Ability Points (AP, consumed when you dodge, block or use Command Materia like Assault Twister or the elemental blade attacks), which is super useful in a tight pinch. Like other Final Fantasy games, you must be mindful of status effects and elemental attacks; enemies can cast Silence to negate your MP or stun you, and some are weak to certain elemental attacks and resist to others so it’s worth exploiting these weaknesses. Although the game autosaves at various points and gives you the option of retrying a battle upon defeat, there are numerous manual save points in each location. These refill your HP, MP, and AP and offer a selection of Missions to play through alongside the main story. Indeed, while you can level-up and get stronger playing the story, the best way to grind, gain new items and Materia, and improve your combat prowess is through these missions. They all have a level grade so you can judge how difficult they are and are usually quite short, consisting of a handful of battles, though others throw you against seemingly endless waves of enemies, or have you rematching bosses or defeating Summons to add them to the DMW.

Different equipment, Materia, and battling will bestow buffs and additional items.

Although you don’t acquire new weapons or equip armour, Zack does eventually inherit the iconic Buster Sword. Once you have this, you can hit X and A to enter a “Battle Stance”, increasing your attack power and chances for critical hits, and your proficiency increases as you defeat enemies in this stance. Additionally, after Zack is promoted to SOLDIER 1st Class, you gain extra items and buffs (including refilling your gauges) if you win battles in certain ways (with magic attacks, Summons, or without taking damage, for example). You can customise Zack from the main menu, setting up five equipment presets for your convenience, fusing and selling Materia, and eventually purchasing items from various shops. You’ll do this with the Gil you obtain from battle, though I honestly never bought anything as the game is extremely generous with items (which I also rarely used) and restoring your gauges. Materia is fused together to become stronger, and is also be “mastered” over time, increasing its MP cost and its power. This menu also allows you to review the mail and tutorials characters send you, review your DMW progress, and equip various accessories to Zack. These provide passive buffs, such as increasing his stats, providing resistance to elemental attacks and status effects, and more. Items and Materia are also acquired from various treasure chests lying around, completing missions for NPCs, and as required by the story. There’s a part, for example, where Zack searches for various junk to build a flower cart (and impress) Aerith Gainsborough. Other times, you’re climbing ladders, searching for keys to open doors, defeating enemies for different keys, searching for clues to find a pickpocket, activating consoles and turning wheels to open pathways, and searching for additional lore or helpful pickups.

Aggravating mini games and gimmicks compound the strange difficulty curve.

There are numerous mini games and gameplay gimmicks to break up the action, though they’re a bit hit and miss in their execution (despite awarding additional Achievements). Hidden pathways in Wutai lead to enemy troops that must be defeated to impress SOLDIER Director Lazard Deusericus and you can also choose to charge at enemies or take a stealthier approach in this section. Professor Hojo tests your skills in battle and a frustrating squatting challenge, Banora village hides numerous glowing spots that must be interacted with under a time limit, and then the village must be defended from a missile attack using carefully timed strikes. NPCs need rescuing from Shinra headquarters, spies are in Midgar, a Slums vendor challenges you to quickly grab his Materia, perfume can be blended to impress Aerith, and Junon’s perimeter must be defended from incoming enemies. Many side missions are contested under a time limit, which can be a bit stressful, but easily the most aggravating mission with Zack’s infiltration of the Modeoheim Mako Reactor. While you can simply storm in, you get an Achievement for staying out of sight, which is tricky as the guards spot you the moment you pop out from cover and you must rapidly tap Y to keep your body temperature up. There are seven wonders to find in Nibelheim, a mother trapped in a burning building, and keyholes to look through in the Shinra Manor to discover a random safe code. There’s number guessing game to play, fan clubs to join, and an annoying sniper mission where you pick off Shinra forces with an upgradable rifle. While it’s easy to retry the Modeoheim mission thanks to a nearby save point, this sniper mission doesn’t have that so you need to be fast and accurate to get that Achievement. Finally, in the end game, you’ll be battling monstrous monsters from the Lifestream to collect the Goddess Materia and running around a prison, unlocking cages and taking secret tunnels. The game has two difficulty settings, “Normal” and “Hard”. I played on “Normal” and found the difficulty oddly unbalanced. Some bosses were a complete joke, and then other times I’d be one-shotted by a damn Pachyornis! Most enemies are cut down in no time at all, making combat even more tedious and creating a bit of an uphill battle when you randomly face troublesome enemies who’ll decimate you if you don’t break their Boss Ability Gauge.

Presentation:
I briefly played Crisis Core on the PSP many years ago and was mildly impressed with its PlayStation 2-quality graphics on the handheld. Things were a bit clunky and restrictive, particularly Zack’s movement and the mission-based structure of the game, but it seemed decent enough, especially the high quality FMVs. All these visuals have been upgraded here to match the presentation of Final Fantasy VII Remake (Square Enix Business Division 1, 2020). This includes an all-new soundtrack, which features remixes of classic Final Fantasy VII themes to match each location and an awesome new rendition of “One-Winged Angel”, “Vengeance on the World”, and similar rocking riffs like “Black Wing Unfurled”. Zack is given so much more personality here than in his brief, skewed appearances in Final Fantasy VII; we track his entire journey from an enthusiastic protégé to a hero in his own right and watch as he forms relationships with Aerith, Tseng, Cissnei, and his perceptions of Angeal and Sephiroth change as the narrative progresses. There’s little distinction between the FMVs and in-game graphics, though there are few opportunities for Zack’s personality to stand out in battle beyond his quips and voice clips since battles don’t end with a victory pose. Still, battle animations and explosive and varied; the Limit Breaks and Summons, especially, impress, though it can be annoying when the DMW memories interrupt the combat flow. Zack’s character model also changes as the game progresses; he gets a new uniform, takes up Angeal’s Buster Sword, and gains his trademark scar throughout the story, though it’s a shame you can’t alter his appearance further with armour or accessories. The game also includes fun cameos from familiar faces like Yuffie Kisaragi, Vincent Valentine, Cait Sith, Reno, and Rude alongside allusions to Cid Highwind and Red XIII/Nanaki and fully exploring Zack’s friendship with Cloud Strife.

Key Final Fantasy VII locations, characters, and moments are lovingly recreated in impressive detail.

The game’s locations will be immediately familiar to anyone who’s played Final Fantasy VII. Memorable towns like Midgar, Sector 7, and Junon all appear in their steampunk glory, with Zack even naming Seventh Heaven, battling on the highway outside Midgar, and taking the fight to the Wutai. You’ll spend a lot of time exploring Shinra headquarters (home to Hojo’s laboratory, a Materia processing room, and a museum to the company’s achievements) and the bustling town of Midgar, with its iconic train station and desolate Slums, complete with market, playground, and Aerith’s church. You’ll travel to Nibelheim and explore the small town and its peaceful inhabitants, the spooky Shinra Manor and the hideous secrets hidden within, and the looming Mako Reactor that houses Jenova, and then bask in the horror when Sephiroth discovers his true origins and burns the town to the ground! In the endgame, you’ll return to Banora, once Angeal’s peaceful hometown now corrupted by the emerging Lifestream, and descend into the ethereal caverns beneath it where slumbering giants and monstrous enemies await. When tackling missions, you’ll battle in the desert, at the Chocobo Farm, and in steampunk locales that bring the ambitious pre-rendered backgrounds of Final Fantasy VII to life. Things are, however, a bit restricted; you’ll revisit the same caves and enclosed areas again and again, there are few houses to enter, and locations can be surprisingly barren. Handfuls of enemies are encountered at once, with battles against bigger waves restricted to loading each group, and the mission-based structure of the combat betrays the game’s handheld routes. Having said that, though, there’s an emotionally poignant finale where players can control Zack’s last stand against Shinra’s inexhaustible forces, even battling while severely injured and near death.

Enemies and Bosses:
Numerous enemies will dog your progress in Crisis Core Reunion, many of which are returning monsters from Final Fantasy VII. Zack battles various human soldiers, such as Wutai’s forces and even Shinra solders by the end game, each armed with lances, assault rifles, and grenades. More formidable variants also exist, wielding dual blades, casting elemental or restorative spells, and carrying larger weapons, like Wutai’s Crescent Unit. Perhaps the most notable humanoid enemies are the various “G” foes, imperfect and often monstrous copies of main antagonist Genesis who sport their own wings, more powerful magic, and even wield scythes or gunblades. Most of these can be put down without much issue, or by exploiting elemental weaknesses, but the numbers can be overwhelming if you don’t have the right Materia setup or are under-leveled. Naturally, various wild animals and creatures also roam the streets and wilderness of this world. Many have different names and appearances and abilities depending on the region and how far into the game you are. Bat-like Evil Eyes, demonic winged Evilgoyle, and ludicrous Hedgehog Pie are commonplace, as are elemental Bombs, spooky Jack o’ Lanterns, and insectile enemies like the annoying Killer Bees, various worms and beetles, and the lizard-like Sahagin. More bizarre foes like the egg-like Grangalan and spear-beaked Raijincho co-exist with more grotesque creatures, like the demonic Foulanders, strangely deformed Killer Stingers, and hefty Iron Claws. These are joined by mechs and robotic enemies, from disposable pawns like the Bee Saucers and Metal Saucers to more formidable, heavily armed constructs like the various Machines (which come in flying, drill, “death”, and missile variants, among others). While most enemies have an elemental weakness and some cast offensive and healing spells, many are simply there to be cut down by your attacks, meaning it’s easy to underestimate the Machines and G-variant enemies, which can almost act as mini bosses at times and, in some cases, can even be tougher than the likes of Sephiroth!

There’s a strange imbalance in the difficulty of some bosses.

Each of the game’s ten chapters but one (Chapter 7) culminates in a boss fight against at least one enemy, though some are variations of others or have multiple phases. Zack’s first test is against the monstrous Behemoth, a dog-like demon that attacks with a tail and claw swipes and serves as a tutorial for the game’s DMW system. Other variations of this creature appear later in the game, with the Behemoth King proving a steep penultimate challenge that I found more troublesome than the final boss thanks to it casting Regen on itself, having no specific weaknesses, and tanking my hits. Your mission in Wutai culminates in a battle against the duo of Vajradhara Wu and Vajradhara Tai, variants of which also crop up in subsequent missions and who are more deadly when teamed up thanks to their Limit Break, large health pool, and devastating physical attacks. After besting them, you’ll test your skills against the fire demon Ifrit, the first of many Summons who must be defeated to add them to your DMW. Ifrit sports formidable fire-based magic and attacks and you’ll need projectile magic to attack him from afar, but he’s weak to ice attacks like Blizzard. Chapter 2 sees you battling the mechanical Guard Spider, while Chapter 6 sees this improved to the more familiar Guard Scorpion. Both attack with cannons, stomps, and a hail of bullets but the latter mech also sports an EM Field attack that must be avoided. Chapter 2 ends with a battle against the dragon king, Bahamut, who can be annoying with his slam attack and Thunder Strike. In Chapter 4, you’ll battle the larger and more impressive Bahamut Fury, though I found this fight far easier as Bahamut Fury spent a lot of time just standing (or floating) around doing nothing and I easily kept it from attacking with Exaflare despite it having no elemental weaknesses.

Despite their emotional and historical significance, Angeal and Sephiroth are a bit of a let down.

Things continued to be largely manageable in Chapter 3. Here, you fight the G Eraser copy of Genesis, which is noticeably nimbler and more versatile than the three Machines that guard the chapter’s end, which are bested by bringing along thunder, fire, and ice-based Materia. The same is true for the Support Machines and the General’s Tank in Chapter 6. The drama ramps up when Angeal undergoes a horrific transformation, merging with his monstrous copies to form a centaur-like abomination not unlike Ultima Weapon. Angeal Penance is best attacked from behind since its lance has good reach. It can also magically boost its defence, charge, and unleash a bunch of physical and elemental attacks. However, despite its imposing size, this fight was pretty easy; Zack’s very emotional during it so the DMW is often in your favour, meaning this boss is all bark and no bite. Shinra scientist Hollander undergoes a similar transformation after being corrupted by Genesis’s cells. Constantly healing himself, Hollander distracts you with Land Worms and takes away chunks of HP with his Dimension Missile attack or poisons you with his breath. Being a Final Fantasy VII game, you naturally battle Sephiroth as well, most notably after he goes insane in Nibelheim. This is a two-phase battle, with the first seeing Sephiroth attacking with his impossible long sword, teleporting, and unlashing Heartless Angel and his trademark Octaslash. Sephiroth almost always has his guard up, negating many of your attacks, so just dodge, heal, and wait for an opening. Sephiroth spawns four elemental crystals that restore his health and bolster his attacks with fire, thunder, and blizzard spells. These must be destroyed using the opposing element (Fire against Blizzard, for example), and you might want to cast Dispel to remove his buffs. Though challenging, he’s actually easier than some other, less notable bosses and enemies. Once you’ve depleted his health, you then attack him on a narrow walkway. It’s game over if he pushes you back, so  focus on staying alive and pummelling him with everything you have until he takes his dramatic drop into the Lifestream.

Although a formidable combatant, Genesis is sadly lacking compared to other, lesser bosses.

Edgelord antagonist Genesis, a fan of poetry and the flamboyant, is encountered and fought multiple times throughout the story. You first battle him in Chapter 5, prior to the fight with Angeal Penance, and many of the G-variant battles are tests for your one-on-one encounters with Genesis. In the first encounter, Genesis casts Regen on himself and magically increases his defence; he’s fast and tricky, attacking and Cursing you with Black Flurry and draining your MP with Osmose. Yet, I found this battle surprisingly easy; you can negate Genesis’ status effects with magics and items and simply batter him until he flees. In the finale, Genesis summons a gigantic, grotesque creature to fight on his behalf; Genesis Avatar cannot be harmed by physical attacks as it’s out of reach, so you’ll need projectile Materia like Thundaga or Ultima to chip away at it. You also need to keep your distance from his giant sword; it’ll create a shockwave when it hits and spawn G Shadow variants to distract you from attacking the Materia in the hilt. Similar to Bahamut Fury, though, this battle was a joke, especially compared to the Behemoth King and even the G Regicide that preceded it. Simply cast Wall, keep your distance when it unleashes Purgatorial Wave, keep your HP up, and attack the Materia until its defeated. After that, you’ll go toe-to-toe with Genesis once more. Again, he’s fast and can land combos on you. He can cast Apocalypse for big damage and stun-lock you with the Black Feather barrage, but he’s a ridiculously anti-climatic final boss and easily put down despite his agility, making for a dissatisfying final bout.

Additional Features:
Crisis Core Reunion boasts fifty-one Achievements to earn, with one popping after completing every chapter. You’ll also get Achievements for completing some, and all, of the Missions, winning your first battle, dealing 99,999 damage, obtaining and levelling-up all DMW images, unlocking every shop, and receiving mail from everyone possible. As mentioned, every chapter features a mini game or gameplay gimmick that is tied to the Achievements; it’s worthwhile creating a backup save file as you won’t be able to retry if you miss them, fail them, or progress past that chapter. Other Achievements come from collecting equipment, fusing Materia, clearing the “Hard” difficulty, and defeating the powerful superboss Minerva, something you can only do after unlocking and clearing every previous Mission. Missions are unlocked through story progression and talking with NPCs, so be sure to talk to everyone you see. Their difficulty ranges and some are extremely tedious, forcing you to defeat up to 1000 enemies in a row or battle previous bosses and Summons, but you’re rewarded with better Materia and items and such. After you beat the game, you’ll create a clear save file and can start “New Game+”. This carries over your current level, SP, Gil, play time, items, Materia, equipment, DMW progress, Buster Sword proficiency, and mail but not the Missions you’ve completed. You also still need to unlock a lot of this stuff again, such as the additional Materia slots, shops, and Buster Sword, but I imagine it makes a second playthrough – even on “Hard” mode – much easier. Other than that, there’s not much else here; no new costumes or skins, no chapter select, and no gallery or movie theatre, which is a bit of a shame.

The Summary:
As I mentioned, I played Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII years ago when I first got a PSP. I didn’t get very far, though, mainly because I had a bunch of PSP games to play at the time and was a little put off by the strict mission-based structure of the game. Having finally played through this Reunion version, I can say that this structure is somewhat hampered at times and a little too quaint for a main console release, but it’s not as bad as I first thought. It is tedious having to go into the Mission menu and tackle each one in turn, but it was a fun way to level-up between the main story and combat was usually simple enough that they only took a few minutes to beat. The DMW system was certainly unique; the randomness wasn’t to my liking, but I enjoyed the variety in the attacks and benefits it gave you. This, along with battles constantly rewarding you, means the game can be pretty easy most of the time. Combat thus becomes quite dull very quickly as you just mash away and win, heal at a save point, and repeat until the chapter ends. There is a strange difficulty curve in Crisis Core Reunion, though; it’s really weird that Sephiroth and Genesis were so simple to defeat compared to the Behemoth King, and that enemies like the Pachyornis line could one-shot me yet I could survive Bahamut Fury with barely a scratch. This made combat a little unpredictable and annoying at times, almost as much as some of the mini games and the requirements to earn the Achievements associated with them. I enjoyed the dramatic dive into Zack’s backstory, his relationships with his mentor and peers, and his interactions with Final Fantasy VII icons like Cloud and Aerith. It was very impactful seeing Sephiroth’s downfall first-hand and playing an active role in the sacking of Nibelheim and Zack’s final stand, and the score and 3D recreations of Final Fantasy VII locations were a joy. In the end, it was an enjoyable enough action-orientated RPG but it a little clunky in its execution, with odd difficulty spikes and strange mechanics that make it fall short of its true potential.

My Rating:

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Pretty Good

Have you played Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion? If so, did you enjoy it? How do you think it compares to the original PSP release and did you like the new additions made to the game? What did you think to the DMW system and the mission-based structure? Did you enjoy Zack’s narrative and witnessing Sephiroth’s downfall? Did you ever complete all the side missions and defeat Minerva? Which other Final Fantasy VII side character would you like to see take the spotlight and which game in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII was your favourite? Whatever your thoughts on Crisis Core, or Final Fantasy VII in general, leave a comment below and be sure to check out my other Final Fantasy content across the site.