#Final fantasy psp series#

#Final fantasy psp series#

It's not quite real-time, but rather a series of quick turns that give you a smidgen of time in-between to select a different spell or attack. To target an enemy, you simply face in its direction, and to attack, you hit X. When combat begins, you are limited to a contained area, but you can move freely within it. Battles are almost exclusively random, with the exception of those that end your side missions (more on those later). This doesn't make it better or worse, but it does make it different, and once you get used to it, it's a lot of fun. However, it plays nothing like its inspiration, which may irritate some fans. Granted, it does have many of the same elements as FFVII: materia, limit breaks, and so on. However, you may be startled at how the combat works. If you enjoyed Final Fantasy VII, this kind of attention to detail won't come as a surprise. As Zack matures, you can hear the newfound confidence replace his adolescent arrogance when Angeal tells Zack that he's just a little more important than his sword, you can hear a subtle grin in his deep, commanding baritone.

Past Final Fantasies have sometimes suffered from awkward English voice-overs, but each actor here delivers the right degree of emotion at the right time, which in turn gives weight to the story. The quality is further enhanced by incredible voice acting. This kind of range is rare in cutscenes, even in RPGs, yet it's never forced or overdone here. There is a standout scene in which Sephiroth comes into deep focus using a cinematography technique familiar to Alfred Hitchcock fans. Dramatic camera angles frame Crisis Core's greatest moments, from earth-shaking soliloquies to the quiet pauses Zack and Aerith share. There is a harmonious mix of prerendered cinematics and in-engine cutscenes, and both were created with precision. The game's stunning cutscenes have an immeasurable effect on the emotionally resonant story. The game's final scenes are amazing and heartfelt, and one sequence in particular that brilliantly mingles gameplay with narrative is one of the most incredible and moving moments in role-playing history. Crisis Core tells a memorable and exciting tale, but more importantly, it makes you care about its characters, even if you are new to the lore. As each plot thread twists together and the game reaches its inevitable conclusion, your heart will soften and you may shed a few tears. Scenes between Zack and Cloud are both effortless and poignant, and stem directly out of Zack's most impressive character traits: trust and loyalty.

What's important is how the characters interact, change, and grow. Revealing almost any plot point could be a spoiler the Gaia world is rich with mythology and complex character motivation. Yet he's as interesting as any Square Enix star, and transcends the usual spiky-haired heroism and teenage angst with an uncommon maturity that develops as the game continues.

Zack isn't new to the franchise, but he was a mere flashback in Final Fantasy VII, which may not make him seem like the best choice of leading man for a prequel to one of the best RPGs ever created. Now Playing: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Video Review By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's